Re: Better step by step for windows users

[Jason Pincin <chardros@linuxkb.org>]

Hi Bryan,

Thanks for your comments.  This is exactly the sort of thing we hope the Linux Knowledge
Base will solve.  I look forward to hearing from people in your same situation a lot.  And
as a matter of fact, people like yourself could REALLY help to build this site up in a much
needed manner.  We are going to need articles written BY former/current windows users, FOR
windows users that give step by step details on how to get a linux system up and running in
a manner that is usable to them.  So stay tuned to what's going on with us.  Things on the
site can still be cumbersome at times, but we're improving rapidly and soon I hope it's
painfully easy for users such as yourself to contribute your findings back to the
community, as well as solve your problems by reading what others perhaps a little ahead
have done to solve what you are facing.  It's a site that hopefully will encourage and make
it easy for people new to the community to make it easier for others to join.

Enough of my rant :).

As far as your own questions... there may not be a "step-by-step" up there yet... so far
we're just indexing existing content.  RedHat 6.1 made some considerable strides towards
making it easier to get online, and start using your CD-ROM... I've installed the RedHat
6.2 beta which will be on shelves soon... and it makes it easier yet, but there's still
room for improvment.  

As far as setting up your modem... once you log in to X-Windows, run an X-Term or something
to get you a "command line", the do a "su<enter>", and then enter your root password.  Once
succesful, type "linuxconf &<enter>".  This will launch linuxconf.  Under In the tree,
drill to Config->Networking->Client Tasks->PPP/SLIP/PLIP and click on "Add".  Select PPP,
then Accept.  Enter your phone number name, password and select your modem port.  ttyS0 =
DOS Com1, ttyS1 = DOS COM2, etc.  Then accept, and it'll show up in your modem list.  Click
it again, and you'll get more options.  You'll want to check "Let any user (de)activate the
interface, and accept.  Now yur modem is set.  You can activate it by typeing "ifup
ppp0<enter> from a "command line" at any time.  Kind of an archaic way to do it, but this
will get you up and running, there's all kinds of nice graphical ways to do it... you'll
have to dig around for that.

As far as your CD-ROM... "mount /mnt/cdrom" and "umount /mnt/cdrom" are your commands... do
the mount when you insert a new one, and the umount before you remove it.  Then you can
access the stuff by browing to /mnt/cdrom in whatever file manager you use.  Make sure your
/etc/fstab has a line that looks like this:

/dev/<something>            /mnt/cdrom              iso9660 noauto,owner,ro,user,exec 0 0

if your /mnt/cdrom line doesn't have the "user,exec" options, put them there.  

Hopefully this will get you started.  I can't really give tech support... but I had a spare
couple of minutes and thought I'd try to give you a hand.  Thanks again for your comments.

Jason


On Sun, Feb 20, 2000 at 03:16:14PM -0600, Bryan Sonnet wrote:
> HI, I am new to linux {Red Hat 6.5,mandrake 6.5} Alot of the terms are
> still confusing compared to the windows 98 user. I have been trying to
> use my cdrom to load other-than OS packages. Like adobe acrobat reader,
> for reading files, Corel's word perfect, things like this. How do I- NEW
> TO THE LINUX ENVIORMENT setup and use the cdrom for more installations?
> That is, and has been asked many times by me with NO response, even by
> Red Hat.com and Mandrake's support. The other is help on setting up your
> proper modem and setting up your dial-up. I have a great new OS but I
> can't even use it to get on-line to download the open sources to expand
> my love for computers. Please respond and consider this request for the
> average user not knowing linux at all--Step by step for you new to
> Linux. When do you think linux will come on cd with a PNP setup? I hope
> soon. Thanks Bryan

-- 
Jason Pincin
Linux Knowledge Base Project Leader (http://www.linuxkb.org/)
http://vodka.linuxkb.org/~chardros/