Basic Linux Help

[MattO]

Linux guru's,

Is there a way of starting a linux web browser (mozilla, konquerer etc) so it asks you to connect to the internet? in the same way internet explorer does in windows? if not what is the best way to connect to the internet if you do not have a permanent connection?

Also, I had read that Linux was best (quickest) on a low spec system, but Mandrake 9.2 is slower than Win2K (on the same system). Is this because of the distro I am using? or the way its configured? I am using KDE, is Gnome better (faster), or is it just personal preference?

Can someone point me to a basic 'how to' site for linux?

thanks for any help for a linux newbie.

MattO

[doug_s]

LinuxQuestions.org (http://www.linuxquestions.org)

[Daranduil]

Originally posted by MattO

Also, I had read that Linux was best (quickest) on a low spec system, but Mandrake 9.2 is slower than Win2K (on the same system). Is this because of the distro I am using? or the way its configured? I am using KDE, is Gnome better (faster), or is it just personal preference?


KDE and Gnome are "heavy" desktop managers, for a low spec system you could try a "lighter" desktop as fluxbox, blackbox or xfce. For browsing you could try mozilla firebird instead of mozilla.

[mtc]

I don't know about getting your browser to do it for you, but as far as connecting to the net goes (like for a dial up connection) most people use something like wvdial or kppp.

[shadowhunter]

Mandrake is slow, KDE is slow.

I use Gentoo and Gnome. (Gnome is more useable than fluxbox,...)

Geert

[juicemansam]

I'm using just Openbox3, and it's pretty lean and mean. By itself, it's pretty useful, but it would be nice to have taskbar. For that I'm usxing SuxPanel. That way all resources aren't wasted on bloated, but good, programs.

[mikeX]

'kinternet' is a quick and easy way to connect to the net as well+ you can make it sticky to the KDE systray!

KDE is a quite heavy window manager indeed...
the GNOME is not a window manager really, it's some levels lower than that (i.e. you can have openbox gnome, icewm gnome, metacity gnome etc)+ i think it's a bit 'lighter' than KDE (mostly depending on the actual window manager you use)(metacity is the most common i think)

how low spec is your system in real figures??????
there are gnu/linux distros out there especially designed for low end systems!

a friend of mine installed mandrake 9.2 on a 600MHz laptop (64MB ram i think)... they were quite slow but i think faster than winXP pro

anyway i think 'Mandrake' is more of a 'commercial'-userfriendly distro which kinda shows off with high end (& resource hungry) linux features so ...

[bilu]

A nice distro for newbies with some computer experience already, that works very good with low specs:

Distro
http://www.vectorlinux.com

Review
http://madpenguin.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=583

Comments on Slashdot
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=03/10/27/1152223&mode=thread&tid=106&tid=185

and as window manager, XFCE is my favorite on low-specs, because it's fast but very easy to use.


Bilu

[MattO]

Thanks for the reply's.

I am now 'playing' with VectorLinux & Fluxbox, and it all seems a lot faster ;)
Does anyone know how, or what files I edit, to enable me to boot from lilo direct into fluxbox (or whichever window manager I finally decide on, I will try out XFCE - thanks bilu), without having to log on as a user then select a window manager? Is this possible?

thanks

MattO

[Daranduil]

I think editing /etc/fstab

search for line

1:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty1

and change to something like this

1:2345:respawn:/usr/X11R6/bin/startx

for xfce Matt() try, the xfce4

[roynux]

I think editing /etc/fstab
It's /etc/inittab .
You must be root to change it.

search for line
1:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty1
and change to something like this
1:2345:respawn:/usr/X11R6/bin/startx
The best way is to change de default runlevel, you should have something like this at the top of /etc/inittab:
# Default runlevel. The runlevels used by Mandrake Linux are:
# 0 - halt (Do NOT set initdefault to this)
# 1 - Single user mode
# 2 - Multiuser, without NFS (The same as 3, if you do not have networking)
# 3 - Full multiuser mode
# 4 - unused
# 5 - X11
# 6 - reboot (Do NOT set initdefault to this)
#
id:3:initdefault:
Change the number in last line to 5 to boot in graphic mode.
id:5:initdefault:

You can invoque these runlevel with the init command:
init 5 = start X
init 3 = kill the X sessions and go back to the console
init 0 = halt
init 6 = reboot

-- roynux

[Daranduil]

roynux thanks for fixing my mistake ;) It's the /etc/inittab file. But since Matt() wants to startx without having to log on as a user I think that must edit the /etc/inittab file. I don't know if Mandrake have an option to autologin in Xwindows.

[roynux]

But since Matt() wants to startx without having to log on as a user I think that must edit the /etc/inittab file.
Ok. I forgot the "without having to log on".
But with what user will he be loging then ? root ? :confused:

I don't know if Mandrake have an option to autologin in Xwindows.
Yes, and it is very easy to set up.
Mandrake Control Center -> Start -> DrakBoot, or in a term (as root) drakboot.


-- roynux

[MattO]

thanks roynux & Daranduil.

>> But with what user will he be loging then ? root ?
Yes, i log on as root.

>> Mandrake Control Center -> Start -> DrakBoot, or in a term (as root) drakboot.
I have seen DrakBoot in Mandrake, but I am now using VectorLinux/Fluxbox, I am wondering how I do it in this.

thanks

MattO

[juicemansam]

It's bad practice to use root as a regular account.

Don't run off the -i options for cp, mv, or rm.
Don't get too used to using -rf with rm.
Finally don't forget to be perfect when typing your commands as root; you could end up deleting "files *" instead of "files*".

[shevegen]

People keep repeating that running as root is bad.

I hate dogmas ;)

(Oh, i admit, my post is actually just here to move this thread up to the top again. Contains some nice info!)