Total n00b to Linux, I require assistance

[mickgriddle]

When I tried to install xorg,
apt-get install xorg

I got a simple error saying E: xorg package not found or something among those lines.

[nadir]

try

Code: Select all

apt-get update

before that?

[mickgriddle]

I've practically already uninstalled everything and am trying a new tutorial, if it doesn't work I'll go back to what your saying. Damn this sucks.

[oOarthurOo]

Many of the Linux distros out there are easier to get setup, to learn the ropes as it were, but one thing you'll learn about Debian is that they give you enough rope to hang yourself with straight off the bat. If you're installing linux for the first time, and starting with the business card iso, I'd say the noose is already around your neck.

You should download disc 1 for Debian Lenny.

http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/5.0 ... pc/iso-cd/

Pop it in, follow the instructions, it setups up everything for you if you check the desktop, laptop, and standard categories during installation. No need to worry about xorg, etc.

[mickgriddle]

Alright, finally got xorg and ran x Server, got the wallpaper to come up, where do I go from here? How do I add new users through the command terminal?

[nadir]

Alright, finally got xorg and ran x Server, got the wallpaper to come up, where do I go from here? How do I add new users through the command terminal?

wow, thats what i would call cool. no hurray and no tears? just " finally i got xorg up" ?
... just kidding.

useradd adds users and gives them a home-directory:

Code: Select all

adduser ian

will add the user called ian. compared to other distros debian per default doesn't add new users to any groups. you gotta do that manually or edit a config-file (and which one i did forget).

###################
btw, a bit of superfluous ranting (perhaps just ignore):
two commands are very useful (for me):
apropos and man. say you want to add users. type

Code: Select all

apropos user 

to much output... arghh. try

Code: Select all

apropos user #which will pipe it to less, a pager

or something like

Code: Select all

apropos user | grep add # which does something i can't explain, but its good. searches for "add" in the result of "apropos user" , so to speak.

and hope one of the results looks promising.

man <command> will tell you what a command does, how its syntax is and usually add some examples at the bottom (ctrl+g to go to the end, scroll up a bit and usually the examples are there). example:

Code: Select all

man adduser

in the link i gave above (to oswaldkelos beginners-guide, revision3) is a short intro about the most common cli-commands (written by hazel). they should get you going. of course there is more to be found online.

imho you may be quite proud that you could finally set it up. i ran a few times into the no-gui problem, and it sure has given me a bit of headaches to get it solved.

[Soul Singin']

Alright, finally got xorg and ran x Server, got the wallpaper to come up, where do I go from here? How do I add new users through the command terminal?

You might want to tell us what you mean when you write: "got the wallpaper to come up." How did you get the wallpaper to come up? Did you run startx? Did you see a graphical login screen? Do you have a desktop?

Which tutorial are you following? Where are you at in that tutorial? Bro.Tiag has already recommended How to install debian on imac-emac ppc, very verbose set-up. I highly recommend The Illustrated Guide to Installing Debian GNU/Linux.

Finally, please learn how to ask a good question. To that end, you should read: How To Ask Questions The Smart Way by Eric S. Raymond.

Before You Ask

Before asking a technical question by e-mail, or in a newsgroup, or on a website chat board, do the following:

1. Try to find an answer by searching the archives of the forum you plan to post to.
2. Try to find an answer by searching the Web.
3. Try to find an answer by reading the manual.
4. Try to find an answer by reading a FAQ.
5. Try to find an answer by inspection or experimentation.
6. Try to find an answer by asking a skilled friend.
7. If you're a programmer, try to find an answer by reading the source code.

When you ask your question, display the fact that you have done these things first; this will help establish that you're not being a lazy sponge and wasting people's time. Better yet, display what you have learned from doing these things. We like answering questions for people who have demonstrated they can learn from the answers.

.

[mickgriddle]

Alright, finally got xorg and ran x Server, got the wallpaper to come up, where do I go from here? How do I add new users through the command terminal?

You might want to tell us what you mean when you write: "got the wallpaper to come up." How did you get the wallpaper to come up? Did you run startx? Did you see a graphical login screen? Do you have a desktop?

Which tutorial are you following? Where are you at in that tutorial? Bro.Tiag has already recommended How to install debian on imac-emac ppc, very verbose set-up. I highly recommend The Illustrated Guide to Installing Debian GNU/Linux.

Finally, please learn how to ask a good question. To that end, you should read: How To Ask Questions The Smart Way by Eric S. Raymond.

Before You Ask

Before asking a technical question by e-mail, or in a newsgroup, or on a website chat board, do the following:

1. Try to find an answer by searching the archives of the forum you plan to post to.
2. Try to find an answer by searching the Web.
3. Try to find an answer by reading the manual.
4. Try to find an answer by reading a FAQ.
5. Try to find an answer by inspection or experimentation.
6. Try to find an answer by asking a skilled friend.
7. If you're a programmer, try to find an answer by reading the source code.

When you ask your question, display the fact that you have done these things first; this will help establish that you're not being a lazy sponge and wasting people's time. Better yet, display what you have learned from doing these things. We like answering questions for people who have demonstrated they can learn from the answers.

.

Well alright, Now I am turning on my computer, it asks me which to boot from CD or linux, I press L for linux, It goes and runs a bunch of code I do not understand, as I am not a linux programmer, just in basic programming classes. Next it will come up with a login window. The login screen has debian in the upper left hand corner, with 3 menus, Language, Session, and Actions on the lower Left Hand Corner, and the login window reads Welcone, Username:, Please enter your username, followed by a entry box, of course, asking for the user name. I go ahead and enter my username: mickgriddle. The login window then reads Password: i enter my password, I next receive an error message that reads: Your home directory is listed as: '/home/mickgriddle' but it does not appear to exist. Do you want to log in with the /(root) directors as your home director? it is unlikely anything will work unless you use a failsafe session. Proceeded by two GUI buttons, both No, and Yes. No, goes back to the beginning, Welcome please enter username. When I select yes, A new error message User's $HOME/.dmrc file is being ignored. This prevents the default session and language from being saved. File should be owned by user and have 644 permissions. User's $HOME director must be owned by user and not writable by other users. Followed by a button that reads OK. I click ok and yet another error message pops up. It reads: Your session only lasted less than 10 seconds. If you have not logged out yourself, this could mean that there is some installation problem or that you may be out of diskspace. Try logging in with one of the failsafe sessions to see if you can fix this problem. It asks me if I would like to view the details, if I do, it reads:

/etc/gdm/Xsession: Beginning session setup...
Unable to create //.dbus
Unable to create //.dbus/sessions-bus

(seahorse-agent:1902): libgnomevfs-WARNING ++: Unable to create ~/.gnome2 directory: No such file or directory

(seahorse-agent:1902): libgnomevfs-WARNING ++: Unable to create ~/.gnome2 directory: Permission denied
Could not create per-user gnome configuration directory /home/mickgriddle/.gnome2/' : No such file of directory

I press ok and it goes back to the command terminal for about half a second and then goes back to the login interface. How do I access the Command terminal from here? I tried logging in the login interface as root, however it went to tell me incorrect username or password.

[nadir]

the thing you describe is called login-screen.

try this from the login-screen:
crtl+alt+F1 to open a login-terminal
login as root
add another user, like i said above

Code: Select all

adduser test_user

ctrl+alt+F7 should open the login-screen again
try to login as the new user.

in case that did work.

Code: Select all

deluser mickgriddle
rm -r /home/mickgriddle

and create him again:

Code: Select all

adduser mickgriddle.

not sure if that's the source of the problem...never had something like that. good luck.

[dbbolton]

in case that did work.

Code: Select all

deluser mickgriddle
rm -r /home/mickgriddle

and create him again:

Code: Select all

adduser mickgriddle.

I tried this but I am still hungry. Next I'm going to try "adduser doeberkebap" (not an actual 'ö' of course since it isn't ascii).

[mickgriddle]

the thing you describe is called login-screen.

try this from the login-screen:
crtl+alt+F1 to open a login-terminal
login as root
add another user, like i said above

Code: Select all

adduser test_user

ctrl+alt+F7 should open the login-screen again
try to login as the new user.

in case that did work.

Code: Select all

deluser mickgriddle
rm -r /home/mickgriddle

and create him again:

Code: Select all

adduser mickgriddle.

not sure if that's the source of the problem...never had something like that. good luck.

Nice man, finally some help around here. thanks a ton.

[nadir]

<irony tag>
so we got a mac, a sixer beer, griddle and döner kebap with ascii (or was it without?).
sounds like it should work
< irony tag ends here)

[mickgriddle]

Sometimes the login screen comes up other times, I just get a black screen. sometimes the screen will slowly grow darker and sometimes it does it some other odd things.

[Bro.Tiag]

Nice man, finally some help around here. thanks a ton.

Bugger off! You have recieved plenty of good help/advice that you choose to ignore, and then do your own thing.

[mickgriddle]

Nice man, finally some help around here. thanks a ton.

Bugger off! You have recieved plenty of good help/advice that you choose to ignore, and then do your own thing.

Posting tuts and saying there you go isn't good help, ask for a more detailed question and I will happily give you one.

[Soul Singin']

... ask for a more detailed question and I will happily give you one.

Here are some detailed questions you have not answered:

Which tutorial are you following? Where are you at in that tutorial? Bro.Tiag has already recommended How to install debian on imac-emac ppc, very verbose set-up. I highly recommend The Illustrated Guide to Installing Debian GNU/Linux.

How are we supposed to know what you are doing if you do not tell us?
.

[mickgriddle]

Because I was originally following a tutorial not listed there, but requested decided to try network install and it worked, like I said Xorg wasn't even available.

[Soul Singin']

Because I was originally following a tutorial not listed there, but requested decided to try network install and it worked, like I said Xorg wasn't even available.

Well ... How about you post a link to the tutorial you were following?

More importantly ... Why on earth would you choose a something as complicated as a network install for your first installation of GNU/Linux?
.

[mickgriddle]

Because I tried the natural full install and it didn't include xorg, maybe I did something wrong which I think is understandable as it's my first time. Anyways, the network install worked so I don't see any problem here. I'm sorry for this dilemma I caused.

[Bro.Tiag]

Posting tuts and saying there you go isn't good help, ask for a more detailed question and I will happily give you one.

It is a perfectly good way of offering help and well withing the framwork of Forum guidelines. Also, had you read, What we expect you have already Done you would understand your responsibility as a new poster here.