Total linux newbie needs help


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Here a few questions, I'm using RedHat 9

1. How to turn on NumLock automaticly?

2. Is there a button/command to minize all windows at once, like in windows?

3. How to read from ntfs filesystems. I tried that update to mount them, but only getting a error that ntfs is not supported

4. Soundcard won't work, cmedia 8738, I found a few linux drivers fot it on the net. But I'm to n00b to install them :s

Well, I hope anyone can help me!

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Here are a few answers:

1) I think you can do this through BIOS.

2) What Desktop Environment are you using? These things are there, and you can create a keyboard shortcut to them, if you wish.

3) You need to add NTFS support into the kernel. You can do it with what you have on your PC now, or you can google and look for an RPM that will do it for you.

4) This could be tough. If your card isn't supported, it may not work no matter what. However, if you found some things that look promising, then they (I am sure) come with instructions, like a README file, or instructions on the webpage you found them on.

If you are a noobie, then you might want something more current than RedHat 9. Fedora Core 1, SuSE, or Mandrake 10, or if you want to jump in deeper, Debian or Slackware maybe?

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Thnx for the answers. My comments:

1. It's enabled in the bios, it turns on automaticly on windows but not with redhat

2. I'm using KDE, where to find these things?

3. Thx i'll google it for a rpm

4. Yeah I found some drivers. Next step is understanding the readme :p

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My replies to your comments: (ok, now. This is getting ridiculous!) :rofl:

1) Go to the KDE Control Center, and open Perhipherals, then select keyboard. You will have an option for NumLock on KDE startup on your right. Check "Turn on" :)

2) Right-click in your main panel (where a Windows "Quick Launch" area is), and select Add, then Special, then "Desktop Access". This is the same functionality as the Windows Hide/Show Desktop thingie....

3) If you cannot find it, let me know. I don't have NTFS installed, as I single-boot Linux only. Sorry I didn't help more than saying "google" :unsure:

4) If you boot Knoppix, does it work? Knoppix plays an audio clip when it starts KDE, and if you hear it through Knoppix, you should be able to use the smae config to hear sound on your system.

DId you give any thought to a more current distro? I mean RH9 will work fine and all, and you can even upgrade all of your components (including kernel) to the latest, but you might get a better initial start with something less old...

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1. Wonderfull thank you :D

2. Thank you again :p

3. Got something. It asks me for my root password, and then I get a error that I don't have the right acces :s

4. Gonna try it!

And yes I thought about these others, if I would switch I think i'll switch to fedora. But most people tell me that there is almost no difference. So why should I ?

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Installed the soundcard drivres. Now next stap is this:

Autoloading on Older Kernels

============================

On 2.2 or 2.4 kernels, you have to set the additional aliases for

auto-loading via kmod in /etc/modules.conf:

----- /etc/modules.conf

# ALSA portion

alias char-major-116 snd

# OSS/Free portion

alias char-major-14 soundcore

alias sound-service-0-0 snd-mixer-oss

alias sound-service-0-1 snd-seq-oss

alias sound-service-0-3 snd-pcm-oss

alias sound-service-0-8 snd-seq-oss

alias sound-service-0-12 snd-pcm-oss

----- /etc/modules.conf

The aliases sound-service-x-y define the add-on modules for ALSA

OSS emulation.  For the second or later card, define more aliases

for mixer and pcm in addition, such as:

----- /etc/modules.conf

# OSS/Free portion - card #2

alias sound-service-1-0 snd-mixer-oss

alias sound-service-1-3 snd-pcm-oss

alias sound-service-1-12 snd-pcm-oss

----- /etc/modules.conf

You don't need to define service 1 and 8 for the second or later

cards.

If you want to autoclean your modules, you should put below line to your

/etc/crontab:

*/10 * * * *  root  /sbin/modprobe -rs snd-card-0 snd-card-1; /sbin/rmmod -as

You may also want to extend the soundcard list to follow your requirements.

So I need te put that into the modules.conf right? Done, but when I try to save I get a error that I don't have acces :( Now what?

Edited by speedy_kevin
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If I trust that you are following the procedures you are supposed to, all you need to do to have FULL access is to su to root and enter your root password. Then you can overwrite pretty much anything...

I haven't had to do this before, so I am sorry I can't be of more help in this department. :no:

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Grrrr...

This may be an issue of a service "in use"... Perhaps you need to stop the service and do your thing, then restart it?

Now, which service? I don't know. :(

BUT, I think that if you boot up into SINGLEUSER mode, you are root and no services are started. The ultimate "do anything" mode, but be careful!

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the modules.conf isn't constantly loaded so a service in use won't affect it. You might just have the privledges to it set wrong. go to the console and type in:

chmod 666 /etc/modules.conf

make sure you are root in the console or terminal.

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I got it saved now. Was a konsole command;

kdesu kwrite path/to/file

rebooted, but still no sound :s

I'm gonna re-read the install and the readme to see if I missed something ;)

And the ntfs reader, when I install it I get the message that's already installed. But when I try to mount a ntfs filesystem I get a error that it's not supported :no:

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