Help Wanted

[ronw]

we are two old codgers, who are totally disenchanted with Mr gates's WINDOWS.....

we have CD's of ubuntu....both "live " and "install".....we have tried using the live version...but cannot seem to get it to work at all.....is there anyone out there who can advise us....without using technical geek terms.....how do we get it to work.....how to go online....and other simple things like that?

we tried the live version on a desktop....and all we got was a pretty brown screen.....and a CD drive which went berserk.

we had slightly more success on the laptop....but......we had to return to widows [ugh] in order to send this plea for help..............

If anyone would like a free weekend in beautiful Pai in exchange for tuition.....please let us know.

[Richard-BKK]

Hello Ronw,

I think that there are enough people who want to help you, including myself. But first what can you tell us about the computer you try to run Linux on.

It is maybe not easy to give any detail specifications, therefore, you have Windows installed on that computer and can use Windows Device Manager to probe your computer.

You can find Device Manager by following this Start->Settings->Control Panel->System->Hardware->Device Manager

Information like Display Adapters, Modem, Network Adapters and Processor are important. Also the amount of installed memory (RAM), you can see that when the computer starts up. If the screen at startup disappears to fast, you can also see the amount of installed memory at Start->Settings->Control Panel->System->General

My experience with LiveCD’s is not that positive, especially if you have some hardware which is a bit of the standard. Linux distributions like OpenSuse or Fedora Core 5 come on 5 or 6 CD’s, so knowing that I think you can understand that one LiveCD cannot contain the same amount of programs, drivers and other resources.

If you are able to use a small hard drive, 8GB or smaller is already enough to get do a installation for testing. 8GB hard drives cannot cost that much at the local computer shop.

If you would like to try some other distributions like OpenSuse 10.1 or Fedora Core 5 who are known to have excellent hardware support.

With kind regards,

Richard

[ronw]

Hello Ronw,

I think that there are enough people who want to help you, including myself. But first what can you tell us about the computer you try to run Linux on.

It is maybe not easy to give any detail specifications, therefore, you have Windows installed on that computer and can use Windows Device Manager to probe your computer.

You can find Device Manager by following this Start->Settings->Control Panel->System->Hardware->Device Manager

Information like Display Adapters, Modem, Network Adapters and Processor are important. Also the amount of installed memory (RAM), you can see that when the computer starts up. If the screen at startup disappears to fast, you can also see the amount of installed memory at Start->Settings->Control Panel->System->General

My experience with LiveCD’s is not that positive, especially if you have some hardware which is a bit of the standard. Linux distributions like OpenSuse or Fedora Core 5 come on 5 or 6 CD’s, so knowing that I think you can understand that one LiveCD cannot contain the same amount of programs, drivers and other resources.

If you are able to use a small hard drive, 8GB or smaller is already enough to get do a installation for testing. 8GB hard drives cannot cost that much at the local computer shop.

If you would like to try some other distributions like OpenSuse 10.1 or Fedora Core 5 who are known to have excellent hardware support.

With kind regards,

Richard

[ronw]

thanks for the very quick reply

the desktop is a bog standard beast....running windows XP...not sure of the processor speed....but am sure it is enough...the hard drive is 40 gb

the laptop is an IBM thinkpad...processor speed 1.3....hard drive is a nominal 20Gb... running windows 2006....

the desktop just showed a brown screen [after apparently starting to load ubuntu] and the CD drive almost went into orbit....

the laptop loaded ubuntu ok....but, possibly through complete ignorance..we were unable to start any functions....and were at a loss for what to do next.....

[Sulaphat]

Ronw,

I found a CD with Ubuntu 5.04 Live and have started a PC with it. Even on a fairly fast desktop, it took a little while to completely load. If you are getting to the brown screen, you are almost there! The brown screen will show a lighter rectangle while all of the peripherals are initialized. After this rectangle disappears, there should be a small taskbar at the top of the screen and another one at the bottom. The one at the top has items entitled "Applications", "Places" and "System" and then there are a couple of icons. The taskbars are quite easy to overlook compared with the clutter of a Windows desktop, so perhaps you missed them. If you did not get this far, perhaps Ubuntu is hanging during boot because of a driver problem. Turn off all printers, remove all USB drives and peripherals and try to re-boot.

If you got to the final brown screen with the Ubunto logo, then you will need to open the "Systems" drop-down from the taskbar at the top of the screen and select "Administration" and then "Networking". When you open "Networking" you should see the network adapter cards you computer has in the "Network Settings" dialogue. If you are connected to the internet by ethernet cable you will want to make sure you activate that adapter. First select the relevant adapter, then click on "Properties". Select DHCP and check "this device is configured". Return to the "Network Settings" dialogue and click on "Activate". Your internet connection should then work.

There should be a number of applications under the "Applications" drop-down, including Firefox and Open Office and also an email application (Evolution Mail).

Ubuntu is an excellent Linux distribution, but by default it uses the Gnome desktop. In my opinion, Gnome is not quite as easy to adapt to as is the KDE desktop. You might find it easier to start out with a copy of Kubuntu, which is Ubuntu with a KDE desktop instead of Gnome. Check out www.Kubuntu.org.

Good luck and let me know if this helps.

[ronw]

many thanks for that....we shall have another try soon....we are both out of town for a few days....but shall persevere....and probably ask for more help later.....

[Niloc]

Sulaphat, I am the other 'old codger' (thanks Ron) and I would like to ask if the USB modem supplied by the 'phone company 'Allied Telsyn ADSL USB Modem AT-AR206' will work with Ubuntu.

The modem was installed on Windows and has comes with a 'front end' which does the dialling and log-in. If I go to Ubuntu, how do I do the log-in bit?

I am looking forward to Linux but am reluctant to commit too deeply too soon and find myself with no internet and no means of fixing it!

Thanks for your help,

Colin

[Sulaphat]

Sulaphat, I am the other 'old codger' (thanks Ron) and I would like to ask if the USB modem supplied by the 'phone company 'Allied Telsyn ADSL USB Modem AT-AR206' will work with Ubuntu.

The modem was installed on Windows and has comes with a 'front end' which does the dialling and log-in. If I go to Ubuntu, how do I do the log-in bit?

I am looking forward to Linux but am reluctant to commit too deeply too soon and find myself with no internet and no means of fixing it!

Thanks for your help,

Colin

Colin,

It may be possible to use the USB modem you received from the phone company, but it might be a bit difficult. Here is a link to a good discussion of the issue of USB modems in Linux:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UsbAdslModem

I would suggest that instead of using the USB modem, whether with Linux or with Windows, that you seriously consider scrapping it and replacing it with an ethernet card for your PC and an ADSL modem/router. The modem/router would likely give you a good physical firewall, something you are unlikely to have with a USB modem from the phone company.

Ubuntu automatically detects most ethernet cards during installation. You would need to configure the modem/router with your user ID and password from the phone company so that it can log on. The modem/router will come with instructions on how to do this. The phone company either has or can give you your ID and password to put into the modem/router.

While the ethernet card/modem/router setup sounds like a large undertaking, it isn't. It will likely be much easier than trying to find a driver for the USB modem and then working to get it installed and set up to work with Linux.

I would however gladly defer to others on this board who are much more proficient with Linux.

[francois]

hi'

pity that I'm not around, I would have loved a wek end in Pai

and you would have Suse 10.1 installed and working fine

francois

[Niloc]

So it looks like we are up for a modem/router each. My desktop already has an ethernet card as I had it networked with the laptop. I suspect Ron's has one also.

We know the login/password combinations for both ADSL connections, looks like a trip down to Chiang Mai to buy the modem/routers.

I looked at the USB site and it looks as if it could get complicated, easier to get a new modem.

Thanks,

Will keep you in touch...

Colin

[ronw]

tried again to put "ubuntu live" on the desktop....with a new CD...

this time , after getting the brown screen with the ubuntu logo....had a blank screen...so I thought I would leave it to see what would happen.......and .....after 2 hours......the screen is still blank...and the CD drive is still being accessed , so I am just beginning to think that it is possibly not going to install.

i am currently using the laptop for email and other internet things, so do not want to change that until the desktop is fully funtional.

have sent for kubuntu...but when that will arrive, who knows?

PS...is there a photo editing program which works with ubuntu?

all i need to use the computer for is to access the net, and edit my pictures.

[francois]

tried again to put "ubuntu live" on the desktop....with a new CD...

this time , after getting the brown screen with the ubuntu logo....had a blank screen...so I thought I would leave it to see what would happen.......and .....after 2 hours......the screen is still blank...and the CD drive is still being accessed , so I am just beginning to think that it is possibly not going to install.

i am currently using the laptop for email and other internet things, so do not want to change that until the desktop is fully funtional.

have sent for kubuntu...but when that will arrive, who knows?

PS...is there a photo editing program which works with ubuntu?

all i need to use the computer for is to access the net, and edit my pictures.

hi'

did you check that your cd/dvd drive is declared in the linux start?

you should see a window saying something like "harware recognition).

did you see this?

could you try with an external drive,, and boot from it from the bbs option on post?

and for pictures, you'll have to learn the Gimp a bit, but will get used to it in a short time

francois

[ronw]

yes, I did get a hardware recognition notification....and later there was the thin rectangular shape with a word on it...I think it said "aquarius"..and the ubuntu logo was over that.....then the screen went blank...and i let it run for almost 2 hours.....no change...

It is probably me...I am a disaster area as far as computers are concerned.....

thanks also for news of the GIMP....photo editing is one of my few areas of expertese.

ah well! back to windows[pro tem].....

question? what is "bbs option on post?"

[Sulaphat]

ronw,

If the CD works up until the point that the main Ubuntu screen is supposed to appear, perhaps it is a display problem that manifests itself when X loads. Try this work-around:

When you come to the very first Ubuntu screen, where it asks you to either press F1 or ENTER, press F1. At the command prompt, type "live vga=771 noapic loapic" without the quotes and then press ENTER.

I had a similar issue with Mepis,which I solved by manually changing the display option during the inital boot sequence.

Good luck.

[ronw]

thanks for that....shall give it a whirl tomorrow.....and shallkeepeverything crossed..............ronw

[Niloc]

Well I bit the bullet yesterday and installed Ubuntu on the laptop, an IBM T21 Thinkpad and it works beaut!

I have tried to install some software (Thunderbird) and Kylix but it beat me both times, I did manage to get it to recognise my memory stick and read both Word and Excel files. All I need now is a decent development environment/compiler but I am looking at both Python and Perl, I think Python is going to be the one.

That is if I can ever work out how to execute a binary file! (run a program!)

We both really need a quick course in Windows to Linux, there must be something in Chiang Mai, maybe one of the universities? Maybe a book like Linux for Dummies?

Can anyone help?

[Simmo]

We both really need a quick course in Windows to Linux, there must be something in Chiang Mai, maybe one of the universities? Maybe a book like Linux for Dummies?

Can anyone help?

If you're really comitted to learning I think it's best to ditch X-windows & graphical environments and start off at a terminal shell and learn from there.

CTRL-ALT-F1. Login and start learning some commands in roughly this order.

If you're familiar with dos you can pickup the unix equivilents in a few minutes (cd, ls, pwd etc).

Learn the basic directory structures (/etc, /usr /dev).

Learn how to use Vi for text editing

Command redirection with > & >>

Piping commands

Here's a decent guide

Linux Terminal - Beginners Guide

[Niloc]

OK, I did the CTRL-ALT-F1 and had a good play around, I think I agree with you, it would be easier to learn the terminal commands rather than just fumble around a Windows lookalike.

Question :

How to I get back to the desktop environment, what is the reverse of CTRL-ALT-F1?

If I boot with the memory stick in the USB port, I can see it but if I Unmount it I have to go all the way back to a complete computer restart to see it again, a la Windows! How do I simply insert it and mount it?

Thanks,

Colin

[Simmo]

OK, I did the CTRL-ALT-F1 and had a good play around, I think I agree with you, it would be easier to learn the terminal commands rather than just fumble around a Windows lookalike.

Question :

How to I get back to the desktop environment, what is the reverse of CTRL-ALT-F1?

If I boot with the memory stick in the USB port, I can see it but if I Unmount it I have to go all the way back to a complete computer restart to see it again, a la Windows! How do I simply insert it and mount it?

Thanks,

Colin

You can switch between the virtual terminals with ALT and the left and right arrow keys.

X-windows is usually on terminal 7 - so CTRL-ALT-F7 will get you back there.

For the memory stick , you need to use the mount command.

This will probably work if it's already been formatted in windows and the usb filesystem is loaded.

mkdir /mnt/memstick

mount -t vfat /dev/sda1 /mnt/memstick

Here's a reference

[Niloc]

Thanks Simmo, that will keep me busy for the weekend I am sure!

Would it be possible to connect the laptop (Ubuntu) to the desktop (Win 2K Pro) as a network? Is this an impossible task or just a complicated operation. I am currently transferring files via the memory stick but I have about 1.5 Gig of source code I will eventually need to transfer over and a network would be the obvious solution.

ps I previously had the two machines networked under Win2K but after the telco guy installed the USB modem software it never worked again...