Hi,

I have been requesting info in another post and my original problem was solved, but halfway through I mentioned a few other points and thought they may have gotten lost, so I thought I´d chance another post.

1. I appear to have some configuration problems :
a. I was told to open the Mandrake Control Center and from there Software Management icon - this doesn´t exist.
b. I was told to open Menu -> System -> Configuration -> Packaging -> Software Sources Manager - same
c. On the Welcome to Mandrake dialog, when I click Configuration Tools, I get the following error message - ¨Unable to run the command specified. The file or folder file:/usr/share/applnk-mdk/System/Configuration/Configure your computer.desktop does not exist.¨ When I use Nautilus sure as eggs - not there, where´d it go?
d. I´m told I can enter these at the command prompt : /usr/bin/MandrakeUpdate, /usr/bin/drakrpm, /usr/bin/drakrpm-edit-media, /usr/bin/drakrpm-remove, /usr/bin/drakrpm-update, usr/bin/edit-urpm-sources.pl, /usr/bin/gurpmi.addmedia, /usr/bin/rpmdrake, /usr/bin/rpmdrake-remove. I haven´t been able to use any of these since installation.

I know I have´t manually removed anything so I don´t know why...

2. Why do I have to press ´ and ¨ twice whenever I try typing text?

3. Is there a listing anywhere of the packages that come with Mandrake and what the packages are for?

Is/are there a package/packages that can be updated to fix this stuff? I don´t to do a full reinstall, because it took over a week to get Cable Internet connection, and in the end a friend had to come help, and he didn´t really know what of the combination of things he did ended up fixing it - he was here for a couple of hours only looking at the fix.

I am using Mandrake 10 Official (having upgraded from CE.)

Thanks

A few tips:

d: It's not neccesary to give the complete path to start an application. In a console (or run window) just type the name of the application for it to start. It isn't even neccesary to type the whole name of the application, just the first few letters and then hit <Tab>.

For installing programs Mandrake uses urpmi. In a console, log in as root (only root can install programs) type urpmi <name of package you want to install (if it's an rpm you have downloaded, type the first few letters and <Tab> Linux makes things so easy ) and then <enter>.

For updating Mandrake uses urpmi.update. Add the source 'update' to your urpmi repositories (use http://urpmi.org/easyurpmi/index.php this website to help you) After you have done that, go to a console, type urpmi.update -a (just to be sure) . To install the new programs use urpmi --auto-select.

For all possible options you can always use -help (urpmi -help, urpmi.update -help, xxx -help, you get the idea)

Good luck

Thanks devries, but you missed the point of my post. I know the most basic of basics, like the ones you pointed out (except for the "Tab" thing.)

The info I'm really after is why all that stuff seems to be missing from a reasonably standard installation. I've run those listed with and without full path. Tried navigating using Nautilis etc.

I just can't work out why this certain stuff is missing either as myself logged in or logged in as root.

More complicated stuff like CD burning, works fine after just a little config.

I'm sorry, that problem with the SSM and stuff has got me beat. All I can think of is either re-installing (which is not really an option) or just using the CLI and urpmi, as devries suggested.

Just a guess, but your keyboard isn't set up for French or something like that, is it? If you type ` then e, do you get è (e grave)? In that case, you'll have to change your keyboard layout to US. If you're using KDE, go to Menu > Configuration > KDE > International (I think that's what it's called - I'm at uni now, so I can't check), and there should be a section there on keyboard layout and stuff. From memory, there are two US settings, International and something else, and you want the 'something else' one.

You can find a listing of the packages in Mandrake 10OE Powerpack here. If you're using the Discovery version, just follow the Packages link on the bottom left.

Hope this helps a bit

I was just looking at the list of packages in that link above, and I found there's an rpmdrake package. Do you know if you have it installed? If you don't, that might explain why you don't have the SSM and stuff. Type 'rpm -qa | grep rpmdrake' and post what comes up.

At first, nothing, but then I used urpmi to add it and now I get:


Also Package Manager is there now. C´mooooooooooooooooon!!!!!!!!

The keyboard config hasn´t appeared to work though.

Any more ideas? It´s a bit of a pain to have to hit ´ and ¨ twice in order to get them to appear.

1) What people are trying to explain is the difference between software being missing and the menu item to start it being missing.

The tab thing is more important than just saving typing... if it works it means the file is there and you spelled it correctly.
you wouldnt beleive the number of times people have said thjey did x,y,z and it turned out they misspelled something!

2) what keyboard are you using....???


3) It sounds like your drake stuff was messed and that was leading you in circles... updating it should fix it then the missing MCC stuff should be visible....
what version of MDK is it ??

4) We should sort your cable.... otherwise youll be forever scared of loosing it....

Thanks for the input Gowator,

1. It was definitely missing - now that I have my Software Manager back, I have gone through and selected all the packages I want to be on my machine and it seemed to me (with my little knowledge) that some pretty standard stuff was missing.

2. I´m using a Microsoft Multimedia keyboard the ones with all those non-standard buttons at the top like ¨My Documents¨ ¨Play/Pause¨ ¨ff/rw¨ ¨Media¨ ¨Home¨ ¨Messenger¨ etc. It is set up as a ¨Generic 104 key¨ keyboard.

3. I installed Mandrake 10 as Community Version and then upgraded to Official. I have a sneaking suspicion that the upgrading may have screwed with the original install a bit more than it should have, but not really knowing enough I couldn´t tell really.

4. Cable was a nightmare. I spent over a week trying to get it going myself, then a workmate who has been using Linux for years dropped around and played with settings (including BIOS changes) and after about an hour or so finally got it working, but wasn´t sure what triggered the success. It just seemed that after one re-boot everything that had been done previously had fixed everything nicely! The gut feeling is that there was ¨something¨ in the BIOS that wasn´t set to Linux´s liking and it´s set now, so a re-install should be easily configured using the tools I was trying to use all along but...