Misc Linux Questions

[Alienwho]

I am an extreme linux noob.

Ok so I just installed Suse 10. I noticed that during the download patch stage of the install that my internet connection failed. I noticed a similar problem when I tried to install Suse 10 through the internet (by downloading only one cd and then installing that way) but that would fubar my internet until I rebooted into windows and disabled/enabled my ethernet.

For the record I have the DFI Lanparty motherboard with 2 onboard LAN ports. The first is NVidia nForce networking controller and the second is Marvell Yukon PCI Gigabit Ethernet Controller.

Anyway now my nvidia controller doesn't even work in windows and I have to plug it into the marvell port. I have noticed random problems with the nvidia controller in the past but I haven't had any problems for months so I thought that was cleared up.

Anyway I guess my question comes down to, WTF? And how can I view network properties in linux and tell it to use my local area connection 2?

Another question. I installed suse 10 on it's own partition on a slave harddrive and I notice that when I use the GRUB boot manager it won't load windows. It just hangs and says something "Chainsaw". So in order to boot into windows I have to switch between boot priority of the hard drives in order to boot into OS I want. Do the boot managers not support installing different operating systems on completely different hard drives?

Question 3. I tried to play an mp3 in Linux with the program amarok and it didn't seem to want to play anything. It would just kind of skip right through the song.

Question 4. I can't find anything on dual monitor display properties. What's the deal?

Question 5. What is a website with the absolute linux basics for a chump like me? I'm giving linux a shot and am willing to make the leap if I find it superior to windows.

Thanks for the help

 

[Brazen]

Q1: It sounds like a hardware problem or a BIOS problem since it is acting flakey in both OSes.

Q2: Grub should have no problem with your setup. Are you getting an error? Post any errors and your grub.conf for more help.

Q3: I know on Fedora, I would have to run a utility called system-config-sound and then my sound worked perfectly. Suse probably has a similar sound setup utility, but I don't know. Maybe someone else here knows Suse better or try a Suse forum... or try a distro that doesn't suck 😉 like Ubuntu or Fedora.

Q4: don't know, maybe check the x.org website? Or one of the forums below:

Q5: Ubuntuforums.org Fedoraforums.org

 

[pkme2]

Try this first.
http://www.linux.org

Check this Fedora Core 4.
http://www.redhat.com/en_us/USA/fedora/

FC4 offers an operating system that will supply all the drivers for your hardware. It sure makes using Linux easier.

http://www.fedorafaq.org/

 

[Alienwho]

Thanks for the replies guys.

 

[bersl2]

#3: There are patent issues with MP3. Many distros do not officially package MP3-capable software because they don't want to be sued.

Of course, every distro that is like this has unofficial repositories with software that does recognize MP3.

 

[mehul]

For amarok to play mp3's you will need to install mp3 plugins for xine as amarok runs on xine engine. I hope that will sort out your problem with music. About linux websites for absolute newbies you can try out http://www.tldp.org[/org]. Though I... the books for longer than on your computer.

 

[Alienwho]

Ok well I just installed fedora core and it lists support for every video card in existance except for my radeon x850 :roll: so I'm running at 800x600 with practically no color. Also when it tried to update it kept freezing and had to be terminated (Windows update never froze for me...)

One good thing it did do was seem to fix my nforce internet port, heh. Now it's working fine on windows also.

It also detected my soundcard but can't play sound.

My initial impressions of Suse were much better than my initial impressions of Fedora.

 

[n0cmonkey]

1. nVidia sucks. Use a better ethernet controller.
2. grub is probably configured wrong, or maybe it can't work if installed onto the second hard drive (if that's where it's installed, I don't know, I hate grub).
3. mp3s suck, use ogg vorbis.
4. Xorg works fine with multiple monitors, read up on xinerama.

Ok well I just installed fedora core and it lists support for every video card in existance except for my radeon x850 so I'm running at 800x600 with practically no color.

Which driver are you using? Look in /etc/x11/xorg.conf.

Also when it tried to update it kept freezing and had to be terminated (Windows update never froze for me...)

Anything in the error log? I think it's /var/log/up2date.

It also detected my soundcard but can't play sound.

Why not?

 

[xtknight]

Get some drivers from ATI.com in the Linux driver section. SUSE isn't crap. I liked it a lot better than Fedora. My guess is you have a 64-bit PC based off the same CK804/Yukon combo I have (which both work perfectly with OpenSUSE BTW). Thus I recommend you get the x64 version of OpenSUSE 10 Linux. I love mine and got the sound working by reinstalling alsa. BTW most of the drivers in Linux are open source so you won't lose much compatibility by moving to 64-bit. Additionally ATI and NVIDIA both have 64-bit video drivers. You should be able to get higher resolutions out of the standard video driver however, but you may have to modify /etc/X11/Xorg.conf. Try running YaST. My "nForce ethernet controller" is so crappy it has had less issues than my Marvell Yukon one (the latter just spontaneously disabling itself)?

Here are the specs of my machine and what I have working:

[*]ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe (nForce 4 SLI A3, CK804 onboard Gigabit[used], Yukon onboard Gigabit[not used anymore because it died a couple times], onboard Realtek[not used])
[*]Athlon 64 3500+ Winchester
[*]2GB DDR400 SDRAM @ 158 MHz (~DDR333/2T due to A64 mem controller)
[*]Leadtek GeForce 6800 PCIe, working with full acceleration, though a bit unstable 3D just like my Radeon 9500 PRO in the other PC.
[*]Creative Audigy 2 ZS Gamer - works brilliantly after an ALSA update/reinstall, or maybe it just needed to be unmuted in the alsamixer.
[*]Logitech MX518 mouse - not so great. Too fast no matter the settings and the extra buttons don't work, but that can be fixed.
[*]OpenSUSE 10 all up-to-date, along with GRUB chainloading XP32 and XP64 via ntldr.

For the sound try going in a console and typing:
alsamixer

Then unmute master and PCM, I think you press <M> but I can't remember off the top of my head. Try a GUI mixer (in start menu somewhere).

 

[Alienwho]

I'm running a venice 3200+.

1. nVidia sucks. Use a better ethernet controller.

k

2. grub is probably configured wrong, or maybe it can't work if installed onto the second hard drive (if that's where it's installed, I don't know, I hate grub).

What do you use?

3. mp3s suck, use ogg vorbis.

Ok let me go ahead and start redoing all 70 gigs of my music. Lets be practical here.

4. Xorg works fine with multiple monitors, read up on xinerama.

Cool I'll look into it.

It's forcing me to use some generic vesa driver because it doesn't seem to see my video card .

I have no idea why it doesn't play any sound. I got sound in SUSE. I'll play with it.

Jeez i'd like to get to learn linux but I do not have any time to dedicate so much time just to get the basics up and running 🙁

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: Alienwho
I'm running a venice 3200+.
What do you use?

In the recent installs I did I used grub, but I don't dual boot. I think dualbooting is a waste for me.

Ok let me go ahead and start redoing all 70 gigs of my music. Lets be practical here.

There are licensing issues with the mp3 format. Most of what you'll get with distros won't play mp3s because of this. I just responded to an mp3 PM (someone was curious what I use) with this:

I use a couple of mp3 programs. mpg321 is a simple command line player. madplay works pretty well, but I haven't used it a whole lot. XMMS is a winamp-like program, but I haven't used it in a while. MusicPD is pretty cool, but it's bigger, and not just an mp3 plater.

Unofficial FC4/SuSE software repositories (or even these projects themselves) should have packages available.

Cool I'll look into it.

It's forcing me to use some generic vesa driver because it doesn't seem to see my video card.

You could try using one of the radeon drivers, to see if it works. I haven't looked into things, since I'd never buy a recent ATI card. The Xorg website might have some more information too.

Jeez i'd like to get to learn linux but I do not have any time to dedicate so much time just to get the basics up and running 🙁

Learning anything this different will take time, patience, and work. If you don't have the time to immerse yourself in it and learn it right, don't bother. It'll only be frustrating.