not getting anything right

[bunty82]

Hi to all
i am a new user to linux (slackware 12)
i am unable to connect to my ethernet
i am have tried command "netconfig" but only ends up setting ur IP
my problem is how to know that ur ethernet is working and the on
also
i dont have gnome in my x windows,
i am log in as root
cos when i make any user and that user doesnt have all rights means he is not an administrator
i am unable to install softwares, as whenever i try to open any file it opens into
notepad kinda think "kwrite"
also by pkgtools its also not works
my DVD and CD rom are not mounted
so whenever i open them
even as root
it shows some security warning
hal kinda
life sucks man
need help

[kakariko81280]

Slackware taught me a lot about the internals of Linux, but it isn't the best distribution for a newcomer. I'd suggest something like Ubuntu to start with because it handles a number of the problems you have automatically. Plus the package management is extremely powerful and easy to use.

If you want to stick with Slackware:

Slackware doesn't come with Gnome. You can get another version of it that does, but the official distribution uses KDE.

You should not log in as root normally. Create a normal user and when you need to perform administration tasks, such as installing new software, use 'su -' and enter your root password to become root. When you are finished with the root account then exit to drop back to the normal user. This separation of normal user/admin is part of what makes Linux so secure and is good advice for any distribution.

Slackware doesn't automount removable media. Use the mount and umount to access the drives when you are changing media. Use 'man mount' for more information or ask us here if you run into trouble.

For the rest, copy any errors you are getting and post them here and we should be able to help you out.

Let us know how you get on,

Chris...

[bunty82]

thanks a lot Chris

as i am new to Slackware , actually one of my friend recommended me
as i want to learn more of Unix then linux, but now as things are getting in my head i started liking this slackware. one of the major problem i face
is installing new software , i dont know how to install them

[oz]

Here's a HowTo for installing software under Linux that might help:

http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/lin...are-linux.html

The default package tool in Slackware is pkgtool. It's pretty easy to use but doesn't handle dependencies, so if you don't have all the packages you need already on the machine, you can run into issues.

Lots of Slackers like to use Slapt-get, or Swaret for installing software on Linux, while other Slack users hate them:

[ software.jaos.org ]

swaret :: The Essential SlackWARE Tool

I usually just use pkgtool when I'm running Slackware.

Let us know how it goes.

[Dapper Dan]

I agree with kakariko81280.

Slackware is really not a good first distro as it requires much work from the command line, and there are a limited amount of "GUI" configuration tools. If you are adamant about staying with it for the prurpose of learning, then good for you! I love Slackware! But please remember that you will need a huge amount of time and patience. A better choice for a new user is Ubuntu. Then, after getting a "feel" for the whole Linux thing through Ubuntu, move on to a harder distro like Fedora, Debian or Slackware.

On package management, I really like using Cruxports4Slack. Though not a good tool for system upgrades, it makes installing many common packages kind of like what you experience in Gentoo, solving dependencies for you. It's really easy to install, and with a little configuration, easy to install packages.

You might want to also consider Dropline Gnome. I'm in the minority here I guess, as many of the Slackware tried and true detest it. I've used it a lot over the years and have relied on it for updates, even though I rarely use it for a desktop environment.