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first time impressions of mandrake


Guest filthy_mcnasty
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Guest filthy_mcnasty

i recently installed Mandrake 9.1 (figures that I do it 2 days before 9.2 comes out huh?, anyways the update threads around here have been helpful w/ that).

 

i'm a long time windows user and while so far i still prefer it i must say i'm impressed by mandrake. the only things that bother me so far..... (if anyone knows solutions, if they exist, please fill me in)

 

1. No "system tray" as windows had

2. double clicking the title bar of an application doesn't maximize it. i didn't realize how often i did this until i played around in mandrake for a few hours

3. both webbrowsers, (mozilla and konqueor) always open a mandrakesoft webpage and not my home page

 

the first point i'm sure i'm outta luck on and probably the second one too but i'd like to think that the 3rd can be changed. maybe i am overlooking something.

 

at any rate, i installed mandrake to learn some unix for labs at my college and i was pleasantly surprised. this forum has been pretty useful too. glad to have found this community.

that's my 2 cents. ok i'm done.

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1. No "system tray" as windows had

 

KDE and, I believe Gnome, have something like the system tray where you dock apps, but only certain apps are dockable, I think. Also, some apps have 'system tray' plugins that simulate docking. IceWM has a function if you rightclick on the window's icon on the taskbar and choose Tray Icon, will dock it with a small icon like a system tray.

 

2. double clicking the title bar of an application doesn't maximize it. i didn't realize how often i did this until i played around in mandrake for a few hours

 

That's going to be a feature of whatever WindowManager you are using. Look in the 'Start' menu for Configuration and browse.

 

3. both webbrowsers, (mozilla and konqueor) always open a mandrakesoft webpage and not my home page

 

Check your configuration in the web browser itself (Edit -> Preferences). Konqueror uses a Mozilla backend, I believe. It just sounds like you don't have your homepage set.

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Welcome!

 

1. Of course they do...just like windows....BUT, very few if any apps are going to put themselves there w/o your asking (unlike windows) :wink: ...and just like windows, only apps that are made to run there can.

 

2.KDE? That's somewhere in kcontrol (kde control center)[i don't use kde]. Gnome? It's in the Gnome Control Center>Windows.

 

3.Mozilla? Preferences opens to the config for the homepage. Konq? Load the page you want to be the homepage and then something like>Toolbar>Windows>Save Window something....hehehe[i don't use kde] hehehe :wink:

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...

2. double clicking the title bar of an application doesn't maximize it. i didn't realize how often i did this until i played around in mandrake for a few hours

 

K->Configuration->KDE->Apearance(Look & Feel)->Windows Reactions->Actions->Double-clic on the title bar

 

( or somethingt like that: I'm translating )

 

3. both webbrowsers, (mozilla and konqueor) always open a mandrakesoft webpage and not my home page

 

Mozilla:

Edition->Preference->Browser->Home page

 

( or somethingt like that: I'm translating )

 

I know changing habit with software make everybody a little nervous. Once you realized that and accept, you do 3/4 of the job. After you'll realize It worth the

( little ) effort .

 

by and welcome

 

roland

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Hey your questions are already answered BUT no harm in saying welcome anyway!

 

Linux/Mandrake and more importantly Gnome/KDE are all very configurable.

In more ways and more pervasively than Windows.

 

Somethimes they are so configuarable it makes it hard to support people.:wink:

If you say its this icon or that we have ide ide what your talking about unless you say what theme/window manager etc your using.

 

The things you mention are very trivial 'tweaks' although its quite funny (in a private joke way) you should mention them.

 

If you stick around here you'll see why :D

Anyway, as I said you can make it look or respond more or less how you want, from a MAC to WinXP if you really want.

I suggest you look at the thread

SHOW OFF YOUR DESKTOP in the Art and Design part. You'l see just how many different ways it can look BUT it can also have double click/single click etc.

Also if you use KDE take a look at www.kdelook.org

if you use Gnome just check the gnome website.

I suggest you make a spare user account ... called testing or something.

Your changes you make only refer to a single user so it can be good to have a seperate user where you play about :D

 

I recommend you start off with Gnome or KDE and test some of the other Window managers like fluxbox over time.

IMHO KDE is the easiest or most like windows for a noobie,,, but Im sure we on the board can discuss which is BETTER till the cows come home.

 

Things like the docker applets etc are more abundant in linux than windows. But usually you need to actually confiure it your self.

 

You can also check other things like karamba/superkaramba which bring status monitoring onto your desktop.

But get comforatble with your new mandrake first.

 

You can check the FAQ and also aRtee's site (one of our members) who has some good articles on switching and getting used to Linux (specifically Mandrake) for Windows users.

www.mandrake.tips.4.free.fr/

 

So welcome and enjoy!!!

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Guest filthy_mcnasty

i had definately already SET the homepages (when i click the button it goes to them) but they dont open automatically.

 

it since has with mozilla however, konqueror no luck but oh well, i'll just use mozilla then =).

 

i think more surprising than using linux is the forum. i fully expected it to be a week later and this thread w/o reply and forgotten. i got the mouse double clicking working (things *like this make my transition so much easier) and i'm sure if there is a "system tray" of sorts (yes, i'm using KDE) i'll figure it out eventually.

many thanks for all the help.

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i had definately already SET the homepages (when i click the button it goes to them) but they dont open automatically.

Ah I think you are executing a link and not a program, much like in Windows when you think you are clicking on the IE icon on the desktop only to find it's actually a URL and no matter how much you reset the homepage it will never make any difference because what you are running is probably 'iexplore.exe www.microshaft.com' :D

 

Tell us how you are activating/invoking konqueror and I expect we will understand why you keep getting the wrong page. Personally I think you are clicking one of the destop icons that has a specific URL embedded in the command line.

 

Reagards and welcome.

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Guest filthy_mcnasty

iexplore.exe will open the homepage even without the URL (i have written programs that take advantage of this fact)

 

but to answer you, i'm simply clicking the button at (i dont know it's name in mandrake) the bottom left of my screen next to the K. basically the "quicklaunch"

mozilla seems to work fine so thats good enough for me.

 

but if you know how to "fix" this that'd be great to know, anything i can learn i would like to.

thanks =)

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3. both webbrowsers, (mozilla and konqueor) always open a mandrakesoft webpage and not my home page

 

Do I get it right: when starting the webbrowser Konqueror you want him to open/start with a specific html page? i.e. your homepage?

 

- Start Konqueror.

- Open your preferred website

- go to the main bar: settings (or options?, sorry don't have an English version here)

- go to (click on): save profile 'webbrowsing' - click ok.

Restarting Konqueror: now it will open your page.

 

That's how it works here.

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1. No "system tray" as windows had

 

For KDE, Right click on a empty spot on the kicker (task bar in windows lingo) then select: Add-> Applet-> Quick Launcher, and click on it.

 

It will add the quick launcher to the kicker panel.

Now right click on one of the 6 empty folders and navigate to the application that you want in the quick launcher, and click on that.

 

You can have as many or as few apps in the quick launcher as you want.

 

There is a system tray and a quick launcher, from what you describe I suspect that what you are looking for is the quick launcher, because it does what microsofts system tray does.

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iexplore.exe will open the homepage even without the URL (i have written programs that take advantage of this fact)

 

but to answer you, i'm simply clicking the button at (i dont know it's name in mandrake) the bottom left of my screen next to the K. basically the "quicklaunch"

mozilla seems to work fine so thats good enough for me.  

 

but if you know how to "fix" this that'd be great to know, anything i can learn i would like to.

thanks =)

 

iexplorer http://www.microsoft.com

will that open your home page???

 

OK, thats what they were saying, you might have a link for a program that says mozilla http://mozilla.org

 

Or you might just have a URL on your desktop or in a manu like

www.mozilla.org

That will also open you r default browser ...

 

However,

There are a few other things as well, it might be easier to give a few suggestions....

1) Concept of different users.

Each user can and will have different configs.

Therefore setting a home page for one will not effect the others

2) Mozilla Profiles, one user can have many profiles sometimes if you try and open mozilla twice it will prompt you to stop and create a new profile

 

3) Schemes in Konqueor

You can set diferent schemes for web browsing/file managment etc.

You can make your home directory the home in filemanagement for instance and say mandrake users in web browsing, you can even make your own profiles

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Guest filthy_mcnasty
There is a system tray and a quick launcher, from what you describe I suspect that what you are looking for is the quick launcher, because it does what microsofts system tray does.

 

actually i had the quick launcher. what i was basically trying to find was a way so that as a program is running it does not have a taskbar listing. ie, it shows up in the system tray but not the taskbar (gaim and xmms mostly). it's not that big of a deal though.

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3. both webbrowsers, (mozilla and konqueor) always open a mandrakesoft webpage and not my home page

 

Do I get it right: when starting the webbrowser Konqueror you want him to open/start with a specific html page? i.e. your homepage?

 

- Start Konqueror.

- Open your preferred website

- go to the main bar: settings (or options?, sorry don't have an English version here)

- go to (click on): save profile 'webbrowsing' - click ok.

Restarting Konqueror: now it will open your page.

 

That's how it works here.

 

 

Thanks Anna , that worked right off the bat for me. Before the start up page was actually a file on my computer and i would have to hit the home button , to go to the home page , but that advice worked perfectly

 

Tuxxer

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Guest filthy_mcnasty

yeah, tuxxer that's the same prob i had.

 

now i just gotta figure out this update stuff (urpmi and cooker and whatever they are and however they work)

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