help with linux

[neo_x500]

I feel really stupid now. I felt like I knew so much about computers before and suddenly realized I wasn't intelligent but they let me think that because I was "special". Anyway, I have to start over as a newbie now. I have a few questions now that I'm linux. I've spent the last couple of days playing around with it, and I've walked away with a big head ache. My modem won't work with linux, it is a winmodem, and neither will the sound card, because it is a combination with the modem. I did find a driver for it, from conexant. They sent me to a site called linuxant. Anyway, the driver is in an RPM package, I finally figured out what that was, only problem is that when I go to try and install the modems it gives me an erroe message. For some reason both programs are need pciutils to work, and I don't know what that is. Also, where do I find wine. Any RPMs I use give me some sort of error message or another, and so far, linux looks all nice and pretty, but old billy's program is doing the work. Please, somebody help me.

[Laukev7]

Ah yes, RPM dependencies. Don't feel stupid because of that; it's a major problem that many Linux users have to cope with.

Now let's see... pciutils and Wine? Are they included with your Linux distro (I think it's Mandrake)? If they're not included, then you should go to Penguin Liberation Front http://plf.zarb.org/ to get RPMs compatible with Mandrake (if that's what you use). Maybe you'll find what you need there. Since you have no internet access from Linux, you'll have to download your files and solve the dependencies manually.

[neo_x500]

Yes, I'm using mandrake, and I am not sure if this stuff is included with the distro. pciutils is something for pci cards I'm assuming. If I could dig that up than maybe I would have a shot at getting internet and sound up and running. As for wine, I found rpms with the name wine in a lot of them, but whenever I clicked on any of them to install, the module dependency issue became apparant. This would all be a lot easier if there was a linux user group in hastings, but since there is not, I'm kinda on my own.

[SAJChurchey]

One of my best tools in fighting depencies is rpmfind.net  I just type in the package name, perhaps the version number, and look for my distro.  It's quick and easy, and DAMN this sounds like a commercial, how odd.

[neo_x500]

ok, it is starting to piss me off now. I found pciutils off the net, and I went to install it, but it tells me that pciutils is already installed. I apparently already have it, the computerjust doesn't give me a clue on where it's at or how to use it. By the way, how do I run a program from the terminals. just typing in the name of the file won't work. Another question, how do I log in as root. I am the only one who uses the computer, so I set no password. I'm not sure how to do a lot of things in linux, but these are by far the most disableing.

[ June 17, 2003: Message edited by: Neo_Linux_User ]

[Laukev7]

Type the name of the program, then the modifiers, then the file name.

Ex.: rpm -ivh microsoftfucksmycomputer.rpm

Or if you want to abridge the file name:

rpm -ivh micr*rpm

To log in root, type root at login.

Or type su, then the password.

[Doctor V]

wonders if Mandrake, like Red Hat, has apt-get.  If it does, get it first thing...will check.

[Doctor V]

Before I forget, if you want to run a program from the terminals, go to the directory that it is in and type:
./*program_name*
the  "./" is probably what you need, back to apt-get.

Well, they do, its here
ftp://ftp.rpmfind.net/linux/Mandrake/9.1/contrib/i586/apt-0.5.5cnc3-1mdk.i586.rpm

The imfamous RPM dependancy hell, has driven numerous users away from redhat based distros.  Apt-get is Debian's package management system, that is much easier to use than RPM.  Its been ported to Red Hat and now to Mandrake too.  If you install that one RPM above, you will never have to worry about dependencies again.  It will seek out all dependancies, and install them in unison with the application you are getting.  Install about any app with one command and no worries.  Example:
apt-get install wine
Alone and wine + anything it requires is installed and working.

The catch:  in order to seek out and download the packages using apt-get, you will need to be connected to the web.  And winmodems are one of billyGs biggest weapons in the war with open source.  Many winmodems are completely incompatible to anyone without M$'s secret code, consider yourself one of the fortunate that there is a driver for your winmodem in the first place.  All I can tell you is, make sure the RPM you are using is for mandrake and not for redhat (sometimes they do both use the same RPM so if it dosn't say, don't worry).  Why don't you tell us exactly what your modem is, and what driver you are going to use with it.

V

edit:  my spelling is very bad I know

[ June 17, 2003: Message edited by: Doctor V: Gentoo Lunatic ]

[neo_x500]

Well, I have a pretty common modem for my computer. It is a connexant (rockwell?) modem with a rip tide sound card attached to it. O went to the connexant website, and they sent me to linuxant, a site trying to make winmodem drivers for linux. Anyway, they had both sound card and modem drivers there for me, for download. I got them, and put them in the C: directory. I restart and go back to linux to install them, and it tells me that "rip-tide-blah blah blah (kernel version) requires "pciutils" Install aborted. It does the same thing for the rockwell modem. Well, I restart and go back to windows, and download pciutils after you guys tell me where to find it. I restart again and go back to linux, try and install pci utils, and it tells me that I already have it. I check rpm drake, and click on "remove rpm packages" and it doesn't show any pciutils. I open up home, and search for anything with pci in it, and I can't find any program resembling what I need, just a few stray system files. I don't know, maybe I should save up and just buy a new sosund card and modem, this time a hardware modem, so linux doesn't bitch at me about the "detected winmodem." But I HAVE drivers for it, the thing is just giving a newbie a hard time. It is kinda bad for the self-esteem to go from near-expert to newbie in one day. Pisses me off.

P.S. I'm certain that the drivers were made for mandrake, I checked the kernel version and went to the site. The only thing i'm not sure of is pci utils, but that doesn't make since, to tell me it's already installed, when it isn't, or isn't working. It would be more helpful to tell me where it is, instead of just telling me that it needs it.

[ June 17, 2003: Message edited by: Neo_Linux_User ]

[Laukev7]

Wow. Do they still make winmodems today?

I suggest you buy a real modem. You won't regret it; hardware modems are compatible with every system (should you try FreeBSD or BeOS), and don't eat up performance like winmodems do.

[emh]

You might want to try installing the kernel-source rpm from the Mandrake CD's, then try installing your drivers.

[neo_x500]

kernel-source rpm, is that the name of the file?kernel-source.rpm

[emh]

It should be called something like:

kernel-source-2.4.21-0.16mdk.i586.rpm

Although the exact numbers may vary.

Just simply look for kernel-source in the Mandrake Control Center, under Software Management.

[neo_x500]

Ok, I finally got pciutils to install, and the two drivers I needed will go now too. Now, one final question before I get my modem up and running, how do I change the modules (drivers??) mandrake recognizes. Under the sound card in harddrake, it has unknown for the module, and under the modem it has www.linmodems.org. It doesn't have any place where I can change this, and double clicking and installing the rpms for the two drivers doesn't work either. Forgive the newbie. I'm starting to figure some things out though, like some basic commands in the terminal. I found it a little interesting that cd and dir were both commands it recognized, even those were from ms-DOS, but I bet MS didn't come up with either of those, but thought, "hey, we can use the commands these guys came up with."

Anyway, some help on how to configure a modem and sound card would be very useful right now.

[Faust]

sorry in a bit of a rush atm (politics exam) but man insmod, man lsmod, man rmmod and man modprobe should help.