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**javierrivera** · Aug 10, 2007, 05:53 AM

Re: Mountain or a mole - Problems with Kubuntu

Originally posted by mushroom_cloud

Hi,

I'm a fresh new Kubuntu user (a month old)

Welcome.

> I've been using Windows all my life till now, when you click on a url or a text box in windows (like the address bar in web explorer) it selects all the text, unlike kubuntu which just has a cursor there. Can anything be done to customise it?

I don't know. But you can double click on it to select all the text while on linux. I also annoys me a little bit, but the other way around

. I hate when windows doesn't select the text on a double click...

> The command line! i've been trying to use it, i hear it's more effective and yada yada. There are some directories that it does not even recognise, however then i do 'ls' in the directory, it sure as hell lists it there. How is that possible?

While working on the command line, spaces in names should be written like "\ ". I mean put a \ before the space.

Code:

$ls /A\ Perfect\ Circle

> OpenOffice came installed with Kubuntu, so when i type "OpenOffice" in the text box (after pressing alt, 2 together) it says no such application.

Openoffice executable is called "ooffice" not openoffice.

> Also i tried changing permissions for this file called whatever.odt but it just said that it couldn't do it (i don't know how to go as the superuser or whatever you call it)

You can open a konqueror window as root hitting ALT+F2 and typing:

Code:

kdesu konqueror

> Is there any location where i can see what my applications are called, to use it in the terminal because i can't possible remember things which app opens a particular image etc

Yes, apps are usually in /bin or /usr/bin. The following command will tell you where the system search for commands.

Code:

$ echo $PATH

But the best way is use tab-completion. Write the start of the command and hit tab. This will finish the command if it can, if you hit tab twice it will give you a list of all the avaliable command that start with that name.

Fall-back to GUI can also be useful: Right-clicking on the file on konqueror, selecting properties and then clicking on the wrench icon will let you see what programs are associated with that file type.

Hope that it helps.

Javier.

**Fenyx** · Aug 10, 2007, 06:26 AM

Re: Mountain or a mole - Problems with Kubuntu

1. Here's a hint:
Double click = select a whole word, that is, a sequence of characters with no whitespace (space, tab, etc) in between. Works for URL's as what you've been told.
Triple click = select a whole continuous line, that is, a sequence of words ending with "Enter". Works great for paragraph selection.
F6 (in most browsers, including Firefox) - selects and highlights the location bar, without clearing its contents.
Ctrl+L - clears the contents of the location bar and places the cursor there.

2. All Unix-compatible command lines treat blank spaces (as well as some punctuation marks) as special characters, I think more properly called as "escape characters". For the shell (the command line interpreter) to treat them correctly, you need to place a '\' (backslash) before them, so that a blank space ' ' is written as '\ ' (without the single quotes of course).

Here's another tip to make things much easier: Use the tab key to autocomplete the filename or directory. So you just have to type in 'A' (case sensitive) then press Tab to autocomplete the directory (presuming it's the only directory beginning with an uppercase A).

3. Can't really say. Have you tried playing them in Kaffeine? And do you have libxine-extracodecs installed?

4. Use Katapult instead of Alt+F2 in cases like this. It's installed and enabled by default. Just press Alt+Space and start typing the name of the program, not the executable filename.

To get a clue about the executable filename of a particular program in your K Menu, just right-click on that item, select Edit this item, then look in the Command field.

Hope that helps too.

**dibl** · Aug 10, 2007, 06:29 AM

Re: Mountain or a mole - Problems with Kubuntu

Originally posted by mushroom_cloud

if you feel that there is a better way, a better place to ask these questions then please let me know.

Not necessarily "better" -- there are some real gurus on this forum -- but perhaps "more thorough and complete, at your leisure":

Beginning Ubuntu Linux by Keir Thomas, and/or

The Official Ubuntu Book by {list of folks here}

Welcome to the community!

**SheeEttin** · Aug 10, 2007, 07:53 AM

Re: Mountain or a mole - Problems with Kubuntu

Originally posted by Jucato

4. Use Katapult instead of Alt+F2 in cases like this. It's installed and enabled by default. Just press Alt+Space and start typing the name of the program, not the executable filename.

Here's other neat things Katapult does: You can type any word in the name, e.g. for "vmware server console", you can type "vmware", "server", or "console". You can also type the name of a file or folder in your home directory to open it that way. Finally, Katapult does math too. Much easier than open up SpeedCrunch or what have you. Just hit Alt+Space and type, for example, "6*7", and you'll get the answer on the right.

**penguin.ch** · Aug 10, 2007, 08:05 AM

Re: Mountain or a mole - Problems with Kubuntu

Originally posted by Jucato

All Unix-compatible command lines treat blank spaces as special characters [...]

Therefore, you may put the whole path name inside hypens, thus putting straight to the console that the whole term is to be treated "in one" - for example: while

Code:

USER # ls /some path name with spaces

will be interpreted as ls /some plus a lot of unknown parameters ("arguments"),

Code:

USER # ls '/some path name with spaces'

will result in the listing of what's inside the folder with the "holey named" path.

**mushroom_cloud** · Aug 10, 2007, 08:10 AM

Re: Mountain or a mole - Problems with Kubuntu

Hi again,

wow, before i took the nap, i was feeling really bad about not being able to handle Linux. I'm so glad to know there are so many people ready to help others out, almost like a secret army!

Thanks so much for the replies, is of great help to me. I think i like the idea of 'freedom' of being able to do what you want to do, and having more control. Thanks again fellows

**penguin.ch** · Aug 10, 2007, 08:22 AM

Re: Mountain or a mole - Problems with Kubuntu

Originally posted by mushroom_cloud

having more control

Which in turn requires decent knowledge of the system you going to control

One (of serveral) starting points: http://tille.garrels.be/training/tldp/index.html

**mushroom_cloud** · Aug 10, 2007, 08:26 AM

Re: Mountain or a mole - Problems with Kubuntu

I also wanted to ask something very important. I'm in India right now, and will be going to university in the UK soon. Since i have to buy a Laptop, i'm contesting whether i should buy one from here or there.

Since i work on Photoshop and other softwares, i have to use windows. So the lap will have to have a duel boot. I'm not very good at partitioning the hard drives, getting unallocated space to install Kubuntu on it and then mounting all the windows drives on linux, i don't have a clue how to do that and i wouldn't want to try it first time on mine.

The laptops are cheaper in the UK (compared to prices here) and i will end up saving up a lot more. The only thing stopping me from doing that is that i wouldn't have anyone to set it up for me, and a badly setup laptop isnot any better than a slightly expensive one which is set up well.

Comments on this?

**mushroom_cloud** · Aug 10, 2007, 08:30 AM

Re: Mountain or a mole - Problems with Kubuntu

Also wanted to know if setting up Kubuntu is a little difficult with detecting hardware etc? because i want to be able to use the ethernet/wi fi whenever required.

I read this on the Ubuntu forums and i was a little apprehensive.
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.p...ight=dell+1520

I am looking to buy a variant of the same laptop

**penguin.ch** · Aug 10, 2007, 08:35 AM

Re: Mountain or a mole - Problems with Kubuntu

Originally posted by mushroom_cloud

Comments on this?

Ad hoc: http://linux.slashdot.org/article.pl.../08/07/2343235 (?)

Furthermore, there might be a Linux user group at "your" university.

**mushroom_cloud** · Aug 10, 2007, 09:07 AM

Re: Mountain or a mole - Problems with Kubuntu

i want a Dual boot, are you saying dell with make partitions for me according to me?

**SheeEttin** · Aug 10, 2007, 09:13 AM

Re: Mountain or a mole - Problems with Kubuntu

I don't know if Dell does dual boot, but it wouldn't hurt to ask. They do Windows, they do Ubuntu... why not both?

**penguin.ch** · Aug 10, 2007, 09:19 AM

Re: Mountain or a mole - Problems with Kubuntu

Originally posted by mushroom_cloud

i want a Dual boot

Trust me: you don't need one - put "Bill in the box" and everything is going to be alright

**mushroom_cloud** · Aug 10, 2007, 09:43 AM

Re: Mountain or a mole - Problems with Kubuntu

Looks interesting. very interesting.