chris z

again, not using 10.1, but you need to add the update source. just click on "updates" & if it's the first time you're getting updates, a dialogue box will guide you through selecting an update mirror, automatically add the update mirror, then search for the updates & allow you to install them. if you pick a mirror & it says it can't connect, use the media manager to remove the update source, then click add->update source & choose another mirror. you can also get update sources via Easy URPMI. it's always advisable to get any available updates before you start installing various things, because there may be updates to the packages you are installing, especially with a new release.

if those methods still don't give you an update source, then you'll have to wait for somebody using 10.1 to help you. it may be a bug that i'm not aware of.

Chris

i don't use 10.1, but if it works the same as previous versions of Mandrake, to add the CD sources..........

open Mandrake Control Center->software management->media. click "add", choose the "removable media" option, insert CD1 (mount it if neccessary), browse to the /mnt/cdrom directory where the CD is located, click "ok" -> " name it then click "add". don't worry about the hdlist........... leave that blank. it will build the list automatically. when it's done, remove the CD (unmount first, if neccessary) & repeat the procedure for each additional CD.

note: if you have a fast internet connection, you don't even need the CD sources. you can go to Easy URPMI, set up a "main" & "contrib" source & you'll get anything that's on the CD's that way. also, you should set up a "plf" source for lots of extra goodies.

Chris

my take on partimage (& other back up type apps) versus methods mentioned above are this.......

due to the nature of Linux systems, the amount of apps you get for free with the discs, & the fact that all personal settings are kept safely in /home, a commercial back up app is not as much a neccessity as it is for a Windows install.

with Windows, if you hose your system & have to reinstall, you're going to also have to reinstall everything else you ever installed. all add-on (third party) apps, programs, etc., since a Windows install will only give you the stuff on a Windows install disc.............. IE: Windows. you dodn't get any CD burning software, office suite, graphics editor, firewall, mp3 player, games (except for the silly MS games), add on browsers & mail clients, etc., etc. so after a Windows install, you're going to have to go out & (worst case) find all those apps all over again, re-download/re-install them, & set them up. best case, you have all the CD's handy & you can skip the search for & download part & just take the time to reinstall & set up each one.

with Linux, if you just preserve your /home (& /etc is a good idea, too) you can do a complete reinstall in no time, your /home will have all your personal & various app settings in it, you can grab needed config info from /etc, & you're off & running in no time. to get a Windows system back to it's original state can takes days, a Linux system hours.

the only caveat here, & the one benefit of using something like partimage, is it will save your butt if you have a catastrophic hard drive failure, in which case anything you backed up on any partition will likely be lost. but........... the normal /etc directory will easily fit on a CD-R(W), & so will /home without the tons of movies, mp3's, etc. that you might keep on it. so you can burn the crucial info from /home to 1 CD, & save your music, vids, etc. to another CD.

in a nutshell, what partimage (& others like it) will do for you is........

benefits.....give you a sector by sector, complete image of your hardrive in it's current state, so a reinstall of the backup will leave you EXACTLY where you left off & save you should your computer become unbootable & all hard drive data is lost. no need to set up/tweak/reinstall anything. it's all there on the back up.

downside......backups with this method should ideally be done from a bootable backup CD (though they can be done on a live system, but it's not recommended for a PURE backup). the backup will take sevral hours of time to accomplish & several CD's as backup medium. a reinstall will also take several hours. and, no matter what the product claims, it still isn't 100% guaranteed to work (due to user error, bad backup medium, program malfunction, etc.).

there is nothing wrong with partimage, et. al. if that's the backup route you want to go, then by all means do it. it's just that it's not entirely neccessary to use something like that for backups in Linux, IMHO.

Chris

from that list, i'd consider stopping the following if the info doesn't apply to you............

portmap............used for servers, ntfs file systems.

syslogd.............system logger. will keep logs of various system activities/info. can be useful for troubleshooting, but it's not neccessary. if you're system is running fine & don't need to refer to logs for anything, you can get rid of that.

klogd.................same as above, for KDE apps.

atd & crond.......sorta like task scheduler, in windows. used to run various tasks specified by you, at set times. if you don't do that, or don't know how you do that, you can kill those.

xinetd................another server related/scheduling type app. again, if that don't apply, kill it.

by saying "kill", i just don't mean kill the PID number. that will kill the process, but it will start up again upon boot. again, check in Mandrake Control Center->system->services. that will show all running apps & what's set to start at boot. there may be some others there you don't need/want that you can get rid of. use the info buttons there to see what they do. if you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.

Chris

i ran Mandrake on my old AMD K6 333mhz right up to version 9.2. (it's still on there, as a back up system). it ran fine, albeit a bit slow, but Open Office never took 30 seconds to load & i ran KDE full throttle all the time. some other suggestions, in addition to arctic's advice..........

for an OOo speed tweak, open it & try going to tools->options->memory. up the graphics cache & memory per object cache a bit, but not too much, since it will use RAM.

also, for a general speed tweak, go to Mandrake control Center->system->services & turn off any running services that you don't need. logging is a big CPU hog, for one. there are a few others. if you post what services you have running, i could let you know if you need/want them running or not. also, turn them off to start at boot in addition to just stopping them. each one has an "info" button that tells you what it does. if you're not sure, leave it be & post back here.

Chris

open k3b->settings->configure k3b->devices-> look to the right of where it says "cdrdao driver". it will probably say "auto", or whatever. click that & a drop down box will appear. choose one of the generic drivers. click "apply"->"ok". you may have to close & restart k3b, not sure though.

if that don't work then do what Ixthusdan suggested & run the setup. it's in the same place........ settings->k3b setup.

Chris

what type of connection? (adsl, dsl, cable,.....)? i had a similar problem after installing 10.0 with my eth0 & adsl connection. i did the following to correct it. this may work for you, also........

go to /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ & open the ifcfg-eth0 file with a text editor. (you'll need to be root to edit this, so in a terminal as root type konqueror (enter) to open Konqueror file manager in superuser mode) make the contents of the file to read like this............

DEVICE=eth0
onBOOT=yes
WIRELESS_ENC_KEY=""

save it, reboot.

for comparison, here's what it looked like before the edit..........

DEVICE=eth0
BOOTPROTO=dhcp
NETMASK=255.255.255.0
onBOOT=yes
WIRELESS_ENC_KEY=""

notice the boot protocal line somehow was detected as DHCP during the install, which i don't have. i also removed the netmask line because it still wouldn't work with that in there.

just make sure you back up your original ifcfg-eth0 file first, or write down the entries somewhere should this not work & you want to reset it to original.

Chris

maybe i should clarify my statement...........

from my first Nvidia driver install, on, i was under the impression, from what i was told by others & how it's explained in the Nvidia install instructions, that you must exit X, run the Nvidia install script, then edit XF86Config-4 or xorg.conf while X is still killed. is this not so? if not, then i guess i was mislead/read the instructions wrong...........

from the Nvidia "how to"....

[sec 02]

After you have downloaded NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-6111-pkg1.run,

begin installation by exiting X............

[sec 03]

Once you have configured your X config file, you are ready to restart X..............

also, i guess i wasn't clear about this, but after the initial edit of X* config file, you can then do further "option" edits (kill the boot splash, AGP support, etc.) with X running in a normal text editor, then just restart X for those edits to take affect.

regardless, if i was wrong about this, no harm/no foul, it was just my understanding.

Chris

just a guess here, but if you only have contrib & main sources set up it's just not finding anything available to update. if you want to do the --auto-select thing, you need to have sources (IE: Cooker) where there are updated versions of apps.

also, the kernel "would install instead of upgrade........." message is a default message. Mandrake/urpmi won't upgrade a kernel, instead it will install a new one beside your old kernel. it's sort of a failsafe so if the new kernel wouldn't boot for some reason, you still have your old one.

and, the error about not finding hosts was probably due to a site(s) being unavailable at the time. that happens now & then. when it does, either just change your ftp repository source or try again later.

Chris

after you installed the Nvidia drivers, did you then edit XF86Config-4 with VI or VIM before you restarted X? if not, that would be why the settings aren't being saved. you can't edit the XF86 file in a GUI while X is running, it must all be done with X killed. see HERE, post #2, for proper Nvidia install procedure & make sure you did it that way.

Chris

just a comment about the Proax mirrors...........

i use tham all the time. they have never failed me, are always current, always get great speed from them. except............... yesterday, i was having a helluva time with connection speeds to all proax mirrors (contrib, main, cooker, updates). so, the speed you were/are seeing is not normal for a high bandwidth connection. there must be something up with the Proax mirrors at the moment, but i'm sure it will get back to normal in no time. my low speeds were yesterday & i haven't tried the mirrors today, so it may even be back to normal by now. just stick with them & try again later.

Chris

go to bookmarks->manage bookmarks then -> tools->import (or export) in the manage bookmarks screen. if you have a Windows partition you can get IE bookmarks by browsing to the IE bookmarks folder on your Windows partition. if you don't, then you'll have to copy the IE bookmarks file to a floppy or burn it to CD & you can import them that way. for other browsers (Opera, Firefox, Konqueror, etc.) on your Linux partition, it' just a matter of pointing to where the bookmarks are stored. that location will be in your /home/(you)/mozilla, /opera, /firefox, etc., & konqueror is in /.kde/share/apps/konqueror (or something like that).

Chris

my backup method is sorta of the dirty way, but it works just fine for me. this is only good if you have an empty partition with enough space (which i do). you won't need any special tools/apps for this, either.

on a semi regular basis (like every 2 weeks, to once a month, depending on how many changes i've made to things) i just simply copy my /etc, /boot, & /home directories to an empty partition, lock stock & barrel. if you use KDE, you can do this very easily in GUI mode by opening Konqueror as superuser, right click the desired directory, copy, paste. simple as that. you can also do it via the command line with the cp command, should you so desire.

one caveat to this method........... by doing this via this method, all your /home files & directories will be owned by root in the backup (copy) you make. to remedy that you can just right click the backed up directory (again using Konqueror in superuser mode)->properties->permissions & change them all back to the original user. if you want to avoid this, you can back up the directory from command line as a .tar file using the following switches............... tar -cvfPpz /home/chris --directory=/mnt/temp3.

which means i'm saving my /home/chris directory to my /mnt/temp3 partition, creating/preserving permissions & abolute paths, using gzip compression. IE: all permissions will be preserved & you can simply untar the file as is, if needed.

Chris

it looks like the version of kphotobook you're trying to install was built against KDE3.3, which uses QT3.3. try going HERE & download & install the older version kphotobook-0.0.5.tar.gz.

Chris

kphotobook.sourceforge.net gives the hint to add --prefix='KDE-installation-path' which is /opt/kde3, but there is nothing like kde3.

i have never tried to install kphotobook, but i have run into this problem with other KDE apps. the above "hint" tells you to use the KDE installation path switch during install. but........ MDK installs KDE differently than alot of other distros, so the above "/opt/KDE" path will be incorrect. instead, try one of the following...........

--prefix=/usr

if that don't work........

--prefix=/usr/share

or (if that don't work).......

--prefix=/usr/share/apps

Chris

next time it happens, open a terminal, su to root, & type...........

lsof /dev/hdX

replacing X with the letter of your CD drive. you could also do...........

lsof /mnt/cdromX

again, replacing X with the number of the CD drive.

if you get a "command not found" error, as root do............

urpmi lsof

........to install lsof. it's on the MDK install CD's. lsof stands for LiSt Open Files. it's a handy little tool for situations like this. once you know what's using the drive, you can then kill the process. some likely culprits are kscd, partmon, & supermount.

Chris

another way to get superkaramba to start the theme(s) of your own desire...............

you need to be root to do this edit. you can either do this via command line or GUI mode. you need to navigate to the /superkaramba/themes/ directory. in Mandrake, the default path is /usr/share/apps/superkaramba/themes. once there, using a text editor of your choice, or right click->open with method, edit the default.theme file to reflect the path(s) to the theme(s) you want to run at startup. for instance, here's what the contents of that file will look like untouched............

THEME path=tmon/tmon_keramik.theme

that's telling superkaramba to open the default tmon_keramik theme on startup. obviously you don't want that. so, all you need to do is change the path= part to the theme(s) you want to start automatically. you can have as many as you want. you just need to put each one on a seperate line & start each with THEME path= . for instance, here's my default.theme file...........

THEME path=tmon/zmonitor.theme
THEME path=liquid_weather_plus/liquid_weather.theme

that runs my zmonitor & weather themes upon superkaramba start up. (zmonitor is my heavily edited version of the tmon_liquid.theme)

and, if you want themes to start automatically with KDE, you need to symlink the default.theme file in the /.kde/Autostart directory. the easy way to do so is open Konqueror in normal user mode. make sure hidden file view is enabled. (click "view"->check the "show hidden files" box). go to /home/(user)/.kde/Autostart. click "edit"->"create new"->"file"->"link to application". in the dialogue box under the "general" tab give it a name. under the "application" tab name it & give it a desciption (if you like). then, for the command type.........

superkaramba /usr/share/apps/superkaramba/themes/default.theme

(note: you need superkaramba before the path to the theme. that tells superkaramba to run using the theme file in the path you specified)

click "ok". restart KDE & your theme(s) will open.

Chris

see my post #2 in This Thread for Nvidia driver install comments. go to the "HERE" link in my comments for the install instructions.

Chris

do you mean something like THIS?

or, do you just want to add another Kicker bar? if so, i don't think that can be done, though i've never tried it. but, i don't see any options anywhere to do such a thing. you could try making a symlink to kicker in the $/.kde/autostart directory & see what happens.

Chris

look in kontrol center (IE: configure your desktop)->peripherals->mouse. i think the controls for that are in there. if not, then look in look n feel->behaviour, or somewhere in there. (i'm at work & not on Linux right now)

Chris

i'm at work right now so i'm going from memory. but, if you're using KDE, right click the desktop->new->mount point (or something similar) browse to the mount point you want to make a shortcut for, name it, choose an icon, apply. all partitons/removable devices on your computer are stored in the /mnt directory. so, for instance, your windows mount point would be something like........ /mnt/windows (or /mnt/hdc, or whatever it is named). if you're using Gnome (or another DE) i'm sure there is a similar method.

Chris

there is no need to clear out temp files, defrag, scan disk, etc. in Linux (mandrake). temp are stored the following directories /tmp, /home/(you-user)/tmp, /root/tmp. the temp directories in Linux don't fill up eternally like in Windows. they will clear themselves up after a reboot, shutdown/restart. the only directory that can fill up is the /var/log directory if you keep logging turned on. if that's the case & the .log files are getting too large, simply delete them. or, if your system seems to be running fine after a while go to Mandrake Control Center->system->services & turn off logging.

Chris

did you also get the xfree 75 & 100 dpi fonts & the xfree-fs (font server) packages as upgrades? not sure, but it sounds as if you might be missing one/some of those. if that's not the case, you can try uninstalling xfree by exiting X completely (in a terminal as root type init 3 (enter). that will kill X & drop you at command prompt. login & su to root, then do urpme xfree86-(version number). just look at the depends it might want to take with it before you agree to it's removal. it SHOULD only want to take relevant xfree packages, but depending on your install, it might want other things. if the removal is successful, then in terminal as root do urpmi xfree & choose the xfree package you want to install.

Chris

or..........

have you tried adding any of the "NvAGP" "number" options in the "device" section of your XF86Config-4 file. see my above Nvidia install link towards the bottom. available options are 0,1,2,3. try option 3 first........

Option "NvAGP" "3"

Chris

did you follow the proper install method to install the drivers? (exit X, edit XF86Config-4/xorg.conf, etc?). do you have the matching kernel source to your kernel? in terminal as root do urpmi kernel-source-2.6.3-4 (hit enter). have a look HERE at my post #3 for Nvidia install method. there's a few things out of date there, but it will still work. some of those things are........

if you can get to a GUI, there's no need to boot into "failsafe" mode. just open a terminal as root & type init 3 (hit enter). that will kill X & dump you at command prompt.

since a lot of people are now using xorg, if you are substitute xorg.conf for XF86Config-4 for editing purposes.

some people are having trouble with the newest Nvidia driver (the .6111 drivers) & the 2.6 kernel. if you do, first run the Nvidia script like this...... sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-6111-pkg1.run --add-this-kernel. that will build a custom Nvidia installer for your kernel in the same directory. then run the custom installer like thus....... sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-6111-pkg1-custom.run.

if none of that works, please post the contents of /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 or /etc/X11/xorg.conf here.

also, please note, you're uing an old MDK kernel. the latest is 2.6.3-16. along that line, if you get Nvidia drivers installed, whenever you update a kernel & you must also update to the matching kernel-source & reinstall the Nvidia drivers. same goes for an XF86 or xorg upgrade.

Chris