system documentation frustrations

[tomcloyd]

Why is the K-Menu "Help" item so lame? I'm virtually always frustrated by it. When I do a search it appears only to search "Unix manual pages" - the relevance of THAT is far from obvious to me, as a new migrant from WinXP. Unix? How did THAT get here? Oh...and the search seems only rarely to turn up anything useful. I searched for user administration, not exactly a trivial topic, and I got the ever useless:

Top-Level Documentation
UNIX manual pages

Meaning what (Maybe I just haven't yet figured out how to make good use of this tool - I hope that's the problem.)

I'm specifically trying to get access to a file system directory containing some Ruby library files, so I can change permissions on it. I'm trying to update it from within Netbeans (which I'm using as a Ruby IDE), and I'm not being allowed to do this. What I NEED to do is become a root user. This is easy in WinXP - I just sign on as an administrator. It begins to dawn on me that I cannot do this root level administration, usually, in Kubuntu outside of the command line. Arrrgh. Why the heck isn't root level accessible via password from within the properties window obtainable by right click in Konqueror. That's be wonderfully useful.

As for the command line, at least when I look up 'bash' I get some real documentation - but it looks like I'll need a day to study up on it. Worse yet, what I have to work with is a single huge page - and there's no search functionality available. It has an apparent level of detail that'd do blueprints for the space shuttle proud, and all I can do is scroll and scream. This simple isn't usable.

Is there an easier way to do root level work? Am I missing something?

[Fintan]

Re: system documentation frustrations

Welcome to the kubuntu club
As linux is a derivative of UNIX it is normal that a few things will be "left over" from UNIX. File structures, commands etc.

You are right to an extent, the help section is not always very usefull. There is still a lot of room for betterment.

Depending on the flavor of kubuntu you are using it has gotten better though. In Gutsy the is a Kubuntu help section.

Being root is very dangerous. One of the reasons xp is so security prone is the fact that it is easy to become "root"

As for kubuntu this will give you an idea of how ubuntu based systems handle this question:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RootSudo
it is a much discussed topic and a google for root and ubuntu will give plenty to read.

If you want to edit "anything" in Konqueror just right click on the pertenant file and choose actions->edit as root then give your password at the prompt.
If you are in gutsy or later you can use "open as root" on the right panel in dolphin, give your password at the prompt to open directories as root.

I hope this is helpfull

[tomcloyd]

Re: system documentation frustrations

Welcome to the kubuntu club
Being root is very dangerous. One of the reasons xp is so security prone is the fact that it is easy to become "root".

...Which is largely compensated for by the fact that the vast majority of users think tink their browser IS the Internet, and have no idea there even IS a command prompt!

If you want to edit "anything" in Konqueror just right click on the pertenant file and choose actions->edit as root then give your password at the prompt.

Oh, I wish I could. That's exactly the functionality I want, but it's simply not available on my Kubuntu 7.10. Is there some kind of switch I need to set to make this wonderful thing possible I've looked for this and it's just not here.

I can supply screen shots if you like.

[Fintan]

Re: system documentation frustrations

Is there some kind of switch I need to set to make this wonderful thing possible

right click on file->actions->edit as root.
It should be there by default but only works with files (afaik) not directories.

You might also want to have a look here:
http://www.kde-look.org/content/show...?content=72762

and here:
http://www.kde-look.org/content/show...?content=48411

[kubicle]

Re: system documentation frustrations

The man pages are a very good source of information for intermediate/advanced users, but as they are notoriously technical in nature, they are not much help to new users (you'll come to appreciate them eventually...I hope ).

There should be good entry-level-documentation under help (Kubuntu Documents>Kubuntu System Documentation Index) that should answer most common questions.

[Gediminas2]

Re: system documentation frustrations

worst case scenario

kdesu konqueror

enter password, be root, don't mess with things you don't know

The fun thing of Linux root is that you're allowed to do anything
(I mean you can even delete your kernell, making your system unbootable) Windows can't comepete with that

[Snowhog]

Re: system documentation frustrations

tomcloyd -

In Konqueror (make sure you are using Konqueror), right-clicking on a non-binary (text type) file that is owned by 'root', the Actions | Edit as Root is available. You enter your password, and the file is opened for editing as 'root.'

If you are using Dolphin, or it is coming up by default when browsing for files, let us know. That behavior can be fixed so that Konqueror becomes the default File Manager, which until the serious bug in Dolphin is fixed - changing ownership of users files to 'root' - is desirable.