User Feedback :: DSL FAQ Boot camp - Bring a helmet.



The following is questions (or similar questions) that I have asked and other things that I have discovered in DSL.

Q) I downloaded *.uci and it worked great, but when I reboot my computer and click on the icons to launch them, nothing happens!

A) *.uci are compress images of the program and mounted, not installed. UCI applications run with much less RAM requierments than regular extensions. To fix this problem, all you have to do is:

From Emelfm:
1) Open up Emelfm
2) Navigate to /tmp (or where you have the .uci file located)
3) Click on the file (it should highlight it)
4) Right click on the file, a menu should pop up.
5) Move the mouse over the submenu 'Choose Action', a submenu should extend
6) Move your mouse over 'mydsl-load' and click.
7) In the the output box, it should say that it was succesfuly mounted.

From the prompt
1) Open up your favourite shell
2) Navigate to /tmp (or where ever you have the .uci file located)
3) Type: 'mydsl-load <filename>' replacing <filename> with the file with the .uci extension.
4) A message should come back informing you that it was succesfuly mounted.

You should now be able to launch you .uci applications. If you can still not, then try the other approach. If you still can not then try launching another uci applications. If it is returned that the device is busy, than that means that it is already mounted and that there is another problem with the program.

Q) I configured my local printer and succesfuly printed a test page, but I can't get it to print in other applications.

A) First, make sure that the printer is on, plugged in correctly, has enough ink,
and has paper. Then open up the DSLpanel. Make sure that the printer daemon is running.
It should show:

Printing/lpd ON {Start button] {Stop button]

In the Daemons table (Under the word Daemons). Daemons mean server.

Try printing now. If it doesn't work then try using another application to print. Are you selecting the correct printer to print to.
If it still doesn't print then go through these steps again. If things still don't work than try running the printer setup program again. Did you make sure to type I after setting it up. Typing 'I' actually installs the printer. If you remember naming your printer than you most likely hit I. It's always safe to try again though. Did you install the correct printer driver? If the print page succesfuly printed out the test page (it should have pictures and text) then you might want to consider asking for help on the bords. If the test page didn't print correctly then you have set the printer up wrong and that is a whole other question.

Q) I want them to add this feature and that feature! Where can my voice be heard?

A) Try the ideas and suggestion boards. Feel free to post your own thread or try adding to an already flourshing idea thread. It's up to you :)

Q) People won't answer my questions. What do I do?

A) Try searching the boards to see if the question was asked before. Try looking in the documentation. Make sure you are asking on the right board. Be descriptive when describing your problem / question. Try to attempt to correct the problem yourself but don't attempt anything you are unsure of. If worse comes to worse, try sending an IM or e-mail to some of the people on this form that are knowledgable and helpful. Also, you may just have to wait awhile intill someone that is knowledgable about your question comes around.

Q) Why do is there old applications and programs in DSL and MyDSL?

A) DSL is aimed to be run in ram and on old computers. The creators want DSL to work for a wide variety of users, not just a sub set. There is usualy a reason that the app hasn't been updated (ie. No one has thought of it, too big, too bugy, just won't work, etc.). Try asking on the board for someone to make you a MyDSL copy of it or trying downloading and setting it up yourself. People are very touchy about this topic and will usualy reply pretty quickly their feelings on the matter.
Also, sometimes there is updated application. It's just not been tested and so not put in the regular repository. Another option is to download it through apt-get but we are gettign passed the scope of this question now, so let's move on.

Q) I want to get a mud running on DSL. Will it work?

A) Yes, I have succesfuly compiled and ran MudOS with Tmi2 myself (with minor modification... well one actually :) Just had to change an include to the updated version). I am very mud fettish so please feel free to e-mail your questions and concerns on this topic and I'll see what I can do :) somerville32@hotmail.com

Q) I really really really love this distro. How can I help out?

A) You can help out by learning as much as you can about DSL and assisting by being active on the forums. If someone asks a question and you know an answer, feel free to answer (If you are wrong then someone will be sure to correct and you'll learn something new).
There are lots of chances to give input on descions on the board too. The board is your primary outlet :).

Q) How do I edit the start menu and desktop icons.

You can download whitebox.dsl from the GUI MyDSL. It is an excellent program to not only modify the start menu by the entire theme.

To edit the desktop icons, all you have to do is edit the files in .xtdesktop in your home directory. The *.lnk files are the actual links and the rest is most likely the icons. To remove a link on your desktop, just delete the *.lnk file. You can add your own desktop icons by creating your own .lnk file. The actual creation of the lnk is out of the scope of this question, but you can try to make one based off the other *.lnk files in that folder.

Q) What do I do if I screw it all up by downloading the wrong app or extension?

Booted from the cd:

1) Reboot. This should fix most problems.

From the HD:

1) Reboot. IF it doesn't work goto step 2
2) Reinstall and lose everything.

Try to use only applications and extensions that are tested and are known to work. Try to test applications out on the liveCD before trying them out on your HD install.

Q) <insert bad grammer and spelling here>

A) Sorry, please use proper english or I can't understand!

Q) Is windows internet connection sharing work with DSL?

A) Yes, I am using it right now while I write up this FAQ and listen to the music that I have stored on my windows box.

Q) Does windows suck?

A) *smiles warmly*

Q) My sound card did work but after running sndconfig, it doesn't! Will you help me?

A) ONLY RUN THE SOUND CARD CONFIGURATION UTILITY IF YOUR SOUND CARD ISN'T AUTOMATICALY DETECTED AND CONFIGUED BY DSL. I made the same mistake and I had to reinstall my HD install. If you are using the livecd, you are lucky and get to reboot :) The sound configuration utility is in need of major fixing up so use it with caution! Try running it with the liveCD before using it with your HD install

Q) Will DSL ISO that is downloadable from offical DSL homepage ever be larger than 50mb?

A) This is another touchy subject. The answer is currently (and supposably always will be) no. You can create your own DSL Cd's though, but that's out of the scope of this question.

Q) Documentation sucks!

A) I'am sorry but that's not a question.
But really... don't you think we know? That's why we are creating this FAQ. Don't worry... the problem will be errectified sooner or later.

Q) Your spelling and grammer sucks!

A) Hey... No one is perfect! Thats even more true when using Links :P I mean... I'am sorry but that's not a question!

Q) I can't find my driver in the driver configuration program.

A) There are alot more drivers there than you think. Select each option, most of time there is sub menus under them that offer hundreds and hundreds of drivers!

Q) How do I create my own MyDSL file?

A) Remember how I told you people get really really touchy when you ask questions that are already answered? Well this is one of those times!

Q) How do I make my boot time faster?

A) Someone has already answered this question on the boards. He appearently has got it down to under 30 seconds.

Q) DSL doesn't look good. It's all small and fuzy.

A) Most likely your problem is that you haven't configured X yet and you are using a resolution that your monitor / video card can't handle. Right click on the desktop, goto system and then click X setup. Follow the instructions then reboot the x system (by rebooting the computeror by  going to WindowManager > exit and then typing startx at the prompt).
When going going through the setup, 800 x 600 is a safe bet :) If it is too small then try a higher resolution. IF after running this program x won't start. You can run the script from the shell. It is located in /usr/sbin/. IT is called xsetup.sh. You can run this script by typing ./xsetup.sh while in the relative directory (/usr/sbin). I hope this helps. If not then activate links and surf to the boards and ask for help.

Alrighty, I am going to hit add the reply now so that I don't accidently lose all this work :)
Q) What does mounting mean?

A) This is what I got from dictionary.com

<file system> To make a file system available for access.

Unix does this by associating the file system with a
directory (the "mount point") within a currently mounted
file system. The "root" file system is mounted on the root
directory, "/" early in the boot sequence. "mount" is also
the Unix command to do this, "unmount" breaks the
association.

E.g., "mount attaches a named file system to the file system
hierarchy at the pathname location directory [...]" -- Unix
manual page mount(8).

File systems are usually mounted either at boot time under
control of /etc/rc (or one of its subfiles) or on demand by
an automounter daemon.

Other operating systems such as VMS and DOS mount file
systems as separate directory hierarchies without any common
ancestor or root directory.

Apparently derived from the physical sense of "mount" meaning
"attach", as in "head-mounted display", or "set up", as in
"always mount a scratch monkey, etc."

CONCLUSION: It just allows you to use it. When you boot your computer, linux mounts your hard drive for use. You can mount a network share for use. You can mount images for use. Mounting is an excellent feature :)

Q) Where can I get free streamed music and where I can a get a program to play it?

A) DSL comes with a program called xMMs that plays all sorts of media. DSL also comes with links to the streams of the Linux show and another stream of different musics. If don't like these choices you can go to shoutcast.com and select a station from there. Download the file and open it in xMMs. These files are small and just point to where the music is streamed from. If when you click on these *.pls files and they just open a page with a few lines of text. The URL contained in that file is the url that you can enter into xMMs and play the music. If there is more than one in the file then it means that, that file contains more than one stream. If you actually download the file and open it in xMMs, then you can surf between them. If you just open it in the browser, you will have to enter the url each time you want to switch. Downlading them is easier as it also means that you don't have to remember the URLs.

Q) What does the enhanced install mean when I run the install script to install to the hard drive?

A) It just means that it will download and install a MyDSL file with the install of DSL to the HD. If you don't select the enhanced option you can download the Mydsl from the Mydsl GUI. The name of the extension is dsl-dpgk.dsl

Q) I have issues with my family. They abuse me!

A) Talk to someone you trust.

Q) My friend showed me a picture of a devil killing the linux penguin... How do I contain my anger?

A) You don't, you lash back.... I mean... Talk to someone you trust.

Q) You mentioned an untested section of the repository that isn't avaible in the MyDSL Gui. Where can I find this?

A) http://ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/distributions/damnsmall/mydsl_testing/

You've been warned!

More to be added later!
great stuff!

Quote
Q) My friend showed me a picture of a devil killing the linux penguin... How do I contain my anger?


answer should be, "tell that person that BSD sucks, Linux is teh win"

:p

-J.P.
SaidinUnleashed
Q) Does DSL use a full version of X. If not how do I install it?

A)FIRST:

I DO NOT RECOMEND THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURES:

DSL does not use a full version of X. To install a full version of X is outside the scope of this FAQ but I will offer what I know. Attempting this could cause major problems! I have attempted it and screwed up my HD install. Make sure you configure it correctly. The following is what I have gathered on doing it:

1) Log in as root
2) dpkg-restore
3) apt-get update
4) apt-get install x-window-system
5) Follow instructions
6) edit /etc/init.d/xdm
Put 'exit 0' on the very first line (without the quotes ofcourse)
7) edit $HOME/.xserverr
Remove everything in this file and replace it with:
exec /usr/bin/X11/X -auth $HOME/.Xauthority
Do the same for all users.
8) remove startx
rm /usr/bin/X11/startx
9) Replace startx, Google around for it. Ghost_runner offers a script at http://www.geocities.com/ghost_runnner2003/startx.txt
I assume you need to rename it after you download it and place it in the correct folder
10) You may have to modify some directories in /tmp using chmod. It may complain about a file having a weird mode and it not being 1777. Just chmod 1777 <dir>

I DO NOT RECOMMEND DOING THIS IF YOU ARE NEW TO LINUX AND/OR X! MAY CLOSE ATTENTION WHEN YOU ARE CONFIGURING IT!! ATTEMPT THIS ON THE LIVECD BEFORE HD INSTALL. IF YOU DO ATTEMPT IT ON HD INSTALL AND SCREW IT UP (Ie. it won't start) THEN DO THE FOLLOWING:

1) cd /usr/sbin
2) ./configx.sh
3) startx

It should boot you into fluxbox with no icons and minimal selection in the start menu. Open up xterm from the start menu:

1) cd /usr/bin
2) links -g

This should start the links web browser and you'll be able to surf to the boards and ask for assitance :). They will most likely tell you that you need to reinstall. They may ask for logs and such. Please report your failure so that we can offer better help to other that attempt it.
Q) How do I install Apt-get?

A) This is easy. There are several ways to do it and I'll cover the shell way for now.

Type: dpkg-restore
and then type: apt-get update
then just type: apt-get install <application>
to get and install the applications you want.
More on how to use apt-get and synaptics later.
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