Just Tried DSL, Thinking of Installing, Questions

Forum: User Feedback
Topic: Just Tried DSL, Thinking of Installing, Questions
started by: sandmanfvr

Posted by sandmanfvr on Jan. 29 2006,03:51

Well I have mess with linux before. All the way back to Mandrake 7 to Ubuntu. Had Ubuntu running a few months back with Cedega and World of Warcraft, then it just didn't boot. I have been on windows again for a while, but want to return. I play Neverwinter Nights again and that can run in linux natively (did it one time). I downloaded DSL at work, then made the cd. I was expecting an install, but it was live cd and there was an option to install. At first I was kind of thinking "this is not what I want" but when I realized I had sound, played mp3s and I mount ALL my partitions with some clicks, that was freaking cool. Now here are the questions:

1) I couldn't dial out on my modem. It is a hardware modem on COM1 (got it when starting with linux a long time ago, still use to dial up on cause it is faster). I set it to /dev/ttyS0 like I have in other distros, but no go. Any answers?

2) I noticed the desktop was kind of locked down. How do I move icons, make new ones, get rid of the status indicator in the upper right etc.

3) I like multimedia. I saw that wma, wmv, and quicktime weren't supported. How easy is it to add support? Plus why can't you view .bmp files? Also, how easy is it to add support to view dvds?

4) CD/DVD burning, what does DSL support?

I got Suse coming on cd, but I just need a stable linux destop, probably add Openoffice, add the multimedia support I want, burning apps, add thunderbird and gaim, then move on from there. I am a System Admin at work and have to deal with Windows all the time. Right now I just do the simple things at home and play Neverwinter Nights on Exaria (www.exaria2.net, shameless plug I know.

) so I want to get into linux and use Windows for the game I have to play on it. I know I probably could find some of these answers, but DSL is very different and I just tired and lazy this late.

Thanks.

Posted by sandmanfvr on Jan. 30 2006,01:46

Wow, what a community. Great to be ingnored. :angry:

I guess I will use Suse.

Posted by Guest on Jan. 30 2006,04:36

Maybe you should read this forum, There is sections Multimedia, Networking, Hd install etc. Didnt you find anything related to your problems/questions? If not then tell us more about your problem, no one can help when you just say that i have problem with modem on my com1 port how can i fix it?
I dont know anything about your problems and i cant help you, now iam just trying to bring this up, so someone who knows about modems etc. would help you.

Posted by sandmanfvr on Jan. 30 2006,15:47

Quote

I don't mean to offend, but when a topic stays on these boards for two days, I ask more than one question and I never get a reply, then it makes me wonder. I was tired, worked like 60 hrs and got off of a long saturday. Sorry about the second post, just frustrating. I did a plain install to my hdd, then I can dial up. Only thing I did was make the dialup session have no spaces for the name. Weird. BUT, I could NOT write the hdd and the partition I was installed in didn't show I was on a 20 gig partition. So it was like I was installed, but I was still running in live cd mode. Do I put DLS on a small partition and then make a ext2 partition to write data to? Also I need to know about the multimedia support, and how to customize things on my desktop please. I want the system monitor gone, and then to move icons and do custom background.

Oh yes, I tried a lilo install, lilo won't come up. Haven't had time to search the forums to get this to work. I got Suse coming this week, but I do like DSL's simplistic nature, easy mounting functionality, and just how it works. Sorry for the second post, was tired. Thank you.

Posted by crusadingknight on Jan. 30 2006,16:43

Quote (sandmanfvr @ Jan. 30 2006,10:47)

BUT, I could NOT write the hdd and the partition I was installed in didn't show I was on a 20 gig partition. So it was like I was installed, but I was still running in live cd mode. Do I put DLS on a small partition and then make a ext2 partition to write data to?

You have to do the Traditional Harddrive install, not the Frugal install if you want to be able to edit the base system. Frugal is meant to be like a LiveCD without the need for a CD.

Posted by cbagger01 on Jan. 30 2006,18:08

With 4 pages worth of new posts per day, it is hard to reply to every post. Especially when most of the questions have already been answered before.

1) Sometimes your COM1 gets assigned to a different port like /dev/ttyS1 for example. Try starting microcom and connect to /dev/ttyS0 and then type:

AT

and you should get a reply

OK

if your modem is connected to this device name.

2) Use the Icontool to manage your icons. with proper settings, you can drag them around to your favorite spot using the mouse. The status indicator is called "torsmo", and I think it is launched from your /home/dsl/.xinirc file. Remove the line for torsmo and save the newly edited file.

3) Get mplayer + the codecpak. Or try installing VLC from synaptic. Not all formats are supported, but many more are available. DVD viewing requires the installation of a DVD decryption library file that cannot be distributed in the USA. Search the internet for libdvdcss, download it, and manually install it and then use something like Xine or VLC or Mplayer to view DVDs.

4) DSL can support both, but I think it only supports CD out-of-the-box. The builtin burning app, CDW, supports CD. You can also install nice apps like gcombust or k3b from the myDSL repository. There is also a DVD program, I think it is called tkDVD.

Posted by sandmanfvr on Jan. 30 2006,19:08

Thanks. I looked on the hd install forum, but I need to install to the hd and dual boot with lilo/grub. I don't mind reading a guide, but haven't found a complete "how to" on how to do this. When I go in to DSL and do the install, it asks to install lilo, then on reboot Win XP just boots. If I can get the dual boot install working, then I can dial out on the net (fixed that), fix my desktop (do settings like mounted drives and other things save in the hd install?), then install mplayer plus other things. I got the nvidia drivers downloaded and I have installed them on other distros, just have to remember how to do it. Need Neverwinter nights on the linux partition. Thanks.