Teaching an Old Dog New Trix


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I'm currently an Old Skool DOS, and Windows Guy (Embedded, or Entrenched) into the Microsoft trenches. I would seriously like to learn how to use Linux, I have downloaded a SUSE Live CD, and even tried using Mandrake Live CD. Problem is since I really don't know alot about it I don't always have as much time to fix errors when I encounter them. I did install the Mandrake on my HD, and tried that. I was impressed with how far Linux has come since I last tried it in 98' when I was trying Red Hat.

Help! I am so damn hardened in the Microsoft camp that I just want to learn more about Linux. Any ideas or suggestions that may help me make a smoother transition?

Edited by NeoFyLe
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Well, LiveCDs like Knoppix, SUSE Live, and Ubuntu are great to "show" Linux, but typically a Live session doesn't have any persistence between boot sessions.

If you have Mandriva installed now (it hasn't been "Mandrake" in quite a while), then we can work off from that. Have you tried using Linux as your day-to-day OS? What stumbling blocks have you run into in which you need to find resolution?

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Well, LiveCDs like Knoppix, SUSE Live, and Ubuntu are great to "show" Linux, but typically a Live session doesn't have any persistence between boot sessions.

If you have Mandriva installed now (it hasn't been "Mandrake" in quite a while), then we can work off from that. Have you tried using Linux as your day-to-day OS? What stumbling blocks have you run into in which you need to find resolution?

I found that after installing Mandriva on my T-61 it found everything and it all worked flawlessly until I went and updated then, I kept getting this broken glass sound constantly about some application crashing and it wouldn't stop. Also was trying to get permissions to change the skin to look like Mac OSX and couldn't figure out how to give myself <root> priveledges

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Mark is correct. There is nothing like actually installing a system and learning from that. Mandriva has always been good, as well as SuSE. Currently Ubuntu (and all its derivatives, including Shift- our own) is the most popular. You can boot the CD and check your hardware compatibility, then install it to your hard drive. You can even dual-boot it with Windows so you have a safety net, if need be.

There is plenty of help here to assist you with questions. Just leap in and ask away. There is some learning involved, but do not let that scare you. Linux has grown on all of us!

Barney

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Mark is correct. There is nothing like actually installing a system and learning from that. Mandriva has always been good, as well as SuSE. Currently Ubuntu (and all its derivatives, including Shift- our own) is the most popular. You can boot the CD and check your hardware compatibility, then install it to your hard drive. You can even dual-boot it with Windows so you have a safety net, if need be.

There is plenty of help here to assist you with questions. Just leap in and ask away. There is some learning involved, but do not let that scare you. Linux has grown on all of us!

Barney

Thank you, I did install Mandriva maybe I was not clear in my first post. Man it is fast and I did find that as technically savvy as I am it sure humbled me in a second when I didn't know how to fix it. It's good cause it keeps me humbled. Ohh is it pronounced Man-Driva (like Man Driver) or Mand-Riva (Mand River)

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^ Hmmm..... not too sure, but I have always said "Man-dreeva" It is a french variation of Red Hat, so maybe there is some other type of French pronunciation.... :p

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Well, waaaay back when I used KDE (think Red Hat 7.3 -9), I had the occasional application crash. I forget which app it was that I was running that crashed, and prompted me with the bug report pop-up window.

What were you doing when you had the problem? I'm not familiar with Mandriva's package installer/updater. urpmi or some such? Sort of a wrapper around the rpm installer command, if I recall correctly. If *that* is broken, you have serious issues. :blink:

First, let's make sure you are at least running a current version. What CD did you install?

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Thank you, I did install Mandriva maybe I was not clear in my first post. Man it is fast and I did find that as technically savvy as I am it sure humbled me in a second when I didn't know how to fix it. It's good cause it keeps me humbled. Ohh is it pronounced Man-Driva (like Man Driver) or Mand-Riva (Mand River)

I too was a dye in the wool DOS and Windows user until Vista happened and I switched to Ubuntu and found it easier in many ways than Windows. As for fixing things I found that not too much of it was all that easy to break as would be the case with Windows. Linux really is far more stable and reliable than Windows ever was.

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Well, waaaay back when I used KDE (think Red Hat 7.3 -9), I had the occasional application crash. I forget which app it was that I was running that crashed, and prompted me with the bug report pop-up window.

What were you doing when you had the problem? I'm not familiar with Mandriva's package installer/updater. urpmi or some such? Sort of a wrapper around the rpm installer command, if I recall correctly. If *that* is broken, you have serious issues. :blink:

First, let's make sure you are at least running a current version. What CD did you install?

It was the latest release as of a few weeks ago. I went to updates and updated the kernal from an official source site and after the machine rebooted I think it I recall correctly it was that RPM command now that you mention it. After I would logon it would keep crashing constantly. The other thing I was trying to do unsuccessfully was to replace the skin to look like Mac OS X Leopard cause I think that GUI kicks butt.

I may have to ditch this T-61 and go and buy a Mac and then take baby steps in learning Linux. Hopefuly I can get the GUI, Ease of use, Stability, and learn at a pace that wont make me want to throw this beautiful machine at the wall (just kiding about the throwing part) I have bashed a few desktop keyboards in the past for stuff that baffled me for hours though prior to the internet.

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Update should not have caused a problem. However, the skin replacement... Might be the problem.

I'd boot into command line, make sure you can log in. That will make sure "Linux" is ok.

Then try starting KDE. Probably will crash. Might be X. More likely your KDE config. You can remove all your .kde files to remove any bad options causing problems. You can try removing KDE and re-installing it. You can try installing something small like fluxbox or xfce to get a GUI up and running, and verify X is ok that way (and do repairs with a GUI rather than command line).

Lots of options, just don't know what you feel comfortable with. You might be most comfortable with re-installing.

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Update should not have caused a problem. However, the skin replacement... Might be the problem.

I'd boot into command line, make sure you can log in. That will make sure "Linux" is ok.

Then try starting KDE. Probably will crash. Might be X. More likely your KDE config. You can remove all your .kde files to remove any bad options causing problems. You can try removing KDE and re-installing it. You can try installing something small like fluxbox or xfce to get a GUI up and running, and verify X is ok that way (and do repairs with a GUI rather than command line).

Lots of options, just don't know what you feel comfortable with. You might be most comfortable with re-installing.

As far as command line goes I am a definite newb with Linux commands, kinda like when I remember goin from Mac in the 80's to DOS. I think reinstall would be the best solution right now until I am more competent. Then after of course come here to ask how step by step on how to accomplish what it is that I was attempting to do.

Thank you for your assistance

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And just to add one more thing... Mandriva uses URPMI....... and it is easy if you use (amazingly enough) Easy URPMI:

http://easyurpmi.zarb.org/

This adds the URPMI repositories to your sources list.

very simple package manager to use.... much like APT or YUM.

http://linuxfornewbies.org/forum/index.php/topic,12.0.html

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urpmi celestia will (should?) install the Celestia space simulation app.

Of course, if your GUI isn't working at the time, the best bet may be to re-install - rather than dealing with commandline repairs you aren't comfortable with.

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You guys rock! I appreciate you guys "holding my hand" and walking me through this "minefield" LMAO

Thank you all it is appreciated and is not going un-noticed

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