man ? downloads?

[Suncoast]

OK.. I'm lost!! Where do I start to learn this Linux system?

Other than that, I have 2 specific questions.
1. I read that I can find help in the man pages by typing "man" - BUT, *** do I type it???

2. I downloaded a couple of programs and put them in a "Documents" folder. How do I install them. 1 is Macromedia Flash and the other is Limewire for Linux.

How do I get to Mp3s that are on a regular fat32 partition?

(sorry! I guess that's 3 questions)

TIA
vicky

[freezinbutt]

The "man" command can be executed from any terminal or shell. In Mandrake, you should see an icon down in the task bar that looks like a computer monitor. That is a shortcut to the terminal.

If you downloaded the programs in RPM format, all you should have to do is double click on them and that will open up the RPM installer. If they are in .tz or .gz format, you will have to unzip them, compile and install, then you can run them. There should be a read me file with the download with instructions on how to do this. Otherwise, do an internet search for compiling and installing software in Linux as this is quite a long subject to address here. www.linuxnewbie.org is a great source of info for the Linux newbie.

In order to get to your fat32 partition, you will have to mount that partition. Go into "Disk Drake" to look at your partitions. From there you should be able to see your windows partiton and mount that partition. It will then show up in your file structure under /mnt or possibly /win (depending on how Mandrake sees that partition).

Hope that helps. It's a bit much at first but then it starts coming together. Linux is well documented on the internet so at first you do lots of reading. Kinda like learning to ride a bike all over again.

freezinbutt

[Suncoast]

Thanks much for all the help. I can see this is a lot different from Windoze and I have a lot of reading to do. It's fascinating tho, and I'm gonna do my best to stick with it.

laters,

[freezinbutt]

Hang in there. You will get it...and when you do....it will be very rewarding. Then, the next time you hear Bill Gates threatening to pull his product from the shelf because of everything going on there, you can just laugh and watch all your friends start to panic.

At the begining of this forum, there is a link to some great Linux sites. If you haven't seen it, it is here:

http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.p...threadid=20687

Check out some of these links and bookmark the ones you like because they can be very useful in the future. This is one of the great things about Linux...it is very well documented.

Best of luck to you. Welcome to the good side.

freezinbutt

[MaXimum SMOKE]

Note on non-.rpm program files. 'Compiling' is only needed if you get just the source code. A great percentage of the 'gz' format stuff is just compressed programs ready to be de-compressed and run the installer. In Mandrake, at least in the kde desktop, there is a program called archiver. Think of it as kind of like 'winzip' for Linux. It lets you decompress, the archive and extract the resulting files. Many have a text file describing the install process in there. The thing that I think tends to mess up people is that a good majority of the software has to be installed as 'root'. The other thing is that you get an installer script. Kind of like a dos batch file, this is executed in a terminal to install it. If you right click on this type of file, and check properties, you'll notice 'read', 'write' and 'execute' properties. On a shell script, you have to check the 'execute' to get the thing to run. Then you just click apply. Then you can right click on the script file, select 'open-with' and check off the 'run in terminal' option.
Your Fat32 partition may already be mounted. At least if it was there, when you installed Linux. Look in the 'mnt' directory, for a folder called something like 'win_c', or similar. If this is no good, you create a directory there of your choosing, ( like Win) In this case, the command to mount a fat partition, that was on say partition #5 on the first ide drive hda. Open a terminal as root, and type mount /dev/hda5 /mnt/Win That would do it for this example.

[Suncoast]

Well, right now your lingo is mostly "greek" but I did find the "mnt" file and in it all my partitions & drives. Clicking on an .mp3 brings up "Noatun - KDE Media Player", but the play button is greyed out. How do I play the mp3?

[MaXimum SMOKE]

O.K., some people I give too much to and some not enough First, do you have any system sound when KDE desktop boots up? (Welcome sound) If not we have to determine why. There are two user modes "root", the administrative account, or logged in as a regular user. Regular users, can't make major system changes. Next what does windows say your sound card is, Brand, type.

[Suncoast]

Well gimmee, gimmee. I can take all you got big boy!!

I have no sound when KDE boots. I somewhat understand "root" and have used it to install a couple of things - macromedia plug-in for Mozilla, for 1 - my HP Jetprint SW for another (my next major project).

Sound is onboard - VIA VT1611A - Ac'97 on a Tyan Trinity 510 mobo..

I CAN play cds using the CD Player.

[MaXimum SMOKE]

AC '97 ..... OUCH !! I've been there. Problems! I had the same problem with an MSI board with that Via sound chipset in Mandrake 8.2 The news I have isn't good. I was able to use it with Mandrake 8.1, but I didn't find the performance to be what I considered 'reasonable' . O.K. 8.2 came out and I did a clean install and got the same problem as you have. CD o.k., everything else 'no way' Seems they use two different type of sound structures in Linux , that seem popular. The prefered seems to be the one they call OSS stands for Open Sound System, The other is called ALSA - Advanced Linux Sound Architecture. Right now, it seems that OSS may be more popular. On stuff that don't work, a lot of Linux docs. refer you to www.alsa-project.org Supposedly ALSA does have a driver for this chipset, but, at least for me, I found a major headache, trying to plop it in Mandrake. (It's not a click and go thing). I got impatient after a while, re-evaluated, and bought a Turtle-Beach Santa Cruz, sound card for that machine. .....
Well... as popular as the 97 seems to be getting, you'll probably see the major Linux distros handle a good built in driver for it before too long. I didn't have the luxury of time though. As fast as these linux distros come out, maybe support will be sooner than you think. After you fool around with this os for a while, you'll be amazed at how fast Red Hat and Mandrake, come out with a new Distro. My solution may be more than you want to invest, if your just getting your 'feet wet' with Linux right now. You'd have to make sure you can disable the onboard sound to use another card anyway. Sorry S.C. I took the easy way out on that box http://www.provantage.com/YVOYE003.HTM

[Suncoast]

This board was introduced both with and without AC'97 sound. I'm sure it's a matter of disabling it in the bios. I have no problem with adding a sound card and the TBSC looks to be a good choice. Now that I know AC'97 is problematic I feel better. I've got a lot to learn and mp3 music really isn't my priority here.
I'm gonna do a little more reading and experimenting before I come up with more questions. A few things ARE starting to fall into place... thanks to you guys.

vicky

[MaXimum SMOKE]

Ooops I may have missed a recent link here. http://www.viaarena.com/?PageID=1

Looks like recently via had some more Linux news to offer, at the above link. This may or may not help. I don't any longer have a machine to test it on though.
I hope you enjoy the Linux. Personally I like the 'adventure' of Linux. At the risk of flames, I'll keep my opinions on M$ to myself

[jglen490]

Before getting too lost in the details, might I suggest a good resource? Go to your favorite bookseller and get a copy of Running Linux , out of O'Reilly Press. I have the third edition and it is my prime resource for all things Linux. I believe the fourth edition is out now.