Linux Noob in Problems!

**Mate88** · August 10th, 2003, 05:56 PM

Hey Mates,

Im new on this forum and I would like to start my first post to tell you guys that yesterday I installed Linux for the first time! (Mandrake 9.1) because im tired of MS and I wanted to try something new. And I must say that I got amazed by it! Love in first site! I decided to try it out after doing this crazy test called: Which OS are you? LoL

and I was of course Linux so I just jumped to this conclusion. And you can find this test (which I must say is hilarious, poor guy/girl that gets ME, LoL!):
Which OS are You?

Im liking this forum a lot and Im sure I will enjoy it even more after sometime, hopefully I will get some friends and just enjoy my interests and your.

Well back to the problem. The setup was okay, pretty easy and nice and no complications (although I needed to install it 3 times since the first two I rushed! LoL) and after I just waited and finally it was finished. After spending some time with it I felt that impotence and Im sure every windows user gets that in the beginning with Linux since its different. And my problem is I could handle the onfigurations and surfing on the web, basic stuff, but I just couldnt install programs! I got so mad and frustrated! I thought it will be like Windows you click on the setup icon and voila you are ready to install. These are the programs that I JUST WANT THEM IN LINUX:

-Gaim (IM)
-Nvidia Graphic driver
-eDonkey (btw, whats the best P2P program for Linux?)

Please I need some help! I couldnt even do it after reading the READ ME documents and the installation documents! I just saw like type this and after this and its so confusion! I need help, I love Linux but I just cant have it if I cant install these programs! Thanks for the attention

**Mate88** · August 10th, 2003, 06:15 PM

Anyone?

**pbharris** · August 10th, 2003, 07:03 PM

Hello - welcome to techimo ,
Gaim - i would be surprised if it is not installed by default, if it is not check the disks that came with mandrake and install using what ever GUI tool mandrake uses.

NVidia graphics - easy! first download the driver here: http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux_d...1.0-4496.html, place it in an point you can find it easy - like /tmp/ . don't have xwindows running when you do this, it can be done by logging in a root and the type init 3 in a terminal. then exit if you are not dropped to a command prompt, cd to where you put the driver, e.g. cd /tmp and then type sh NVidia-driver-blah and it should tell you how it is going. then edit /etc/X11/XF86Config and change nv to nvidia under the driver section, make sure you ahve glx getting loaded, and the dri is not loaded. best advice on thei ofcourse it to READ the README.

eDonkey - ????

**cunokyle** · August 10th, 2003, 07:12 PM

Gaim should be installed by default...just type gaim in the run command and see if it opens.

My favorite P2P program is GTK-Gnutella.

After taking that test, looks like my next computer is going to be a Mac!

I am an OS X!

**Mate88** · August 10th, 2003, 07:41 PM

Pbharris,

Isnt it an easier way to do it? Mate, that is some hard stuff! Didnt quite get anything! Same things are said in the READ ME documents but I just dont get it. XWindows? Whats that? Root, terminal...? I think that maybe I just cant deal Linux as I thought I could. But I really want to, at least have these programs installed. And never heard of eDonkey? enter this site edonkey2000.com its famous and it works with Linux. Never tried it though in Linux since I cant install it! lol

**Mate88** · August 10th, 2003, 07:42 PM

Originally posted by cunokyle
Gaim should be installed by default...just type gaim in the run command and see if it opens.

My favorite P2P program is GTK-Gnutella.

After taking that test, looks like my next computer is going to be a Mac! I am an OS X!

I know what you mean, lol
And I agree 100%

**Taz** · August 10th, 2003, 08:21 PM

Linux, any flavour, has a learning curve that is near vertical. Just take your time and don't get frustrated. Linux takes away the spoon that Windows feeds you with. The little lightbulb will light above your head, it just takes a bit of time, after all, you are learning a new language. I've never seen anyone learn a foreign language in a few days or even a few weeks. Just plug away and it will make sense eventually.
A good idea is to have a dual boot system if you have the room, for those days when Linux bites back. Just reboot in Windows and relax. Boot back into Linux when you are chilled and grab those reins again.

**originel** · August 10th, 2003, 08:34 PM

ok first of all.

root: the highest level user for linux, like administrator in windows but with more power (you can change anything...including deleting even the most important system files)

xwindows: this is the subsystem that drives the graphics. think of linux as DOS and xwindows as win 98. win98 runs on top of DOS and in linux xwindows runs on top of Linux (and then kde/gnome runs on top of xwindows).

terminal: same thing as the command prompt in windows. basically a command line window in a graphical environment.

i've never tried edonkey, i've heard it's good but i use gtk gnutella or limewire (depending on what i have already downloaded

)

most programs will install in one of two ways: one is a pre-packeged format, for example rpm. it actually does work a lot like in windows...you double click it and when given the option click install. i'm not sure if drake supports rpm's tho cause i've had very little interaction with it.

the other way is using what we call tarballs. this is a .tar.gz or .tgz. essentially it's a zipped file. so the first thing you need to do is extract it (you should be able to double click on it and an extraction program should open). then you go into the new directory and you will almost always type three things at a terminal:

./configure
make
make install

essentially the program comes in source code and the first command configures it for your system, the next compiles the program, and the third distributes it around the system. after that it's installed.

EDIT: a great resource for linux newbies is www.justlinux.com and www.linuxquestions.org

**Mate88** · August 10th, 2003, 09:10 PM

Thanks for all the responses!
I love the Linux community1 So helpful...
Yes, I dont want MS to feed me anymore! Im sick of it! I want Linux, but as Taz said it will take time, but again its an experience, and I like them.
Originel, rpm is what I want in my days of a noob then! but does mandrake support it? If it doesnt, which one does? It should do because most say its for Linux noobs so it should have it...
Im sure I will get it someday

Which zip program do I use, I tried with the one that comes with drake, gnuzip or something like that. But I failed as always! lol

Im very convinced and I want to learn it since I dont like MS.
Thanks again mate, and keep sending for me to have a life easier

**Taz** · August 10th, 2003, 09:19 PM

Mandrake does rpms. Just read the manual as they say LOL.
Have fun and, once again, don't get dispirited when you hit a wall. You WILL get over it.

**Mate88** · August 10th, 2003, 09:24 PM

Thanks Taz for the inspiration and streghts

**strangerstill** · August 10th, 2003, 09:32 PM

OK, there's a reason that Drake is one of the 'friendliest' distros. It's because for most config tasks Drake provides a GUI (graphical) method and a CLI (command-line) method.

IMO, this is a Good Thing because for things that you do rarely it's good to be able to just pick up a graphical tool and see exactly what you can do and how to do it. However, for tasks you do a lot, going through the same routine of hitting all the same buttons gets incredibly tedious and learning a command line pays off in a short time.

Installing software is a case in point. Obviously you realise that Mandrake, like any Linux distro, comes with loads of software that you won't have installed at first. The GUI way to install such software is simply to open the Mandrake Control Center, then hit RpmDrake in the Software Management section. The corresponding CLI method is to open a root terminal and enter '/usr/sbin/urpmi <program name>' which can be far faster once you're used to it.

(Note that software management is the main difference between Linux distros - almost always, changing distro means learning a new way to install software)

Because of IP issues, the nVidia driver cannot be distributed with Linux, so you can't install it with RpmDrake or urpmi. What pbharris wrote is probably the quickest way to install the nVidia driver, so you are right to ask for explanations of the strange words we use!

As for eDonkey - it isn't available through Mandrake, and the downloads available on the eDonkey website look to be quite tricky to install (.tar.gz etcetera) so until you feel more comfortable with installing such programs and following README instructions you could do better using another p2p client - for instance, gtk-gnutella isn't actually shipped with Mandrake due to legal problems but you can download it from a Penguin Liberation Front mirror - e.g. here and then just double click on the package to install.

**Mate88** · August 10th, 2003, 09:48 PM

Thanks a lot strangerstill!
I love when you just double-click and the installation begins! Is the installation pretty much like in Windows with GTK? Hopefully.
How about the Nvidia driver? that one seems tricky...
Hopefully with time I will get it though. So you guys think Mandrake is the one for me? or RedHat (have never used it)

thanks alot