Is there a publication anywhere that starts you out assuming that you know absolutely nothing about Linux? I'm not completely computer illiterate, having rebuilt several Windows98 systems, and a couple XP systems from scratch, but I feel as though I've just entered a foreign land. I've got a couple of systems that required replacing the mobos, leaving me outside the realm of re-authorization by the hierarchy of Redmond. I've tried Freespire and SUSE installations, neither of which did anything other than reformat the drive, then fail to complete the installation, leaving me to start from scratch each time. I just installed Kubuntu 6.10 on a former Dell that now has an ASUS P4S800D-X system board, and this is my first feeling of achieving any degree of success with a Linux based system. I've got the sound working, and can play a CD, but haven't succeeded in getting the LAN working. I'll continue looking over previous posts before I start asking specific questions, but again, this seems much akin to learning a foreign language. A basic guide of some sort would be helpful....
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Re: Kubuntu for Dummies?
The Desktop Guide pdf on the following page is a great starter to print out and read.
http://www.kubuntu.org/documentation.php -
Re: Kubuntu for Dummies?
Thank you for your prompt reply. I'll sit back with a hot cup of coffee and do some reading. The ongoing blizzard outside tells me I don't have anything better to do!Comment
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Re: Kubuntu for Dummies?
Here here! Also consider myself pretty good at hacking Windows - and wouldn't mind hacking at Kubuntu if it were anything near as finished as Windows. Trouble is that programs can install themselves in several places, and many of the alternatives (like ndiswrapper to get wireless cards working) don't necessarily work. Others offer other alternatives and there is no reasonably definitive guide to which advice is good and which is rubbish. From my point of view general advice is difficult to find rather than specific questions about specific hardware.
Too much information and of course none of it moderated.
Still...........it is certainly getting there.
I have certainly kept a page of my own as I learn. Tell me if you start one up!
A guy who you need on this forum is UnicornRider. Seems to be not too nerdy and therefor polite to us!!Comment
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Re: Kubuntu for Dummies?
Sorry for dashing your hopes - but after more than a decade of doing "factual psychotherapy" with mistreated horses, all my relations to mankind are dominated by anger and bitterness; what I do love, however, is to analyze (their) problems ... not without reason some folks tend to call me "little Dr House".Originally posted by jnorris235Comment
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Re: Kubuntu for Dummies?
Okay, I'm making a little headway; I've managed to get the LAN working, and have downloaded Firefox. I guess I didn't do something quite right, though, as I have to go through about 5 steps to open the application... I'll work on that some more. For a specific question, when a zipped file is downloaded and placed on the desktop, which application will unzip it and install the program where it belongs? The utilities don't give much of a clue by their names, and I guess this is why I have to hunt firefox to open it....
thanks....Comment
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Re: Kubuntu for Dummies?
Did you install Firefox with 'Add/Remove Programs'? If so it should appear in Kmenu>Internet (I assume LAN working means you have an internet connection).Comment
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Re: Kubuntu for Dummies?
To best install Firefox have a look at Psychocats "Installing Firefox on Ubuntu" on http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/firefox and use the script method.
(Generally have a look at Psychocats too.)"A problem well stated is a problem half solved." --Charles F. Kettering
"Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple."--Dr. SeussComment
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Re: Kubuntu for Dummies?
I am running into the same problem; A lot of the documentation is either Ubuntu specific or/and is too advanced; I need some step by step instructions on set up and running around different boards is is somewhat tiresome; therefore I am compiling a step by step manual for myself that hopefully I will finish in a month or so and post it in HTML format for people to read.Comment
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Re: Kubuntu for Dummies?
To understand Kubuntu you really have to understand Ubuntu. They are built on the same basis but they are slightly different. Yes, largely , Kubuntu is KDE and Ubuntu is Gnome - but many KDE apps will work on Gnome and visa versa.
In Kubuntu the text editor is "Kate" and in Ubuntu it is "Gedit." Quite often the Ubuntu command might beNormally this is not recognised by Kubuntu - unless you install "Gedit" into Kubuntu. Then it works.sudo gedit...
In Kubuntu the su command is "kdesu" and in Ubuntu it is "gdesu". So if you come across a Ubuntu command which starts "gdesu..." you will know to change it to "kdesu..."
One of the big helps is the "Unofficial Ubuntu 6.10 (Edgy Eft) Starter Guide" at http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu_Edgy. It must be "translated" for Kubuntu. (Although I have recently found parts which do not seem to work at all.)
There is just far more labelled Ubuntu than Kubuntu, If you want to take up the Ubuntu challenge and improve your Kubuntu you could start here: Great Ubuntu Links! at http://forums.scotsnewsletter.com/in...howtopic=17087
"A problem well stated is a problem half solved." --Charles F. Kettering
"Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple."--Dr. SeussComment
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Re: Kubuntu for Dummies?
I put Firefox in the panel.Originally posted by HD_RIDER
Right click at bottom left - panel menu - add application to panel - Internet - Firefox. The FF icon appears bottom left.
Then you can just click the icon to launch - job done.
You can add other most used apps like Thunderbird the same way.Comment
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Re: Kubuntu for Dummies?
If you're looking for a book to read, a good one (in English) is "Beginning Ubuntu Linux" by Keir Thomas, published by Apress.
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Re: Kubuntu for Dummies?
Thank you for the tips, I'm sure I'll get this right eventually. I assume I did something incorrectly when I downloaded Firefox, as it doesn't appear in the add/remove programs feature. However, through trial and error I now have a link on the desktop that launches Firefox as expected, except it doesn't have the Firefox logo; it is actually a miniature graphics page with the first page of the license printed on it. It works for now, so I'll leave well enough alone for the time being. I haven't been able to get the floppy drive recognized once the system is booted up, though. If I insert a bootable floppy disk before starting, it will boot to the floppy, so I know the drive is functioning, but when Kubuntu is running, it won't read from it. Konqueror lists it under storage media along with the CD-ROM drives, but when I click on it, it shows "no items-no files-no folders", regardless of what is on the floppy disk. It doesn't show any drive activity while it "searches", so the message isn't getting through. Reading through the help files tells me that I need to be sure the "mtools package" is installed, but I haven't figured out how to see if it is installed, and if not, how to get it and install it. Any ideas? Thanks again....Comment
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Re: Kubuntu for Dummies?
It won't appear when you first open the window as the list only contains kde programs at startup. Just to the right of the search bar is a drop down menu, select 'any suite'. Firefox will now be in the list (it counts as a gnome program).Originally posted by HD_RIDER
Go kmenu>system>adept manager manage packagesOriginally posted by HD_RIDER
type mtools into search bar, select it from list and 'request install' (you'll prob want mtoolsfm as well from looks of descriptions its a gui for mtools). Then apply changes.
If you already have it installed then it will apear in list as already installed.Comment
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Re: Kubuntu for Dummies?
I followed the procedure suggested for Firefox, and it did put a folder named Firefox on the desktop. Selecting it, however, opens to window that lists all the Firefox components (chrome, components, etc.), and to actually launch the program I have to go to the icon that is a Shell Script, (the same icon that I currently have on my desktop), and select it. That makes it a two step procedure again, rather than simplifying it. No big deal, but I'm trying to keep the procedures as simple as possible because this computer is actually going back to someone who is accustomed to Windows.
I installed mtools, and while I haven't claimed complete success yet, I am at least getting the directory from the floppy to appear, so I think I'm making progress. Why the jpegs won't open when selected is the current obstacle. The same files on a usb drive open without any trouble. I shall continue to work on these issues, thanks for the tips.Comment
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