jesthenewbie

I am quite new to Linux, I have Windws XP Pro on one HDD in my PC and have installed Mandriva Free 2006 to the other HDD and want to get it to do the things that I have Windows doing. I want to play mp3 files in Mandriva. I have put Ragdoll.mp3 in /home/ and think that I have XMMS installed. When I try to play the file, I get an error message: Is there a way to access my mp3 folder in that is in Windows from Mandriva?

When using Windows (I still have XP Pro in dual boot) I was able to telnet to my ISPs mail server and manually retrieve my email. I have read that the Linux telnet program is better than the Windows one but I can't get to the mail server from Linux. From Windows: I have no problems. From Linux: and then it wont accept more. I am wondering if there is something wrong with the commands that I am using.

I can right-click on the icon and chose open with but there is no option for other. It opens /home/jesse and there is nothing there that will accept sh.

I can right-click on the icon and open with but there is no option for other. It takes me to /home and there is nothing that will accept sh.

Admittedly, I am having trouble just installing the Java that I will need for Limewire. I think that I have downloaded the proper file (java_ee_sdk-5-linux.bin). I have a strong urge to double-click the icon but something tells me that this is the wrong thing to do here.

I am trying to get everything (more or less) working in Mandriva that I have in Windows (dual boot). I have downloaded a rpm. file for Limewire. I see that I can just click on it and tell it to install like I do in Windows but then it tells me that some packages cannot be installed. Have you ever seen Limewire working on Linux?

I used RPM Drake like you mentioned. That got it done. What if it had been a program that wasn't in this list like some program that Joe Blow wrote and posted on his personal site? Would I have to compile it then?

Thanks. Linux is confusing to me, I have been running Windows all of my life. Are you saying that I can download something pre-compiled from the Mozilla site and then I can install and run it just like I do in Windows?

I have been reading some Internet sites about installing programs to Mandriva. I want to instally Thunderbird. I understand that compiling the source code is the best way. What I have not been able to find is how to get the source code for Thunderbird. I think that I need to find and rpm file. Is that right?

I have heard a little about KDE and GNOME. Are they just graphical desktops that can by attached to any Linux distro?