LQWiki - User contributions [en]

Rxvt

2005-03-20T02:19:27Z

Cyclop:

'''rxvt''' is a [[terminal emulator]] (that is, a command line window giving access to a [[shell]]) that runs in the [[X Window System]]. It is a slimmed-down replacement for [[xterm]], omitting some of its little-used features. It has primitive support for pseudo-transparency.

rxvt is one of the most lightweight and widely used X terminal emulators for Linux and free Unix systems.

[http://sourceforge.net/projects/rxvt rxvt]

User:Cyclop

2004-09-15T17:12:02Z

Cyclop:

For ya waiting for the flamebait:

Love :
-------
[[Linux]] (of course)
[[Python]]
[[KDE]]
[[Fluxbox]]
[[ViM]]

Putting old machines to new life.

Hate :
-------
[[Windows]] (of course)
[[GNOME]]
[[Perl]]
[[Emacs]]

K00l-Hardware addiction (I will NEVER understand what's the sense of handheld devices,for example).

Talk:Mandriva

2004-09-15T17:08:01Z

Cyclop:

I didn't want to do pro-Debian FUD...I'm a Mandrake user and a Debian user, and I'm not a Linux expert. It's probably easier to see me make pro-Mandrake FUD! :) I just wanted to report there's debate about using Mandrake for a server, for example (there's debate about using Linux or *BSD,for example,about this). Therefore, don' crucifix me. Thanks. Cyclop.

----

I think Mandrake's okay but somebody needs to mention the 'Community'/Business split, the advertisements in the installation and in the browsers, and the LG CDROM incident (which was the hardware maker's fault, but still Mandrake users got to discover it due to the conjunction with Mandrake patching). I'm not saying Mandrake's bad - I'm just saying that article sounds like Mandrake paid to have it written. But I'm not the one to make those changes. I just tried to make it more readable and less redundant.

[[User:Digiot|Digiot]] 19:50, Mar 18, 2004 (EST)

----

Someone must explain me why almost all distro entries *look like plain advertisement*. This is ridicolous at best. I had fun in rewriting the [[VectorLinux]] page, for example, that was just (masked) website blurb. I remember the Mandrake page was among the first I browsed and modified in this wiki. And now, almost a year later, is exactly the same advertisement it is. I love mdk, but this is *not* information.

[[User:Cyclop|Cyclop]] Sep 14, 2004

----
Sheer laziness. There isn't a whole lot to say about individual distros, most of the stuff we contribs know is distro-generic. Thanks for the rewrite Cyclop! [[User:Crazyeddie|Crazyeddie]] 19:13, Sep 14, 2004 (EDT)

After further thought (mopping floors is good for something!): Also it's too low level. Most linux users beyond the complete noob stage know what the pros and cons of Fedora, Mandrake, Suse, Slackware, and Debian are, so they don't bother reading those articles because they don't need that information. And they don't bother going there and edit because they figure someone has already done it. The article on [[Linus Torvalds]] is in a similar shape. On the other hand, the articles on other distros than the big 5 aren't maintained too well because hardly anybody uses them. So it's not just laziness. [[User:Crazyeddie|Crazyeddie]] 01:26, Sep 15, 2004 (EDT)

----

Yes, most people run Gentoo/Mandrake/Debian/SuSE/Red Hat/Slackware/Knoppix. But I also know of friends that are "distribution-addicts"-they just try any available distribution in this world. If this is statistically relevant, the distribution-addict guys could make a better work here than copying-and-pasting promotional websites. Copying and pasting *reviews* would be much better, for example.

The non-noob of us of course know about Mandrake/Fedora/Debian etc...That's exactly why they should write about them. Like anyone,I was a complete n00b once. And there are a LOT of noobs out there. I would have felt much better with a site like this with *serious* info in it.
[[User:Cyclop|Cyclop]] Sep 15, 2004

----

Submount

2004-09-14T21:53:31Z

Cyclop:

'''Submount''' is a loadable [[kernel module]] that allows automatic mounting/unmounting of removable media (mostly CD-ROM and floppy drives) without manual intervention from the user.

Unlike [[supermount]] , submount does not require kernel patching and recompiling, and is therefore much easier to install. All what is needed are kernel sources, a few minutes to compile and install the module and the submountd daemon (both with the common "./configure" , "make" and "make install" procedure), and another few minutes to appropriately modify the /etc/fstab entries.

Submount

2004-09-14T21:53:18Z

Cyclop: begun. but still stub. willcomplete later.

Mandriva

2004-09-14T21:36:43Z

Cyclop: rewritten and added fair criticism. now it is no more advertisement.

'''Mandrake''' Linux was created in 1998 with the goal of making [[Linux]] easier to use for everyone. At that time, Linux was still a developer's [[operating system]] and sound knowledge of the [[CLI]] was a must.

==History==
[http://www.mandrakesoft.com MandrakeSoft] (the company which produces the Mandrake [[distribution]]) saw this as an opportunity to integrate the best graphical [[desktop environment]]s and contribute its own graphical configuration utilities and quickly became popular for its strong commitment to ease-of-use and functionality. For this reason, it is often recommended as a good desktop distribution to begin for newbies.
In order to achieve this they forked from [[Red Hat]], retained the [[RPM]]-based [[package]] management, and evolved from there.

Mandrake Linux was one of the first distributions to be optimized for [[i586]] [[processor]]s (and superior).

==Features==

Mandrake Linux is a [[rpm]]-based distribution for the Intel and PPC architectures, like [[Fedora]],[[SuSE]],[[Red Hat]] and many others. Mandrake Linux was the first rpm-based distribution to provide automatic resolution of dependencies, in [[apt-get]]-like fashion, with [[urpmi]], which debuted in version 7.2. urpmi can easily update the entire distribution and install security updates. Apart from the official Mandrake packages, it is easy to find unofficial,additional packages on the Internet. The binary package pool for Mandrake is not as large as the [[Debian]] or [[Fedora]] one, but is nevertheless impressive. Moreover, a graphical interface to urpmi is provided in [[rpmdrake]] (and the MandrakeUpdate tool specifically for security updates).

The main target of Mandrake Linux is the desktop, where it generally provides very good functionality and ease of use. [[KDE]] is the default desktop, but [[Gnome]], [[WindowMaker]] and others can be installed easily too. Practically all useful desktop applications ([[OpenOffice]], [[Mozilla]], [[mplayer]] and so on) are installed and well configured by default. A number of graphical tools make configuration of the system easy, however automatic hardware detection is often very good and there is usually no need of major tweaks, at least for use as an average desktop. All standard [[development]] tools and languages are also included or ready to install.

Although many see Mandrake as a desktop-only distribution , it is also possible to run a Mandrake Linux server. Successful cases of the use of Mandrake in business settings (in both desktop and server roles) are documented at [http://mandrakebizcases.com/ this site].

==Installation==

Mandrake developed a graphical installation process recognized by many as one of the best available, with advanced and efficient hardware detection (although today other distributions, like [[SuSE]] and [[Fedora]] provide similar tools).
Mandrake installation usually needs no more than booting from the first distribution CD-ROM and following instructions.

==Development process==

As of today Mandrake follows a [[Debian]]-like three-step development process for every release (although much faster than Debian). Every new release begins simply as being [[Mandrake Cooker]], that is the continuously changing current development line, and can be roughly seen as the analogue of Debian unstable. When the packages and set up of Cooker begins to reach reasonable stability, the so-called [[Mandrake Community]] is released (often preceded by a couple of release candidates). Mandrake Community normally still contains bugs and unstable packages, and it is intended as a fairly usable but testing release. After months of testing, feedback and improvements on the Community release, the [[Official]] version is released. [[Mandrake Official]] is intended to be the stable version.

The [[GPL]] (General Public License) governs the development and redistribution of Mandrake Linux and Mandrake Linux is community-driven to a large degree. Non-MandrakeSoft contributors have write access to packages in the main distribution, commit access to Mandrake's own tools in [[CVS]], full bug tracking rights in [http://qa.mandrakesoft.com Mandrake's bugzilla] and the [http://qa.mandrakesoft.com/wiki Mandrake Development wiki]. Over half the packages in the entire distribution (combining "main" and "contrib") are maintained by the community. For non-developers, support is available from the unofficial [http://mandrake.vmlinuz.ca Mandrake community wiki] and the [http://www.mandrakeusers.org Mandrake Users Board].

==Criticism==

Although Mandrake is one of the best distributions available, expecially for newbies and for the desktop, is (like any other distribution) far from being perfect. Mandrake is well known for heavy customization of [[kernel]] and packages. While this often is a plus by adding new functionality, it can also lead to inferior stability (expecially in the Community releases) when confronted with other distributions like [[Slackware]] or [[Debian]]. The large hardware support by default Mandrake Linux provides also means installation of a large and heavy kernel. Also many [[kernel module|kernel modules]] are active by default after the installation, weighing on the system. Even with a lightweight [[GUI]] like [[Fluxbox]] Mandrake is noticeably slow on old computers, and cannot be seriously adviced as a desktop on a PC with less than 128 Mbyte of RAM and 400 MHz of clock. These are fairly low requirements (lower than that of [[Windows XP]] for example), but [[Slackware]],for example, can run a reasonably fast graphical desktop on a 150 MHz Pentium with 64 Mbyte of RAM. However Slackware is much harder to install and configure, and has less hardware support by default.

==Distributions similar to Mandrake==

*[[Red Hat]]
*[[SuSE]]
*[[Lorma]]
*[[Libranet]]

==Latest major release==
The latest major release of Mandrakelinux is '''Mandrakelinux 10 Official'''. You can find out more information about this in the [http://www.mandrakelinux.com/en/features.php3 Mandrakelinux 10.0 Presentation & Features].

==External links==
*[http://www.mandrakelinux.com/en-us/ Official website]
*[http://www.mandrakelinux.com/en-us/concept.php3 Further information]
*[http://www.madpenguin.org/cms/html/47/1040.html Mandrake 10 review] - from Madpenguin.org

Talk:Mandriva

2004-09-14T20:50:04Z

Cyclop:

Dmesg

2004-09-14T20:39:40Z

Cyclop: less is more than more!

'''dmesg''' prints out the [[kernel]] log messages.

Useful to read the text that normally flashes by on bootup. 

===Example use===
Read the kernel bootup messages: 
dmesg | less

Save the kernel log messages to a file: 
dmesg > kernel-messages.log

==See also==
*[[syslogd]]

APM

2004-09-14T20:38:24Z

Cyclop:

'''A'''dvanced '''P'''ower '''M'''anagement ('''APM''') is a [[Power Management]] system. Configuration and control is handled by the [[BIOS]]. It is considered [[legacy]] and has been succeeded by [[ACPI]] (which Linux can handle quite well).

Normally ACPI is preferred to APM, but sometimes there can be problems with ACPI (often caused by bugs in the ACPI table firmware). In these cases, since most current systems still support it, APM can be used instead. Also note that ACPI doesn't yet add many new features compared to APM.

==Linux support==
In Linux, support is provided either by the ''apm'' module or else APM can be built right into the [[kernel]].

If you are trying to get APM working, make sure your kernel's ACPI support is disabled. Accomplish this either by giving the <tt>acpi=off</tt> argument to the kernel (if ACPI support is compiled in the kernel) or by making sure the ACPI kernel modules don't get loaded. (Note, you use your [[bootloader]] to pass options to the kernel at boot-time.)

APM itself can also be enabled/disabled with an argument to the kernel (<tt>apm=off</tt>).

There is also an [[apmd]] software package. This is a [[daemon]] which can respond to APM events. It's mainly useful for laptops to respond to switching the power from/to the battery.

To find how if you have ACPI or APM support look in your bios or run "[[dmesg]]".

Installing software

2004-09-11T00:19:42Z

Cyclop: added slapt-get and swaret

A number of Linux [[distributions]] have faced a common problem: <center>'''"how do we distribute software packages and updates to our users?"'''</center>

Though every distribution has particular quirks, most have standardized around one of two approaches, '''binary''' or '''source installation''', each with its own advantages and drawbacks.

Looking for and installing/removing/updating software has been largely automated on Linux through accessible '''graphical frontends''' and powerful underlying tools.

==Installation methods==

===Graphical package managers===

Most distributions come with administration tools to facilitate installation and removal of software packages. These graphical package manager frontends also take care to download and install other packages neccessary, and can perform security updates of your system.

Using one of these tools will greatly '''facilitate software installation and removal''' on your system, as compared to searching on [[rpmfind]] or [[Compilation From Source]]. Power users and developers tend to favour installation from source.

* [[Red Hat]] uses [[RPM]] packages.
** high-level tools: [[up2date]], [[Synaptic]] (See [[Fedora, Synaptic Package Manager, finding Repositories, listing RPMs, previously installed]] for downloading, installation, and use of Synaptic.
** lower-level tools: [[apt-get]], [[Yum]]
** low-level tool: [[rpm]]

* [[SuSE]] uses [[RPM]] packages.
** high-level tool: [[YAST]]
** low-level tool: [[rpm]]

* [[Mandrake]] uses [[RPM]] packages.
** high-level tool: [[rpmdrake]]
** lower-level tool: [[URPMI]]
** low-level tool: [[rpm]]
** read the [http://www.urpmi.org/easyurpmi/index.php EasyURPMI page] to update your installation sources and search and install packages from the web automagically.

* [[Debian]] (and distros built on Debian, such as [[Knoppix]]) uses [[DEB]] packages.
** high-level tools: [[synaptic]] and [[gnome-apt]]
** lower-level tool: [[apt-get]]
** low-level tool: [[dpkg]]
** see the excellent section on the [[Apt]]-suite for more information on softare installation on Debian systems.

* [[Gentoo]] builds from source.
** tools: [[portage]] and [[emerge]]

* [[Slackware]] uses [[TGZ]] packages.
** tools: [[pkgtool]], [[slapt-get]], [[swaret]]

===Pre-compiled binaries===

Most Linux distributions today use this method - software packages are built on some conventionally-configured computer, then packaged up for downloading or distribution on CDs. The advantages are speed, standardization, and simplicity - minimal time and tools are required to get a particular piece of software running.

* [[TGZ]] - the longest-lasting form of package management, used by [[Slackware]] and its descendants. Something that confuses many newcomers is the extension. All Slackware packages end in '.tgz' but not all '.tgz' files are Slackware packages. Slackware packages are essentially gzipped tar files of binaries. Ordinarily, non-Slackware gzipped tar files will have the extension '.tar.gz' but sometimes are called '.tgz' as well. Which it is should be clear, based on where you download it but, if not, executing <tt>file</tt> name_of_file.tgz (or just trying to install it) will identify it.

* [[RPM]] - the RedHat Package Manager format, described at [http://www.rpm.org/ www.rpm.org]. This format is used by [[Red Hat]], [[SuSE]], and [[Mandrake]]. You can search for recent RPMs for your system using [[rpmfind]].

* [[DEB]] - the Debian package format. This is used by [[Debian]] and [[Debian]]-based distributions, such as [[Knoppix]].

===[[Compilation from source]]===

Some newer distributions are adopting this method. Rather than compiling a software package, the distributor makes the source available, perhaps with some modifications, along with a "recipe" for configuring it and installing it on an end-user's computer. The advantages of this method are optimization and customization - software is built to take advantage of the hardware you have, rather than falling back on a least common denominator, and you exercise considerable control over how the program is built, what features are included, and so forth.

* Portage is the [[Gentoo]] distribution's system for handling the downloading, compilation and installation of Gentoo packages.

* [[Compilation from source with checkinstall]]. You can combine the best of both worlds (the easy management of binary packages with the flexibility of compilation from source) by using the program [[checkinstall]]. It generates a [[RPM]] , [[DEB]] or [[TGZ]] binary package from the source compilation, and then installs it. You can manage the resulting package as any other package in your system.

Wvdial

2004-09-11T00:15:18Z

Cyclop:

'''wvdial''' is a console-based software package for setting up and connecting to the Internet via [[dial-up]]. It is expecially good at self-configuring your serial modem (provided it is not a [[winmodem]]), often rapidly solving the problem of connecting when other programs like [[KPPP]] don't work.

==Installing wvdial==
TBD

==Setting up==
To set up your modem connection, just login as [[root]] and type :

wvdialconf

The program will automatically scan your serial ports, find the modem and setting it up with the most appropriate parameters.

Now you have to edit the file /etc/wvdial.conf to insert your phone number, username and password. Here is a sample configuration file:

[Dialer Defaults]

Modem = /dev/ttyS2

Baud = 57600

Init = ATZ

Init2 = AT S11=50

Phone = 555-4242

Username = apenwarr

Password = my-password

Configuration is finished.

==Connecting==
When you want to connect,you can launch (as root) :

wvdial

and you should be connected to the net.

wvdial will complain if not launched as root. You can circumvent this problem (for example if you want to create a link on your desktop) by finding where is the wvdial binary (for example,in /usr/bin) and typing (as root):

chmod a+s /usr/bin/wvdial

(This is technically said setting the [[SUID]] bit). This way you can launch wvdial as a normal user and it will run with root privileges.

==Troubleshooting==

In Slackware 10, I noticed wvdial wrote DNS configuration on /etc/ppp/resolv.conf while reading /etc/resolv.conf. This prevented DNS from working. Copying /etc/ppp/resolv.conf on /etc/resolv.conf solved the problem.

Wvdial

2004-09-11T00:13:59Z

Cyclop:

'''wvdial''' is a console-based software package for setting up and connecting to the Internet via [[dial-up]]. It is expecially good at self-configuring your serial modem (provided it is not a [[winmodem]]), often rapidly solving the problem of connecting when other programs like [[KPPP]] don't work.

==Installing wvdial==
TBD

==Setting up==
To set up your modem connection, just login as [[root]] and type :

# wvdialconf

The program will automatically scan your serial ports, find the modem and setting it up with the most appropriate parameters.

Now you have to edit the file /etc/wvdial.conf to insert your phone number, username and password. Here is a sample configuration file:

[Dialer Defaults]
Modem = /dev/ttyS2
Baud = 57600
Init = ATZ
Init2 = AT S11=50
Phone = 555-4242
Username = apenwarr
Password = my-password

Configuration is finished.

==Connecting==
When you want to connect,you can launch (as root) :

# wvdial

and you should be connected to the net.

wvdial will complain if not launched as root. You can circumvent this problem (for example if you want to create a link on your desktop) by finding where is the wvdial binary (for example,in /usr/bin) and typing (as root):

# chmod a+s /usr/bin/wvdial

(This is technically said setting the [[SUID]] bit). This way you can launch wvdial as a normal user and it will run with root privileges.

==Troubleshooting==

In Slackware 10, I noticed wvdial wrote DNS configuration on /etc/ppp/resolv.conf while reading /etc/resolv.conf. This prevented DNS from working. Copying /etc/ppp/resolv.conf on /etc/resolv.conf solved the problem.

Menuet

2004-09-10T21:16:38Z

Cyclop:

'''Menuet''' is a developing x86 [[operating system]] completely written in [[assembler]] language. Its current distribution features a complete and elegant graphical desktop, a tiny IRC client, a text editor, various demos and games, yet it easily fits on a bootable floppy disk. It is also impressively fast and lightweight.

As of 2004, Menuet is still more an unique, assembly-oriented hacking/development platform than anything else. It has very limited hardware support and very few applications (a [[web browser]] is in development). Nevertheless it is a remarkable and promising operating system. Its install and its user interface are both faster and easier than that of many [[Unix]] clones.

SuSE

2004-03-19T22:54:16Z

Cyclop: YAST now released open source ; removed advertising vandalism

SuSE is one of the oldest and most known Linux distributions. It is RPM-based, and it is well known for its stability and for the quality of its configuration toolkit, [[YAST]]. There are SuSE Linux flavours tailored for desktop, office and server needs.

SuSE is seen as a good distro for beginners (along with [[Mandrake]] or [[Fedora]]) as it provides a user friendly environment, with GUI's for configuring hardware in the excellent Yast. [[KDE]] has been almost integrated into SuSE ([[Gnome]] and other window managers are included) providing seamless configuration.

For more information, and descriptions of products and services, click below for the homepage:

http://www.suse.com/us/index.html

Originally a German organisation, SuSE was acquired in 2003 by the US networking giant, Novell, but will retain their SuSE brand name and independent operations. This move is intended to give SuSE a better foothold in the US and Novell a significant share in the Linux business.

SuSE was sometimes debated in the free software community because it heavily relied on the YAST configuration toolkit, that was released under a non-open source license. It meant that it was problematic to freely distribute SuSE like you can do with 100%-free software distributions like [[Debian]] , [[Slackware]] or [[Mandrake]]. In March 2004 , Novell declared its intentions to release YAST under an open-source license, therefore eliminating the argument.

Talk:Mandriva

2004-03-18T14:00:38Z

Cyclop: i didn't pro-Debian FUD

Mandriva

2004-03-18T13:58:17Z

Cyclop: moderated pro-Mdk irony , equilibrated POV I hope

'''Mandrake''' Linux was created in 1998 with the goal of making [[Linux]] easier to use for everyone. At that time, Linux was still a developer's [[operating system]] and sound knowledge of the CLI was a must. It is a [[RPM]]-based [[distribution]], and while it began as a [[fork]] of [[Red Hat]],now it adds many features of its own, expecially on the user-friendliness side. It was one of the first distributions to be optimized for i586 processors (and superior).

Mandrake last version is Mandrake Community 10.0

MandrakeSoft saw this as an opportunity to integrate the best graphical desktop environments and contribute its own graphical configuration utilities and quickly became famous for setting the standard in ease-of-use and functionality.

The [[GPL]] (General Public License) governs the development and redistribution of Mandrake Linux.

Mandrake has now been widely acclaimed for providing all the power and stability of Linux to both individuals and professional users in an easy-to-use and pleasant environment.

Mandrake Linux was also the first rpm-based distribution to provide automatic resolution of dependencies, with urpmi, which debuted in version 7.2. urpmi is now capable of updating the entire distribution, installing security updates, and many other features. A graphical interface to urpmi is provided in rpmdrake (and the MandrakeUpdate tool specifically for security updates).

Mandrake Linux is community-driven to a large degree. Non-Mandrakesoft contributors have write access to packages in the main distribution, commit access to Mandrake's own tools in CVS, full bug tracking rights in [http://qa.mandrakesoft.com Mandrake's bugzilla] and the [http://qa.mandrakesoft.com/wiki Mandrake Development wiki]. Over half the packages in the entire distribution (combining "main" and "contrib") are maintained by the community. For non-developers, support is available from the unofficial [http://mandrake.vmlinuz.ca Mandrake community wiki] and the [http://www.mandrakeusers.org Mandrake Users Board].

Official website: http://www.mandrakelinux.com/en-us/

With a graphical installation process recognized by many as the best available, Mandrake Linux offers the most advanced and efficient hardware detection.

Visit http://www.mandrakelinux.com/en-us/concept.php3 to learn more.

There is debate between some [[Linux]] experts about Mandrake (and other easy-to-use distributions) because the number of [[patch|patches]] that are added to the kernel to achieve up-to-date hardware compatibility can in rare cases create problems of stability and/or security. Therefore, while Mandrake Linux is a good and stable distribution , and probably the [[distribution]] of choice for the home desktop, there is still no full consensus if it is fully tailored for other aims. Anyway [http://mandrakebizcases.com/ this site] reports where and how Mandrake has been used successfully in business.

Distributions similar to Mandrake include : [[Red Hat]] , [[SuSE]] , [[Lorma]] , [[Libranet]].

Installing software

2004-03-07T16:14:14Z

Cyclop: added ref to checkinstall

A number of Linux [[distributions]] have faced a common problem: "how do we distribute software packages and updates to our users?" Though every distribution has particular quirks, most have standardized around one of two approaches, each with its own advantages and drawbacks.

* Pre-Compiled Binaries. Most Linux distributions today use this method - software packages are built on some conventionally-configured computer, then packaged up for downloading or distribution on CDs. The advantages are speed, standardization, and simplicity - minimal time and tools are required to get a particular piece of software running.
** TGZ - the longest-lasting form of package management, used by [[Slackware]] and its descendants. Something that confuses many newcomers is the extension. All Slackware packages end in '.tgz' but not all '.tgz' files are Slackware packages. Slackware packages are essentially gzipped tar files of binaries. Ordinarily, non-Slackware gzipped tar files will have the extension '.tar.gz' but sometimes are called '.tgz' as well. Which it is should be clear, based on where you download it but, if not, executing <tt>file</tt> name_of_file.tgz (or just trying to install it) will identify it.
** [[RPM]] - the RedHat Package Manager format, described at [http://www.rpm.org/ www.rpm.org]. This format is used by [[Red Hat]], [[SuSE]], and [[Mandrake]].
** [[DEB]] - the Debian package format. This is used by [[Debian]] and [[Debian]]-based distributions, such as [[Knoppix]]
* [[Compilation From Source]]. Some newer distributions are adopting this method. Rather than compiling a software package, the distributor makes the source available, perhaps with some modifications, along with a "recipe" for configuring it and installing it on an end-user's computer. The advantages of this method are optimization and customization - software is built to take advantage of the hardware you have, rather than falling back on a least common denominator, and you exercise considerable control over how the program is built, what features are included, and so forth.
** Portage is the [[Gentoo]] distribution's system for handling the downloading, compilation and installation of Gentoo packages. Rather than forcing the end-user to muddle his way through a package, the <code>emerge</code> tool handles these aspects itself.

* [[Compilation from source with checkinstall]]. You can combine the best of both worlds (the easy management of binary packages with the flexibility of compilation from source) by using the program [[checkinstall]]. It generates a [[RPM]] , [[DEB]] or [[TGZ]] binary package from the source compilation, and then installs it. You can manage the resulting package as any other package in your system.

Each distribution uses its own software to perform these tasks. For example, Slackware has a collection of shell scripts collectively known as 'pkgtool' and there are several other tools available. There is an <code>rpm</code> command available on systems that use RPMs, but Red Hat also uses software called <code>up2date</code> to manage RPM updates. Debian uses the <code>apt-</code> suite of tools, and GUI front-ends such as Aptitude and Synaptic are available. Gentoo uses a system called <code>portage</code> and installations are managed by a program called <code>emerge</code>.

Compilation from source

2004-03-07T16:11:09Z

Cyclop:

Many Linux programs actually are distributed as source packages. That is, you download a compressed archive containing the [[source code]] of the program, plus a [[configure]] script that configures the program before installation.

The steps here described apply to most, but not all packages. Before installing any program from source, please read carefully the README and INSTALL text files that come with and/or inside the source package.

Let's imagine to have to deal with a brand new package : myprogram-1.2.3.tar.gz

* Copy the package into a suitable directory. It is good practice to dedicate a directory in your /home or /usr/src filesystems to keep source packages and unzip them.

* Unzip the package. You can do it from the command line :

$ tar -xzvf myprogram-1.2.3.tar.gz

or with a GUI tool like [[Gnozip]] (or even [[Konqueror]], but it's quite slow).

You should find a new directory with the same name of the package (in this case , myprogram-1.2.3 )

* Now cd into that directory

$ cd myprogram-1.2.3

* Look for the README and INSTALL files.

$ less README
$ less INSTALL

Check them carefully. Check if you have all the [[dependencies]] of the program satisfied, if there are options that you need to pass to the scripts, and so on. Everything is ok ? Well, let's go!

* Start the configure script :

$./configure

This will produce some odd output, while the script checks your system. Some of this output can actually be useful for troubleshooting , if your installation goes wrong.

If the script run OK, it should print at the end something like "Start make now". If something goes wrong, you'll see some error message at the end of the output.

[[Troubleshooting ./configure problems]]

* If configure was OK, let's type :

$ make

This is the command that compiles the program. It reads a file that's called Makefile, that has been produced by the ./configure command you run before, and uses it to compile the program the right way. In most cases,you don't have to care of the really obscure output it gives, unless it blocks with errors.
[[Troubleshooting make problems]]

Everything OK? Well,you've done the most! Now :

* Become root :

$ su
(password)

* and install the program

# make install

Now we're copying the program we have compiled in the right directiories (for example binaries to /usr/local/bin , libraries to /usr/lib , documentation to /usr/share/doc and so on...)

[[Troubleshooting make install problems]]

* Exit from root :
# exit

Now, have fun with your brand new program!

Note that you most probably won't find your program in the menu of your favourite [[desktop environment]] : the programmer has (still) no way to know if and how do you prefer to use [[KDE]] or [[GNOME]] or whatever. You have to add that link manually.

Remember you have copied the compiled files with the "make install" command, not moved them. So if you have disk space issues, you can clean the compiled files still present in the working directory by typing :

$ make clean

Don't wipe out the directory from where you installed the program, however. It can still be useful, for example if you want to uninstall the program : in most cases you just have to go to the working directory (the one that you unzipped from the archive,and where you run the ./configure and make scripts) and type :

$ make uninstall

Anyway,it doesn't always work (it must be included by the programmer as an option in the Makefile). If you have issues with uninstalling compiled programs frequently, you can try Checkinstall : see [[Compilation from source with checkinstall]]

Compilation from source

2004-03-07T16:09:57Z

Cyclop:

Installing software

2004-03-07T15:43:27Z

Cyclop: link to "compilation from source"

A number of Linux [[distributions]] have faced a common problem: "how do we distribute software packages and updates to our users?" Though every distribution has particular quirks, most have standardized around one of two approaches, each with its own advantages and drawbacks.

* Pre-Compiled Binaries. Most Linux distributions today use this method - software packages are built on some conventionally-configured computer, then packaged up for downloading or distribution on CDs. The advantages are speed, standardization, and simplicity - minimal time and tools are required to get a particular piece of software running.
** TGZ - the longest-lasting form of package management, used by [[Slackware]] and its descendants. Something that confuses many newcomers is the extension. All Slackware packages end in '.tgz' but not all '.tgz' files are Slackware packages. Slackware packages are essentially gzipped tar files of binaries. Ordinarily, non-Slackware gzipped tar files will have the extension '.tar.gz' but sometimes are called '.tgz' as well. Which it is should be clear, based on where you download it but, if not, executing <tt>file</tt> name_of_file.tgz (or just trying to install it) will identify it.
** [[RPM]] - the RedHat Package Manager format, described at [http://www.rpm.org/ www.rpm.org]. This format is used by [[Red Hat]], [[SuSE]], and [[Mandrake]].
** [[DEB]] - the Debian package format. This is used by [[Debian]] and [[Debian]]-based distributions, such as [[Knoppix]]
* [[Compilation From Source]]. Some newer distributions are adopting this method. Rather than compiling a software package, the distributor makes the source available, perhaps with some modifications, along with a "recipe" for configuring it and installing it on an end-user's computer. The advantages of this method are optimization and customization - software is built to take advantage of the hardware you have, rather than falling back on a least common denominator, and you exercise considerable control over how the program is built, what features are included, and so forth.
** Portage is the [[Gentoo]] distribution's system for handling the downloading, compilation and installation of Gentoo packages. Rather than forcing the end-user to muddle his way through a package, the <code>emerge</code> tool handles these aspects itself.

Each distribution uses its own software to perform these tasks. For example, Slackware has a collection of shell scripts collectively known as 'pkgtool' and there are several other tools available. There is an <code>rpm</code> command available on systems that use RPMs, but Red Hat also uses software called <code>up2date</code> to manage RPM updates. Debian uses the <code>apt-</code> suite of tools, and GUI front-ends such as Aptitude and Synaptic are available. Gentoo uses a system called <code>portage</code> and installations are managed by a program called <code>emerge</code>.

Connecting to the net

2004-03-07T15:39:54Z

Cyclop: Created an intro ; moved the kppp section to another page ; added future links to more sections

Connecting to the Internet with dial-up

Today connecting to the Internet with a dial-up modem is often very easy with Linux. However, there are a number of ways to do it, and with some distributions and/or hardware things can be a bit tricky.

There's just one main recommendation that must be made about the hardware, and that's to use external serial modems instead of internal modems. That's because the vast majority of internal modems are so-called [[Winmodems]] : they are not real modems, but need special proprietary drivers that in most cases are only released for Microsoft Windows. It is possible to use some kind of winmodem with Linux, but it's still somehow more difficult.

Here are a number of ways to connect to the Internet with your dial-up modem and Linux :

[[Connecting with the kppp program]] 
[[Connecting with the wvdial program]]

[[Connecting with winmodems]]

Connecting with the kppp program

2004-03-07T15:38:46Z

Cyclop:

[[Kppp]] comes with [[KDE]]. If it is isn't installed, it may be found in the 'kdenetwork' package in your distribution's cd.

You will need your ISP's phone number, username & password if the ISP needs it, and the DNS address. You will also need to know how your ISP authenticates.

Search your ISP's site for their DNS address, or ask them for it.

Run kppp. Click the 'Setup' button, then the 'New' account button, then click 'Dialog Setup'.

Choose a name for the connection, and enter the phone number. Enter the username and password. Select the method of authentication (PAP/CHAP/script-based/terminal-based).

Click the IP tab. The 'Dynamic IP Address' should usually be right for you, and should be selected.

Click the DNS tab. Add the DNS IP address of your ISP.

Click 'Ok'.

Click the Device tab and check/set your connection speed - this is the speed of the serial port, not the modem. You can often set it up to 115200 or more.

Click the 'Modem' tab. Select your modem device. Click 'Query Modem' to check if you picked the right device. The modem should give you some info about itself.

Click 'Ok'. Enter your username and password. Click 'Connect'.

If modem dials but doesn't connect: 
Try different methods of authentication. Using terminal-based lets you authenticate manually (you enter the username and password right when the ISP asks). You can then make a script customized to what the ISP does and used script-based authentication.

Applications

2004-03-06T21:23:26Z

Cyclop: cd burning software added

Use this space to collect notes and information on common Linux software!

Do:

* Provide basic descriptive and historical information about the application.
* Add notes or in-depth commentary on usage/common problems/tips.
* Include a concise list of important and distinctive features that will help a potential user decide whether a particular application will meet his or her needs.
* Critically process information you include.
* Link to official project pages and notable community resources.

Don't:

* Hesitate to add what you know, especially to a stub; any information is better than no or incorrect information.
* Simply duplicate the reference manual or uncritically include the project "About" page.
* Clutter the pages with platitudes, personal experience, opinion, or preference.
* Try and list every application in the world. Generally stick to those that are popular or distinctive, and stable or actively maintained/developed.

----
* '''[[Desktop Environment]]''' - [[KDE]], [[Gnome]], [[XFce]]

* '''[[Window Manager]]''' - [[Fluxbox]], [[Blackbox]], [[Window Maker]], [[Sawfish]], [[Enlightenment]], [[Metacity]], [[IceWM]], [[Ion]], [[Openbox]], [[Afterstep]], [[FVWM]]

* '''[[X Window System]]''' - [[General Tips]], [[Programming]], [[Configuring]]

* '''[[Terminal Emulator]]''' - [[aterm]], [[Eterm]], [[rxvt]], [[xterm]], [[wterm]], [[root-tail]]

* '''[[Office Suite]]''' - [[OpenOffice]], [[StarOffice]], [[KOffice]]

* '''[[Word Processor]]''' - [[AbiWord]]

* '''[[Spreadsheet]]''' - [[Gnumeric]]

* '''[[Text Editor]]''' - [[Emacs]], [[Vi]] and [[Vim]], [[Joe]], [[Nano]], [[Gedit]], [[Bluefish]], [[Kwrite]], [[Kate]]

* '''[[Web browser]]''' - [[Mozilla]], [[Firefox]], [[Opera]], [[Konqueror]], [[Epiphany]], [[Galeon]]

* '''[[Email Client]]''' - [[Evolution]], [[Thunderbird]], [[Kmail]], [[Sylpheed]], [[Sylpheed-claws]], [[mutt]]

* '''[[Instant Messaging]]''' - [[Gaim]], [[Kopete]], [[Bitlbee]], [[Centericq]]

* '''[[Integrated Development Environment and Web Design]]''' - [[Quanta Plus]], [[KDevelop]], [[Bluefish]], [[Anjuta]]

* '''[[Internet Relay Chat]]''' - [[X-Chat]], [[BitchX]], [[Irssi]], [[ircII]]

* '''[[Video player]]''' - [[Xine]], [[Totem]], [[MPlayer]]

* '''[[Music player]]''' - [[XMMS]], [[RhythmBox]]

* '''[[Audio Editor]]''' - [[Audacity]]

* '''[[Video Editor]]''' - [[Cinelerra]], [[Kino]], [[Transcode]], [[DVD::Rip]]

* '''[[Video Capture]]''' - [[Xvidcap]]

* '''[[Image manipulation]]''' - [[Gimp]], [[XV]], [[ImageMagick]], [[Sodipodi]], [[Inkscape]], [[Scribus]]

* '''[[Image browser]]''' - [[imgSeek]], [[KimDaBa]], [[Gthumb]], [[pixieplus]], [[GQview]]

* '''[[Emulation]]''' - [[CrossOver]], [[DOSEMU]], [[Dosbox]], [[VMware]], [[Wine]], [[WineX]]

* '''[[Compiler]]''' - [[GCC]], [[Mono]], [[Intel Compiler|Intel C/C++ Fortran]], [[PGI]], [[Pathscale]], [[IBM XLF,VAC]]

* '''[[Database]]''' - [[PostgreSQL]], [[MySQL]], [[Oracle]], [[DB2]], [[FireBirdSQL]]

* '''[[Database Tools]]''' - [[DBVisualizer]], [[DataDino]], [[PGAdmin]], [[PHPMyAdmin]]

* '''[[File Managers]]''' - [[Midnight Commander]], [[Konqueror]], [[Gentoo File Manager]], [[emelFM]], [[Nautilus]]

* '''[[System Statistics]]''' - [[GKrellm2]], [[Dockapps]]

* '''[[CD Burning]]''' - [[K3b]], [[Xcdroast]], [[cdrecord]], [[cdrdao]]

* '''[[Backup]]''' - [[rdiff-backup]]

* '''[[Scientific Applications]]''' - [[BioInformatics]], [[Phy/Chem]], [[Molecular Dynamics]]
----
* '''[[Useful Sites]]'''

Knoppix

2004-03-06T21:17:37Z

Cyclop: discussion on Knoppix as a rescue system ; more details on desktop and apps

Knoppix is a [[Debian]] based [[Live CD]] distribution. What this means is that you don't have to install it to your hard disk to use it. It boots straight off the CD.

Knoppix is very good at detecting your hardware and rarely will you find a piece of hardware that Knoppix could not detect.

Official website: http://www.knoppix.org

Knoppix CD has the [[X window system]] complete of most desktop and window managers : default is [[KDE]], but it offers also [[WindowMaker]] , [[Fluxbox]] and others ; there is no [[GNOME]] due to the CD size constraints, but there's a similar distribution ([[Gnoppix]]) that offers the [[GNOME]] desktop instead of [[KDE]].

Knoppix also includes many tools like [[XMMS]] for your entertainment needs, the [[OpenOffice]] and [[Koffice]] packages for office work, [[The GIMP]] for graphics, and complete development and networking tools.

Being a live CD, Knoppix is also a tremendously powerful [[rescue system]] for Linux and even Windows systems. Even if you use any other Linux distribution, or even no Linux at all, it is a good idea to keep a working Knoppix CD to rescue your data and/or your system if something goes wrong. For example,if you want to save data (e.g. configuration files) from a system partition that became somehow unbootable, Knoppix can save your life very easily : just start Knoppix from the CD drive and burn your data on a CD with [[K3b]] or another CD burner program (or copy your data on another partition).

While it's primary purpose is as a live CD, a wonderful thing about Knoppix is that it is also a great way to install Debian to your hard drive with a simple gui-installation.
* Start Knoppix and open a root shell (Crtl-Alt-F1) or select from K-menu KNOPPIX.root shell
* cd /usr/local/bin
* knx-kdinstall
* then select your hard disk; setup your swap and other partiions (eg., swap and /); make sure / is marked bootable and type is linux; when you select partition for / select a journaling file system reiserfs or xfs & software installs last
* setup your lilo and make a bootdisk
* clean up your /etc/fstab and /etc/lilo.conf (ensure / is pointing to correct partition and, if you require dual booting that the chainloader is setup for your Windows)
* update your /etc/apt/sources.list for Debian software sites
* get real farmiliar with apt-get and aptitude and you can live happily
* check out http://www.tldp.org/LDP/abs/html/sample-bashrc.html for a real nice .bashrc to make your command line life pleasant

Other live CD distributions include [[Slax]], [[Gnoppix]], and [[Demo linux]].

Mandriva

2004-03-06T14:54:40Z

Cyclop: added pros and cons ; equilibrating POV problems

Mandrake Linux was created in 1998 with the goal of making [[Linux]] easier to use for everyone. At that time, Linux was still a developer's [[operating system]] and sound knowledge of the CLI was a must. It is a [[RPM]]-based [[distribution]], and while it began as a [[fork]] of [[Red Hat]],now it adds many features of its own, expecially on the user-friendliness side. It was one of the first distributions to be optimized for i586 processors (and superior).

MandrakeSoft saw this as an opportunity to integrate the best graphical desktop environments and contribute its own graphical configuration utilities and quickly became famous for setting the standard in ease-of-use and functionality.

The [[GPL]] (General Public License) governs the development and redistribution of Mandrake Linux.

Mandrake has now been widely acclaimed for providing all the power and stability of Linux to both individuals and professional users in an easy-to-use and pleasant environment.

Official website: http://www.mandrakelinux.com/en-us/

With a graphical installation process recognized by many as the best available, Mandrake Linux offers the most advanced and efficient hardware detection.

Visit http://www.mandrakelinux.com/en-us/concept.php3 to learn more.

It must be noted that Mandrake is sometimes disliked by [[Linux]] experts because of some little flaws that directly come from its undeniably powerful and extremly user-friendly interface. New versions can be somehow slow on very old computers (anything less than an Intel Celeron 466 MHz with 128 MByte of ram is not recommended : a [[Debian]] system can be almost fully functional even on 48 MByte-RAM computers) ; and the number of [[patch|patches]] that are added to the kernel to achieve up-to-date hardware compatibility can in rare cases create problems of stability and/or security. Therefore, while Mandrake Linux is perhaps the [[distribution]] of choice for the home desktop, many think it is not fully tailored for other aims.

Distributions similar to Mandrake include : [[Red Hat]] , [[SuSE]] , [[Lorma]] , [[Libranet]].

List of Linux distributions

2004-03-06T14:43:23Z

Cyclop: added 2 minor distros

[http://kernel.org Linux] is a [[kernel]], in itself not an extremely useful piece of software, but very important: without it you don't have hardware resources management, which you need to have to do real work. To have a fully functional operating system you really need to have some basic software as well. A [[GNU]]/Linux distribution is the complete package. Most modern distributions also come with graphical installers to help you through the initial setup.

===Special categories===
*[[Live CD distributions]]
*[[Source distributions]]
*[[Firewall distributions]]
*[[Embedded Linux]]

===Alphabetical distribution listing===
*[[Arch Linux]]
*[[Ark]]
*[[BioKnoppix]]
*[[Buffalo]]
*[[cAos]]
*[[ClusterKnoppix]]
*[[CollegeLinux]]
*[[Conectiva]]
*[[DamnSmallLinux]]
*[[Debian]]
*[[Devil-Linux]]
*[[Feather]]
*[[Fedora]]
*[[Gentoo]]
*[[Gnoppix]]
*[[IPCop]]
*[[Kanotix]]
*[[KnopILS]]
*[[Knoppix]]
*[[Libranet]]
*[[LindowsOS]]
*[[Linux From Scratch]]
*[[LNX-BBC]]
*[[Lorma]]
*[[Lycoris]]
*[[Mandrake]]
*[[Mandows]]
*[[MEPIS]]
*[[Morphix]]
*[[PCLinuxOS]]
*[[PHLAK]]
*[[Red Hat]]
*[[ROCK Linux]]
*[[Rubyx]]
*[[Slackware]]
*[[Slax]]
*[[SmoothWall]]
*[[SOL (Server Optimized Linux)]]
*[[Source Mage]]
*[[SPB-Linux]]
*[[Sun JDS]]
*[[Suse]]
*[[SystemRescue]]
*[[Thiz]]
*[[Trustix Secure Linux]]
*[[VectorLinux]]
*[[Xandros]]