Newbie with Linux...

codeman0013

codeman0013

Active Member
Hey guys I have heard so much good about linux i'm gonna take the plunge and get into it. Heres what i need to know. What is the best distro in your eyes? I have seen peopple that have like a cube like thing for a desktop and can move between them how do i get that? Wheres the best place to learn how to set it up? Can i set it up as a dual boot with my vista partition i already have on my 320gig sata drive?
 
The 3D cube desktop is an Open GL desktop manager called Beryl. It can run on pretty much any major distro, but be forewarned. It does not run out of the box in my experience, and will require some tweakage. Beryl does not run on my Suse 10.2 rig at the moment out of the box. Two services fail for some unknown reason, even after I followed the wiki instructions to the T...

That is the downside to linux, there are many compatibility problems among distros...so don't worry if you get frusturated it is only normal. I would suggest downloading Live CDs of these distros and try them out then choose one you like. You can make a partition with the Linux installer and do all that custom stuff during the install process and even set up dual boot.

Distros:

Open SuSe
Fedora Core
Debian
Ubuntu
Freespire
 
Ubuntu is probably the best place to start.
Very good package manager, good hardware detection, great community.
Ubuntu Site
Support Forums

Ubuntu, as with some other distro's offer a Live CD, or Desktop CD as it's now known. This allows you to try the OS before you install it. Ubuntu's Desktop CD is both a Live CD and Installer. Some other distros have separate CD / DVD's for Live and Install.

If you want Beryl out of the box then look at http://www.sabayonlinux.org

How difficult it is to get Beryl running depends on your hardware. If you have an Nvidia card then it's a piece of cake.

Dual booting is not an issue. The Installer should ask you whether you want to, however I recommend you read any and all documentation / read the support forums before you hit the install button.
 
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Thanks for the replys Simon what would you reccoment distro wise lke? Do you use opensuse i see? or would ubuntu be better?
 
I started out with Ubuntu in November 2005 and switched to openSUSE this year.

Personally I would definitely recommend Ubuntu as your first distro or even your only distro! I only swapped because I fancied a change :)

I've got a very useful link for you that I'll pm you with when I find it.
 
yeah I am running an ATI card in my Linux box which could be the reason beryl is a bastard and won't run right

Simon have you installed it with an ATI card yet?
 
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Beryl is still in beta stages and testing phase,its far from perfect (and very buggy) and mainly not supporting all major graphics card, some will run some will not.

For people looking for a distro that ships default with xgl/compiz (3d cube) Try FEDORA core 6.
 
ok i have it installed on my 2nd hdd but now windows wont show it so my computer wont boot into it how do i set it up where it asks me which one to go into?
 
codeman0013 said:
ok i have it installed on my 2nd hdd but now windows wont show it so my computer wont boot into it how do i set it up where it asks me which one to go into?
Click to expand...

Sounds like grub got installed to your 2nd drive.

All you need to do is set your BIOS to boot from the 2nd drive first.
 
tlarkin said:
I think what makes me mad the most is that its like 50/50 and a lot of people it just works and then there are people like me and have to do it the hard way....
Click to expand...

I'm sure the situation will improve.

When I first started using Compiz and then later Beryl I had to use XGL which was a right pain in the arse.

Now it's easy! Add a line or 2 to xorg, download the software and away I go.
 
Simon@Linux said:
I'm sure the situation will improve.

When I first started using Compiz and then later Beryl I had to use XGL which was a right pain in the arse.

Now it's easy! Add a line or 2 to xorg, download the software and away I go.
Click to expand...

Well with nvidia drivers allow you to bypass xgl all together and use the driver itself to directly render things. I run sax2 and edit the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file to the settings which they are suppose to work, and beryl crashes saying I do not have the proper DRI settings....which is not true since I edited properly.
 
tlarkin said:
Well with nvidia drivers allow you to bypass xgl all together and use the driver itself to directly render things. I run sax2 and edit the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file to the settings which they are suppose to work, and beryl crashes saying I do not have the proper DRI settings....which is not true since I edited properly.
Click to expand...

What I did was uninstall XGL and Compiz as openSUSE installs them by default.

Add these to xorg:

Code: 
nvidia-xconfig --composite
nvidia-xconfig --allow-glx-with-composite
nvidia-xconfig --render-accel
nvidia-xconfig --add-argb-glx-visuals

And:

Open Control Centre -> Desktop -> Window Behaviour -> Translucency

UNTICK use translucency/shadows.

If you want to compare your xorg to mine, just let me know and I'll post it.

To edit xorg, I just use terminal -> su kwrite /etc/X11/xorg.conf
 
Simon@Linux said:
What I did was uninstall XGL and Compiz as openSUSE installs them by default.

Add these to xorg:

Code: 
nvidia-xconfig --composite
nvidia-xconfig --allow-glx-with-composite
nvidia-xconfig --render-accel
nvidia-xconfig --add-argb-glx-visuals

And:

Open Control Centre -> Desktop -> Window Behaviour -> Translucency

UNTICK use translucency/shadows.

If you want to compare your xorg to mine, just let me know and I'll post it.

To edit xorg, I just use terminal -> su kwrite /etc/X11/xorg.conf
Click to expand...

I guess it wouldn't hurt though since I have an ATI chipset it may not help who knows? I can't use the nvidia commands though since obviously I cannot use the nvidia driver on an ATI card.

Yeah, I just started using kate recently to edit conf files so you could use this

kdesu kate /etc/X11/xorg.conf to edit it. I like it better than kwrite but its my preference
 
Ok so my linux recognized my xp partition as its on the same hdd but now it does not see the vista as its on a sata drive and i cant get into that one without actually going into the bios and changing which hdd to get into. Any suggestions on how to get the linux to see this one too or is it easier to go into the vista drive and edit the boot ini to recognize those 2 others?
 
tlarkin said:
I guess it wouldn't hurt though since I have an ATI chipset it may not help who knows? I can't use the nvidia commands though since obviously I cannot use the nvidia driver on an ATI card.

Yeah, I just started using kate recently to edit conf files so you could use this

kdesu kate /etc/X11/xorg.conf to edit it. I like it better than kwrite but its my preference
Click to expand...

Sorry I must have misread and thought you had an nvidia card.

kate opens too slow for my liking, which is why I use kwrite.

Here's my xorg anyway:

Code: 
# nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig
# nvidia-xconfig:  version 1.0  (buildmeister@builder3)  Thu Nov  9 17:55:20 PST 2006

# /.../
# SaX generated X11 config file
# Created on: 2007-02-25T13:04:09+0000.
#
# Version: 8.1
# Contact: Marcus Schaefer <[email protected]>, 2005
# Contact: SaX-User list <https://lists.berlios.de/mailman/listinfo/sax-users>
#
# Automatically generated by [ISaX] (8.1)
# PLEASE DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE!
#

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier     "Layout[all]"
    Screen         "Screen[0]" 0 0
    InputDevice    "Keyboard[0]" "CoreKeyboard"
    InputDevice    "Mouse[1]" "CorePointer"
    Option         "Clone" "off"
    Option         "Xinerama" "off"
EndSection

Section "Files"
    InputDevices      "/dev/gpmdata"
    InputDevices      "/dev/input/mice"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/misc:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/local"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/75dpi:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/100dpi:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/Type1"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/URW"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/Speedo"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/PEX"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/cyrillic"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/latin2/misc:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/latin2/75dpi:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/latin2/100dpi:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/latin2/Type1"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/latin7/75dpi:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/baekmuk:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/japanese:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/kwintv"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/truetype"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/uni:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/CID"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/ucs/misc:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/ucs/75dpi:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/ucs/100dpi:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/hellas/misc:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/hellas/75dpi:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/hellas/100dpi:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/hellas/Type1"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/misc/sgi:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/xtest"
    FontPath        "/opt/kde3/share/fonts"
    FontPath        "unix/:7100"
EndSection

Section "Module"
    Load           "dbe"
    Load           "type1"
    Load           "freetype"
    Load           "extmod"
    Load           "glx"
    Load           "v4l"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
    Option         "AllowMouseOpenFail" "on"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier     "Keyboard[0]"
    Driver         "kbd"
    Option         "Protocol" "Standard"
    Option         "XkbLayout" "gb"
    Option         "XkbModel" "pc105"
    Option         "XkbRules" "xfree86"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier     "Mouse[1]"
    Driver         "mouse"
    Option         "Buttons" "10"
    Option         "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
    Option         "Name" "Logitech USB Receiver"
    Option         "Protocol" "explorerps/2"
    Option         "Vendor" "Sysp"
    Option         "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
    Option         "ButtonMapping" "1 2 3 6 7 "
    Option         "Resolution" "800"
EndSection

Section "Modes"
    Identifier         "Modes[0]"
    ModeLine     "1280x1024" 107.0 1280 1360 1496 1712 1024 1025 1028 1059
    ModeLine     "1280x1024" 87.8 1280 1328 1360 1440 1024 1027 1034 1053 +hsync -vsync
    ModeLine     "1024x768" 81.8 1024 1080 1192 1360 768 769 772 802
    ModeLine     "1024x768" 76.2 1024 1080 1192 1360 768 769 772 800
    ModeLine     "1024x768" 69.7 1024 1080 1184 1344 768 769 772 798
    ModeLine     "1024x768" 69.5 1024 1072 1104 1184 768 771 775 796 +hsync -vsync
    ModeLine     "1024x768" 64.1 1024 1080 1184 1344 768 769 772 795
    ModeLine     "800x600" 48.9 800 840 920 1040 600 601 604 627
    ModeLine     "800x600" 45.5 800 840 920 1040 600 601 604 625
    ModeLine     "800x600" 44.0 800 848 880 960 600 603 607 622 +hsync -vsync
    ModeLine     "800x600" 42.1 800 840 920 1040 600 601 604 623
    ModeLine     "800x600" 38.2 800 832 912 1024 600 601 604 622
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier     "Monitor[0]"
    VendorName     "GSM"
    ModelName      "LG ELECTRONICS L1917S"
    UseModes       "Modes[0]"
    DisplaySize     377    301
    HorizSync       30.0 - 83.0
    VertRefresh     43.0 - 75.0
    Option         "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "Device[0]"
    Driver         "nvidia"
    VendorName     "NVidia"
    BoardName      "GeForce 6800"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier     "Screen[0]"
    Device         "Device[0]"
    Monitor        "Monitor[0]"
    DefaultDepth    24
    Option         "AllowGLXWithComposite" "True"
    Option         "RenderAccel" "True"
    Option         "AddARGBGLXVisuals" "True"
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       15
        Modes      "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       16
        Modes      "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       24
        Modes      "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       8
        Modes      "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600"
    EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
    Option         "Composite" "Enable"
EndSection
 
codeman0013 said:
Ok so my linux recognized my xp partition as its on the same hdd but now it does not see the vista as its on a sata drive and i cant get into that one without actually going into the bios and changing which hdd to get into. Any suggestions on how to get the linux to see this one too or is it easier to go into the vista drive and edit the boot ini to recognize those 2 others?
Click to expand...

You should be able to edit your /boot/grub/menu.lst to list Vista as well.

Unfortunately I don't have much grub experience, so unless anyone else can help I would post on http://www.ubuntuforums.org
 
codeman0013 said:
Ok so my linux recognized my xp partition as its on the same hdd but now it does not see the vista as its on a sata drive and i cant get into that one without actually going into the bios and changing which hdd to get into. Any suggestions on how to get the linux to see this one too or is it easier to go into the vista drive and edit the boot ini to recognize those 2 others?
Click to expand...

you need to just add a menu to your GRUB which is not hard. Most likely your xp/linux drive (is IDE right?) is on /dev/hda1 (or something of the like) and your Vista install is on /dev/sda which is your sata drive. What distro of Linux did you install?

kate opens too slow for my liking, which is why I use kwrite.
Click to expand...

Yeah but I really like how kate organizes the text so I use it with larger conf files. For quick editing I just use pico which is a terminal text editor.
 
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