Crashdamage

Well, yeah, like I said in the post, but you *can* do $ rpm -q <package> as a user...

I'd think that if Win98SE rons OK on this machine, you should be able to install Mandrake 8.2 OK too. It should run considerably better than 9.1 Even with 8.2 KDE or Gnome will be painfully slow, but at least should run. Better, use a lightweight window manager like maybe Fluxbox or ICEwm. That'll giv you some decent speed.

Since this machine runs Win98SE ok, it should be able to run Mandrake 8.2 fine. It should be faster than 9.1 because of the older versions of KDE an Gnome in 8.2. Even with 8.2 KDE and Gnome will be painfully slow, but if you use a lightweight window manager like Fluxbox or ICEwm you should still get pretty decent speed without having to give up running X and going text-only. Even so, staying more with text-based apps like Mutt or Midnight Commander instead of GUI stuff like Kmail or Konqueror will help too.

urpmi is installed by default. To prove it and see what version you have, open a terminal window and do: $ rpm -q urpmi To install a package either use the Software Manager GUI, or as root: # urpmi -v <packagename> (as in # urpmi -v mutt) The "-v" verbose option will give more info, which I like, but can be skipped. Anyway, this will install the named package, finding and resolving any dependencies for you. To make things even easier, go to: http://plf.zarb.org/~nanardon/urpmiweb.php and follow the instructions to setup a few mirrors. The you don't even need to put in your CDs. urpmi will go on the web, download and install packages and updates automagically, just like Debian's much-touted apt-get. Hint: Don't use Cooker mirrors unless you feel adventurous. And, yes, urpmi is the way to install all software, including Mutt, procmail, etc. Packages *can* be installed form source tarballs or source rpms, but almost anything you might want or need should be available in rpm form on either your CDs or online. Save learning source installs for later after you get more comfortable with Linux. If you need help with installing ad configuring Mutt, procmail and fetchmail, let me know, I use them all and can help.

Netraverse is much more concerned with getting WinNT working. That's their big project right now. They stopped compiling Win4Lin-patched distro-specific kernels (now you get a generic kernel or patch your own) in order to give them more time to work on NT support. Once they finish that they'll go back to work on DirectX. It may be a while, 'cause they don't get many requests for DirectX - several other things are a higher priority for most users - and it's not easy to do. I know I don't much care about DirectX. But it IS coming...eventually...

From your message, I take it you're using fetchmail instead of Mutt's built-in POP retrival capabilities. This is what I do, to feed mail to procmail for processing by SpamAssassin, but I've never had trouble with duplicate mails. Anyway, If you use fetchmail, you must have entries for fetchmail somewhere in your muttrc. Check there, see if Mutt calls fetchmail using the '-k' (keep) option. If so, delete it. If not or if removing '-k' doesn't cure the problem, try adding the '-F' (flush) or '-K' (nokeep) options to fetchmail. That helps with some stubborn mailservers. See 'man fetchmail' for more details. If you *are* using Mutt only, without fetchmail to do retreivals, check to see if you have entries similar to these in your muttrc: # Set deletion of messages after transfer from server. # Default: off. # set pop_delete=on # This sets read to the last message: set pop_last

nggalai said: "Give LiteStep a shot. It's a tad hard to get into the concept, but once you've "got" it, there's hardly anything you can't mimic with it. My Win2k box feels much the same like the linux one, by now. http://www.litestep.net/" Thanks. I'll check into it more later when I have some time. Might work...

When I started using Linux about 3 years ago, like most people I started with KDE because, well, it was the most like Windoze, and in my M$-stunted thinking, I wanted a comfortable, familiar environment. As Linux expanded my thinking about possibilities, I got curious about Gnome. Once I fully realized there were LOTS of WMs, I started to really get the whole concept of Linux and choice, and I started fooling around with more of them. But once I tried FluxBox, the competition was over, and I've used it for over 2 1/2 years now (well, except for occasionally working with Ratpoison). I've tried a few others along the line, always looking to improve ya know, but it's still Flux for me. Now I just wish I had Flux for Windows at work. (If anyone knows of an equivalent for Win2k, something with no icons, etc, let me know.) But to get back on-topic a little, I think it's crazy not to include FluxBox, because it IS pretty popular and must be on the short list of most used desktops after KDE and Gnome. If licensing is an issue, I understand, I guess, as far as the download edition goes, but I'll still expect to see it in the PowerPack for 10.0 and sorely disappointed if it's not. That's why there is a PowerPack edition - to get pre-compiled rpms of proprietary drivers and software that may be free (or cheap) but not GPL'd, like Nvidia drivers, Adobe Acrobat and StarOffice. I'm fine with that, just include FluxBox. It may not be GPL'd (I really didn't know it wasn't) but it IS free and popular, so it oughtta be in there.

Hey, I'm back with another problem. I know where to go when I really need good answers... I'm working over my Mutt setup again, this time to get mail with fetchmail -> procmail -> spamassassin -> /var/spool/mail or if spam, to ~/mail/SPAM. I've got a lot done, but can't get fetchmail to play nice with procmail. In ~/.mutt/muttrc, I have: macro index G "!fetchmail -a\n" macro pager G "!fetchmail -a\n" This overrides Mutt's internal pop pager and works fine, though I have to leave the "-a" in, ie, macro index G "!fetchmail -\n" doesn't work correctly for some reason - but that's just a curiosity, I'm getting off the point. Anyway, I disabled my ~/.mutt/mutt.pop so only pop settings in ~/.fetchmail "count". In my ~/.fetchmailrc I have: poll pop-server.kc.rr.com protocol pop3 no dns username "tmeador" No password entry 'cause I don't keep unencripted passwords anywhere on HDs, just enter them manually at login. Anyway, back to the subject... To get mail into procmail: mda "usr/bin/procmail -d %T" (or -d %s?) So, thinking I'm good to go, I enter shift+g...and get... Enter password for tmeador@pop-server.kc.rr.com: Cool...but trouble starts after entering my password. Authorization is ok, mail grab begins, but... fetchmail: Repoll immediately on tmeador@pop-server.kc.rr.com 12 messages for tmeador at pop-server.kc.rr.com (99559 octets). reading message tmeador@pop-server.kc.rr.com:1 of 12 (5091 octets) ..sh: usr/bin/procmail: No such file or directory .fetchmail: SIGPIPE thrown from an MDA or a stream socket error fetchmail: socket error while delivering to SMTP host pop-server.kc.rr.com fetchmail: Query status=2 (SOCKET) Press any key to continue... Now, of course I have /usr/bin/procmail, permissions are: -rwsr-sr-x (6755), executable by everyone. Seems fetchmail can't open procmail to dump the download, or maybe procmail won't take it because then it can't get the mail into spamassassasin??? I'm not running fetchmail, procmail, or spamassasin as daemons, I'm trying to just call them as needed. I've read manpages and Googled myself silly and can't figure this out. Gotta be really simple. Any ideas? If anyone willing to help needs more info, like the macros for spamassassin, etc. I'm using in my ~/.procmailrc - whatever, just ask. Thanks!

Try Acronis Partition Expert for partitioning. Available here: http://1000files.com/Utilities/File_and_Di...509_Review.html It's actually a Windows program, but it supports all common Linux file systems and has an easier GUI to deal with than Partition Magicrap, which has screwed up a lot of systems. Partition Expert is cheaper than PM too, something like $40. There's even a free trial version. I haven't used my Acronis PE for a long time and I don't have it here to check, but i don't remember it supporting moving partitions. It might, but I certainly never used it if it does. If not, maybe Acronis True Image for that, like aurthurking suggested?

Ok, thanks to both of you. I get what you're both saying. And bvc, I've definetly killed too many brain cells over the years, 'cause I sure should've caught that gcc/gcc2.96 thing myself. Duh! But I'm absolutely covered up at work right now and got last minute Christmas stuff that needs attention. I'll sort this out more as soon as I have time, install some additional devel packages, make sure everything is where it should be, then double check it again, and when I'm sure I've got it I'll try compiling again and see if I get happy. Happy or sad, I'll post the result here, in case anyone else cares. Hey, I'm still a raw noob at this kinda stuff...thanks, guys, for your patience.

Well, the makefile was no help... I know the compiler can't find 'stdarg.h' but I don't know where to put a link to it 'cause I don't know where it's looking - or why it's not finding. Someone suggested I might have to specify to the compiler the location of 'stdarg.h' as an option. Should I take a little time to read up 'man gcc' and try doing it?

"so cpp0 and stdarg.h are both in gcc2.96" Code: [tim@localhost tim]$ urpmf stdarg.h pccts-devel:/usr/include/pccts/pccts_stdarg.h gcc:/usr/lib/gcc-lib/i586-mandrake-linux-gnu/2.96/include/stdarg.h egcs:/usr/lib/gcc-lib/i586-mandrake-linux-gnu/egcs-2.91.66/include/stdarg.h gcc3.0:/usr/lib/gcc-lib/i586-mandrake-linux-gnu/3.0.4/include/stdarg.h (snip) Well, 'cpp0' sorta is, by the link I made. And clearly, 'stdarg.h' is there, in 2.96, among many other places. So why doesn't 'make' find it? I gotta take a look at the makefile...must be looking in the wrong place... Still, even if I edit the makefile and succeed in getting past the 'stdarg.h' thing, I'm thrown by the last few kernel errors - yeezz, I got a lot to learn.

Depreciated or missing code? It's the stock kernel... Any idea where to go from here??? I've gotten no help from posting this on a couple of newgroups or searching Google.

Hey bvc - I'm still kickin'... I guess I should've been a little clearer. Actually, I DO have gcc2.96 installed, and only gcc2.96. [root@localhost tim]# rpm -qa gcc gcc-2.96-0.76mdk [root@localhost tim]# urpmf cpp0 gcc-cpp:/usr/lib/gcc-lib/i586-mandrake-linux-gnu/2.96/cpp0 gcc3.0-cpp:/usr/lib/gcc-lib/i586-mandrake-linux-gnu/3.0.4/cpp0 This output shows there is /2.96/cpp0 because of the symlink I made. I only have a few gcc-3.04 files installed, from a package called gcc3.0-ccp. It must've been installed sometime to satisfy dependencies, who knows, probably because some files, 'cpp0' for one, isn't included in the rpm for gcc2.96. That's why I created the symlink, to try to get past the 'no cpp0' error. I figured if I could get it to finish compiling, I'd deal with the version of 'cpp0' later if it failed to load and run, but I've gotta build it first to see if that's even gonna be a problem. Anyway, for what it's worth it did get it past that, but now I'm lost with that next set of errors. As for: "Be sure to use a version of gcc that agrees with the instructions in Documentation/Changes in your kernel sources. On certain linux distributions, you may need to use kgcc instead of gcc. You can specify this on the make command line or by editing the makefile. I'm sure you read this though." Yeah, I saw that. 2.96 is the 'approved' version. Good to hear from you - I feel better already knowing you're on the case. Hope you've got ideas...

I'm trying to get a Creative Extigy external USB soundcard going using the exaudio-1.52 driver available here: http://www.cs.umass.edu/~cochran/ Untarred exaudio-1.52.tgz ok. No ./configure file, so went right to 'make' but it failed: [tim@localhost exaudio-1.52]$ make gcc -I/lib/modules/2.4.18-6mdk/build/include -D__KERNEL__ -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes-O2 -fomit-frame-pointer -fno-strict-aliasing -pipe -mpreferred-stack-boundary -march=i586 -DMODULE -c -o audiofunc.o audiofunc.c gcc: installation problem, cannot exec `cpp0': No such file or directory make: *** [audiofunc.o] Error 1 Hoping for the best, I created a symlink from: /usr/lib/gcc-lib/i586-mandrake-linux-gnu/3.0.4/cpp0 where that file could be found, to: /ussr/lib/gcc-lib/i586-mandrake-linux-gnu/2.96 where there was no file 'ccp0'. That eliminated the 'no cpp0' error, but 'make' still fails like so: [tim@localhost exaudio-1.52]$ make gcc -I/lib/modules/2.4.18-6mdk/build/include -D__KERNEL__ -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -02 -fomit-frame-pointer -fno-strict-aliasing -pipe -mpreferred-stack-boundary=2 -march=i586 -DMODULE -c -o audiofunc.o audiofunc.c In file included from audiofunc.c:37: /lib/modules/2.4.18-6mdk/build/include/linux/kernel.h:10:20: stdarg.h: No such file or directory /lib/modules/2.4.18-6mdk/build/include/linux/kernel.h:10:20: stdarg.h: No such file or directory In file included from audiofunc.c:37: /lib/modules/2.4.18-6mdk/build/include/linux/kernel.h:72: parse error before `va_list' /lib/modules/2.4.18-6mdk/build/include/linux/kernel.h:72: warning: function declaration isn't a prototype /lib/modules/2.4.18-6mdk/build/include/linux/kernel.h:75: parse error before `va_list' /lib/modules/2.4.18-6mdk/build/include/linux/kernel.h:75: warning: function declaration isn't a prototype /lib/modules/2.4.18-6mdk/build/include/linux/kernel.h:79: parse error before `va_list' /lib/modules/2.4.18-6mdk/build/include/linux/kernel.h:79: warning: function declaration isn't a prototype make: *** [audiofunc.o] Error 1 I'm kinda lost where to go from here. These messages go past my limited expertise. Can someone offer some guidance? Trying to build this on a Mandrake 8.2 box, stock 2.4.18 kernel except patched for Win4Lin, which surely has nothing to do with this. This driver is supposed to work fine with MDK8x, 9x, RH7x, 8x, 9x, etc. Thanks!

My 8.2 installation refuses to go away. I had to do a hardware upgrade yestrday. For this upgrade, I was keeping the same HDs, video and PCI cards, and changing the box, processor, memory, and motherboard. I was all set to do a clean install/upgrade from Mandrake 8.2 to 9.2 to accomodate the new Asus board. Hated to do it 'cause like I've said here before I've got a *very* complicated, highly updated and customized 8.2 install that I'm still very happy with and it would take 1-2 days work to duplicate in 9.2. and I really wanted to wait for the 2.6 kernel to come out and get nice and stable before I upgraded to a newer distro. Anyway, just for grins, after everything was assembled I thought I'd see what would happen if I tried to boot from my present install. Well, the kudzu hardware configuration tool kicked in, detected the new motherboard and processor, asked if would like to apply some new drivers for a few things - why, yes I would, thanks - and everything works! So I'm still using the same 8.2 install! And I'll be quite happy to keep it for a while longer. My hat's off to Mandrake on this one. I never expected my old 8.2 distro to handle this motherboard. Only question now is will my uptime last 'til I'm ready to go to a version with the 2.6 kernel. I've never had to reboot 8.2 except for power outages.

Gowator: Yeah, I hear ya, I decided I'd be avoiding some grief to stay away from using the enterprise kernel and just stay with 768MB 'till I really need more. I'll cross that rope bridge when I get to it, probably not "til I try to go to a 2.6 kernel. Your problems just re-inforce that as a good idea. Besides, I've gotta run Win4Lin, and I don't think Netraverse has pre-compiled replacement kernels except for the stock and LG-fixed kernels. I've already got enough setup stuff to do on a new box to keep me busy for a couple of days without fooling with building my own Win4Lin-enabled kernel. Just not ready to deal with that...I've gotta get it up and running, ready for work Monday. Also, my XP-handicapped brother will be around, and I want him to see how easy this Linux stuff really is to install and a cool result. All in all, not a good time to play with kernels. From what I've seen, all the problems with N-force2 boards are with the onboard sound and nic. I couldn't care less about making that work, so if I disable that and keep it under 1G I oughta be OK and the install should go smooth. Gonna have my own little install-fest over the long weekend. Got my backups done, 2 sets of checksum-approved disks burnt - I'm ready. Just gotta assemble the hardware. Now is not the time to be scarin' me with talk about hard lock-ups! Think positve - months of uptime...speed to burn...my XP-idiot brother in shock...yeah...

Thanks for the replies. For now, I took the easy way out and swapped 1 of my 512MB sticks for a 256MB stick in my office workstation, which had 2 x 256MB. Should've thought of doing that before. Now both machines will have 768MB, which should be plenty for a while. Nice to know a G or more works though, 'cause I'll probably have to go to 2G or so sometime down the road. Eventually, the plan is this new box will be setup with MythTV and it will then be not only my primary workstation/router, but also a A/V server/PVR, so this will be a hard-working multi-purpose box. Suppose I'm working along as usual, with Win4Lin, xmms and a slew of other things going and then someone starts recording a program - betcha the memory will get a workout. I'd be surprised if it didn't need more than1G to stay out of swap. I guess I'll find out.

I've decided 8.2 will finally go to the dustbin. I was waiting to upgrade the OS and hardware for a 2.6 kernel release, but I've gotta change computers and pretty soon. Nothing really wrong with 8.2 or my present computer, but my present box is badly needed elsewhere. I can't wait for 10.0 or whatever new version of Mandrake finally has a 2.6 kernel. So I'm going ahead and building myself a new box this weekend and will load 9.2. Since it's "2.6 kernel ready", I can get my 2.6 fix later without another reinstall, so 9.2 should be on this box for a looooong time. It will be a dual-boot Win2K/Linux box, but Windoze will be a minimal install, for dire emergencies only. This will be based on an AMD Barton 2.5G and Asus A7N8X motherboard (N-Force2). I know there are issues getting the onboard nic and sound working with N-Force2 boards, but I don't care, I'll just simplify my life and disable the onboard crap in the bios an use PCI cards. I've long used Asus boards, and every one has been great. So, I've got a plan and most things worked out with one exception. I'd like to load this with 2 512MB sticks of memory. I've seen (somewhere, can't find it again) that 9.2 has some problems with 1G or more. Is this true? If so, I'll grab a 128MB stick and make the total 768MB, and that would do just fine, but I've already got 2 512MB sticks 333mhz DDR handy. Is there an easy fix? Or is the whole issue just bull****? And while I've got your attention, any other hints that might save me some grief?

DOlson wrote: "...what if it was happening on Windows? Would they jump then? Probably..." They'd ask Billy Bob Gates how high and offer to set themselves on fire while doing it...

Mandrake's catching a lotta flack about this, but it's actually a hardware problem. LG should never have made the drive vulnerable to such a thing happening. Nobody else's drives are. There's a bunch of stuff about this on Cooker. Seem's a kernel patch is the culprit. But unless one of the developers or beta testers had this particular drive the problem would've never shown up and there's no way Mandrake could've or would've known. They con't control or be responsible for LG's fsck-ups. Give 'em a break...

It seems pretty clear to me that 9.2 is intended to get the distro "warmed up & ready" for the 2.6 kernel and 10.0 more than as a bugfix release. That's why it has the latest gcc, necessary tool packages for the 2.6 kernel, etc. If it was a simple update and bugfix, they would have left that kinda stuff alone. So, 9.2 will let Mandrake debug stuff needed for 2.6 ahead of time. When they actually do put the 2.6 kernel in 10.0 that will make it pretty much a straight plug-in to a tested, proven version of the Mandrake distro. There shouldn't be much else to do other than the usual updates to KDE, Gnome, etc. to newer packages. I think this is a good plan, to have all the basic system stuff needed for the next release already in there and in full testing. Come to think of it, I guess that sorta makes 9.2 a massive beta test for 10.0, minus the super-cool kernel. 9.2 is already advertised as "2.6 ready" and I'm sure Mandrake put that little note in there for the unstated purpose of getting lots of feedback from those who can't resist the urge to go ahead and try it out. Why else would they encourage such foolin' around? When 10.0 and the 2.6 kernel are ready, it will *finally* be worthwhile to build a new box and upgrade from 8.2...

Netraverse is **really** quick about this stuff. I've never seen better customer support - never.

Gowator wrote: "All those compiles and optimisations are lost. How does upgrade handle a plf or texstar rpm, are you sure it didn't mess up ANYThing in mysql. A reliable UPGRADE is absolutely necassary .... RH manage it. (or did when I used it) abd Debian does!! So why can't Mandrake." Well, you just can't expect urpmi to handle upgrading systems that have been modified with unsupported rpms like PLF or Texstar, or stuff that's been installed from source, etc etc.. There's just too many variables, too many customizations people do to their boxes to ever hope to cover all the possiblities than can trash an upgrade. Debian will trash itself trying to upgrade a a box that's been modified in such ways - it has to be running Debian-supported "official" packages if you want a clean upgrade, and that's only reasonable. If you want to be able to do upgrades instead of reinstalls, doesn't matter what distro, ya gotta stay with supported packages. I just don't see how we can ever expect reliable upgrades from any OS except to (at least relatively) standard installs. Upgrading a fairly "stock" install made up of supported packages IS reasonable to expect though, and Mandrake should make sure it works in those cases. That said, I never do an upgrade to a Windoze install either, I always do clean installs. Ya just can't trust upgrades not to go bad, and the more things have changed since the original install, the more likely Windoze will barf trying to upgrade, and for about the same reasons Mandrake will. Can't blame M$ for everythng, they can't control what people change or install. Steve Scrimpshire wrote: "Well, I'm gonna tell you a story. My fiance' wanted her scanner hooked up in WinXP (A UMAX Astra 1600U). Did it work? Nope. Searched for updated drivers..." I know the feeling. My business is a mix of Win2k and Win98SE machines 'cause we can't run some stuff on Win2k, some stuff won't run on Win98, some stuff breaks other stuff if it's loaded on the same machine...it's friggin' nuts. Windows is no better than, and maybe worse, than Linux has been for me in that regard. At least with Linux I get some clues about what's going on if things go bad...Windoze just sits there, broken...