Introduction To Linux Mandrake
Linux is a alternate OS designed to give users full control of there computer enviroment, since it is open-source (The accual operating system can be modified). I have desided to make my home computer A Linux / Windows machine. since i am very good at Windows, i thought it would be fun to document my experiance with Linux, to give people some help (Because Windows users will probably have the same problems i have). Also, if any of you people want to help me solve my never ending linux problems, you can Email me or drop me a line on my posting boards.
Fun With Grub
Like LILO, GRUB is your portal for Multi-Operating systems. Unlike LILO, it has a graphical User interface, but, There are mad flaws in it, and it can very easily *beep* you off if your a newbie like me. I am not willing to give up my Windows 98 system (Soon to be XP system) for Linux, even though i can see it is much better. So the ideal alternitive is make a computer that has two boot partitions. So, how can you mess this up? I did it! check this out. originaly, i had a 13.6 GB hard drive (Windows 98) and a 4.6 GB (Mandrake) and it was all working peachfully. Well, Then i found a 10.2 GB hard drive. so i was like sweet. i installed Linux with that hard drive, and i F'ed up when i did not have the other HD in when i installed it. so now i have a 13 GB with Windows, and a 4.6 and 10.1 GB hard drive with linux, and the big drive will not boot with the 13.6, but the small one will, well, not any more. i deleted the Linux Mandrake partition from the GRUB menu, so i F'ed my self over again. well, i will repost when i fix this problem!
Hardware Incompatability and how i fixed it
I have had mad Hardware incompatibility with Linux, but i have over came them, and I will tell you how I did it.
I Have a Sound Blaster 16 ISA Card, which should be compatible with linux. When i started linux up, i wasn't getting sound. HardDrake, The linux PNP Program said it set it up correctly. It lied. every time i tried to set up the card correctly, i recived an error message "Device Dev/DSP in use" or somthing to that effect. it annoyed me off, to say the least. this is how i fixed it.
I Booted in to mandrake, and while the boot up, i pressed "I" (To enter Interactive Start up) and went threw the selected start routine. I pressed yes to everything exept when i was asked if i wanted to load the Sound Server. i pressed no, then told it to continue booting (Press C + Enter) When you enter KDE, there will be sound, but it is not fixed. whats the matter? The Kernal is loading your Sound Server, so when the GUI tries to, it's wooed. go in to sound drake, and choose a driver you know (KNOW) will not work with your sound card, Mess up the settings, and all that. Restart the system, and durring boot up you will recive a failed message, telling you that your sound card is not installed, blah blah blah, but what do you know, the sound works.
I have a US Robotics 56K Sportster ISA Modem, and even though HardDrake says it supports it, LinuxConf does not pick it up, and nither does KPpp. this is how I got it to work. take out the card (When the computer is off) and find your settings (Communications Port and Interupt). Boot in to linux and run Hard drake. Go to tools >> Probing Options. Find "Modem" and open the edit window. It has an option button where you can turn on or off Probing for that device. turn it OFF. close out of hard drake. Next, open up Linux Config. and find the Modem setup, and select unspecified. now, restart. Go in to KPpp, and go to setup. Take your COM Port, and minus 1. (Com 3 = 2) and find that number, after a couple of letters. (Right after DEV/MODEM) and try to query the modem. it should work.
Sound Card
I Have a Sound Blaster 16 ISA Card, which should be compatible with linux. When i started linux up, i wasn't getting sound. HardDrake, The linux PNP Program said it set it up correctly. It lied. every time i tried to set up the card correctly, i recived an error message "Device Dev/DSP in use" or somthing to that effect. it annoyed me off, to say the least. this is how i fixed it.
I Booted in to mandrake, and while the boot up, i pressed "I" (To enter Interactive Start up) and went threw the selected start routine. I pressed yes to everything exept when i was asked if i wanted to load the Sound Server. i pressed no, then told it to continue booting (Press C + Enter) When you enter KDE, there will be sound, but it is not fixed. whats the matter? The Kernal is loading your Sound Server, so when the GUI tries to, it's wooed. go in to sound drake, and choose a driver you know (KNOW) will not work with your sound card, Mess up the settings, and all that. Restart the system, and durring boot up you will recive a failed message, telling you that your sound card is not installed, blah blah blah, but what do you know, the sound works.
Modem
I have a US Robotics 56K Sportster ISA Modem, and even though HardDrake says it supports it, LinuxConf does not pick it up, and nither does KPpp. this is how I got it to work. take out the card (When the computer is off) and find your settings (Communications Port and Interupt). Boot in to linux and run Hard drake. Go to tools >> Probing Options. Find "Modem" and open the edit window. It has an option button where you can turn on or off Probing for that device. turn it OFF. close out of hard drake. Next, open up Linux Config. and find the Modem setup, and select unspecified. now, restart. Go in to KPpp, and go to setup. Take your COM Port, and minus 1. (Com 3 = 2) and find that number, after a couple of letters. (Right after DEV/MODEM) and try to query the modem. it should work.
The Mandrake Learning Curve
Moving from Windows 98 to Linux's KDE is like going from Windows 95 to Windows XP. there are many changes, but they both do essentually the same thing. for example, Windows has a Start Menu, with a start button, Quick launch, Taks Bar, System icons, and the time. Linux, on the other hand, has a K Menu, which is like the Start Menu. It has a Desktop Menu, which lets you do some various functions (Like when you right click on the task bar) and it has currently running programs (like you can get in lite step), and it has a show desktop button. next, it has Multi-desktop support, where you can have up to 8 diffrent desktops to sort all your app's on. then, just like in windows, you have a taskbar, with all your running apps on it. then, you have your appelet bar, and your system time, in 24 hour format. Thats not the only change. All in all, you have WAY more control of your linux operating system then you did with your Windows operating system. with your 'Linux Control Center' app, which you can accsess via your K Menu, gives you so much control of your system, you might trek your pants. like with windows, you can change your background, screen saver, you know, the usuals. it gets way more indebth though, when you can tell linux what you want your windows/icons to do when your mouse go's over them. I had it set up as what i like to call 'Pointer God Mode', which your icons will illuminate when you hover over them, and when your pointer hovers over a window, it becomes focused. which i thought was really cool, untill i tried to run netscape, Xmms and Gaim at the same time. What a mess.