More questions from a noob (Volume 2)

Arm-the-Homeless · 2008-12-23 14:50:42

I started using Arch yesterday. I got most stuff set up already.

Except:

1. Sounds not working (No idea about sound stuff at all )
2. Can't get OpenDNS working (Automatically overwrites any changes to /etc/resolv.conf)
3. XChat says everything I type is misspelled
4. Compiz gets rid of my window boarders (Using GNOME BTW)
5. Need to run `sudo /sbin/dhcpcd eth0` every startup or internet doesn't work

And more as they come.

Misfit138 · 2008-12-23 15:01:42

1. http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/ALSA
2. http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Network#For_DHCP_IP
3. pacman -S aspell
4. http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Com … ow_borders
5. http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Network
6. Check the excellent archwiki first

arch_nemesis · 2008-12-23 15:13:25

I'm a bit of a noob myself, but I'll try where I can:

1. All I did for sound was follow the ALSA section of the beginner's guide. Have you already tried that? http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Beg … igure_ALSA (This is less detailed but easier to follow (IMHO) than the main ALSA wiki page)

2. Sorry, can't help there.

3. I've hopped so many distros recently I don't recall if this was Arch or not, but at least one distro I tried was spell checking everything using German. I'm not familiar with XCHAT at all, but if there's a way to configure what it uses to spell check, I think that's where you should be looking.

4. I made the mistake of starting to follow the wiki page for "Compiz", not "Compiz-Fusion". (because I'm so used to referring to it that way) Could you have done the same? I had the same problem as you when using straight Compiz.

If you did, use "pacman -Qs compiz" to find out what compiz-related packages you installed.

Then use "pacman -Rsn package_name" to remove those packages. This will try to remove dependencies, and may throw an error on that part depending on what order you remove them in. Don't worry about it. If you hit every package that comes up with -Qs with the -Rsn command, they'll all be fully removed.

Use -Qs to double check when you are done.

Then try following http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Compiz-Fusion. I use fusion-icon to start it, you may want to do differently. You may also have some bigger problem, but having done it myself I could see using the wrong wiki page as a common noob error.

5. I use wicd for both my wireless and wired connections, and it makes it pretty easy (and automatic). I know there are other methods, but wicd worked with ease for me. http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Wicd

I hope some of this is helpful for you!

Last edited by arch_nemesis (2008-12-23 15:15:53)

Arm-the-Homeless · 2008-12-23 16:01:22

1.The Beginner's Guide for ALSA failed:

[andy@myhost ~]$ alsamixer

alsamixer: function snd_ctl_open failed for default: No such file or directory
[andy@myhost ~]$

On the main ALSA wiki page, I have no idea on how to find out which driver I need.

2. SOLVED Wicd worked for changing the DNS. The Wiki thing still had it overwriting the file.

3. I installed aspell and it still says anything isn't a word

(If I left numbers out, I didn't try them yet)

And new questions:

6. How can I change my hostname to something other than "myhost"?

I know I had more questions, but I forgot them.

FreakGuard · 2008-12-23 16:02:54

6. rc.conf
(and add the same name also to the line 127.0.0.1 in the hosts file)

Mr.Elendig · 2008-12-23 16:03:35

Arm-the-Homeless wrote:

1.The Beginner's Guide for ALSA failed:
[andy@myhost ~]$ alsamixer

alsamixer: function snd_ctl_open failed for default: No such file or directory
[andy@myhost ~]$
On the main ALSA wiki page, I have no idea on how to find out which driver I need.

Add your user to the audio group, then log out/in.

Arm-the-Homeless · 2008-12-23 16:16:29

1. OMG. I love Mr.Elendig in the most non-gay way possible. Time to blast some Tool and Rage Against the Machine out of my speakers...

6. I changed the lines to compy386 (Homestar Runner, anyone?) and it still shows up as myhost in the terminal.
Actually, I could get off by just changing the ~/.bashrc

windtalker · 2008-12-23 16:26:24

4. Compiz gets rid of my window boarders (Using GNOME BTW)

Happened to me also.
pacman -syu and reboot fixed my problem.

Also try changing your emerald selections for border, add a compiz icon to taskbar.

One other thing, are you sure the border is gone and the window isn't expanded until the border is hidden?

Last edited by windtalker (2008-12-23 16:30:59)

skottish · 2008-12-23 16:29:00

Arm-the-Homeless wrote:

I installed aspell and it still says anything isn't a word

Install a dictionary for aspell. For English pacman -S aspell-en.

Arm-the-Homeless · 2008-12-23 17:16:54

Ok. So #3 was fixed due to skottish's common sense.

And so I just made another /home partition, just because I cba to fix the errors with my Ubuntu's one.

But the problem is, I already have 4 primary partitions, so it says I need to delete one and make it extended.

Could I boot into the Ubuntu live CD, open GParted, delete the swap partition, make a extended partition out of the new /home and remake the swap partition as a extended partition or primary partition?

Last edited by Arm-the-Homeless (2008-12-23 17:36:06)

Mr.Elendig · 2008-12-23 17:36:35

Arm-the-Homeless wrote:

1. OMG. I love Mr.Elendig in the most non-gay way possible. Time to blast some Tool and Rage Against the Machine out of my speakers...
6. I changed the lines to compy386 (Homestar Runner, anyone?) and it still shows up as myhost in the terminal.
Actually, I could get off by just changing the ~/.bashrc

Just editing rc.conf does nothing, until you reboot. If you don't want to reboot, then use `hostname`

Arm-the-Homeless · 2008-12-23 17:42:30

Mr.Elendig wrote:

Just editing rc.conf does nothing, until you reboot. If you don't want to reboot, then use `hostname`

Been there, done that. Still myhost.

Mr.Elendig · 2008-12-23 17:44:05

Arm-the-Homeless wrote:

Been there, done that. Still myhost.

`su -c "hostname FooBarBox"` should work

Edit: your bash prompt won't update automagically, you have to set it again

Last edited by Mr.Elendig (2008-12-23 17:47:42)

Arm-the-Homeless · 2008-12-23 17:48:55

Mr.Elendig wrote:

Arm-the-Homeless wrote:
Been there, done that. Still myhost.
`su -c "hostname FooBarBox"` should work
Edit: your bash prompt won't update automagically, you have to set it again

And that breaks my terminals...

Arm-the-Homeless · 2008-12-23 19:02:47

And another problem.

I'm using Pidgin and before I type anything, the chat box is way big and the flashing bar is huge. But when I start typing it goes to normal. Can I make it always normal?

windtalker · 2008-12-23 19:10:18

I already have 4 primary partitions

I wouldn't put swap in an extended partition.
I would however have:

swap
/ pri
extended with the rest of the primary partitions in it.
I've had 5 primary partitions in an extended partition at one time with no problems.

Arm-the-Homeless · 2008-12-23 19:19:29

The problem is I have:

1. Arch / partition (only 9GB)
2. Ubuntu / partition
3. Ubuntu /home partition
4. Swap
5. To-be Arch /home partition

EDIT: And on the Pidgin thing...

Here's before: http://i41.tinypic.com/4j0104.png (the flashing bar takes up half of the text box)
And after: http://i43.tinypic.com/2dlsuv9.png (Normal)

Last edited by Arm-the-Homeless (2008-12-23 19:34:41)

windtalker · 2008-12-23 19:44:56

Whoa!
Planning ahead pays off so you're kinda stuck now.
Here's how I would have done things in your case:
[dunno how big your hd is but:]

hda1 -swap 1 gig
hda2 -/ ubuntu 10 gigs
hda3 ext remainder
arch and any other distro would have been in the ext partition with / only at 10 gigs each.

10 gigs is minmal and sufficient for most unless whoever is attempting to install an entire repository.
20 gigs is way more than adequate in that case.

/home isn't necessary and a space saver if your hd is limited and you're planning on dual/multi booting.

All the problems you're having aren't really normal and tells me something was overlooked in the install process somewhere and might be due to limited space.

You're choice but I'd download a copy of gparted and start over by deleting all partitions and doing something similar like I outlined above.

Hint: If that's you're decision, I'd install a system and then go to nano /boot/grub/menu.lst and write it down somewhere so I could lay my eyes and hands on it before even beginning to install the next system.
The grub of the last installed system will want to take over the mbr and for me it was always easier to just edit the grub from tha last installed system.
It's a learning process and anyone dual/multi booting for the first time had to learn it.

edit: It's been many a moon since I've ran ubuntu, but if memory serves me correctly, ubuntu will see another Linux installation, if that's the case, you may consider installing Arch first, get it up to snuff and then install ubuntu.

Arm-the-Homeless · 2008-12-23 19:54:23

I could generate a list of installed packages...

But the only thing that's keeping me from using my Ubuntu's / partition is that there is no window border. I could just erase all of the not-needed stuff then copy over Arch's folders.

EDIT: Only problems I have left is #4 from the first post, getting my Ubuntu /home partition to work, and the Pidgin thing.

I'm thinking I should just remove Ubuntu.

Last edited by Arm-the-Homeless (2008-12-23 20:21:22)

windtalker · 2008-12-23 20:32:52

I use pidgin also but don't have the problem you have and never have had that problem.
The only problem I have is in chat the font is microscopic.

Arm-the-Homeless · 2008-12-23 20:46:43

Honestly, I think I should just trash Ubuntu.

I would like to backup the files that I need (mostly music)

But the problem with that is that GRUB is installed on Ubuntu and I skipped setting up GRUB in the Arch install.

What I'm thinking I should do is remove all the '.*' files in the Ubuntu /home partition, remove the line for that the be the /home partition in Ubuntu's /etc/fstab, add the line in Arch's /etc/fstab, and continue as normal.

Last edited by Arm-the-Homeless (2008-12-23 21:09:37)

Arm-the-Homeless · 2008-12-23 22:56:07

So, how can I setup GRUB on Arch and remove any files prefixed with '.' in the /home partition?

I know how to shrink the partitions so I can add more room to Arch's / partition.

sokuban · 2008-12-24 03:28:46

Wait, why do you need to make a new /home partition? Just use your old one. Try using a different user name in Arch and ubuntu so that files don't conflict, or if you are only keeping ubuntu for backup purposes you can rename your /home/armthehomeless folder so that it doesn't interfere with your Arch one. I always do this when ever I distro hop or reinstall.

Last edited by sokuban (2008-12-24 03:29:14)

Arch Linux

#1 2008-12-23 14:50:42

More questions from a noob (Volume 2)

#2 2008-12-23 15:01:42

Re: More questions from a noob (Volume 2)

#3 2008-12-23 15:13:25

Re: More questions from a noob (Volume 2)

#4 2008-12-23 16:01:22

Re: More questions from a noob (Volume 2)

#5 2008-12-23 16:02:54

Re: More questions from a noob (Volume 2)

#6 2008-12-23 16:03:35

Re: More questions from a noob (Volume 2)

#7 2008-12-23 16:16:29

Re: More questions from a noob (Volume 2)

#8 2008-12-23 16:26:24

Re: More questions from a noob (Volume 2)

#9 2008-12-23 16:29:00

Re: More questions from a noob (Volume 2)

#10 2008-12-23 17:16:54

Re: More questions from a noob (Volume 2)

#11 2008-12-23 17:36:35

Re: More questions from a noob (Volume 2)

#12 2008-12-23 17:42:30

Re: More questions from a noob (Volume 2)

#13 2008-12-23 17:44:05

Re: More questions from a noob (Volume 2)

#14 2008-12-23 17:48:55

Re: More questions from a noob (Volume 2)

#15 2008-12-23 19:02:47

Re: More questions from a noob (Volume 2)

#16 2008-12-23 19:10:18

Re: More questions from a noob (Volume 2)

#17 2008-12-23 19:19:29

Re: More questions from a noob (Volume 2)

#18 2008-12-23 19:44:56

Re: More questions from a noob (Volume 2)

#19 2008-12-23 19:54:23

Re: More questions from a noob (Volume 2)

#20 2008-12-23 20:32:52

Re: More questions from a noob (Volume 2)

#21 2008-12-23 20:46:43

Re: More questions from a noob (Volume 2)

#22 2008-12-23 22:56:07

Re: More questions from a noob (Volume 2)

#23 2008-12-24 03:28:46

Re: More questions from a noob (Volume 2)

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