Where do I start?

kirkl_uk · 2003-11-24 21:42:44

I've just installed Linux and have had no problems with installing the base packages. I have a few queries...

How do I add the other packages from the CD?
How do I use a GUI environment?
How do I install drivers for my hardware?
Is there a CD player I can use?

Any help would be highly appreciated. If there's anything else that could help me, please inform me of it. Thank you.

Kirk

sarah31 · 2003-11-24 23:21:21

kirkl_uk wrote:

I've just installed Linux and have had no problems with installing the base packages. I have a few queries...
How do I add the other packages from the CD?

once you have logged in you have to mount the cd like so:

mount /mnt/cd (make sure that /mnt has entries before you try this and make sure that your cdrom entry in /etc/fstab points to your cdrom entry in /mnt)

How do I use a GUI environment?

first you must install xfree86 and configure it. then you must install a desktop environement like kde, gnome, or xfce4 or a window manager such as fluxbox or openbox.

How do I install drivers for my hardware?

depends on the hardware. the only hardware you may have to seek out are video drivers and sound drivers but most of these have stock versions either in the kernel or with xfree86 (in the case of video card drivers).

you have to specify what hardware you are looking to set up.

Is there a CD player I can use?

there are lots but soem require you to have xfree86 installed other will run from commandline.

regardless you will have to configure your sound first.

Any help would be highly appreciated. If there's anything else that could help me, please inform me of it. Thank you.
Kirk

i would suggest browsing this forum for answers to some of your questions (use the search function) and read the arch linux documents. those two should help you out a bit and just ask here for clarification.

try to be as descriptive as possible in your question and include examples of errors if you can. the more clear you are with your questions the easier it is for us to help you.

dp · 2003-11-24 23:30:39

installing packages from files:

pacman -U filename.pkg.tar.gz

installing packages from repositories (internet):

pacman -S packagename

have a look at:

man pacman

-----------------------

GUI:
have to create a X-config file:
/etc/X11/XF86Config
use "xf86cfg" or "xf86config" to generate one if you do not know how to create one

install a windowmanager or desktopenvironnement
(e.g. gnome, kde, ion, windowmanager, ...)

login as normal user
edit ~/.xinitrc
uncomment the line/WM-DE you want to use (and installed)

-------------------------------------------

drivers ... well kernel modules:

in linux you have builtin drivers in the kernel and "modules" that you can load and unload while running the machine ... the builtin drivers load as soon as the kernel finds at startup a hardware that can be used with ... modules are loaded automatically while booting from

/etc/rc.conf from MODULES=()

and from /etc/modules.conf

... you have to know what you have in your computer ...

my MODULES=() looks like this:

MODULES=(!usbserial ide-scsi usb-storage scanner sr_mod sd_mod nvram bluez
hci_usb l2cap ohci1394 thinkpad smapi rtcmosram thinkpadpm)

but there are a lot of modules you for sure not need ... but i added it as example for you to see how to add modules ... modules with ! in front are not loaded

my modules.conf looks like this:

#### LAN ####

alias eth0 eepro100
# alias eth0 e100


########################### WIRELESS LAN ###########################

alias wlan0 hostap_pci
options hostap_pci iw_mode=2
post-install hostap_pci /sbin/iwconfig wlan0 essid any

##############
#### SOUND #####

options i810_audio snd_ac97_clock=0 snd_enable=1 snd_index=0
options snd snd_cards_limit=1 snd_major=116
alias snd-card-0 i810_audio

alias sound-slot-0 snd-card-0
alias sound-service-0-0 snd-mixer-oss
alias sound-service-0-1 snd-seq-oss
alias sound-service-0-3 snd-pcm-oss
alias sound-service-0-8 snd-seq-oss
alias sound-service-0-11 snd-mixer-oss
alias sound-service-0-12 snd-pcm-oss

###################################################################################

have a look at the internet for more information

-----------------------------------------------------------

there are a lot of cd-players for linux ...
let's show you how to search the package-repository for things:

pacman -Ss cd-player

will give you some packages that are cd-players

-> have a look at "cdcd" that is really easy and elementary

-> for GUI cdplayers: there are a lot of GUI cdplayers ... have a look at "xine" or something like that ...

one last note: often cdplayers have in their settings

/dev/cdrom

as cdrom-drive ... in arch the cdrom is located on

/dev/cdroms/cdrom0

("devfs" if you want to search for details) ... so sometimes you must change the settings once you installed the player with pacman

have fun :-)

greetings

dp

Arch Linux

#1 2003-11-24 21:42:44

Where do I start?

#2 2003-11-24 23:21:21

Re: Where do I start?

#3 2003-11-24 23:30:39

Re: Where do I start?

Board footer