More newb questions :(

[wesblake]

Ok guys, I have a couple more question that have come up. First off, is there a program I can use for Mandrake 9.2 that will check my system temperatures, like Motherboard Monitor does for Windows?
Ok, the next 2 are probably dumb, but dumb questions are allowed fro newbs, right? ;)
Do I need an anti-virus program in linux, and if so what is recommended, and how do I install a tarball? (Everything I've downloaded so far I was able to find rpm's for)
Thanks.

[Case]

Alwil software has a beta program called Avast 4 Linux - http://www.avast.com/i_idt_172.html

AVG has AVG Linux Email Server Edition - http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_avg_lmse.php

Kaspersky has Anti-Virus for Linux File Server - http://www.kaspersky.co.uk/buyonline.html?chapter=595425&tgroup=4


AFA MBM for Linux - Depending on the mobo, you may have to use healthd or lmmon or xmbmon. The first 2 are I think just for FreeBSD,but xmbmon "is a monitoring program for motherboards which can monitor the CPU temperatures and the frequency of CPU cooling fans, etc. The package includes "mbmon", which can be used at the commandline to report the temperatures, voltages, and RPM of the fans, and "xmbmon", which displays the three temperatures and a core voltage as simple curves. "

Xmbmon is available here - http://freshmeat.net/projects/xmbmon/?topic_id=146

[Grogan]

No, you do not need antivirus software for Linux. Don't even waste your time and don't listen to FUD marketing from antivirus vendors.

Antivirus software for Linux, is mostly for detecting Windows viruses... say for mail servers and crap. There are very few Linux viruses, and the ones that do exist are mostly proof of concept. You'd have to try hard to infect yourself, even if you encountered them.

See here for motherboard monitoring:

http://secure.netroedge.com/~lm78

The business end of motherboard monitoring in Linux are the i2c drivers and lmsensors. Other programs are usually a front end to that.

The gkrellm system monitor interfaces with i2c

http://web.wt.net/~billw/gkrellm/gkrellm.html

You probably have i2c kernel modules already and lmsensors rpm packages available for your distribution.

How do you install a tarball? A tarball is basically an archive like a zip file. Extract it using the KDE Archiver (ark) or from the command line:

tar xzf filename.tar.gz --directory /wherever/you/want

if it's a .tar.bz2:

tar xjf filename.tar.gz --directory /wherever

After that, you must read the readmes and/or install files. If it's a binary software package, you run the installer script (e.g. CD to the directory and type ./install.sh if that's what the script is named)

If it is source, it must be compiled. Read all documentation and ensure the prerequisite packages are in place, then it's usually...

./configure (with options... see ./configure --help)

make

make install (su to root before the make install)

Compiling source is easy when everything is in place. Tricky when you have to troubleshoot build failures. Impossible when your system libraries are incompatible with the source package. There will be things you just can't compile, without a major system overhaul. (for some things, you need a specific build environment)

[wesblake]

Ok, I'll add to this post since it's more newbie stuff, no point in starting a new thread. Latest newbie question:

In Windows, when I eject my usb storage devices I'm supposed to click on the icon in the system tray and "safely remove usb mass storage device" before physically unplugging it. I'm not sure what this does, but I just did it. In linux, I didn't see anything like this, and for my CF card for my camera, didn't worry much about it, they're cheap anyways. But now, I got a Creative Muvo NX MP3 player that acts as a USB Mass storage device, and I'm a little more concerned, it was expensive! Is there or do I need to eject it first like in Windows? Will it damage the unit just unplugging it when I'm done moving files to and from? Thanks.

[Grogan]

USB devices are hot pluggable. The "safely remove hardware" icon, is not because you'll damage the hardware, but so you don't screw up the state of the device in Windows.

I don't know much about USB stuff in Linux, but I should think that it's OK to disconnect it when you are finished. What I'm not sure of, is how the mounting of the storage device will be handled. (hopefully automatically)

[wesblake]

Yeah, it's automotic (Mandrake 9.2). I've used it for my Compact Flash card reader and I just plug it in and go. I was just concerned that simply unplugging it when done would break something. Thanks.

[wesblake]

Ok, here's goes another. I am finally ready to dump Windows completely. I have a second hard drive right now that is NTFS, I want to convert it to ext3 to use with Linux, and from what I understand the way to go would be to just move /home to that drive (my main drive is only 20GB anyways, my second is 120GB)
So, 2 things. First, say I do this, then someday the main drive crashes or something and I have to re-install. Now my /home and all my files are still sitting on the other drive with permissions on them, will I still be able to access them on a re-install? I mean, are they tied to the original installation somehow or is root still root and I'm ok.
Second, this is how I understand I'm supposed to do it from my Linux book, so please correct anything I get wrong or fill in any ?:

(Delete the NTFS partition from Windows?)
su
cfdisk hdb ?
mkfs.ext3 /dev/hdb
mount /dev/hdb /mnt/newhome
init 1
cd /home
cp -ax * /mnt/newhome
cd /
mv /home /oldhome
mkdir /home
mount /dev/hdb /home
^d
vim /etc/fstab
In vi add:
/dev/hdb /home ext3 defaults 1 2
Then if everything is working good, delete /oldhome

[Grogan]

Yep, that should work. Log onto the system as root though, not su (otherwise /home will be in use). You could do the whole thing from runlevel 1, including the cfdisk part.

cp -a is sufficient (no need for -x)... you won't have any other filesystems mounted below /home. That should copy everything correctly, including ownership and permissions and any symbolic links correctly.

As for re-using your /home partition for a new Linux install, I don't recommend that. Too many user configuration files that may no longer be valid for your new configuration. Just copy any data files.

However, yes, "root is still root" (UID 0) and if the original user's userid and groupid on the ownerships don't jibe, you can chown. For example:

chown -R grogan:grogan /home/grogan

would recursively change ownership to the user grogan, and group grogan (and reset the uid's and gid's for the correct user on the system)

Notes on your mount commands: Without an fstab entry, the following command will fail:

mount /dev/hdb /mnt/newhome

Instead, use:

mount -t ext3 /dev/hdb /mnt/newhome

Unmount it after you're done copying the data.

Now, after renaming /home to /oldhome and creating an empty /home directory for a mount point, you might as well make your fstab entry and just reboot the machine.

[wesblake]

Ok, and for anyone who knows Mandrake (Bobguy?) the install put to extra entries in Lilo I've never used, linux-nonfb, and failsafe, do you know what those are exactly? Thanks again.

[Grogan]

linux-nonfb starts linux without a framebuffer console (just standard VGA)

failsafe is a minimal boot, for fixing your system configuration. I think you can get to a curses based linuxconf configuration menu.

[wesblake]

And another.....
I downloaded the new k3b as a Mandrake 9.2 rpm, k3b-0.10.3-1mdk.i386.rpm, so I can use my DVD burner. I went to install it using rpm -U, and got a failed dependency:
devel(libGLcore) is needed by k3b-0.10.3-1mdk
So I don't get it, what's the package I need actually called? Any ideas? Thanks.

[Grogan]

Install the XFree86 Devel packages. Your CD Writing program is linked against OpenGL (how bloody silly). Probably inheriting that dependency from KDE.

You can try it with --nodeps and it will install, but the program may not launch. It probably should, and print a warning on the console.

rpm -U --nodeps k3b-0.10.3-1mdk.i386.rpm

[wesblake]

Doh! I did a urpmi XFree86-devel, said Everything already installed, then I tried rpm -u --nodeps like you said, and got:

file /usr/lib/libk3bcore.la from install of k3b-0.10.3-1mdk conflicts with file from package libk3b1-0.9-10mdk
file /usr/include/k3bdefaultexternalprograms.h from install of k3b-0.10.3-1mdk conflicts with file from package libk3b1-devel-0.9-10mdk
file /usr/include/k3bdevice.h from install of k3b-0.10.3-1mdk conflicts with file from package libk3b1-devel-0.9-10mdk
file /usr/include/k3bdevicehandler.h from install of k3b-0.10.3-1mdk conflicts with file from package libk3b1-devel-0.9-10mdk
file /usr/include/k3bdevicemanager.h from install of k3b-0.10.3-1mdk conflicts with file from package libk3b1-devel-0.9-10mdk
file /usr/include/k3bexternalbinmanager.h from install of k3b-0.10.3-1mdk conflicts with file from package libk3b1-devel-0.9-10mdk
file /usr/include/k3bexternalbinwidget.h from install of k3b-0.10.3-1mdk conflicts with file from package libk3b1-devel-0.9-10mdk
file /usr/include/k3bglobals.h from install of k3b-0.10.3-1mdk conflicts with file from package libk3b1-devel-0.9-10mdk
file /usr/include/k3bjob.h from install of k3b-0.10.3-1mdk conflicts with file from package libk3b1-devel-0.9-10mdk
file /usr/include/k3blistview.h from install of k3b-0.10.3-1mdk conflicts with file from package libk3b1-devel-0.9-10mdk
file /usr/include/k3bprocess.h from install of k3b-0.10.3-1mdk conflicts with file from package libk3b1-devel-0.9-10mdk
file /usr/include/k3bthread.h from install of k3b-0.10.3-1mdk conflicts with file from package libk3b1-devel-0.9-10mdk
file /usr/include/k3bthreadjob.h from install of k3b-0.10.3-1mdk conflicts with file from package libk3b1-devel-0.9-10mdk
file /usr/include/k3btoc.h from install of k3b-0.10.3-1mdk conflicts with file from package libk3b1-devel-0.9-10mdk
file /usr/include/k3btrack.h from install of k3b-0.10.3-1mdk conflicts with file from package libk3b1-devel-0.9-10mdk
file /usr/lib/libk3bcore.so from install of k3b-0.10.3-1mdk conflicts with file from package libk3b1-devel-0.9-10mdk

These last couple things are holding me back from going all Linux still! DVD burning and ripping.

[Grogan]

Well... heheh there's one more extreme measure you can try. RPM dependencies can be a bitch... it doesn't really know whether what you have is usable. It's just looking for specific things, in specific places. Commonly, this problem occurs when you're trying to install an RPM that's not really for your system. It may require that you install a good portion of the packages in Mandrake-Cooker (Not really recommended!) or something.

rpm -U --nodeps --force k3b-0.10.3-1mdk.i386.rpm

That will make it replace files unconditionally. You can test that first even, by adding --test to that command.

Alternatively, try uninstalling your current k3b rpm packages using rpm -e packagename for each of the installed k3b packages, and then use

rpm -i --nodeps k3b-0.10.3-1mdk.i386.rpm

[wesblake]

K, havn't tried getting the new k3b working again yet, but my 120GB is now linux and has my /home mounted on it!
So now I have:
40GB primary:
17GB NTFS (Windows)
10GB NTFS
10GB ext3 (Linux)
1GB Swap
120GB secondary:
All ext3 (/home)

So, just to be sure before I do it, is anyone familiar with PartitionMagic 8? What I want to do now is combine the 10GB NTFS with the 17GB NTFS Windows parition, but before I do it want to make sure it won't jack up my linux or swap partition, or lilo in the mbr. Thanks yet again. :)
(I'd get rid of Windows all together at this point if I could just play my games in Linux ;))

[wesblake]

Ok, me again, now I pulled up MandrakeUpdate and it highly recommends updating my kernel from 2.4.22-10 to 2.4.22-26 to fix some bugs. So...If I try to update anything through the Update GUI right now (trying to get the newer source), I get-

The following packages have bad signatures:
blah.blah.rpm (couldn't open file)
Do you want to continue installation?

If I click yes, I get-

There was a problem during the installation:
unable to install package ftp://mirrors.secsup.org/pub/linux/mandrake/Mandrake/updates/9.2/RPMS/./blah.blah.rpm

K, so then I went to the site suggested on the information for the kernel source update that tells how to update the kernel (http://www.mandrakesecure.net/en/kernelupdate.php)
and tried the first step, urpmi.update -a and get:

examining synthesis file [/var/lib/urpmi/synthesis.hdlist.Installation CD 1 (x86) (cdrom1).cz]
examining synthesis file [/var/lib/urpmi/synthesis.hdlist.Installation CD 2 (x86) (cdrom2).cz]
examining synthesis file [/var/lib/urpmi/synthesis.hdlist.International CD (x86) (cdrom3).cz]
retrieving source hdlist (or synthesis) of "update_source"...
ftp://mirrors.secsup.org/pub/linux/mandrake/Mandrake/updates/9.2/base/hdlist.cz
...retrieving failed: curl failed: exited with 9 or signal 0

retrieve of source hdlist (or synthesis) failed
no hdlist file found for medium "update_source"
examining synthesis file [/var/lib/urpmi/synthesis.hdlist.update_source.cz]

What gives? Thanks a bunch.

[Grogan]

hdlist.cz is not present at that specified location. Possible to try another mirror?

Maybe you need to update your mandrake update utilities first, also.

[BobGuy]

The following packages have bad signatures:
blah.blah.rpm (couldn't open file)
Do you want to continue installation?
I had to take a break and just laugh for a while and then come back to this. :taped:

Why would you even try installing packages with bad signatures? :slaugh:

I suggest using a different mirror site. Bad signatures = bad packages!

First remove the current update_source, or update, then add a new ftp security source.

Installing a kernel package using mandrakes updater is a bad idea, it should be downloaded using gFTP and then do a md5sum check on the package, then install it from the command line, as su - root, after which you should edit lilo.conf then run lilo to update the MBR.

Good Luck. :D

[wesblake]

C'mon man, don't laugh :) I'm trying everything so I learn, I'm still a newbie!
Well, in this case since it's the kernel, I will just download the kernel source and use Grogan's kick ass guide to re-compiling your kernel.
However, I need to get my updater working for other updates again, how do I do that? The stuff your saying about the update_source and what not is still greek to me. Thanks.

[Cool Canuck]

Originally posted by wesblake
In Windows, when I eject my usb storage devices I'm supposed to click on the icon in the system tray and "safely remove usb mass storage device" before physically unplugging it. I'm not sure what this does,
It is my understanding that this is so any disk caching is written to the device. Applies mostly to Flash drives and such. As Grogan said, you can't do physical damage.

[Walden]

I had a bitch of a time trying to get the update working in Mandrake, i had to go to thier site, and find the list of mirrors, then pick some. good luck

[Cool Canuck]

If you can find what you want, this Gov't Site (ftp://mirror.mcs.anl.gov/pub/) has the fastest download times I've seen. They were updating the Mandrake stuff when I last looked.

[wesblake]

But how do you change the mirrors you use? I didn't see any options in Mandrake Update for this, I'm assuming somehow at the command line? Thanks again.

[Cool Canuck]

If you're asking me, I don't know as I'm not using Mandy. I just download what I want and get Grogan to help me get it going. :D

[Walden]

It's somewhere in the Package Manager, i don't remember where excatly. Where it lists what you pull from. CD1, CD2, CD3 update_source. somthing like that. It was such a pain in the ass(mandrake 9.2) as a whole i dropped it, and went to the Fedora Core. Smooth sailing for me.

[BobGuy]

Originally posted by wesblake
However, I need to get my updater working for other updates again, how do I do that? The stuff your saying about the update_source and what not is still greek to me. Thanks.
This is for mandrake 9.0 it shound be very similar to 9.2, I suggest that you read all of it, lots of clues here.

http://www.linux-mandrake.com/en/demos/Spotlight/SoftwareMgr/

This is where the software sources manager part starts.
http://www.linux-mandrake.com/en/demos/Spotlight/SoftwareMgr/pages/rpmdrake23.php3

[Walden]

here try this link out for size. I had this same problem. I did get it to work,

http://www.bitbenderforums.com/vb22/showthread.php?s=&threadid=59133

[wesblake]

Thanks guys/ladys, got all my updates going after fixing the update_media, and I'm running the new kernel just fine!