Initial setting issues - mouse and non working links problem

[Guest ReuvenNY]

I used DOS and Windows for 21 years, but am a total newbie when it comes to Linux. It's not easy to switch... but I am working on it. I successfully installed Mandrake 9.1 this morning (dual boot). Of course, a lot to learn, but here are two problems I need help with:

 

1. The scroll button on my mouse doesn't work. Any way to activate it?

 

2. The links in Mozilla Thunderbird email client do not work, no matter what I do.( I can, however, copy and paste in a browser).

 

Can anyone help?

 

Also, is there a resource on line (for BEGINNERS!) that I can learn from about those issues and how to fix them?

 

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

Reuven

[tyme]

for the mouse problem, i'm going to take you the hard way (because it's the easiest way...kinda...whatever).

 

open up a console, type su hit enter and put in your root password. you are now root.

 

type: vi /etc/X11/XF86Config-4

hit enter

hit the insert key

look for the mouse section, if you have a line like this:

Option "Protocol" "IMPS/2"

 

then you are fine there. if it instead reads just PS/2 or anything else, change it to read IMPS/2

 

then, below that, add this line:

Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"

 

hit the escape key, type in :wq and hit enter, type exit to leave root mode, restart X (ctrl+alt+backspace).

 

in mozilla thunderbird you need to tell it what browser you use, but since i've never used that program (well, for more than a day-didn't like it) i'm not sure where that option is hiding at...

[Guest ReuvenNY]

Thanks for the quick response. I followed your instructions, but as soon as I hit ctrl+alt+backspace, it brought me to the text interface asking:

 

localhost login:

 

I entered the login name, it loged me in, but I have no clue what to do next.

How do I get back to the graphical interface?

 

Thanks again

 

Reuven

 

P.S. Even when I reboot, it brings me to the same point.

[tyme]

 

type in: startx

 

then go into MCC->Boot->Boot Options and make sure the box beside "start graphical environment..." is checked.

[Guest ReuvenNY]

What a mess... I get a long text message, screenfull, which includes the following:

 

Parse error on line 44 of section InputDevice in file

 

/etc/x11/XF86Config-4

"4" in not a valid keyword in this section.

 

(EE) Problem Parsing the config file.

(EE) Error from xf86HandleConfigFile ()

 

Fatal server error:

no screens found.

 

-------------------

 

Help!! I am at loss...

[tyme]

check the ZAxisMapping line and make sure you have a quote after and before ZAxisMapping and then a quote before 4 and after 5 - there should be 2 full sets of quotes in that line.

[Guest ReuvenNY]

Thank you so much - not only I am back to GUI, but even the scroll on my mouse works. My lesson? Pay attention to details - forgot the " in a crucial spot...

[tyme]

hey, you should have seen some of the mistakes i made in my C++ code that would hold me up for hours!

 

that's how i knew what the problem was, it said something about a 4 and i figured you missed a quote (since it thought it was keyword when it isn't). achems razor...the simplest explanation must be true.

[Guest ReuvenNY]

As long as you are so patient - what version of Opera I should download for Mandrake 9.1? They have:

 

rpm QT Shared RedHat 8/SuSE 8.1/Mandrake 9

rpm QT Static

tar.gz QT Shared RedHat 8/SuSE 8.1/Mandrake 9 or static

tar.gz QT Static

deb static or shared

[tyme]

i would go with: rpm QT Shared RedHat 8/SuSE 8.1/Mandrake 9 3.6 MB

[Guest ReuvenNY]

I found the answer regarding the non working links in the Thunderbird email client - read this tread from Mozilla's forum:

http://www.mozilla.org/projects/thunderbir...tes.html#issues

Basically, it's a bug that will be addressed soon.

[Guest Xrunner]

Also, is there a resource on line (for BEGINNERS!) that I can learn from about those issues and how to fix them?

 

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

Reuven

 

Hey tyme, you are great and I am learning a lot from all of you by just reading in this forum, but I am curious if there is a good resourse out there for us n00bs as well, I am coming from a GUI world and wanting to get my hands dirty, but dont know where to start :? ...X

[paul]

the link at the top of this page "Old Docs" is a great place to start. They were written by Tom Berger who really is an UBER-GEEK

 

but really the best way to learn is break something.

 

learn how to use vi/vim or emacs or nano ... learn how to use some command line text editor, coz when things get really hairy. you'll thank your lucky stars that you learnt how to use vi ;-)

[Guest Xrunner]

Hehe, I am great at breaking stuff hence the knowledge of windows registry :/.

 

Thanks for the reply Paul, Im thinking vi is a unix text editor I heard mentioned by an oldschool prof of mine several yrs back, I will dig in and learn how to operate this "vi" creature and post back (crap on another thread) when I feel my text editing is upto par, thanks again...X

 

P.S. I installed an extra hard drive just for this learning experience:)

[Guest york]

Hello tyme,

 

 

" type: vi /etc/X11/XF86Config-4

hit enter

hit the insert key

look for the mouse section, if you have a line like this:

Option "Protocol" "IMPS/2"

 

then you are fine there. if it instead reads just PS/2 or anything else, change it to read IMPS/2

 

then, below that, add this line:

Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"

 

hit the escape key, type in :wq and hit enter, type exit to leave root mode, restart ctrl+alt+backspace). "

 

Very interesting. Does this work with mandrake 10.0 CE ?

 

 

 

Thanks

 

JK