Topic: Which Linux today? (Page 3 of 4)

Amen Tao. Peace, quiet, goat cheese, good order and Kubuntu to the whole wide web.

..When I finally get round to posting those screencaps, as I said, you'll all call me Neo and devote the rest of your lives
to a cult of me. All this thanks to Linux.

Tao,

do you have system sounds? Like when Ubuntu starts up, do you here the start up sounds? Kind of like the windows sounds at start up?

Later,

C:\

I don't hear anything while in Ubuntu C:/ I haven't got the system running atm but from memory there is a "Sounds" tab under Prefs' I think it is. When I test the sound there I get a very faint tone as the sound is tested. Apart from that nothing.
I followed as best i could the advice given on the forum (there is a link to it in my previous posts) but with no positive result I'm sorry to say.
Thanks for asking though, I think I'll spend the rest of the year on intelligence enhancing drugs and then try Ubuntu again next year.

Well, when you get back to it, maybe we can help a bit more. I had some major problems with my sound card at one time and it was simply a data cord that needed to be hooked up from the cd player to the sound card. LOL

I got mine running again. It was weird. I swapped out the video card to see if I could get it to work. Couldn't so I put the old card back in. After that...poof. It was all gone.

I do have a question though. Is there something special you have to do to get it to run on a different kernel? I have the option to load 3 different kernels. .10, .11 and .12. I can run .10 but if I choose 11 or 12, it goes to a command line and if log in and do "startx", it gets so far and freezes or just goes back to command line.

I wonder if I just need to load the video drivers for that kernel?...

Later,

C:\

don't know much about your issue.... but most every time my graphics drivers update, I have to run Envy

In the continuity of the "new Linux user journal", I have an update.

Firstly, I fixed myself a kdm "bug" (currently filed as wishlist in debian bug tracking lists because it does only hinder users who have dual kde/xgl setups like mine on debian-likes, it seems), and posted about it on the ubuntu forums :

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=3166711#post3166711

Being able to easilly patch one's own OS is something very new to me, and quite specific to Linux as everything is open including bug tracking. Yaikes! In the process, I learnt a lot about the system and inner workings of kde/kdm.

As of today, my "to stabilize list" includes :
- fixing the couple of broken keys like "Windows" key.
- fixing the green strip at the top when I play quicktimes using VLC media player and/or plugin for firefox.
- fixing google earth (hangs at startup)
- fixing eclipse (starts and runs greats, but whines about privileges when compiling - certainly some misconfiguration of mine)
- fixing a couple of broken control panels related to ATI and the display (only when in XGL, I can work around this by using standard KDE)

For the rest, everything seems to run great : I can play music and organize/synchronize it from Amarok, got niftey screen savers and my desktop all customized in 3d with Compiz fusion, can play any video media from Xine engine compliant software, can produce office documents using open office, browse great using Firefox and Flash 9, gimp away, Wine/Photoshop when I need to, etc...

The latest addition to my software bank is Picasa itself Works a threat on ntfs or ext3 partitions, and certainly all the other types supported.

Google earth should follow shortly, as it does work right from the start for the vast majority of Ubuntu/Compiz users, soo..

I also got all the screencaps I wanted to demonstrate how useful compiz can be in addition to eye candy, haven't got round to updating my flickr space accordingly, will do that this weekend.

In spite of some Windows "conveniences out of the box" I am permanently disgusted and will never switch to Vista. My next powermac
will, instead, dual boot on Kubuntu and OS X Probably the upcoming version, I am waiting for that to buy.

Photo gallery updated.

I have zattoo working and stable. I also was able to run google earth for a while. it's amazing how much free software
I used in Windows already.

Tao,

I think I might have found out what was causing your "no sound"issue. I just had to re-install Kubuntu on Saturday after a major crash during dist-upgrade. I got everything back and working and bam!! no sound. After checking to see if I had the codecs and everything configured, I still had no sound. I went into "KMix" (I think that's what it's called) and the damn input was muted. Click of a button and my speakers where wide open LOL. Good thing my office is in the basement as it was 7:30 in the morning and my wife was still asleep

Anyway, get yourself a secondary hard drive to put linux on and keep messing with it. I might be able to help with getting it to dual boot with 2 hard drives as now I have done it a few times. Getting pretty good with editing the grub config

Later,

C:\

Thanks C:\ I don't think I checked "KMix" so you may well have the answer there. I've just finished a complete re-install of XP and I'm gradually getting the most used programmes back on board so I'll actually have another drive to install Ubuntu on to this time instead of a partition.
Have you installed the 32 bit or the 64 bit version? I've burnt both to disk so I suppose I could use either though I have a feeling the 32 bit may be a little more straightforward.

don't have a 64-bit machine so I have to go with the 32

I've never had an issue with downloading and burning a linux image at all. Well...I take that back. I burned the ISO file a couple of times instead of the actual image...but that was my fault

Later,

C:\

Hmmm.. good and bad news on my personal front.

Good news is I am playing a worms lan tournament using Wine in VM mode right now.

Bad news is I've been there as far as XGL/ATI issues are concerned, and Xorg as primary server
is bad because it doesn't fully support compiz. Well, it does using AIGLX and ATI open source drivers,
but all feats. are not there, and those drivers are slow.

Native XGL is neither compliant with dri or AIGLX, in addition, so the best is a mix of the two.

Running Xorg with XGL on top, I have some things to hack, namely, redirect all applications that request DRI
to display 0.0 and I get it all : Worms, Photoshop, Google earth, Picasa...

Lovely still.

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=1108195900&size=l <<-- caps of Worms playing on a face of the desktop cube.

And since PS was already running well and I am deep-testing wine, I should be able to make it fully usable as well.

Argo-
1. I'll need that background, post haste..
2. you wanna bring it on in worms?! Just name the time and place, Tiny! Just find me on MSN at petskull@hotmail.com..
(you know about gaim, right?)

Background comes from http://www.kde-look.org/index.php?xsortmode=high&xcontentmode=1x2x3x4x5x6x7x29x71x72x73&page=1
It's called Snaiya, and yeah, I did follow all the links you gave

And if you want more (hotter) of the kind (warning: explicit content ahead) you can hit http://www.vexiphne.net

And yeah, worms... but beware, last guy who challenged me got 5 matches lost and 0 wins
Will catch you sometime on im, maybe this we.

gonna hijack this thread for a second.

Has anyone had any luck getting dual monitors working with nVidia? I got TwinView to work but that was one big screen and it sucked. It was more like it was set to "BigScreen" instead.

Looking at this it doesn't seem I have much of a choice.

my graphics card is a nVidia FX5200 (yeah I know...not the best card in the world but I don't play video games )

Later,

C:\

Maybe related, maybe not, but beware of the kind of XGL flavour you are using, basically (or the kind of X server for that matter).

Some ways of running xorg with some device drivers, namely proprietary ones, block some stuff (example : ATI fglrx with
XGL as Xorg replacement disables dri).

The general trend is that open source drivers give a lot more options, and are compatible with many built-in system features,
but slow. So, usual trackback / root cause analysis process : check at what point things seem to go wrong.

Is the feat avail. in some control panel?
What does xorg.0.log (from var/log/) mention as errors or warnings (errors are EE entries)?

In any event, xorg will have to handle calls to distinct displays at some point, or enable a direct rendering context for these calls to pass through,
so start there. Find what's not where it should be.

Sorry can't help with the dual screen set-up C:\ I seem to remember JKMabry, poi and I think mas have a good dual screen combo but I'm not sure what video card they were using.

I've been reassessing my choice of Ubuntu recently, and I can't remember why I did not choose Kubuntu. What were the deciding factors for you argo navis in choosing Kubuntu? Actually I'd be interested in hearing everyone's reason for choosing the OS they are presently using. I am about to download another copy of Ubuntu 32bit as the last download did not seem to check out properly.

I'd recommend Kubuntu over Ubuntu, the KDE desktop is just much more accessible to someone coming from a Windows background, also as I understand it most Linux devotees prefer the KDE WM including Linus Torvaldis himself.

However it comes down to personal preference and productivity, choose which suits you best, I'm personally a fan of Xubuntu and the XFCE WM.

Cheers,

I second the choice to use Kubuntu. I like KDE better maybe because I'm used to windows. I do think it is lighter than Gnome but don't know for sure. It is prettier. I am just not a big fan of the way Gnome "looks".

Besides, who wants a big foot as their logo when you could have a groovy K with some gears?

Give Kubuntu a go and see what you think.

Later,

C:\

(Edited by CPrompt on 08-16-2007 03:37)

Kubuntu is Ubuntu with KDE. KDE is a Windows Manager (WM). Gnome is another. XFCE a third. Their job is just managing your windows.

Kubuntu is merely a bundle, but a good one because you'll find 90% of what Windows gives : "control panels" called system settings,
a home folder for "my documents", and so on and so forth, transition is easy.

Essentialy, KDE is : info at many locations (right click OR some key combination OR...), redundant info for the user to have several ways to get stuff done.
Gnome is : purist stuff, minimalist when compared to KDE.

Docs are the area where the Ubuntu system is a bit lacking at the moment, in spite of excellent forums and tons of tutorials.

Go for Kubuntu, it's "ready to really go" and doesn't remove anything from Ubuntu.

BUT the drawback is : many tutorials are made for Gnome, many users claim their linuxishness this way, and this has misled me a couple of times.
Even if an application is designed for one or another Windows manager, you can use it in another (so apps with "gnome" in the name, you can use in KDE).

Tao, we can do something : since you want to give it a serious go, pick Kubuntu, I am now confortable enough with the system to tailor my assistance
to your needs, hopefully, step by step, I can guide you through quirks to success.

(and I owe most of my discoveries to this thread, reisio, Petskull, thanks a bunch).

If you can, post about your hardware : motherboard brand (AMD, Intel?), graphic card, sound card, resolution, special peripherals (dvd r/w? multi layer?).

At Cprompt, nono, you can dual monitor, I could swear.

Your card is equipped with the capability, right? What that thread says is "merges screens into one virtual, bigger display". It does not say
"one desktop to rule them all", a display is a thing, a desktop is another.

This says "one virtual physical display (on which xorg, by design, can then do whatever it wants), know what I mean?

Choose twinview, but... there goes my previous question : nvidia binary drivers? Are you using them and/or ready to strive with them?
I'd say go for it, card makers know how to harness the power of their hardware in a nifty driver, just check that you don't have something
installed that is very incompatible with them (for instance, if you are using XGL/AIGLX on open source drivers, you'll need to tweak xorg.conf
and/or kdmrc accordingly, in a first step, then address the twinview issue).

(and last but not least : the key reason for me to pick KDE years ago is that suomen, aka natives from Finland, home of Linux, use it -
in general, common sense of the self or experienced others is a good indicator, whatever you want to achieve).

Thanks Blaise, C:\ and argo navis.
I went to the Kubuntu website and ended up downloading two versions. the first being, PC (Intel x86) alternate install CD. and the second, PC (Intel x86) desktop CD. Why? Well I downloaded the "alternate" one by mistake
My machine specs are:
Abit AMD64bit KN9 Ultra MoBo
Two Hitachi HDT 400gig Disk drives
NVidia 7600GT video card
RealTec HD onboard Soundcard
ATAPI DVD DW R/RW
Four gig DDR2 RAM (although XP Pro will only read/show 3.5 gig)
I have my screen res at 1024 x 768 refresh rate 75htz
Eyes are green/blue
Hair long brown/grey
I like walking in the park and picknicks
er....
Oh sorry I forgot where I was for a moment.

I'm on walkabout for the next few days so probably will not be able to get on-line until I get back. Just so you know I won't be able to reply quickly.

Well the after hours of getting the dual monitors working...the extra monitor I had went *POOF* LOL Good thing it was free

@ Tao, you won't have any issues with your hardware. For the nVidia card get Envy once Linux is installed and get the drivers. Much easier
Go back a page and follow those instructions on setting up a nice dual boot on two hard drives

I can also post my menu.lst for you to see.

Later,

C:\

Alternate sounds to me like you want it to feel experimental Good.

Cprompt is right, you have a hell of a computer, you should be in within a bunch of Envy clicks, just fresh install that one
from adept or add/remove. I am awfully jealous right now.

Personals & Nurses section is down the south wing while we're at it, I think, just turn left, right, up.. or was it? Oh hell,
google "blender nurse" and you should be all set.

See how easy it gets in Arkham? ,)

The only difference I can see with the alternate install is that it boots to an install menu straight away and allows server installation, where as the LiveCD loads up the desktop into RAM for you play around with before installing.

Just a couple of good resources, as I keep fooling around :

http://linux.byexamples.com/archives/231/create-screencast-using-xvidcap/

This is for screencast. I tested both Istanbul and xvidcap, xvidcap is very good (but I run at such a resolution with so little a ram
that I am unable to get decent fullscreen casts for now).

The other is full of video tutorials for all things ubuntu : http://ubuntuvideo.com

All this in the vein of making a FAQ for people around here interested in Linux.
But with all the docs available, what should that FAQ cover exactly?... Simple answer : everything for the web designer to switch from another OS.

So, stuff like :
- How to get Linux?
- Which Linux should I get?
- What are Gnome/KDE/you name it?
- Will it handle my hardware xxx?
- Which programs should I install?
- Which program can I use in Linux to replace xxx Windows program?

And so on and so forth... As I was saying, most issues for me I covered, and thing run very smoothly around here.
I just played a couple of GLtron games for the hell of it Tested google earth toroughly also, with 3d views of the grand canyon and the likes.

Lovely. No way for me to revert to Windows, I have started once within the past two three weeks for a video file which refused to play in Kubuntu :
guess what? File was corrupt and could not be played in Windows either.

Lovely.

Hmmm... FAQ works. Difficult, but useful. I am here right now : http://www.ozoneasylum.com/5097

Poking around, trying to unify without altering, trying to gather what this thread has to give. Petskull, my kopete is running,
my nick.name at yahoo.com under yahoo protocol, and you should be able to catch me. For faq edits or worms. Please be my guest.

I think "Will it handle my hardware xxx?" and "What are Gnome/KDE/you name it?" should contain *very* brief descriptions and links to other, better resources. That could turn into a monolithic FAQ all too soon. Besides, there are much better resources out there that will be kept more current.

download (on apt or synaptic) open-arena.... and don't you owe me a worms game?

Oh damn... my pants.... http://ubuntuvideo.com/ubuntu_7_04_on_dual_19_lcd

(Edited by Petskull on 08-19-2007 18:46)

By the way- how do you delete double posts?

(Edited by Petskull on 08-19-2007 18:47)

Agreed on all fronts, but there is no way I am getting myself a "windows hotmail live id" for chatting purposes,
what about you contact axxx.nxxx at yahoo dot com instead? (or any other IM type for that matter,
just not "Windows Live hotmail", what does "live hot mail" mean anyway? The name will be deserved when I can download
a cutie within a reasonable amount of clicks)

ICQ (67751342)?

To not waste the post, lemme throw some useful links this way:
http://www.gnome-hacks.org
http://www.whylinuxisbetter.net

... and I had forgotten to mention that more on your Snaiya friend may be found here:
http://www.volpejpr.cz/hry/snaiya/
http://www.mota.ru/images.php?path=games/s/snaiya

(Edited by Petskull on 08-20-2007 08:45)

Well, I'm back for another round of installing/configuring ubuntu/kubuntu.
This time I have installed kubuntu to test out and it's all so new. With ubuntu I know how to install video drivers but it's not where I thought it would be in kubuntu. I'm half tempted to un-install it and install ubuntu instead as It's slightly more familiar. I don't have too much of an aversion to learning new things but as I said earlier, life really is too short and it can be like swimming in treacle trying to find specific answers for this on the net.
Be still my impatient mind.
So I need to find out how to install drivers for my Nvidia7600GT and KN9 Ultra MoBo onboard sound card. I'm guessing that this should be done inside kubuntu rather than trying to find the driver, downloading and then installing it myself, but I'm not that sure.
I know I'm going to (have to) read through this thread again and extract pertinent links. My flaky memory spills information like a leaky bucket looses water on the way back from the well. It's not that efficient but over the years the path from the well gets more beautiful as the dry ground gets watered and flowers bloom all along.
Time to go grasshopper.



[edit] This kind of help makes me laugh.

quote:

---

Install Latest nvidia/ATI drivers

sudo apt-get install nvidia-glx

//Note: This can break your installation. If you have newer hardware or are using Tribe 4 or newer, it is recommended to install nvidia-glx-new instead. If by chance you realize that you messed up after the fact, use 'dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg' and change your graphics card to 'nv' and then install the newer package after the jump.

---

I have only just installed the OS so how this is meant to help a new user is just plain bad planning in my mind.
Aaaaanywayyyy, back to the drudge of reading dry incomprehensible "help" pages on the kununtu guide pages

(Edited by Tao on 08-30-2007 13:11)

Just get on with it Tao, stop blathering, and don't forget.

[quote]
you've got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between

You've got to spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom down to the minimum
Have faith or pandemonium
Liable to walk upon the scene

(To illustrate this last remark
Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark
What did they do
Just when everything looked so dark)

Man, they said we better
Accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between
No, do not mess with Mister In-Between
Do you hear me, hmm?

AC-CENT-TCHU-ATE THE POSITIVE (Mister In-Between)

(Johnny Mercer / Harold Arlen)

:::tao::: ::cell::

I happen to like Dr. John's rendition

I've not heard that version, have to give it a spin.

Questions, questions.
I'm running the latest kubuntu, how can I install drivers for my NVidia 7600GT? I can't find anything in the system that might let me use/download Envy, which was the solution I had for Ubuntu.
I have an ABIT MoBo with an on-board sound card, (Realtek High Definition) the sound does not work so I am assuming I'll need to install a driver. again I do not know how to do that.
I am searching the forums but I have not found anything useful. A lot of the times I get directed to ubuntu help pages not kubuntu, so a lot of the instructions contain names and terms that i have never heard of before, nor can I find them in the "KMenu" or "System Menu".
The screen flicker is driving me to epilepsy and the lack of sounds is tortuous too.
I'm trying to take things slowly so as not to mess the system up.

tried to install the nvidia drive through (can't remember the stupid name) thing in settings and it crashed the computer on restart. B*****
So I can't get in now it looks like I'll have to do a complete reinstall

Why am I putting myself through this?

Tao, have you tried installing Envy from the deb file off the website as I understand it deb files can be opened up quite easily from within (k)ubuntu and run.

Thanks Blaise, I have tried that in ubuntu, and I wanted to in kubuntu but could not find the link on the ubuntu sites. I'm having to do another re-install as the other one is trashed by me trying to fix the driver issue.
I'm trying to decide which flavour to attempt this next install. I had marginally better results with ubuntu so I may try that again.
~Deep breath, plunge back in~