Archive-name: Fido-Linux-faq
Version: $VER: Linux FAQ v9805-0.22
Posting-Frequency: monthly
URL: http://www.telematique.org/ft/linuxfaq.htm
LINUX FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
Original author: Francois Thunus
Current author & maintainer: Francois Thunus
May98 - v0.22
Welcome to the FAQ for the Linux fidonet echo.
Table of Contents is below.
Questions and constructive comments are welcome.
Send them to me at: 2:270/25.2 or linuxfaq@telematique.org
IMPORTANT NOTE: this document does not contain many
software-specific infos, otherwise the FAQ would be huge.
I have also tried to keep each section short, simple and easy.
After all, it is intended for newbies. I therefore have
sometimes cut corners. I know it. Correct me only if you
really feel I'm oversimplifying :-)
_________________________________________________________________
Contents
I. DISCLAIMER
II. CREDITS
III. COPYRIGHT
IV. FAQ UPDATES
V. WHERE CAN I GET THIS FAQ?
VI. NETIQUETTE
1. INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION
1.1 What is Unix
1.2 What is Linux
1.3 Where can I get it
1.4 Which one should I take 1.5 Repartitionning
2. HARDWARE
2.1 What is the minimum configuration needed
2.2 Is my --- compatible with Linux
2.3 Known hardware problems & solutions
2.3.1 Wacom art pad II and Debian 1.3.1
3. SOFTWARE TIPS & TRICKS FOR GENERAL USE
3.1 What is
3.2 How do I mount a floppy/drive/zip
3.3 How can I modify / customize my system
3.4 How can I change my printer's settings 3.5 How do I know
what system I have
3.6 How do I change the typematic settings
3.7 Can I upgrade my configuration and how ?
3.8 How do
I copy a file from the floppy 3.9 How do I know what processes are
running
3.10 Known software problems & solutions
3.11 Xfree386 configuration
3.12 Quick DOS/Linux map
3.13 How
do I get ls in colors ? 3.14 Is there a Norton Commander Clone ?
4. RESOURCES
4.1 Fidonet echoes / usenet newsgroups
4.2 Internet: web / ftp
4.3 Books
5. CONNECTING
5.1 Fidonet
5.2 Internet
5.2.1 How do I get ppp to connect to my ISP automatically?
5.3 BBSes
6. EMULATORS
6.1 Limitations & bugs
6.2 DOSEMU
6.3 WINE - WABI
6.4 AMIGA
7. PROGRAMMING
7.1 Overview of development possibilities
7.2 C Development
7.3 Shell scripting
7.4 Books / resources
7.5 How to do various things: tips & tricks
__________________________________
______________________________
I. DISCLAIMER
This document is provided "as is" without any express or implied
warranties. While every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy
of
the information contained in this document, neither the authors, the
maintainer or the contributors will assume responsibility for errors
or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information
contained herein.
This document is compiled in spare time for free, and I cannot check all of
its contents. However,I am interested in
making the FAQ as good as it can be, so your constructive feedback is
welcome.
This FAQ is *NOT* intended
as a replacement of the User Guide /HowTos which comes with Linux. Be sure
to read that first and - most important
- please double read the manual and this FAQ before posting any
questions to the echo!
II. CREDITS
The original skeleton was based loosely on the Psion FAQ currently
maintained by Daniel Pfund. Apart from that, Francois Thunus reviewed
the echo activity of the Linux fidonet echo as well as several
Linux-related newsgroups
and used that to modify/recreate a FAQ structure, then populated it with
extracted wisdom from the news
traffic in various echoes. So a lot of information here is provided
by the echo/newsgroup contributors, who are too numerous to credit
individually. Insamuch as possible, the name of the original
contributor is listed alongside the contribution.
If you have a question which is not answered in the actual FAQ, please
Email it to me (Francois Thunus, see
address at the top of this FAQ), otherwise if you want more information
from one specific section of
this FAQ, ask :-).
III. COPYRIGHT
I assert copyright on this document. I encourage you to distribute it
widely,
but only in its complete and original form and if you do not make any money
out of it.
IV. FAQ UPDATES
For the time being, I (Francois) am the keeper of the FAQ. If you have
comments or suggestions, corrections, or
you have some information you want to see added or a request that I find
some new answers, please
let me know. Please contact me via the Email address at the top of the
FAQ.
V. WHERE CAN I GET THIS FAQ?
You're reading
it aren't you? SAVE it :-). If you don't have reliable Usenet access, you
can also retrieve the
FAQ by:
File Request
1:13/25 magic name : Linuxfaq
1:202/745 magic name : Linuxfaq
1:340/204 magic name : Linuxfaq
2:206/145 magic name : Linuxfaq
2:270/25 magic name : Linuxfaq
2:2802/285 magic name : Linuxfaq
2:293/2219 magic name : Linuxfaq
2:301/118 magic name : Linuxfaq
FTP
ftp://ftp.telematique.org
ftp://ftp.idkent.com
EMail
Send e-mail to with 'Linuxfaq' in the subject.
The autoresponder will immediately ship out a copy.
WWW
http://www.telematique.org/ft/linuxfaq.htm (Note that
there is no "l" at the end of "htm", this is not a typo!)
Please use the telematique site for any reference from your
own web pages because it is under my direct control and easily
changeable. It also
contains links to numerous Linux resources.
http://www.idkent.com/~linux
Please do NOT Email me or anybody else mentioned in this FAQ for the
latest version. We simply cannot handle such matters effectively.
If the date at the top of this FAQ is more than a couple months old,
there is probably a new version available online.
VI. NETIQUETTE
1. READ THE FRIENDLY MANUAL (RTFM) and then the FAQ before posting
any
questions! Remember that this group is here to help you out but only if
the answer can't be found by yourself. Also remember
that each time you're posting a question to the group, hundreds
(if not thousands) of people
will read your question. If the same questions come up again and again,
people will just get bored and
not answer anymore...
2. DON'T BE RUDE. Obvious? Apparently not. Say it nicely or don't
say it at all. If
you need to be uncomfortably direct, do it in personal mail - don't
post it.
3. When responding to a post, most editors will give you an edit pad
with the original post inserted. Delete most of this, leaving only
the part which will set the context for your reply. This is more
effective communication, it cuts down on crud to scan through, and
reduces phone bills for those that pay them.
4. Consider whether you should be
mailing or posting. PING-PONG personal dialogues may - or may not - be
of interest to others. If
not, please don't post.
_________________________________________________________________
1. INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION
1.1 What is Unix ?
Unix is one of the first portable operating system that was created.
It was based on a project called "Multics" in the late 60's. The
first Unix version was created in 1969
at the ATT labs. Unix is therefore a mature OS which has been around for
about 30 years. The
OS itself is text-based, but it includes a graphical layer, called
X Window. The OSes that were developed afterwards more or less
heavily borrowed on the features of Unix. Unix was multi-task,
multi-users from the beginning. Other popular OSes includes DOS,
MacOs, OS/2, NeXT, TOS, or Windows NT.
1.2 What is Linux
Linux is _a_ free Unix-like
system. Unlike FreeBSD or 386BSD which are based on the Berkeley
distribution of Unix, Linux started its
life based on Minix, a free Unix implementation for the Intel
platform.
Linux now exists in various stage of development
for the DEC Alpha, SGI, the PowerPC, and the Motorola 680x0 chips.
Consequently, it means
you can make Linux run on a PC, but also on a Mac, an Amiga, or an
Atari machine. There is also a special version of Linux called ELKS
that will work on intel machine with a 8088/80186/80286 chip (Linux
itself needs a 80386). There is also a Linux port for the USR
palmtop, and another one in the works by RedHat for Psion.
The Linux project was started
by Linus Torvald, from Finland, hence the name.
Linux is free and comes with the source code.
1.3 Where can I get it
There is a multitude of sources for Linux. Many magazines include one
version or another, once
in a while, on their accompanying CD. Many shops carry Linux on CDs, which
may be easier for a start. Otherwise
there is the internet, or some BBSes (see relevant section for
addresses).
1.4 Which one should I take
This is probably the hardest question of them all. Linux is free, and the
difference between packages is usually the install procedure, and
the number of ready-to-run applications provided. The best
distribution for you depends
on what you intend to do with your copy of Linux. Here is a totally
incomplete list of various Linux
distributions, and their good points.
DOSLINUX: this one is listed first, because it comes as a Dos archive
and was meant
for DOS users who want to try Linux without changing anything to their
current configuration. Just decompress in a \linux
directory, start the linux.bat, and off you go. A great and simple
way to discover Linux, with no risk at all.
FIREMYST: same principle as DosLinux, different choice of software.
DLX: Unix on a floppy. This is a minimalist approach, but it does
give you a taste of unix. You can happily play with this without fear
of destroying anything.
Tom's rootboot: another Unix on a floppy. This one is my favorite. It
includes LOADS of stuff, including simplified man pages. My own
rescue floppy is a modified version of this one.
Slackware: the first historic Linux
distribution, and therefore used to be the most widely used.
Debian: 100% free. The interesting point of the Debian distribution
is the .deb packages. They are the most numerous, and allow easy
installation of software.
moreover, the installing package also does a variety of check for
pencies.
RedHat: commercial. Has a .rpm system which is broadly the same as
the .deb in the spirit. Probably the easiest to install for a
complete beginner.
RedHat has an official french version made by kheops. Comes with the
commercial Metro-X server.
S.U.S.E: commercial. based on RedHat, but with YAST, another install
system, very efficient. Suse comes in English or German, and
with many demos of commercial software.
I haven't personaly tested this one, but I have read very good
review of it in the Linux Journal. It seems they have a nice install
system (Yast), and very good doc (a 500 page man) which is homemade
(ie not the usual stuff presented otherwise). I have also read good
review in the spanish Linux echo, it seems it was distributed with a
pc magazine over there and many people seemed to like it. I believe
this is fast becoming
one of the big distribution along with debian, slackware, and redhat.
Caldera: commercial. exists in various flavour, from basic to
advanced, and is designed as a turnkey unix system. Caldera also
commercializes the commercial
windows emulator, WP for Linux, etc. Real no-brainer. stable and
everything. I haven't played much with
it, but I was impressed by the setup system. I found the xwindows
configuration part easier than Redhat, but read everything carefully
if you don't want to get the black screen of death (one mistake in
xconfig and I had to reinstall the whole).
* Note about commercial software: due to the GPL Licence covering Linux,
there is always a free version available for
download from the internet.
1.5 Repartitionning
(Matthew Day)
The best way to run linux is to install it on its own disk partition.
If you don't want to do that, several distributions are ready to be
installed in a normal
\linux directory under dos. If you do repartition, there are several
methods:
1) back up and repartition with fdisk: this method will destroy the
content of your disk, hence the needto backup first.
2) use a utility to reclaim
unused space on the disk: a) buy Partition Magic or
b) use FIPS supplied with the distributions
2. HARDWARE
2.1 What is the minimum configuration needed
Linux needs a 386 with 4 megs memory. If you want a unix system on a
8088->80286, you have to use Elks or Minix. However, this is the
minimum to have a running system. It doesn't mean that it is actually
_fun_ to work with. In particular if you intend to work with
X Window, you will need
to have more RAM if possible, or at least a big swap file.
2.2 Is my --- compatible with Linux ?
2.3 Known hardware problems & solutions
2.3.1 Wacom art pad II and Debian 1.3.1
(orion)
Include in XF86Config:
---
* Origin: Xara Sto pragma !(2:270/25.2)
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* Origin: CTServe, the BBS of the Club de TeleMatique (2:270/25)
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