Some Linux questions

[calidude]

Yay, I finally converted. Only took 13 years. :lol: Anyway I need some big time help here as there is so much I can't figure out (have been using Windows all my life so I'm clueless as to how to run most of this stuff :( ).

1. How do you unzip / uncompress tarball files? (The right way I mean)

2. What is a good FTP program for the Fedora Core 2 distribution?

3. How would get my other hard drive (also Windows-based) to show up on my main menu so I can get my personal files off of it? Or are they gone forever?

4. Do you have to defrag on Linux? If so how would you do this?

5. How do you get programs like music players (RealMedia - yeah I know, needed for streaming video, also QuickTime), IM programs (Yahoo, MSN), etc. for Linux?

6. How do you take screenshots with Linux?

This would be a great start for me. Thanks! :)

[bolix]

5.

-Mplayer for videoshttp://www.mplayerhq.hu/homepage/design7/dload.html,

-XMMS for music (similar to winamp) www.xmms.org/

-Amsn for MSN messenger http://amsn.sourceforge.net

[calidude]

Got those, thanks. :)

Now to figure out how to install them...

[randomnut]

1. ok, to unzip a file, open a terminal, go to the folder which the file is in (best to keep it in the home dir) and type

tar -zxvf filename.tar.gz

3. Use suse, does it automaticlly ;) Not sure how to do it otherwise.

4. No need to defrag :D In Linux, it uses a file system where very little fragments are caused, and these are 'defragged' automatically anyway.

6. In suse, i just go to the menu, utilities, and ksnapshot easy as that, see if you have it installed. Not sure about fedora, but try pressing print screen on the keyboard and see what happens.

Ill grab some links etc and get back with the rest later.

[Hummel]

2. gFTP ;)

[markwolfe Veteran]

3. http://linux-ntfs.sourceforge.net/rpm/index.html

https://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=202924

5. gaim for my IM needs.

There are two easy ways to get programs you need in Fedora.

First, is to use yum, which is built-into Fedora.

You execute a command like yum install celestia, and Fedora will search its repositories (storage sites online) for the pretty cool Celestia space simulator.

Secondly, you can use apt (apt4rpm). Apt does the same thing as yum. It searches online repositories for the app you mentioned. Apt also comes with a decent GUI front-end, called synaptic.

Once you have your yum.conf file set up to use non-official repositories, you will be able to add in these extra things.

[nexx]

First off, this site is great for Fedora newbies: http://fedorafaq.org/

1) tar -zxvf filename.tar.gz

2) gFTP (comes with Fedora). The GNOME and KDE file managers also support FTP but they are pretty much on par with Windows Explorer's built-in FTP abilities.

3) Linux supports READ ONLY access to NTFS - http://linux-ntfs.sourceforge.net/

4) No :)

5)

Music: XMMS is a winamp2 clone and is a great program. RythmBox is quite similar to foobar or iTunes. - Both come with Fedora but do not have the ability to play mp3 files (patent/lisencing issues). fedorafaq.org shows you how to add mp3 support.

Video: MPlayer is the greatest program ever made imo (supports real and quicktime, as does Xine). VideoLan Client also has a linux version.

All of these are easily installable via yum once set up correctly.

IM:Gaim. Comes with Fedora and is a great program. aMSN is an msn clone, havent used it myself though.

6) Press Print Screen and it should open a little window asking you to save the file?

[markwolfe Veteran]

I didn't see #6. :p

Also, #6: import at the command line, or use GIMP. Both of those will work.

I don't think that the Print Screen key is set up for most environments, is it? :unsure:

[Zerosleep]

You haven't converted yet, grasshopper. ;)

[calidude]

1. ok, to unzip a file, open a terminal, go to the folder which the file is in (best to keep it in the home dir) and type

tar -zxvf filename.tar.gz

...

I ran that command you gave me in Terminal and it said this:

tar (child): gftp-2.0.17.tar.gz: Cannot open: No such file or directory

tar (child): Error is not recoverable: exiting now

tar: Child returned status 2

tar: Error exit delayed from previous errors

Tried it with the file in both my / directory and my /home directory. :unsure: Not sure where else I should try putting it.

Thanks to everyone else for the links and help! :) I'll be looking at those later today.

[kjordan2001]

I ran that command you gave me in Terminal and it said this:

Tried it with the file in both my / directory and my /home directory. :unsure: Not sure where else I should try putting it.

Thanks to everyone else for the links and help! :) I'll be looking at those later today.

Try this:

tar xvvzf filename.tar.gz

or is the ending a .tar.bz2? if so:

tar xvvjf filename.tar.bz2

or if it's just plain .tar:

tar xvvf filename.tar

[calidude]

Nope, isn't working. Still get the same error. Even tried CHMODding the /home directory to 777 as well.

[karma_police]

or use the GUI, not the command line and just right click the file and then extract here.

[calidude]

OK that worked. Now I can't get the command line things to run to start up the programs. :( Keeps saying either no such file or directory; or variants thereof. :(

I have no idea at all how to install this stuff.

[kjordan2001]

OK that worked. Now I can't get the command line things to run to start up the programs. :( Keeps saying either no such file or directory; or variants thereof. :(

I have no idea at all how to install this stuff.

To run a program:

./program

It's odd you keep running into no such file errors. Perhaps a "source /etc/profile"? Other than that, something sounds screwed up.

[calidude]

Am I putting it in the right folder? You have to remember that this is my first time really using Linux so I'm like at the bottom of the totem pole compared to all you guys. :(

[El_Cu_Guy]

1.

# tar: [CL] Tar/untar .tar files ("tarballs".)

# gzip,gunzip: [CL] zip/unzip .gz files.

# unarj: [CL] unarj .arj files.

# bzip: [CL] zip/unzip .bz files.

# compress,uncompress: [CL] zip/unzip .Z files.

# zip,unzip: [CL] zip/unzip .zip files.

# kzip: [X] KDE graphical zip/unzip program.

from the directory where you saved it

2.

gFTP

CLI ftp client

3.

lotsa tutorials

check forum thread links

google

man pages

4.

no necessary though programs do exist (mostly ext2 fs)

5.

Google

6.

lotsa noob tools for this, noobs LOVE screenies

[markwolfe Veteran]

Am I putting it in the right folder?  You have to remember that this is my first time really using Linux so I'm like at the bottom of the totem pole compared to all you guys. :(

Hmmm..

A couple of things I can think of to help a bit (maybe).

First, use TAB completion, when possible. For example, your tar command, when you are starting to type the filename, type the first few letters and hit TAB. Linux should complete your filename (or complete it up to the point where it becomes unique again, in the case where you have a file named package-1.2.3-0034 and package-1.2.2-4605, it will complete up to the 1.2. and require you to specify 2 or 3). Try it a few times. It is VERY handy! :yes:

Also, if you are logged in as a 'normal' user, good for you! That is the proper way to do things! (Y) However, in Fedora, you won't have your system binaries (in directory /sbin/) in your $PATH, so you will need to specify commands like /sbin/ifconfig, instead of just plain ifconfig to check or set your ethernet configuration.

Those two pieces of advice may help you get things done more easily.

[kjordan2001]

Am I putting it in the right folder? You have to remember that this is my first time really using Linux so I'm like at the bottom of the totem pole compared to all you guys. :(

Put it in your home directory (e.g. /home/youruser), then untar it and follow the instructions.

[Riz360]

Yay, I finally converted. Only took 13 years. :lol: Anyway I need some big time help here as there is so much I can't figure out (have been using Windows all my life so I'm clueless as to how to run most of this stuff :( ).

1. How do you unzip / uncompress tarball files? (The right way I mean)

2. What is a good FTP program for the Fedora Core 2 distribution?

3. How would get my other hard drive (also Windows-based) to show up on my main menu so I can get my personal files off of it? Or are they gone forever?

4. Do you have to defrag on Linux? If so how would you do this?

5. How do you get programs like music players (RealMedia - yeah I know, needed for streaming video, also QuickTime), IM programs (Yahoo, MSN), etc. for Linux?

6. How do you take screenshots with Linux?

This would be a great start for me. Thanks! :)

1. Answered

3. Use the ntfs module for your kernel, its fairly easy to install, you can find a rpm, use google!

4. No you do not need to defrag.

5. get a hold of GAIM rpm.

6. Just press Pring Screen?

I would highly recommend getting Synatptic, it make installing new programs a breeze, just a few clicks of the mouse. go to www.freshrpms.com download apt-get then synaptic, they're both rpms which is good. And you'll be managing programs in no time.

Oh! Another tip, if you use your fedora for the desktop I would recommend using the Fedora Core 2 Desktop Kernel, its vastly improves performance. Again its a rpm so easy to install.

http://apt.bea.ki.se/kernel-desktop/

[calidude]

Thanks for the advice, I will try it out. :)

Another n00b question...How do you get the install scripts to run? I can't figure out how to change the directories in Terminal so that the command line prompts will work right.

[Riz360]

cd /home/username

CD : Change directory

PM for any further info. :D

[markwolfe Veteran]

Thanks for the advice, I will try it out. :)

Another n00b question...How do you get the install scripts to run? I can't figure out how to change the directories in Terminal so that the command line prompts will work right.

It could be that your current directory is not in your path.

That is what the ./ at the begenning of some commands are for - to clearly specify the current directory you are in.

If I un-tarred stuff into a "temp" directory in my home, and went inside there, and tried to run an executeable, I would have to say

./filename

to make it run, since the temp folder in my home is not in $PATH at all.

I know that sometimes it may seem overwhelming, but keep sticking in there and trying. Once you have it running, it will run like a champ and be very maintenance-free. (Y)

[calidude]

I got the command line stuff to work and the tarball files are now uncompressed. :yes: But now I want to figure out how to install the darn things. :(

(This is so annoying. I almost want to go back to Windows...)

[markwolfe Veteran]

What are you trying to install at this point?

Have you tried to install items via yum or apt yet?