scardella Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 [quote name='Sacred Music Man' post='1548425' date='May 29 2008, 03:47 PM']Okay... my younger brother is whining at me about the boot record: he wants Kubuntu to be installed so it doesn't effect my first hard drive's boot record. is this possible?? this is so if I want to remove linux for some reason, I don't lose everything (happened before becuase I couldn't boot any operating system after we removed linux)[/quote] Put it on the MBR of your second (it sounds like you have a second, since you said first) hdd and point your BIOS to boot from it instead. If you pull out the linux hdd, it'll boot to the first hdd. Or, you can make a backup of your MBR using the dd command to a usb flash drive. If there's an issue, you can use the dd command to write it back (booting off of a live cd). I believe it goes like the following to backup: (replace sda w/ sdb, hda, etc. depending on the device) [code]dd if=/dev/sda of=/path/to/filename count=1 bs=512[/code] to replace [code]dd if=/path/to/filename of=/dev/sda count=1 bs=512[/code] I learned lots of fun things to do with the dd command in desktop support Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffpugh Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 (edited) Well... I'm goona put on Linux tomorrow... I'll try one of your solutions... Though, Scardella, I'm not sure what the code is accomplishing exactly... and this is for KDE? Edited May 30, 2008 by Sacred Music Man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scardella Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 (edited) [quote name='Sacred Music Man' post='1548819' date='May 29 2008, 11:11 PM']Well... I'm goona put on Linux tomorrow... I'll try one of your solutions... Though, Scardella, I'm not sure what the code is accomplishing exactly... and this is for KDE?[/quote] BTW, those commands have to be done as root, and have to be done when booted from a liveCD. That advise was more if you actually didn't have all the linux stuff on a separate hard drive. It makes a backup of your MBR. (Master Boot Record) If you were to install grub to a given hdd, it would modify the MBR to point to grub instead of windows. Grub then allows you to choose windows or linux. Since grub actually lies on a linux partition, if you were to get rid of linux, it might prevent you from being bootable. The command dd in this guise would actually back up the contents of the MBR to a file (you'd do this from a livecd) so that you could restore it, should you only want windows in the future. DD is a terminal command. You'd open up a text terminal (looks similar to DOS) and type that in there. The terminal is always a nice thing to be able to use, even if you usually use a GUI. There are some things that are much quicker in a command line than in a gui. Edited May 30, 2008 by scardella Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffpugh Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 K, thanks. I'm planning to give Linux its own hard drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffpugh Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 Oh, and I should mention I'm installing Linux now. Say a prayer for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naralas Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 [quote name='Autumn Dusk' post='1541989' date='May 25 2008, 05:48 PM']I use ubuntu, xface flavor. (ergo xubuntu) I'd recommend it. It can be frustrastaing but its a good start for newbies.[/quote] My friend pointed me at this thread. First thing I wanted to ask is what is xface? You mean XFCE right? Well if your advising something for new people, making the first step be to get the only disk that does not come in a deliverable CD might be ill advised. Most people don't know what an ISO is let alone how to burn one. Also, almost all of the user friendly additions that have been added to Ubuntu are primarily based around the GNOME desktop environment. Xubuntu and Kubuntu are both very crippled in that sense. They both suffer from the GNU cloud of arrogance under which they develop in their own directions and not for the people. Gnome + Canonical together makes for a very nice interface. When you play anything without support (Java, Flash, MPEG, MP3, AVI etc.) it will just guide you through it. Also, if your new, be sure to look under add/remove and switch the drop down over to "All Available" applications, not just all supported. Trust me you'll be happy for it. There is much more to be discussed and I'm gonna look through this thread now to see what could be said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommas_boy Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 [quote name='scardella' post='1548615' date='May 29 2008, 08:43 PM']Put it on the MBR of your second (it sounds like you have a second, since you said first) hdd and point your BIOS to boot from it instead. If you pull out the linux hdd, it'll boot to the first hdd. Or, you can make a backup of your MBR using the dd command to a usb flash drive. If there's an issue, you can use the dd command to write it back (booting off of a live cd). ... code ... I learned lots of fun things to do with the dd command in desktop support [/quote] Wow ... I think Scardella is a Linux Master. I'm not worthy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffpugh Posted May 31, 2008 Share Posted May 31, 2008 [quote name='naralas' post='1549458' date='May 30 2008, 12:56 PM']My friend pointed me at this thread. First thing I wanted to ask is what is xface? You mean XFCE right? Well if your advising something for new people, making the first step be to get the only disk that does not come in a deliverable CD might be ill advised. Most people don't know what an ISO is let alone how to burn one. Also, almost all of the user friendly additions that have been added to Ubuntu are primarily based around the GNOME desktop environment. Xubuntu and Kubuntu are both very crippled in that sense. They both suffer from the GNU cloud of arrogance under which they develop in their own directions and not for the people. Gnome + Canonical together makes for a very nice interface. When you play anything without support (Java, Flash, MPEG, MP3, AVI etc.) it will just guide you through it. Also, if your new, be sure to look under add/remove and switch the drop down over to "All Available" applications, not just all supported. Trust me you'll be happy for it. There is much more to be discussed and I'm gonna look through this thread now to see what could be said.[/quote] Lawl, thanks Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffpugh Posted May 31, 2008 Share Posted May 31, 2008 Lawl... I had a truckload of fail in installing Linux today... I was soo ticked off... I'ma try again later... busy weekend... maybe Monday or something. Long story short, the errors that came up were when I successfully installed Linux, and I turned on desktop effects, my screen went black, i waited for the settings to revert, but it didnt, and so i ctrl alt backspaced, and it reseted with no taskbar!! (I almost went through the roof). So I tried to reinstall after futilely trying to bring the taskbar back (restarted the comp, crtl alt backspaced again). Reinstall was fail cause of MBR. Had to reset that through the Windows XP CD. In the mean time, I got super GRUB so I could get back into windows... I found out about Super grub cause I had all features on the CD boot linux. All in all, I'm going to carefully try and put some distro back on this computer. I need recomendations here... I'm reluctant to try KDE again. My friend Dan (Naralas) is quite against KDE anyways... so I might do XFCE (if lightweight suits me, as another friend says) or just Gnome w/ Ubuntu. So glad I fixed what I broke, though. That feels like an accomplishment, yet I feel so bitter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abercius24 Posted May 31, 2008 Share Posted May 31, 2008 Ubuntu is open source (and free) right? Where is the best place to download it (or otherwise install it)? I've been working with Korn Shell code for the last year at work and I'd like to try to install a Linux OS on my machine at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lounge Daddy Posted May 31, 2008 Author Share Posted May 31, 2008 (edited) [quote name='abercius24' post='1550238' date='May 31 2008, 12:33 AM']Ubuntu is open source (and free) right? Where is the best place to download it (or otherwise install it)? I've been working with Korn Shell code for the last year at work and I'd like to try to install a Linux OS on my machine at home.[/quote] I downloaded the Kubuntu (the KDE version) at the[url="http://www.kubuntu.org/download.php"] kubuntu.org[/url] site. The live cd is fantastic! Just download it and burn it off, and you're good to go. The other day I downloaded Ubuntu at [url="http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download"]ubuntu.com[/url]. Same thing--live cd, baby! Btw - after the happy success with kubuntu on my one-year-old Gateway laptop, I decided to try ubuntu on our old Acer. After being left for dead because we were unable to upgrade it with a microsoft os anymore, it lives again! It's actually a usable machine, with current software again. Oh happy day Edited May 31, 2008 by Lounge Daddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommas_boy Posted May 31, 2008 Share Posted May 31, 2008 [quote name='Sacred Music Man' post='1550171' date='May 30 2008, 11:46 PM']Lawl... I had a truckload of fail in installing Linux today... I was soo ticked off... I'ma try again later... busy weekend... maybe Monday or something. Long story short, the errors that came up were when I successfully installed Linux, and I turned on desktop effects, my screen went black, i waited for the settings to revert, but it didnt, and so i ctrl alt backspaced, and it reseted with no taskbar!! (I almost went through the roof). So I tried to reinstall after futilely trying to bring the taskbar back (restarted the comp, crtl alt backspaced again). Reinstall was fail cause of MBR. Had to reset that through the Windows XP CD. In the mean time, I got super GRUB so I could get back into windows... I found out about Super grub cause I had all features on the CD boot linux. All in all, I'm going to carefully try and put some distro back on this computer. I need recomendations here... I'm reluctant to try KDE again. My friend Dan (Naralas) is quite against KDE anyways... so I might do XFCE (if lightweight suits me, as another friend says) or just Gnome w/ Ubuntu. So glad I fixed what I broke, though. That feels like an accomplishment, yet I feel so bitter.[/quote] Hi Sacred. Your problem with the desktop effects may have been one of any number of things, but all are unrelated to KDE. My first guess is that you did not have your graphics card drivers properly installed/enabled. After your latest run with reinstall, try opening up a terminal/konsole window. Then, enter "glxgears". Watch for abnormalities in the konsole window; any errors that pop up. Anything at all that mentions "software rendering". Also, try enlarging the glxgears window so that it fills up your screen. See if this affects frame rate at all (slows down the rate that the gears are spinning at). KDE is a very robust desktop environment, and it is what I recommend to Windows converts over Gnome and other interfaces. Linus Torvalds, the guy who invented Linux, also prefers it. Still, Linux is about having a variety of choices, so if a light-weight desktop is what you feel most comfortable with, then by all means continue with it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommas_boy Posted May 31, 2008 Share Posted May 31, 2008 [quote name='abercius24' post='1550238' date='May 31 2008, 12:33 AM']Ubuntu is open source (and free) right? Where is the best place to download it (or otherwise install it)? I've been working with Korn Shell code for the last year at work and I'd like to try to install a Linux OS on my machine at home.[/quote] Linux is free both as in beer (gratis), as well as in speech (libris). Yes, you are right that it is open source; this means that anyone is free to "get under the hood" and change ANYTHING about the way that it is run. This doesn't mean a whole lot to people who are non-technical, but it makes a world of difference if you are a programmer. Ubuntu comes with the Gnome desktop, which is a fine, albeit at times overly simplified, environment to work in. You can get it from Ubuntu's website at www.ubuntu.com. Kubuntu is the same Ubuntu, but with a different interface, KDE. You can get it from www.kubuntu.org. Also, I encourage everyone to try both KDE and Gnome. One may install either by simply installing the relevant package: "kubuntu-desktop" or "ubuntu-desktop". Please do try both and find which you like better. You may install them through synaptic (on Gnome) or "adept_manager" on KDE. Or, if you prefer the command line, simply do "sudo apt-get install <package_name>". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffpugh Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 (edited) [quote name='mommas_boy' post='1550306' date='May 31 2008, 01:44 AM']Hi Sacred. Your problem with the desktop effects may have been one of any number of things, but all are unrelated to KDE. My first guess is that you did not have your graphics card drivers properly installed/enabled. After your latest run with reinstall, try opening up a terminal/konsole window. Then, enter "glxgears". Watch for abnormalities in the konsole window; any errors that pop up. Anything at all that mentions "software rendering". Also, try enlarging the glxgears window so that it fills up your screen. See if this affects frame rate at all (slows down the rate that the gears are spinning at). KDE is a very robust desktop environment, and it is what I recommend to Windows converts over Gnome and other interfaces. Linus Torvalds, the guy who invented Linux, also prefers it. Still, Linux is about having a variety of choices, so if a light-weight desktop is what you feel most comfortable with, then by all means continue with it! [/quote] yeah... but why did it remove my taskbar? ugh... it was a truckload of fail that weekend... i shouldn't deleted the OS though. It was sorta like this for me: [url="http://xkcd.com/349/"]http://xkcd.com/349/[/url] My friend just reccomends I go back to Gnome. (aka just Ubuntu). I've used it before... though I like the KDE interface a bit... oohh... I'll go with what's safe. Then after, I'll install this: [url="http://ubuntustudio.org/"]http://ubuntustudio.org/[/url] Edited June 2, 2008 by Sacred Music Man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Autumn Dusk Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 I have advanced settings...but alas no swish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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