Getting frustrated with Ubuntu....

[Sam Tygier]

Lee H. wrote:
> Although I have been a Windows user since I bought my first computer in
> 1999, I have made several attempts to work with various distros of Linux
> over the years, all ending in complete frustration.  This summer I
> discovered Ubuntu 5.04 and got further than I had ever before but, once
> again, ran into problems with hardware as well as with multi-booting
> different versions of Windows with Ubuntu and had to give up.  I have
> now assembled (sort of!) a bunch of leftovers into a computer I can
> dedicate to Ubuntu.

it is good way to learn linux, by putting it on a second computer.
 
> Wanting a fairly light, uncluttered system and wanting to learn as I go,
> I installed 5.10 as a server.  I wanted a relatively simple GUI so I
> randomly picked Iceworm and installed it.  Pleased with the results, I
> tried to install Opera (my browser of choice!).  I used Lynx to try to
> download Opera but I never got the option to save it--all I got was a
> screen full of gibberish.  I downloaded it with my Windows box, burned
> it to a CD and installed it from the CD using the instructions found on
> the Ubuntu Wiki and I was ecstatic when everything worked as it should.
> Thank you!
> 
> I then, just for comparison purposes, installed Afterstep and Fluxbox.
> Fluxbox takes much, much longer to load but is the only one that picked
> up on the fact that Opera was installed.

programs only get added to menus if the person who packaged them went to 
the effort of including menu files. and it used to be that this would 
need to be done for each desktop seperately. now the big desktops and 
windowmanagers use the freedesktop.org spec, but not all packages work 
with this yet. sometimes you'll need to add it to the menu yourself.

> At this point I felt I was stalling out--I was happy with what I had
> done so far but I was still a little lost about installing other
> software and, as yet, I had no sound, which didn't really bother me at
> that point.  
> 
> So, wanting something I was more familiar with, I installed Gnome.  Big
> mistake!  I didn't notice that installing Gnome would automatically
> install Firefox, Games, Gimp, Abiword and piles of other stuff I either
> didn't want at all or wanted to install manually, one at a time, as a
> learning experience.  I can only start Opera from a terminal.  Not only
> that, but now I've lost the ability to just boot to the command line.
> I've tried changing the runlevel in /etc/initab but I can only get to
> the command line as root.  Whatever else it's set at, X starts.
> Ctrl-Alt-Backspace shuts down X for a second but it immediately starts
> up again.  If I try to remove Firefox, etc. using Synaptic, it wants to
> remove Gnome and everything else at the same time.  The only refresh
> rate available to me with Gnome is 61, which makes it very hard on the
> eyes compared to Afterstep and the other GUIs.

how did you install gnome? it looks like you installed the ubunut-desktop
package. this is a metapackage. it just make sure that a list of packages
get installed, in this case all the default ubunut applications and gnome.
if you remove ubuntu desktop then you can remove things like firefox.

the x server gets started by gdm at boot. there are instructions to stop
this happening here http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php
 
> On the plus side, I now have sound!  :)

ubuntu-desktop probably installed and configured a sound server
 
> Now, having proven that I know just enough about Linux to be dangerous
> to myself, I have a few questions.  Apologies in advance if I'm missing
> something obvious or using the wrong terminology.  Please keep it
> simple!  I'm still a Newbie with years of Windows-centric thinking to
> overcome.  I've read many instructions on the Web, but after a couple of
> minutes of reading my eyes tend to glaze over and my brain stops.  I
> learn by doing, and it's only after I've done something once or twice
> that I begin to understand what the instructions are telling me.

coming to linux with lots of windows knowledge is very difficult. you
can probably make windows do what ever you want it to do, and its very
frustrating that you can't do the same with linux. also changing from being
a guru to a newbie is intimidating (though you are past the newbie stage).

have a read of this post http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=58017
it basically tries to explain to why windows user might get cross with linux
and give up. hopefully your made of stronger stuff. (dont think that i am
calling you a troll, i don't mean that at all)
 
> 1.  When downloading software from various sources, where is the default
> place I'm supposed to download it to?

do you downloading .debs, or .tar.gz (source packages). there is not really
anywhere special you should download them to. dpkg, or the installer script
will put all the program files in the right place.

you are better off using apt-get or synaptic to install things.
 
> 2.  Is it possible to install just the GUI part of Gnome without all the
> excess baggage it brings with it?

yes see above
 
> 3a.  How do I change the refresh rate so I can use Gnome?  The other
> GUIs I've tried are watchable with no flickering.  Why is Gnome
> different?  3b.  What part of the Gnome installation made my soundcard
> work?  

this is odd, i dont think it should happen.
 
> 4.  At some time, I do want to attempt to compile a Kernel suited to my
> machine.  I've found the instructions on the Wiki and they look good.
> Are there any "Gotchas" or things I should look out for?

this is quite an advanced thing to do. it is quite possible to build a
kernel that misses out a driver that you need to boot. if you follow some
instructions carefully then you should be ok
 
> 5.  I have, for years, used Forté Agent as my Mail/News program, running
> it through Hamster Classic for its multi-server capability.  What Linux
> program most closely resembles Agent in usage?  I would prefer the
> simplicity of having one program for email and newsgroups (with
> multi-server capability) but I could adapt to something else if I had
> to.  :)

i use thunderbird, but i imagine thats not what you want.
 
> 6.  Under Windows, you have to install chipset drivers from VIA.  Is
> there something similiar under Linux or is this not necessary?

windows comes with very few drivers built in, so you get in the habbit of
having to download and install them. most linux drivers are built into the
kernel or appropriate layer. i dont know about this particular example.

> I think that'll do for now!  Thanks for your patience!

thanks for your patience. good luck and have fun.
 
> Relevant hardware:
> 
> Gigabyte 7ZM motherboard with an Athlon 1.2 (200 FSB) which the board is
> "supposed" to recognize but doesn't--I can only get about 950 wherever I
> set the dip switches.
> 
> On-board sound -- AC97
> 
> ATI 7200 video card with Viewsonic Q71 monitor
> 
> 
> Lee H. in beautiful Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada!

		
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