DragonMage

Well, it is a cooker kernel after all.. Looking at the cooker mailing list archives, it seems that there are a few patches out for that particular kernel, even though they are not incorporated in the current kernel yet as the date of the file is still Dec 9. So there is probably nothing wrong with your machine, just the cooker mandrake kernel is not patched perfectly yet. Incidentally, I run the same kernel and find some quirks in there too. Something about ldm_validate_partition_table(): Disk read failed. I/O error: dev 08:00, sector 0 but since everything works fine, I don't worry about it <knock on wood>

Ok I installed it over my kde 3.1 RC5. Seems stable enough.. I need to recopy all my screensavers desktop files from /usr/share/applnk/System/ScreenSavers/ to /usr/share/applnk-mdk/.hidden/ScreenSavers/ and ~/.kde/share/applnk-mdk/.hidden/ScreenSavers/ to regain my lost screensaver listing. Everything is still antialiased, the quirk in the konqueror file manager about the list mode still acts as links instead of icons (making it hard to select multiple files / directories in list mode) still in there, white mouse cursor works, I don't have to rebuild my .kde directory since the old one from rc5 still works fine, etc etc etc.. Anyway, I installed the texstar version.. YMMV.

How bout installing the flash rpms from texstar place? Depending on your mozilla version.. this is the the rpm. For mozilla 1.1 from mandrake http://ftp.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/distribut...3-1tex.i586.rpm

I'm not sure 5 years from now the pc will be similar to the pc we have nowadays.. I mean.. I think I am going to go XPC route (you know.. the pc the size of two toasters) instead of the regular middletower route.

I prefer to have a gkrellm plugin to folding@home anyway.. I just dislike opening a console just to run the client.

Well, the best way to upgrade some apps is to add texstar's place in your urpmi database. All you have to do is type this in console as root urpmi.addmedia texstar ftp://ftp.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/distribut...ndrake/9.0/rpms with hdlist.cz (all that in one line). Then open your rpmdrake (software installation) and choose the programs you want to install, or just urpmi it. Of course, you could always go cooker, but it's not recommended since it is development branch and it could be unstable.

I have, I think the functionality is about the same as urpmi / rpmdrake. Synaptic wins in telling which is the dependencies needed or clashed, but a bit too rigid (for example when I tried installing the new k3b which clashed with arson). Urpmi / rpmdrake wins in telling which files are installed in the rpm with bigger hdlist. Anyway, I only use synaptic since texstar hosed his mandrake, losing his gpg keys and he doesn't want to rebuild and re-signs all his rpms so he goes exclusively synaptic. Since texstar is the only synaptic mirror I know, rpmdrake is still the main rpm installer for me. Oh.. the thing I like / dislike about synaptic is that all the rpms are downloaded and kept in /var/cache/apt/archives directory, including the old ones or previous versions, which is okay for me since I have about 17 gigs free in my / directory, but if some people have a smaller hard disk or partition, it could make people nervous about how their hard drive space just shrink so quickly if they don't know about this trick.

I don't think mandrake does kde 3.0.5a since most of the developers concentrate on 3.1 instead but there is 3.0.5 rpms if you scour the mandrake development mirrors site in the unsupported directory. Here is an example http://jungle.metalab.unc.edu/pub/Linux/di....0.5/RPMS/i586/ And since KDE is pretty much standalone (instead of patch style), you can install 3.0.5 directly just by removing the old 3.0.3 and install 3.0.5 or rpm -Uvh the suckers :) Heck, I did my kde 3.1 RC5 upgrade the same way (although I have to delete my ~/.kde and ~/.kde-2 directory so that 3.1 rebuild them, seems the old 3.0.x series has some configuration conflicts with 3.1.x)

The noarch files are rpms that are compiled without any specific machine or architecture (such as i386, i586, athlon, etc). From the list, it consists of the language file (for example, if you want an English language kde you should install kde-i18n-en_GB-3.1-0.rc5.1mdk.noarch.rpm). Also you should install the last two files on the list which is kde-servicemenu and mandrake-mime.

Finally, Mandrake eXperience is back.. there are too many good tutorials in there for the site to be lost forever. BTW, nice design.. if a bit dark :)

Well.. it may be elegant for upgraders or experimenters, but not for "Just want to work" kind of folk which Mandrake is a bit geared toward. I mean.. how many people have frustrations of not getting their mp3 fix in RedHat until they realize they need to download the mp3 plugin for xmms (not from RedHat either but from some other place). Besides.. isn't alsa is supposed to be compiled to the kernel? So how do they make the alsa rpms separate from the kernel without doing something ala nvidia driver?

Hmm.. I have no problems whatsoever with KDE 3.1 RC5. Where did you get the rpms? Did you delete the .kde and .kde-2 directories before running it? Anyway, I guess to uninstall kde 3.1, if you use rpms you can just urpme the kde* , lisa* and arts* and libarts* rpms. It's a lot safer, I think, if you can enter a different gui like gnome and use the mandrake control panel to uninstall the rpms. Anyway, this is one of the links I found for kde 3.0.5 rpms.. note that this is not the newer 3.0.5a rpms.. I guess mandrake doesn't make them. http://jungle.metalab.unc.edu/pub/Linux/di....0.5/RPMS/i586/ Hope it helps.

Take a look at this system. It's somewhat similar to the infamous Walmart $199 PC I think. http://www.softwareandstuff.com/h_dsk_sc70...0700mhzsys.html Anyway, what do you think of the compatibility of this type of system with linux (specifically mandrake 9.0) I think someone can use this type of server as a file server or something, or an internet terminal. All it needs is just an ethernet card (cheap at about 10 bux each, heck.. I have a few lying around unused).

The best DSL modems for me is any external and ethernet based dsl modems since USB support in linux is a bit iffy (it seems that alcatel speedtouch USB support is really sporadic.. some people can run it out of the box no problem while others need something like recompiling kernel and such). And I don't know any internal DSL modem that works in linux. I tried 2 ethernet based dsl modems already (Zyxel prestige 600 series and Speedstream series) and both of them works with mandrake with its built in pppoe software.

How do you measure response time? It seems fast enough for me. (Then again.. As long as everything loads under 15 seconds, I consider it fast).

Hmm.. I actually have no problem in selecting those fonts.. Then again I added my truetype fonts manually instead of using drakfont (from the tutorial at the old docs section). Drakfont just doesn't like to import my fonts automatically from my win2k ntfs partition.

Why don't you uninstall all the xine stuffs by using rpmdrake-remove or urpme. I had to do that to install the newest xine stuffs..

Ok.. this is what I installed in order to play dvds on Xine. Let's just do a comparison. [dmage@spitfire dmage]$ rpm -qa |grep xine xine-dvdnav-1-0.beta0.1plf xine_dmd_plugin-1.0.7-1plf libxine1-docs-1-0.beta0.1plf xine-d5d-0.2.7-2plf xine-alsa-1-0.beta0.1plf xine-plugins-1-0.beta0.1plf xine-ui-0.9.15-2mdk xine-ui-aa-0.9.15-2mdk libxine1-1-0.beta0.1plf libxine0-0.9.13-8plf xine-win32-1-0.beta0.1plf xine-esd-1-0.beta0.1plf xine-dxr3-1-0.beta0.1plf xinetd-2.3.7-3mdk xine-aa-1-0.beta0.1plf libxine1-devel-1-0.beta0.1plf xine-arts-1-0.beta0.1plf xine-faad-1-0.beta0.1plf xine_d4d_plugin-0.3.2-2plf [dmage@spitfire dmage]$ rpm -qa |grep dvd libdvdnav1-devel-0.1.3-1mdk xine-dvdnav-1-0.beta0.1plf libdvdcss2-1.2.4-1plf libdvdcss2-devel-1.2.4-1plf libdvdread2-0.9.3-3mdk libdvdread-utils-0.9.3-3mdk libdvdnav1-0.1.3-1mdk libdvdread2-devel-0.9.3-3mdk Try installing all those programs from plf. The error message you see is the result that xine cannot decode the dvd due to the encryption. So your /dev/dvd symlink is ok..

I think there is an option in the mandrake control center, boot, boot config about that. Try it out. You may need to change the lilo configuration using the mandrake control center and press ok just to see the bootsplash config to come out though.

I found out that I have to update my xine to the latest version available in plf (1.0 beta) and plugins in order to play my Fantasia 2000 dvd. Even then it sometimes crashes. I also have to make sure that I have a /dev/dvd symlink to /dev/scd1 (which is my dvdrom). Try it out.. maybe it works.

Hmmm.. how bout kstars. It is included in the KDE packages (I think it is in the kdeedu rpm, at least it is in my KDE 3.1 RC5). It looks cool enough for me, although I don't think nebulas are included, but it sure shows stars, constellations, and planets.

NWN.. I remember that someone who has a similar computer to mine (athlon 900) with the notable difference between I have more memory and he has a GF3 while I only have a GF2MX (I forgot who it is though). He claimed that NWN run in wine faster than windows, while I receive the old seconds per frame problem.

Just because the audio cd works in Windows XP or other OS, doesn't mean it works in linux. Most linux cd players require the audio cd cable (the small thin cable) to be connected from the cdrom to the audio card. However, there is a way to play CD digitally (without the use of the audio cd cable). It used to be located at dolson's site, but since it seems to be down right now.. lemme just try to rebuild it from my own memory. 1. find and install the xmms-cdread rpm for mandrake version that you use. If it is not in the cd, just use http://www.rpmfind.net to find it. 2. Open xmms, go to preferences (ctrl - p) then pick the audio i/o folder. 3. Select the CD Audio Player (libcdaudio.so) and uncheck the enable plugin checkmark. 4. Select the AudioCDReader (libcdread.so) and check the enable plugin checkmark. Then press configure, the new window will come out and choose the output folder, then select the Read Digital CD Audio. Press ok to close the window and then press ok again to close the preferences window. 5. To play cd, go to the play list then select add url (hold on to the Add button to select the add url. A window will come out then enter this words /dev/cdrom press ok then if everything works out right, the cd listing will come out and you can play your cd digitally. Hope it works.

I actually agreed with Gregor. If you have the connection or the place to buy the cheap cds from, it's better just to download or buy the GPL cds and give the money to mandrakeclub. That way, mandrake actually receive most of the money instead of the outside publisher.

It works.. but really really slowly unless you are using a GF3 or above.. I tried it before.. and I prefer the native port thankyewverymuch :)