Ubuntu/Linux. Need info.

[carl0s]

Well, the 3D desktop, known as compiz, typically gives you wobbly windows and such like. Things like the cube are additional features you can turn on. Have you got wobbly windows?

 

IRC is Internet Relay Chat. It's like group MSN, if you like, but the original proper thing

 

You start up an IRC client, which would probably be Xchat, but it might just be down as "IRC" under Internet on the Applications menu. You choose a network to connect to.. there are many, e.g efnet, dalnet, ircnet, freenode. The one you want is Freenode as that's where all the open source projects have their chat channels.

 

but before you can talk on many of those channels, you need to have registered your nickname with a password, which you do after you connect to Freenode with your IRC client, but before you join a chatroom ("channel").

[RedM]

Well, the 3D desktop, known as compiz, typically gives you wobbly windows and such like. Things like the cube are additional features you can turn on. Have you got wobbly windows?

 

I used to have wobbly windows. That's why I switched to Linux. Badum tsh.

 

I can't work out how to turn on any extra features. I thought that, maybe, Compiz was running but wasn't listed in the 'main menu' setttings. A quick look through there proved it wasn't. I'm wondering if Hardy Heron just incorporates some features of Compiz but the full kit needs downloading.

[carl0s]

I used to have wobbly windows. That's why I switched to Linux. Badum tsh.

 

I can't work out how to turn on any extra features. I thought that, maybe, Compiz was running but wasn't listed in the 'main menu' setttings. A quick look through there proved it wasn't. I'm wondering if Hardy Heron just incorporates some features of Compiz but the full kit needs downloading.

 

Probably. That's how Fedora does it. It enabled wobbly windows and not much else, via a "Desktop Effects" entry under System -> Preferences -> Look & Feel.

 

What I had to do on Fedora 8 was install compiz-fusion, compiz-fusion-extras, and ccsm.

 

Then, it doesn't do anything new, until I run "compiz-manager".

At which point it all starts happening and I can use the "compizconfig-settings-manager" (that's a key point.. it's referred to as CCSM if you're doing any googling) to change all the effects.

I just put compiz-manager as a startup entry under Preferences -> Personal -> Sessions.

[JustGav]

I couldn't use Ubunut 8.04, because of some quirk in my laptop's AHCI interface, so I'm going to use the LONG route with gentoo... when I left it this morning it was busy compiling gnome for me... so I shall see what state that is in when I get home.

[carl0s]

I used to have wobbly windows. That's why I switched to Linux. Badum tsh.

 

I can't work out how to turn on any extra features. I thought that, maybe, Compiz was running but wasn't listed in the 'main menu' setttings. A quick look through there proved it wasn't. I'm wondering if Hardy Heron just incorporates some features of Compiz but the full kit needs downloading.

 

I think you should probably start by running:

"simple-ccsm" from a terminal. See what that does.

Then you can do:

"apt-get install ccsm"

and see if that installs the full ccsm. If it does, run:

"ccsm"

from the terminal.

[carl0s]

I couldn't use Ubunut 8.04, because of some quirk in my laptop's AHCI interface, so I'm going to use the LONG route with gentoo... when I left it this morning it was busy compiling gnome for me... so I shall see what state that is in when I get home.

 

Rather you than me!!

[JustGav]

Rather you than me!!

 

It has a simple binary outcome...

 

1. It works

2. It doesn't and I go back to winblows...

[Wez]

It has a simple binary outcome...

 

1. It works

2. It doesn't and I go back to winblows...

 

Shouldnt that be :-

 

1. It works

0. It doesn't and I go back to winblows...

[JustGav]

Shouldnt that be :-

 

1. It works

0. It doesn't and I go back to winblows...

 

Ah yes, the 10 kinds of people that understand binary

[RedM]

How do you make Linux/Ubuntu remember settings and or run programs at start-up?

[carl0s]

How do you make Linux/Ubuntu remember settings and or run programs at start-up?

 

System -> Preferences -> Personal -> Sessions.

[RedM]

Cheers, Carl0s.

 

I'm going to have to get a book. I want to read up on all the commands and what Sudo means.

 

One thing. How do I find the actual name of the application that I want to run at start-up rahter than what it's called in the menus?

[JustGav]

Gentoo progress..

 

Gnome complete and running (forgot samba module, so had to start again)

Trying to solve an audio problem (as in, no audio playback unless I plug headphones in)

Firefox is running nicely , busy building codec packs at the mo to test a/v

[Chris Wilson]

Every two years or so I get this unfathomable urge to try Linux again. Every time I get to bed late, have terrible hassles, get headaches, curse and end up re formatting and going back to Windows. I liken it to a cheap single turbo conversion. The ads read well, the product looks different and shiny, and the performance gains promised are awesome. In reality the thing takes over an unhealthy amount of your time and life, it DOESN'T work properly, you have to search for missing stuff, patch things up, and work around umpteen "gotchas" you are never forewarned of. You wonder why you bothered, and you wish you could magic the wasted time and money back IMHO Bill Gates is very wealthy for a good reason. He created a product that, to the layman, works, has worldwide support, and doesn't expect you to learn a new and totally arcane language, and mix with people of dubious sanity who live for "free software" (that basically is full of bugs and should still be called experimental) I'll probably be back in another 2 years though, just unable to resist seeing if Linux is any nearer being polished product that works on 99% of PC's without recourse to hours of blood and toil.

[RedM]

Every two years or so I get this unfathomable urge to try Linux again. Every time I get to bed late, have terrible hassles, get headaches, curse and end up re formatting and going back to Windows. I liken it to a cheap single turbo conversion. The ads read well, the product looks different and shiny, and the performance gains promised are awesome. In reality the thing takes over an unhealthy amount of your time and life, it DOESN'T work properly, you have to search for missing stuff, patch things up, and work around umpteen "gotchas" you are never forewarned of. You wonder why you bothered, and you wish you could magic the wasted time and money back IMHO Bill Gates is very wealthy for a good reason. He created a product that, to the layman, works, has worldwide support, and doesn't expect you to learn a new and totally arcane language, and mix with people of dubious sanity who live for "free software" (that basically is full of bugs and should still be called experimental) I'll probably be back in another 2 years though, just unable to resist seeing if Linux is any nearer being polished product that works on 99% of PC's without recourse to hours of blood and toil.

 

...or you could install it on a seperate HDD and dabble with Linux as and when rather than having to get it working as it's your only OS.

 

A bit like having a lovely single turbo Supra that you only drive at weekends because you have another car for popping to the shops in.

[carl0s]

Every two years or so I get this unfathomable urge to try Linux again. Every time I get to bed late, have terrible hassles, get headaches, curse and end up re formatting and going back to Windows. I liken it to a cheap single turbo conversion. The ads read well, the product looks different and shiny, and the performance gains promised are awesome. In reality the thing takes over an unhealthy amount of your time and life, it DOESN'T work properly, you have to search for missing stuff, patch things up, and work around umpteen "gotchas" you are never forewarned of. You wonder why you bothered, and you wish you could magic the wasted time and money back IMHO Bill Gates is very wealthy for a good reason. He created a product that, to the layman, works, has worldwide support, and doesn't expect you to learn a new and totally arcane language, and mix with people of dubious sanity who live for "free software" (that basically is full of bugs and should still be called experimental) I'll probably be back in another 2 years though, just unable to resist seeing if Linux is any nearer being polished product that works on 99% of PC's without recourse to hours of blood and toil.

 

It does generally result in many many late nights in the early stages. I'm definitely 100% happy now though.

[RedM]

OMG! How much fun is Compiz?

 

That's like the BEST thing on a computer EVAR!!

[carl0s]

Cheers, Carl0s.

 

I'm going to have to get a book. I want to read up on all the commands and what Sudo means.

 

One thing. How do I find the actual name of the application that I want to run at start-up rahter than what it's called in the menus?

 

sudo is an extension of "su". su means "switch user". If given without any parameters e.g. a username to switch to, it will switch you to the root user for running administrative things.

 

You would normally run "su -" so that su sets you up a proper root login environment as if you had logged in as root, e.g. you will have root's PATH environment variable set for finding programs etc.

 

sudo just runs a command as root, i.e. it does "su root", then runs the command, then exits the su back to your normal login.

 

You can liken sudo to Vista's "run as administrator".

[carl0s]

OMG! How much fun is Compiz?

 

That's like the BEST thing on a computer EVAR!!

 

you got it all happening now then? Awesome

[RedM]

you got it all happening now then? Awesome

 

Oh yes. Spinning cube desktop, 3d windows, that thing that shows all the desktops when you move to the edgeExpo, transparency etc etc.

 

What a marvelous gizmo.

 

Next stop: an OSX style dock.

[carl0s]

How do I find the actual name of the application that I want to run at start-up rahter than what it's called in the menus?

 

This is a bit of a round-the-houses method, but go into System -> Preferences -> Look & Feel -> Main Menu. Find the item in there and right-click and choose Properties. The command will be in the command box.

 

Or you could right-click in the menu and 'Add launcher to desktop', then look at the properties for the shortcut on the desktop.

 

They really need to allow you to just right-click in the menu and choose properties or something.

[carl0s]

Next stop: an OSX style dock.

 

That would be avant-window-navigator or awn, I think.

[RedM]

This is a bit of a round-the-houses method, but go into System -> Preferences -> Look & Feel -> Main Menu. Find the item in there and right-click and choose Properties. The command will be in the command box.

 

They really need to allow you to just right-click in the menu and choose properties or something.

 

Nice one! I'm assuming that adding Compiz to the session gizmo will result in it running every time. Correct?

[carl0s]

Nice one! I'm assuming that adding Compiz to the session gizmo will result in it running every time. Correct?

 

Yep, that's what I had to do on Fedora. I added "compiz-manager" to startup items. That might or might not be the same for you.. whatever you're firing up now is what you'll want to add under sessions -> startup items.

[carl0s]

Gentoo progress..

 

Gnome complete and running (forgot samba module, so had to start again)

Trying to solve an audio problem (as in, no audio playback unless I plug headphones in)

Firefox is running nicely , busy building codec packs at the mo to test a/v

 

Groovy. You're doing pretty well then

Do you have to build your own init scripts and corresponding config files with Gentoo, or is the end result still a sort of packaged delivery, IYSWIM?