I'm about to install Ubuntu

[hurtstotalktoyou]

Okay, I've tried 3-4 times in the past 2-3 years installing Linux. First was Mandrake, then SuSE, then Fedora. I could get none of those to work properly, if at all. Yesterday I hear I should have used Ubuntu, because it's really user-friendly.

Is that true? Is Ubuntu for me? Someone said I should use Mepis. Is that one disc?

I have the next two days off of work, so now's the time. I have to burn a bunch of data off to DVD, which will take me well into early this morning. Then I've got to download and burn whichever distro I decide on. Then I've got to install the darn thing, and install drivers.

But first things first: Which distro should I use?

 

[nweaver]

the latest, 5.10 breezy badger works great.

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

http://mirror.cs.umn.edu/ubuntu-releases/5.10/

Okay, I'm downloading the above link called "64-bit PC (AMD64) install CD." Correct?

 

[JeffCos]

I installed ubuntu on my laptop last night and it worked fine, exect that i couldn't get the wireless to work. I probably could play around with it some more, but don't worry, it's pretty easy.

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

Originally posted by: JeffCos
I installed ubuntu on my laptop last night and it worked fine, exect that i couldn't get the wireless to work. I probably could play around with it some more, but don't worry, it's pretty easy.

Well, that's exactly the sort of thing I'm worried about. I use pretty much every component of my system on a daily basis.

#1 is the DSL modem. If I can't get that thing to work, I can't browse the internet. If I can't browse the net, I can't use Ubuntu.
#2 is the SoundBlaster Audigy LS. I use that to record music daily. Without it, I can't use Ubuntu.

Neither of those components worked when I last installed Linux (Fedora). I need to get them both working, this time, and do it quickly.

 

[drag]

Originally posted by: hurtstotalktoyou
http://mirror.cs.umn.edu/ubuntu-releases/5.10/

Okay, I'm downloading the above link called "64-bit PC (AMD64) install CD." Correct?

You'd probably want to stick with 32bit for now.

It's easier to get propriatory software like Flash or restricted multimedia support running on a 32bit install since they are all 32bit-only programs.

You can still get that working fine on Linux 64bit, since AMD64 native versions support both 32bit and 64bit programs out of the box. The gotcha is that you'd have to install 32bit software to run it. So it's easier just to stick with all 32bit for now unless you have a compelling reason to upgrade.

 

[drag]

Originally posted by: hurtstotalktoyou

Originally posted by: JeffCos
I installed ubuntu on my laptop last night and it worked fine, exect that i couldn't get the wireless to work. I probably could play around with it some more, but don't worry, it's pretty easy.

Well, that's exactly the sort of thing I'm worried about. I use pretty much every component of my system on a daily basis.

#1 is the DSL modem. If I can't get that thing to work, I can't browse the internet. If I can't browse the net, I can't use Ubuntu.
#2 is the SoundBlaster Audigy LS. I use that to record music daily. Without it, I can't use Ubuntu.

Neither of those components worked when I last installed Linux (Fedora). I need to get them both working, this time, and do it quickly.

The DSL modem if it's internal may be problematic. What modem is it?

The Audigy LS, unfortunately, is not the same a regular Audigy 1/2 or the Sound blaster live! stuff, which uses the Emu10k1 chipset, which has good linux support. I beleive it should still work though.

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

The DSL modem is an external "SpeedStream" connected via the LAN port. It belongs to SBC, who is essentially lending it to me on account of my DSL subscription.

The Audigy LS does have an obscure Linux driver, but supposedly it works. The problem is, I have no idea how to install the driver once I download it.

Is it really necessary to install the 32-bit version? I mean, I have an AMD64, so it seems like a waste not to use it.

 

[Kwatt]

Originally posted by: nweaver
the latest, 5.10 breezy badger works great.

It worked good enough for me to remove Win2K off 1 comp. and WinXPHome off of another. So I can have more room for Ubuntu.

Ubuntu even sync's with my old Handspring Visor

Kwatt

 

[drag]

Ah.. So it's like a bridge to connect the ethernet connection to your computer to the adsl connection to the ISP. You connect to it and you get a DHCP lease and a ip address and such from your ISP, right?

What was the problem with Fedora, you couldn't get the network address configured for you computer?

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

I don't really know what the problem was. I tried several IP addresses reported to me through Windows...it's been a while, so I can't remember how I got those addresses. Then I plugged them into some Fedora settings editor, but no combination of settings ever worked.

Apparently the modem is a SpeedStream 5100-b.

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

http://comebackdownload.com/benwallis/gateway.jpg

Does that mean my modem IP is 68.255.95.119?

 

[drag]

The Audigy LS does have an obscure Linux driver, but supposedly it works. The problem is, I have no idea how to install the driver once I download it.

You shouldn't have to install anything, I beleive.

The driver originally was called snd-audigyls, but now is called snd-ca0106 after the name of the actual chipset it supports.

It should be aviable by default in newer kernels, but I don't know what the break over point is or what is included in Ubuntu 5.whatever by default without seeing it myself.

If it doesn't work then see if you can use module-assistant program from 'universe' to help you select and install the alsa-modules package. It should be in there.

Is it really necessary to install the 32-bit version? I mean, I have an AMD64, so it seems like a waste not to use it.

It'll make things easier for when you want to install restricted media packages for support for windows media video and such.

These are hacks based around the win32 codecs, which is a generic package of windows codecs that programs can use in Linux. These, since they are windows-based, generally are 32bit only.

Also flash is 32bit only.

Otherwise most everything else will work fine in 64bit mode..

For a new user I recommend installing 32bit only for now.

If your worried about it then make a seperate partition for your /home directory. That way if you want to go 64bit later you can format root and reinstall Ubuntu without deleting your /home directory and user files and preferences. Just becarefull to have the install mount your directory as home and NOT to format it if you do end up wanting to reinstall.

Virtually the only significant benifit from going 64bit is large memory support and with some programs like Cinelerra, which is a non-linear-video editor, which is it's own monstrosity.

 

[drag]

Originally posted by: hurtstotalktoyou
http://comebackdownload.com/benwallis/gateway.jpg

Does that mean my modem IP is 68.255.95.119?

Could be.

I looked up those speedstep modems and they appear to be just bridges.. and generally bridges don't have their own IP address. They are just to connect two networks together. But I don't know that without knowing your specific model.

So more likely it's the router port upstream at your ISP or at the phone company or however DSL works. (not that familar with DSL).

It doesn't realy matter so much. What matters is that it's the gateway address and any box, linux or windows, is going to have to know that so it can reach to outside networks (aka the internet)

I expect that you get your network configured automaticly by DHCP though, which is how most people do it, so that you don't have to know these details. Especially if your ISP does not supply you with static IP addresses.

If your ISP gives you dynamic addresses then it's almost certain that your going to have to setup your network connection to use dhcp configuration.

Ubuntu should try to configure your nic using DHCP by default at install time. If that works then it's a non-issue. (if you have more then one ethernet card on your computer then it's hard to tell which one it will use by default.)

But if you want to go the static ip route you need to know certain things:
Your IP address: 68.255.95.118 (according to your screenshot)
Your subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
your default gateway: 68.255.95.119
and 1 or 2 DNS server addresses, which isn't displayed in that screenshot of yours.

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

Okay, here I go. It's 3:08 am central on Dec. 21, 2005, and I'm about to install Ubuntu. Let's see how long it takes, and just how easy this is.

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

Alright, success so far! I can access the internet right off the bat, and that's more than I could say when I tried Fedora. Now I need to test my Audigy LS.

 

[nweaver]

open a terminal, alsamixer is your friend

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

You have to understand, I'm *really* new to this. I can open the terminal, but that's it. I don't know what to do, and I have no idea what anything means. Google has been no help.

 

[drag]

alsamixer is a ncurses-based program you run inside of a terminal.

(ncurses is a software library that you use to make command line programs with simple dos-like graphics)

Alsa directly accesses the hardware and provides controls over the mixers on the actual audio card. When using Windows or some Linux stuff like Artsd in KDE desktop you have a layer of software mixing that provides a standardized set of volume controls. By using alsamixer it's the easiest and most reliable way to control your audio card's levels directly and bypass all that stuff.

By default alsa mutes everything. You want to unmute and turn up the levels on at least 'master' and 'pcm' and possibly others that make sense. There maybe a lot of controls in there that you don't need to mess with, since I don't have a Audigy LS I can't say exactly what you'd need.

Also by using alsamixer your also confirming that your audio card is detected and setup.

If there was no audio card or your drivers weren't setup correctly alsamixer will whine about missing devices and exit.

After you do that then it's fine to use graphical mixing programs. Initially using alsamixer just to avoids some issues and confirm that your audio card is detected and setup.

to use it open up a terminal, type out alsamixer, and hit enter. Hit up and down to turn up and down volumes, hit m to mute/unmute. Hit esc to leave.

For more information go:
man alsamixer

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

Excellent! Apparently it was already installed. All I had to do was turn it up in Volume Control.

But I've got another problem: I can't install anything! I have no idea how to use "command line." For example, the first program I tried to install was AIM 1.5.286 for Linux (yes, I know about GAIM, but I prefer AIM). Here are the instructions I'm given:

1. Log in as root.
2. cd /
3. Download AIM onto your system
4. On the command line, type gunzip command as shown in the example: gunzip -c aim-1.5.286.tgz | tar xvf -, where 1.5.286 represents the AIM version and release numbers
5. To run AIM, log in as a regular user, and type "/usr/local/bin/aim" on the command line.

What??? About the only thing I understand about all that is #3, and even then I'm unsure where exactly to save the *.tgz file.

You guys have been a big help so far. I've never gotten this far in Linux! But I need some more help, still.

 

[sourceninja]

I would stay away from installing programs that do not exist in synaptic until after you have a better feel for linux. I would stick with gaim until you know more. But if you have to this is what you need to do.

1) download aim anywhere you want
2) go into your applications menu, system tools and find console
3) type sudo -i and enter your password
4) use the cd command (this is the same as windows) to get to the directory you downloaded aim in.
5) type mv aim (the name of the aim file you downloaded) /
6) type cd /
7) type gunzip -c aim (well whatever you called the download) | tar xvf-

that is the basic instructions they gave modified slightly to work on ubuntu. of couse you may need to open synaptic and install gunzip.

The last thing you will want to do is add a menu entry in gnome.

That can be done by right clicking on the applications menu and using the menu editor and adding a new menu entry
The path to the program should be /usr/local/bin/aim

Personally, I think you are going to find that aim for linux sucks and will be better of using gaim. You can still talk to all your friends on gaim, everything works fine.

 

[Atheus]

hurtstotalktoyou:

Don't bother with all that, you have apt.

in a console, type:

apt-get update (you don't have to do this every time you install software)
apt-cache search AIM (or GAIM or whatever you want - it will return something like aim-1.5)
apt-get install aim-1.5 (or whatever it returned)

This will take care of everything, it's even easier than windows.

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

Thanks again, all.

Okay, here's what happened: I figured out how to get to the desktop in Terminal. Apparently I just type cd /home/ben/Desktop and I'm there (my username is "ben"). Then I typed the command "gunzip -c aim-1.5.286.tgz | tar xvf -" as instructed, and the *.tgz file extracted automatically. The problem is, it extracted to the desktop, and it didn't function as software. I figured I needed to be logged in as "root," but until sour cenininja's post I had no idea how to do that. Thanks ceni!

So I deleted the extracted files using the GUI, then went back into Terminal to try again. I used the "sudo -i" command to log in as "root," inputing my password when asked. Then I typed the same "gunzip -c aim-1.5.286.tgz | tar xvf -" command, forgetting to move the *.tgz file to the root directory. Everything extracted like before, but this time I couldn't delete it using the GUI.

I figured I needed to delete it from Terminal, logged in as "root." But how do I delete files from Terminal? "Del"? Nope. "D"? Nope. I searched Google, and discovered that apparently there are different delete commands based on what you are deleting. For example, there seems to be a different delete command for a single file as for a directory with multiple files. I tried the first thing I came upon, and it worked! "rm -r usr" (where "usr" is the directory I wished to delete). Great!

Okay, let's try again, thought I. I did exactly as Ceni instructed, and everything seemed to go fine. There's now an "aim" file in my /usr/bin directory. But I've run into a new problem: If I try running it (from Terminal, typing "/usr/bin/aim") I get an error message: "error while loading shared libraries: libstdc++- libc6.1-1.so.2: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory". What?

So I'm stuck again, guys. Sorry.

 

[Atheus]

You have a dependency issue, you require some libraries.

Just use apt-get! It's one of the best things about ubuntu and debian, it will install everything you need including dependencies.

You can then delete all that stuff you just downloaded.

 

[Nothinman]

If I try running it (from Terminal, typing "/usr/bin/aim") I get an error message: "error while loading shared libraries: libstdc++- libc6.1-1.so.2: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory". What?

So I'm stuck again, guys. Sorry.

That's program needs a library that you don't have on your system, this is why you should avoid installing software not packaged and available in the apt repositories. The library it's linked against is an old version of the core C++ library. If you type 'ls /usr/lib/libstdc++*' does anything come up?