griptypethyne

I have no idea what ncurses does. There are two ways of installing Linux software - as a binary (as in Windows) or as source, in which case you run a make file to compile the program. The C compiler is included on the 9.2 CD. My experience (and I am a newbie too) is that when you try and install from source you will get a message saying that a depandant component cannot be found. Then you search the net for the missing component, try installing it and get a message saying that yet another component is missing I believe that there is a descriptive name for this process but I cannot remember what it is. The point of all of this is that in order to install the driver I found that had to install ncurses first. The driver is specific to the *kernel* version and your modem chipset. That is why you need to run the uname command in Linux to determine the kernel version. In Windows there is a way of determining the type of modem chipset but I cannot remember off hand what it is. My modem uses the 536ep chipset. If that is used by your modem then, as you also have the 9.2 CD, the driver I specified should work. (I am assuming that all 9.2 CDs have the same kernel version). MS may be criticised for its big brother approach but at least when you install some software it will probably work. The same cannot be said for Linux! Unless the Linux community solves this problem Linux will never, IMHO, become the OS of choice of the masses.

Yet another point.... I recommend that you keep detailed notes, which you update whenever you achieve success with part of the installation. Also, save downloaded files (such as the kernel source and the modem driver) to CD. Then it is no big deal, when something goes wrong, to put the Mandrake boot CD in the drive and press reset......... (apart from the time wasted). If you do re-install Linux then be very careful when you get to the installation of the bootloader. My initial installation of Linux was without any problems and I quickly had a dual boot machine. However, about two weeks later on my third or fourth re-install of Linux I did something silly, and in trying to fix the problem did something even sillier. The result was that Windows would not boot. In the end I was forced to do a brand new install of Windows, including activating it. The plus side is that it cleaned out my desktop (-;

I should have added that the kernel source is *not* on the Mandrake 9.2 CD. I read somewhere that its omission was to provide space for other software. That is why your very first step, after installing Mandrake 9.2 from the boot CD, should be to download and install the kernel source. I am of course assuming that you have a dual boot system and can access the net from Windows B)

A few months ago I was in the same situation as you. It took me a week of solid work to get my 536ep winmodem going. :D I have Mandrake 9.2. Here is an extract from an eleven page set of notes I prepared as I worked through setting up Linux. I considered posting the complete document but I would need to go through and delete some personal information (like user ids & passwords!). I am currently still using XP for two reasons - a minor issue concerning the nvidia vidio driver and more importantly, I cannot get the wheel on my genius netscroll+ mose to work. I have discovered that I cannot browse without the wheel. Remember that the following notes apply to my PC's particular configuration. The information may or may not help you. *********How To Install a Winmodem************** Installing Linux 1. Find Kernel Version uname -r 2. Get kernel source from ftp://194.199.20.114/linux/Mandrake/9.2/i...-10mdk.i586.rpm 3. Install ncurses urpmi ncurses-devel Note: If a libncurses file is found on the hard drive ignore it. It was downloaded fronm the net. The correct file is on the CD. 4. Install Kernel rpm -ivh kernel-source2.4.22-10mdk.i585.rpm 5. Install Modem Driver May need to re boot for driver to work. Go to developer.intel.com and search on modem drivers. Use tar -zxvf <file> to unpack and then make. Alternatively right click on file and then click on Actions. Driver file is Intel536-4.68.TGZ (for kernels 2.4.x) Then follow instructions in text file: make clean make 536 make install (ignore :Cannot remove....” message. 6. Modem Settings Device type /dev/modem Flow control hardware Line Termination CR

Yes, X is working. The problem is with the text only screen, either when I enter init 3 or when I logout from KDE and specify a restart. If you disable fb does it solve the problem? If so, how? Maybe I should try disabling it. I have looked through /var/log/messages. There are some error messages but they do not seem fatal. I think that I should locate and post each such message in what is a long file.

I have carried out one more test. I entered init 3 to go to the text terminal. I could just make out the prompt in large block characters among the rubbish so I entered: root <enter> <password> <enter> init 5 <enter> X and KDE started.. The problem therefore seems to be with the settings of the text screen. Odd, as I assume that the driver for this would be unchanged since the firsr PC and DOS...........

Thanks for that. I ran the file and it installed ok. When I entered init 5 I recived an error message but before I could read it X and KDE started. I ran glxgears and it reported fps=1016. I decided to reload the old driver and run glxgears again. When I entered init 3 rubbish appeared on the screen, although I could make out the prompt in very large block characters. I re-booted, the NVIDIA screen appeared briefly and then KDE started. I re ran GLX gears again and still fps=1000 or so. I also did a crude, but to me more meaningful test. I opened a window, clicked on the title bar and moved the window very quickly around the screen. Ther were no jagged edges so I knew that the new driver was installed and working :D I then entered init 3 and I was back to a screen full of rubbish. I scrolled through XFree86.0.log but could not see any error messages. I have made good progress but am not there yet.

I am attempting to install the driver for my nvidia mx420 card. My sources of information are the HowTo: mandrakeusers.org/index.php?showtopic=4567 and the instructions from the nvidia site NVLinuxR25Notes_3123.pdf. I have run NCchooser.sh and it tells me that I need the 3123 version of the driver. I downloaded NVIDIA_kernel-1.0-3123.tar.gz, uzipped it and ran make install. It seemed to install ok. I downloaded NVIDIA-GLX-1.0-3123.tar.gz. When I tried to unzip it it told me that it was an invalid tar file. Therefore I downloaded the rpm version: NVIDIA_GLX-1.0-3123.src.rpm and ran rpm -ivh <file>. It seemed to install ok. I opened /var/log/XFree86.0.log and found the line: "Using Config File /etc/X11/XF86Config_4" I closed X and edited XF86Config_4, changing Driver "nv" to "nvidia" in Section "Driver". I did not need to change Section "Module" as Load "GLX" was already present. With great excitement :D I entered init 5. Of course, X would not start I opend XFree86.0.log and it included the messages "Starting DM" "Starting -Intel536: error loading Intel536" Any help would be appreciated. :P

Thanks. Most Linux comands are so obscure that I did not think of trying the obvious B)

I am finding the following very frustrating. When I use the man command I use page down or repeatedly press enter to go to the end of the text. However, I cannot work out how to get back to the command line. I have tried ctrl-C and esc but they do not work. My current solution is to open another terminal, which is frustrating if I then have to su and cd to get back to where I was. I have tried Google searches with keywords such as "Linux man exit" but or course the matches all tell me how I can use the man command to learn how to exit something. I am sure that the solutiion is very simple....

I tried the version that you posted but it did not work. I also tried various other configuations I found on the net. None worked. I tried "upgrading" Mandrake (making sure I unchecked the Format Partition checkbox) but it did not work. Then I renamed XF86Config and tried another "upgrade", hoping to force install to put back the defaults but it still did not work. All my files, including the kernel source and modem driver are backed up on CD so I decided to do a clean install. I have done it thousands B) of times before and it does not take very long. As soon as Linux was working again I copied the XF86Config and XF86Config-4 files to floppy. I note your comment about the -4 file being the correct version. I have also discovered the xf86config program which uses the keypad to emulate a mouse. Whether it would have solved my problem is another matter as I did not know what I was doing (-; In the process I have learned a little more about Linux. Thanks for your help.

I changed Protocol to a rubbish string, on the assumtion that X would either load a basic generic driver or would issue an error message and give up. Then I entered init 5 startx When the blue screen appeared the cursor was centered and I just had time to check that the mouse was working before the cursor jumped to the top right. This suggests two things to me: (a) X is loading a generic (working) driver and then immediately loads another (non-working) one. (B) I am editing the wrong file. Maybe I should delete the complete Section "Pointer" section and see if X does anything different. I do not know which version of X I have.In the Config file

I have a Geniuis Netscroll+ mouse. To try and make the wheel work I went into the Control Center and changed the driver to Netscroll. Then I rebooted and found that the cursor jumped to the top right of the screen and would not move. I had created a recovery/backup cd using mkcdrec. I booted from the cd but still had the same problem with the mouse. I assume that there are utilities on the cd I can use to restore settings. I booted in safe mode to the shell and located the file XF86Config in /etc/X11. I opened the file with vi and located Section "Pointer". I tried each of the following, none of which worked: Changed Protocol from "NetscrollPS/2" to "PS/2" Deleted ZAXISMapping 4 5 ( which I believe is needed for the wheel) Changed Protocol to "Standard" Any help would be appreciated. I am thankfull that I can still boot XP......... [moved from Terminal Shell Commands, etc by spinynorman]

I should have added that after I re-boot and get to the terminal screen I can login as a user. Everything seems to be working as it should except for the login manager.

I went to e control center -> system -> services. dm was not running and boot was not enabled so I clicked it. I went to system -> Display Manager. KDE was selected. There were no "on boot" or any other boxes. I logged out and re-booted. It has not fixed the problem. From the terminal screen I tried ctr+alt+f7 and went to a blank screen with the cirsron at the top left.

I have got myself into a mess. I am running 9.2 with KDE. From KDE I entered ctrl-altF1 t o go to the text terminal. The problem was I could not work out how to get back to KDE from the terminal so I re-booted. Mandrake came up with the text screen again. I couild not login as user but was able to login as root. I entered KDE and got into the GUI as root. When I went to K menu -> Logout I was given only two options Logout and Cancel. I could not log in as user. I went to the Control Center and checked that my user still existed. I Also check the home directory and all my fles are stil accessible. I had no trouble running Firefox, importing my bookmarks and logging on to the net. I suspect that the solution is simple; probably exiting from the text terminal correctly. Any help would be appreciated. [moved from Installing Mandrake by spinynorman]

I discovered that the icons change after I re-boot so I assume that closing the GUI and restarting would have the save result.

:D Thanks for that. It solved the problem and I am now downloading the two files. Installing Linux may be a little bit frustrating at times but I much prefer the modular, user is in control philosophy to the big blob (and growing), we know best approach of my old OS. I installed Linux without difficulty or upsetting Windows. Then a week later I did something silly and in trying to fix it I did something even sillier. Windows is now un-bootable but I am not in a hurry to reinstall it. I may never do so...........

I have downloaded the nvidia NVchooser.sh script and placed it in my home directory. When I open a terminal and enter the command NVchooser.sh I receive a Permission Denied message. I logged on as root and re-entered the command. This time the error message was Command Not Found. I then tried ./NVchooser.sh andthe message was Permission Denied. I suspect that I am doing something silly. Any ideas? Thanks.

I am running kde. I have installed firefox from the a tgz file. I added a link on the desktop. The link uses the default icon. When I right clicked on the icon and Properties I could not find a way of changing the icon. I then clicked on Edit File Type and found that by clicking on the icon I I could change it. When I clicked on Apply or OK the icon on the desktop did not change. Any help on how to change desktop icons would be appreciated.

:D :D :D :D Please disregard my previous message. I downloaded the 4.68 driver from the Intel siter and it works. In fact, this message is sent from Linux. Just 6 days since I obtained the Mandrake disks and I am up and runnng with Linux.

I have a similar problem Here is what I did: In Konqueror entered a URL. Timed out. Pinged 213.232.94.69. Worked ok. In Konqueror entered 213.232.94.69. Timed out. Pinged 213.232.94.69. Worked a few times then received a "No Buffer Space Available" error message. Logged in as root and entered route -n. Result was: 192.168.242.66 0.0.0.0 255.255.255.255 u H 0 0 0 ppp0 plus a line that looked like localhost. I have two questions: (a) Any idea what the problem is? (B) Where on linmodem.org can I fine the updated 536ep driver? I have looked at the site and am totally confused about where to find the driver. Thanks

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D I can now connect and logon to my ISP from Linux. I had hoped to send this success message from Linux but once I am logged on nothing happens. Not to worry, solving that should be a minor issue compared with compiling and installing a driver! I found that the modem worked after I had re-booted linux. I thought that it was only Windows that required a boot after changes ;) Many thanks for your help. I have made more progress in the past few hours than in the past few days. I am well on the way to becoming MS free. Sorting out the driver problem has forced me to get stuck in and learn linux.

:D Thanks. I installed kppp and ran it from a terminal. The modem still does not work but I know that there are 536ep threads, so it is better if I take the discussion there. Before I end this thread one last question - how do I run the gui version of kppp or is that a different program?

:D ncurses-devel installed. The kernel installed. The 536ep driver compiled and installed. I went to Mandrake and looked at the hardware. The modem was no longer classed as an unknown device with an unknown module. It is now classed as a modem but the information window is blank. But......I cannot find the program that sets up my internet connection and allows me to test the modem. I thought it was on the menu but it is not there. I tried kppp in a terminal but received a command not found message.