What do you know about technology we don't?

[Rayman9930]

You call that messed up? You should see my rig.

Quite, is it in some cases?

[Joshua822]

No double posting!
I have Linux, but this special version I've got works like Windows.

Congratulations ! So you're running Kubuntu ? Wonderful. It's a quite easy to use Linux distribution. But just in case you have a question, here are some links:
Kubuntu wiki.
Ubuntu forums ( you can also ask questions regarding Kubuntu here )

You can also ask me any questions you may have about Linux here. I'll answer them as soon as possible.

Also, in continuation of my post about learning to understand computers. When you're going to use Linux for programming, you should read this page on the basics of the Linux command line. You'll be using the terminal to compile / assemble the programs you've written ( note: there are IDE's for C on Linux, Anjuta's a very nice IDE, and Netbeans and Eclipse are also available ), and to do this you will also need to know some other basic commands. But don't worry, you don't need to use the terminal in your daily live on Linux. It's only required if you want to get deep into programming ( or for troubleshooting when software might not work any more or you're hardware isn't supported, on forums. The first one hardly ever occurs. The second one is a shame, it occurs quite much if you're hardware is very new ). And the terminal is also far easier to use then it looks.

[Rayman9930]

I have three systems.

Got it. But it's on a separate computer. I got a W98SE, Linux, and WVista. It's kind of messed up.

Two are hooked up the other is not. Linux is the one not hooked up with mouse etc. in my room.
My room is crowded with R stuff and games, consoles, bed, dresser, 2 computers, etc.

[Joshua822]

Two are hooked up the other is not. Linux is the one not hooked up with mouse etc. in my room.
My room is crowded with R stuff and games, consoles, bed, dresser, 2 computers, etc.

Tip: hook up your keyboard and mouse to your Linux computer, then, install and configure OpenSSH. Then you'll be able to use your Linux computer over your home network, and thus you won't need to have a keyboard and mouse to use it !

[Rayman9930]

My Linux doesn't have internet yet.

[PowerPatrick]

Is your Linux machine not hooked up to a wired connection, if it's a desktop computer, or can't it connect through a wireless connection, if it's using USB adapter or is a laptop?

If you're connecting with wireless, I guess it might be a kernel module or driver you're missing, and if that is the case, you can try to to use NDISwrapper, which implements the Windows kernel API and NDIS (Network Driver Interface Specification) API to be able to utilize Windows drivers (*.sys, with *.inf configuration) within the Linux kernel. And it runs with without binary emulation, so it's native, and shouldn't be slow or give problems.

But if possible, you can try to hook your machine up to a wired connection if you have a ethernet cable, and thereafter go to System->Admin->Hardware Drivers in the menus, since you're using Kubuntu which have the K Desktop Environment (KDE), and see if a Linux driver is available.

To use NDISwrapper, you need to install it first, and optionally with a graphical frontend such as ndisgtk (even if KDE primary uses QT instad of GTK+ as widget tookit) to make things easier, and have your optical discs containing the Windows drivers inserted to your drive. If you don't have such, you need to go to your computer vendors website, and search for your computer model, and download the wifi drivers. But all you need is the *.inf and *.sys file to use it.

1. Download these packages on your computer that is connected to the internet:
http://mirrors.kernel.org/ubuntu/pool/m ... u1_all.deb
http://mirrors.kernel.org/ubuntu/pool/m ... 5_i386.deb
http://mirrors.kernel.org/ubuntu/pool/m ... 1_i386.deb

2. Transfer the packages on a USB flash drive to your Linux machine and install them, simply by doubleclicking them.

3. Copy the *.inf and *.sys from your optical disc, or download them from your vendors website, and place them on the desktop.

4. Activate them using these commands, which you just write in the terminal:

Code: Select all

export inf="echo -n `ls ~/Desktop | grep .inf`"
sudo ndiswrapper -i "~/Desktop/`$inf`"

But if you don't know what the model of your computer is, when open the terminal, and write:

Code: Select all

sudo lshw > ~/Desktop/hardware.txt

When copy the file called "hardware.txt" on your desktop to your USB flash drive, and attach the file here on the forums, so I can inspect it and see which driver you exactly need.

And please, say "internet connection" instead of just "internet", because it sounds so wrong, even if it's used as abbreviation of sort. And it's not necessary to use Internet (WAN) for such local SSH connection. A safer and faster way would be through intranet (LAN).

Now i don't hope everything is too technical for you. So just let me know if you want it more simplified.

- And to everybody, I will introduce myself later, I know the drill.

[Reese Riverson]

Also to keep in mind, is usually if you know your computer runs well when new, and few/several years later, it seems sluggish when you turn it on, and load things up, no matter how well you maintain it... this issue usually is purely a harddrive related issue. Since windows and a lot of your programs are on a harddrive... if it's wore out and slow, then everything will take longer to load and feel slow to you.

[Rayman9930]

Yeah the WV I have is really slow right now. I hate it when it does that.

[Joshua822]

Also to keep in mind, is usually if you know your computer runs well when new, and few/several years later, it seems sluggish when you turn it on, and load things up, no matter how well you maintain it... this issue usually is purely a harddrive related issue. Since windows and a lot of your programs are on a harddrive... if it's wore out and slow, then everything will take longer to load and feel slow to you.

Actually, it isn't. The problem lays in the fact that how fuller your hard drive gets, the harder it becomes to defragment the files on it ( and yes, this is a (still) not resolvable problem that occurs in all operating systems, whether it be Windows or a UNIX variant ).

[Rayman9930]

If I can defrag. my hard drive, what comes next? Cause I know what it does.

[Joshua822]

If I can defrag. my hard drive, what comes next? Cause I know what it does.

What do you mean ? Do i need to explain what file fragmentation and defragmentation are ?

[Rayman9930]

I know what they are.

[Reese Riverson]

Also to keep in mind, is usually if you know your computer runs well when new, and few/several years later, it seems sluggish when you turn it on, and load things up, no matter how well you maintain it... this issue usually is purely a harddrive related issue. Since windows and a lot of your programs are on a harddrive... if it's wore out and slow, then everything will take longer to load and feel slow to you.

Actually, it isn't. The problem lays in the fact that how fuller your hard drive gets, the harder it becomes to defragment the files on it ( and yes, this is a (still) not resolvable problem that occurs in all operating systems, whether it be Windows or a UNIX variant ).

Still, my point stands.

Yes, if you fill a drive up to it's absolute max and not defrag anything, it can be slow that way too.

[Rayman9930]

I'm defraging it right now.

[Reese Riverson]

To also add to my above post, the only time I had ever experienced slow performance from a full drive was when I had less than 800MB free.

Our business office laptop's harddrive is SLOW, plenty of space left. It's slow even after a good defrag. Why? Harddrive's showing its age and just not like it used to. I benchmarked it with HD Tune Pro, my laptop's drive MINIMUM pretty well smoked the max on the business laptop.

[neo]

Hey Hoodcom. : D Errr RAM busters. : D 256 mb of ram. I had 126 before.

[Rayman9930]

how big a GB hard drive can you have on a W98Se before it doesn't recognize it?

[PluMGMK]

2TB, I think...

[Joshua822]

how big a GB hard drive can you have on a W98Se before it doesn't recognize it?

I think that the maximum size of a partition in Windows 98 is 128 GB.

But you shouldn't be using Windows 98

[Rayman9930]

It's what use for all my old R games, aka R collector.