Total n00b to Linux, I require assistance

[oOarthurOo]

Where you probably went wrong is not checking the box during install that says "standard", "laptop", and "desktop". Just FYI for future installs.

[mickgriddle]

The questions I had were far too specific and I needed help from an experienced user, not a link to a tutorial. I believe I fulfilled my role as a new poster in this forum. Thank you to the people who helped me.

[mickgriddle]

Where you probably went wrong is not checking the box during install that says "standard", "laptop", and "desktop". Just FYI for future installs.

I do not remember encountering boxes like that, must have passed them up.

[Soul Singin']

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.

You got it backwards. The full install provides Xorg. The network install does not.

Anyway ... Do you have normal user account yet? Are you able to use a desktop as normal user?

Also ... Run the following commands and post the output here:

Code: Select all

whoami
ls -la /home/
awk -F ":" {'if ($3 >= 1000) print'} /etc/passwd
grep $USER /etc/group

.

[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.

You got it backwards. The full install provides Xorg. The network install does not.

Anyway ... Do you have normal user account yet? Are you able to use a desktop as normal user?

Also ... Run the following commands and post the output here:

Code: Select all

whoami
ls -la /home/
awk -F ":" {'if ($3 >= 1000) print'} /etc/passwd
grep $USER /etc/group

.

Right, but with the netinstaller, I had access to the xorg, through the ftp. Anyways, Yes, I do have the user account. And can use the desktop as normal user, I'll tell you what happens.

[Soul Singin']

Right, but with the netinstaller, I had access to the xorg, through the ftp. Anyways, Yes, I do have the user account. And can use the desktop as normal user, I'll tell you what happens.

Well, that's good news.
.

[mickgriddle]

Why do you need the output? I'd rather not type all this.

[Soul Singin']

Why do you need the output? I'd rather not type all this.

I'm just trying to figure out what you did while trying to set up a user account (and see if anything looks particularly odd).

Could you run those commands and then copy and paste the output?
.

[Bro.Tiag]

The questions I had were far too specific and I needed help from an experienced user, not a link to a tutorial. I believe I fulfilled my role as a new poster in this forum. Thank you to the people who helped me.

Lets see, from your first post;

Alright, I got an iBook g3 dual usb from the tech department at my school for free and I absolutely hate mac os, so I wanted to try linux, I am a total n00b to linux, anyways, I installed debian, and am going through the command terminal and I have no desktop or anything, I can log into the command terminal but I have no idea where to go from there to start! Point to anything, a tut or a post that could help me please!

Which I did.

Not even a tenth of the way into oswaldkelso's post are a detailed set of instructions for adding a desktop environment.

NOTE: if all goes well you'll have a hash sign like this # at the prompt point. This shows that you are logged in as root with super user privileges. A tilda sign like this ~ shows you are logged in as a normal user

WE ARE NOW READY TO TO INSTALL THE GRAPHICAL ENVIRONMENT UTILITIES AND APPLICATIONS

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INSTALLATION:NOTES.


NOTE: UTILITIES
xorg is the application that sets up the graphical environment. Called the X Window System or just X.

xarchiver is a file compressor and extractor. Think of it like this, you have a folding bike, you fold it up and takes up less space, even though it's all there. But you cant ride it. (run it in computer terms). Extracting it is like unfolding the bike, it's takes up more space but you can ride it!. This is great for moving files over the internet and if you have limited space on your computer.

rox-filer is fast and powerful graphical file manager for the X Window System. You can use it as a small and fast filer manager within your current desktop...

synaptic is a graphical package management program for apt. It provides the same features as the apt-get command line utility with a GUI front-end based on Gtk+.

blackbox is the fast, lightweight window manager for the X Window System.

menu is a program that creates a list of the applications on your system, it then creates a menu that will show up in your window manager. (blackbox in this case)

conky is a utility that can display information about your system. lots of data, from the date to system load and space, memory, network etc.

gdm (the GNOME Display Manager) provides an alternate display manager for the X Window System. It gives you a nice graphical login.

alsa-base and alsa-utils are for setting up sound.

java (I dont have a clue what java is some programming language I think. Some web pages ask for it)

apt-spy is a program that finds the debian servers in your location and tests them for speed automatically writing the fastest into your /etc/apt/sources.list. Here is mine.

# sources.list generated by apt-spy v3.1
deb http://ftp.fi.debian.org/debian/ stable main
deb-src http://ftp.fi.debian.org/debian/ stable main
deb http://security.debian.org/ stable/updates main
deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org stable main

Edit:UPDATE: With Lenny becoming "stable" soon (Sept 2008 ish) To keep this how to relevant and not bork your etch install substitute this sources list below for the one above.

# sources.list generated by apt-spy v3.1
deb http://ftp.fi.debian.org/debian/ etch main
deb-src http://ftp.fi.debian.org/debian/ etch main
deb http://security.debian.org/ etch/updates main
deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org etch main

NOTE: You need to be setup for your location I mistakenly put Europe instead of west/western Europe and it took 45 min to search all the sources. In a terminal type "man apt-spy" for instructions

tilda and eterm are terminal emulators. Programs that emulate a terminal in a graphical way when running X.

ivman is a program that can easily mount devices. usb flash sticks, cds, dvds, etc.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


To install enter.

CODE:

# apt-get install xorg xarchiver rox-filer synaptic blackbox bbrun blackbox-themes bbkeys menu gdm conky alsa-base alsa-utils apt-spy tilda eterm ivman java-common java-gcj-compat java-gcj-compat-plugin

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To setup the X Window System.

CODE:

# dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

NOTE: here are my settings for the UK. Yours will differ depending on your location.

Try again.

[Soul Singin']

For what it's worth ... Here's mine:

Code: Select all

$ whoami
XXXX
$ 
$ ls -la /home/
total 40
drwxr-xr-x   5 root  root   4096 2009-01-22 00:16 .
drwxr-xr-x  20 root  root   4096 2009-12-20 03:29 ..
drwxr-xr-x 118 XXXX  XXXX  12288 2010-01-31 21:39 XXXX
drwxr-xr-x  71 guest guest  4096 2010-01-18 20:12 guest
drwx------   2 root  root  16384 2008-09-06 22:37 lost+found
$ 
$ awk -F ":" {'if ($3 >= 1000) print'} /etc/passwd 
nobody:x:65534:65534:nobody:/nonexistent:/bin/sh
XXXX:x:1000:1000:XXXX XXXXXX:/home/XXXX:/bin/bash
guest:x:1001:1001:Guest:/home/guest:/bin/bash
$ 
$ grep $USER /etc/group 
dialout:x:20:XXXX,guest
cdrom:x:24:XXXX,guest
floppy:x:25:XXXX,guest
audio:x:29:XXXX,guest
video:x:44:XXXX,guest
plugdev:x:46:XXXX,guest
netdev:x:108:XXXX,guest
XXXX:x:1000:
powerdev:x:111:XXXX,guest
kqemu:x:116:XXXX
guest:x:1001:XXXX 

Full disclosure: I use "XXXX" to conceal my (four-letter) first name.
.

[mickgriddle]

Bro.Tiag, how many times do I have to say # apt-get install xorg DID NOT WORK!!! Alright? Understand?

ANyways.... No I can't copy paste, as my ibook is not what I'm right now. I'm posting from my windows desktop.

[mickgriddle]

For what it's worth ... Here's mine:

Code: Select all

$ whoami
XXXX
$ 
$ ls -la /home/
total 40
drwxr-xr-x   5 root  root   4096 2009-01-22 00:16 .
drwxr-xr-x  20 root  root   4096 2009-12-20 03:29 ..
drwxr-xr-x 118 XXXX  XXXX  12288 2010-01-31 21:39 XXXX
drwxr-xr-x  71 guest guest  4096 2010-01-18 20:12 guest
drwx------   2 root  root  16384 2008-09-06 22:37 lost+found
$ 
$ awk -F ":" {'if ($3 >= 1000) print'} /etc/passwd 
nobody:x:65534:65534:nobody:/nonexistent:/bin/sh
XXXX:x:1000:1000:XXXX XXXXXX:/home/XXXX:/bin/bash
guest:x:1001:1001:Guest:/home/guest:/bin/bash
$ 
$ grep $USER /etc/group 
dialout:x:20:XXXX,guest
cdrom:x:24:XXXX,guest
floppy:x:25:XXXX,guest
audio:x:29:XXXX,guest
video:x:44:XXXX,guest
plugdev:x:46:XXXX,guest
netdev:x:108:XXXX,guest
XXXX:x:1000:
powerdev:x:111:XXXX,guest
kqemu:x:116:XXXX
guest:x:1001:XXXX 

Full disclosure: I use "XXXX" to conceal my (four-letter) first name.
.

I'll go ahead and compare to mine.

[Soul Singin']

Bro.Tiag, how many times do I have to say # apt-get install xorg DID NOT WORK!!! Alright? Understand?

Calmly now ...If apt-get install <packagename> is not working, you have a big problem on your hands.

Work your way through Appendix B -- The Basics of Package Management and let us know where you encounter trouble.
.

[mickgriddle]

Bro.Tiag, how many times do I have to say # apt-get install xorg DID NOT WORK!!! Alright? Understand?

Calmly now ...If apt-get install <packagename> is not working, you have a big problem on your hands.

Work your way through Appendix B -- The Basics of Package Management and let us know where you encounter trouble.
.

Would have been much better had you said that in the first place...

[oOarthurOo]

If you're still having problems it only takes about 20 minutes to do a clean install. The problems you describe sound like the install went badly, and although it is not overly difficult to fix these things, as you appear to be doing, you might find things go more smoothly for you if you retry the install then create new threads to address any issues you are experiencing.

I find having one thread per problem keeps people focussed and on topic. E.g., if you get xorg working then find that you can't connect to the internet (just an example, not saying it applies), then say thanks for the help, change the thread title to solved and start a new one regarding the internet connection issue.

Best,
Arthur

[jheaton5]

Would have been much better had you said that in the first place...

Would be much better if you cut the snotty attitude.

[Bro.Tiag]

Would have been much better had you said that in the first place...

Would be much better if you cut the snotty attitude.

True enough. Had he had read the links Soul Singin' & I offered on the first page he'd been sorted out much earlier.

[nadir]

btw: searching for links (say in my Bookmarks), check if its the right ones and copy/paste them and preview them to check if they are sane is way more work than writing it on my own. + they are a)of higher quality and b) usually they contain other links, so in the long run its the better solution. not sure why you didn't appreciate that help you have been given...but you should.

is there still a probem?
if yes which one exactly?
i for one don't need that long for a six-pack...(well: i don't read while i enjoy them)

[jheaton5]

btw: searching for links (say in my Bookmarks), check if its the right ones and copy/paste them and preview them to check if they are sane is way more work than writing it on my own. + they are a)of higher quality and b) usually they contain other links, so in the long run its the better solution. not sure why you didn't appreciate that help you have been given...but you should.

is there still a probem?
if yes which one exactly?
i for one don't need that long for a six-pack...(well: i don't read while i enjoy them)

Sounds like you've had too many six-packs already.

[walkad]

Have struggled with same problem as mickgriddle.
Many thanks to Soul Singin' for very helpful steps.
Got as far as adding 'testuser'
Then tried to delete my usual 'XXXXXX' user account which was not letting me login.
But 'sudo deluser XXXXXX' got the reply: 'testuser does not have permissions. See administrator'
Checked with 'grep $USER /etc/group' and found that 'testuser' and 'XXXXXX' had the same permissions.
Am now stumped!
Did not want to do fresh install of Lenny as current install has all updates and mail files, etc.
But will re-install if all else fails.

Thanks again for very comprehensive support and seemingly inexhaustible patience.

Regards

PS Thanks to Bro Tiag for introducing me to apt-spy, ivman, conky and blackbox. Although I've been fiddling with Linux for almost 6 years, there's still lots to learn.