what to do with linux that i can't do with windows?

[raftero]

i have a spare computer which is fairly fast, 1.6a athlon -2g memory etc. i had w2k on it and very seldom fired it up since i use xp on my newer computers. i decided to try linux and since i only have dial up available i ordered a mint 8, it set up very easy but that is as far as i could get, i had a external serial diamond supra express modem --evidently it was not recognized so i tried an agere pci modem and an agere serial external which did not appear as recognized , i could find no help on the forums as to how to set up dialup services etc.lots of help on setting up dsl and cable. so i have it setting there still on but unusable. i think if hi-speed internet is available it would be a good tool but dialup is not really up to date enough to make it feasible.

[kilgoretrout]

It's just your choice of distro. Unfortunately, ubuntu and mint which is derived from ubuntu don't include certain packages on their livecds needed to use and configure a dialup modem. Those packages are wvdial, a command line program, and gnome-ppp, a graphical front end for wvdial. I'm pretty sure that the external diamond supra express modem would work if you had those packages installed.

[raftero]

this is my first try with linux, i have tried command line wvdial and wvdialconf and they ask for password which i assumed was the adm password that i use to sign in and it will not even write it most time, one time it did write and it said password invalid.

[kilgoretrout]

If you have wvdial installed and working, follow the procedure in "Alternative 1" here:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Di...to/SetUpDialer

That walks you through the wvdial setup and configuration. As more fully explained in the above link, with the modem connected and turned on you first run:

$ sudo wvdialconf /etc/wvdial.conf

Enter your password when prompted.

Hopefully, you should get a message at the end of the form:

Found a modem on /dev/ttyS*

with the "*" being an integer which can vary depending on which COM port your modem is on. If you get a no modem found message, your out of luck but if the modem is found, it's usually just a matter of properly configuring the thing to get it working.

A few pointers. First, you need to have admin privileges to run wvdial and wvdailconf. That is done in ubuntu by preceding the command with "sudo", eg:

$ sudo wvdial
$ sudo wvdialconf

Second, to edit your /etc/wvdial.conf file you will also need admin privileges. I think you will find using gedit easier than nano when editing this file. You can launch gedit with admin privileges by running:

$ sudo gedit /etc/wvdial.conf

Enter your password when prompted and gedit will launch with admin privileges displaying /etc/wvdial.conf. Make your edits and save the changes just like you would on any word processor.

[raftero]

ok i'll give it another whirl thanks

[Petef56]

I didn't read all 34 posts, but I often use a Linux live CD to fix problems with Windows.
---pete---

[glc]

Raftero - there are 2 passwords involved - one is your Linux admin password, and the other is your ISP password. You need to use the appropriate one at the correct time.

[kilgoretrout]

Also, with regard to your password "not being written" when you run a command with sudo, that's normal. For security reasons, the admin password is not shown in any way as you type it in. The input is being taken however, so just type out the complete admin password and hit the Enter key when your done. Finally, linux is case sensitive so "PASSWORD" is not the same as "password".

[David M]

Originally Posted by Force Flow It's free and developed by the open source community, rather than a corporation. Then again, that also has its downsides. The argument about not needing antimalware/antivirus apps is weakening. You still need security measures, and linux is not totally immune (less susceptible, yes). The crashing arguement is also more or less invalid these days. Windows is just as stable as linux and vice versa. Now, if you look at the number of times you have to reboot when installing updates, applications, etc...linux will certainly need fewer reboots. With linux, you probably will have to go to the command line more than once. If you are strictly a GUI user, then it's probably not the most ideal option. IMHO, a proper modern OS should not force you to use the command line to get something done. While linux distributions have made great advances, it's still not there yet as a viable replacement for the average user. For the enthusiast who wants to get into the nuts and bolts of things, yes, it's quite agreeable. But for people who "just want it to work", you may run into some difficulties. I'm primarily a windows guy, but I do make a point to try out a few flavors and versions of linux throughout the year. I have yet to see anything that makes me really want to jump ship. To me, linux is interesting, certainly has its uses, but as a desktop OS, still has a way to go before I'd recommend it to an average home user. But, that doesn't mean you *can't* try it. If you're interested, it won't hurt to grab the LiveCD and run it. The LiveCD allows you to run linux from a bootable CD without actually installing it on your hard drive. While it will operate slower in this fashion, it will still give you enough of a sample to see if you'd like to play with it more.

That has to be the best, unbiased, succinct, down to earth description I have ever heard.

[raftero]

Originally Posted by kilgoretrout Also, with regard to your password "not being written" when you run a command with sudo, that's normal. For security reasons, the admin password is not shown in any way as you type it in. The input is being taken however, so just type out the complete admin password and hit the Enter key when your done. Finally, linux is case sensitive so "PASSWORD" is not the same as "password".

i finally figured that out, w;ho would have thunk it HA

[raftero]

Originally Posted by glc Raftero - there are 2 passwords involved - one is your Linux admin password, and the other is your ISP password. You need to use the appropriate one at the correct time.

i know but trying to set up modem and internet it gets confusing doesn't it.

[raftero]

ok after a week of messing with linux i am convinced that i can do nothing with linux at least on dialup, i easily installed mint 8 and then suse and despite about a thousand tries and all the instructions i could find i could not get it accept any of 3 modems on either one. i quit maybe if i ever get hi speed but never again on dialup