Konqueror Problem

[me!]

I've just got a new laptop. I've never had any experience of non-Windows OS but as a matter of anti-micro$oft principle got one that boots by default in Linux and can be switched to XP (in case Linux proved too much!).

So far it ain't been too happy an experince. I went to www.start-linux.com and did a tutorial there. The first command it suggested 'useradd' gave me the error message 'command not found'.

The Linux is Fedora Core 2 with KDE. The tutorials in KDE help don't seem to include anything on adding users (amazing given it is supposed to be a basic step of Linux!) but I found the module for doing this eventually.

My setup had two groups abc and user with one user each (respectively user and abc). I changed user to my name and changed the password (as only the root password had been given to me by the vendor of the computer). I can now logging in as user, I get a different desktop and everything seems fine there.

However, when I logged back in as root and tried to shift a few office files I had knock up while trying to get things going I found that it will not recognize the contents of my usb drive while in root (it does when I am user). Far worse: when I try to open Konqueror it says 'cannot start procss. Cannot talk to klauncher'.

I am seriously worried ...

M.E.

[me!]

I still haven't managed to work out what is going on so any replies would be very gratefully received ...

When I switched off most recently the computer stalled after 'unmounting pipe file systems'.

I guess that is not normal?

I had thought one of the great advantages of Linux was that it did have any of the stability problems of MS ...

[Vergil83]

Far worse: when I try to open Konqueror it says 'cannot start procss. Cannot talk to klauncher'.

sounds like something in the /root/.kde folder got messed up, try running

kdeinit

When I switched off most recently the computer stalled after 'unmounting pipe file systems'.

do have something odd(other than normal hard drives, cdrom) mounted when this happened?

[me!]

I do have a usb drive but I don't think this was plugged in.

KDE does behave a bit oddly if I unplug the mouse or usb halfway through a session, it won't recognize them when I put them back in and I have to switch off and on again.

Even odder: when I try to log out of user, I don't now get the main accounts logging in screen, the machine just stalls.

I am beginning to think whoever did the installation of the laptop messed it up.

Another problem is that I can't see the Windows partion from Linux, which I gather I should be able to.

[me!]

Just to update: I'm now on Ubuntu and very happy. I have even managed to install a parred down Ubuntu called BeaFanatIX on an old low spec laptop. Really recommend Ubuntu and would warn any newbies off Fedora or Redhat.

me!