New to Linux - is it really this hard?

[skirabbit]

Hello all

Having finally got the zig with Vista I decided to partition my drive and install linux. No problem with the instal and all worked fine. Until I tried to get the thing usable for me. Two main issues

1. I need thunderbird
2. I have a blue tooth key board

I have tried to download thunderbird and I get this huge zip type file with a lot of other files - I extracted them but cannot find an executable file. Looking on forums I see I have to open some kind of session and write a bunch of dos like commands to install thunderbird????? Is it really that hard??? why no install exe file??

For the blue tooth I cannot even extract the tar file - just gives me errors..

so tail between my legs I am back using vista...

am I missing something??

regards

Skirabbit

[devils casper]

Hi and Welcome !


Thuderbird is available in Ubuntu Sources. If your machine has internet access then I would suggest you to install Thuderbird or any other package using Synaptic Package Manager only. Its available in Administration sub-menu.

Open Synaptic Package Manager, click on Reload button to reload packages list. Search for Thunderbird. Mark it for installation and hit Apply button.

For bluetooth Keyboard, execute this in Terminal :

hcitool scan

Post output here.

[skirabbit]

hi ran the scan got this

00:07:E0:6D:99:11 Riccardo
riccardo@riccardo-desktop:tilde(do not have it on my keyboard)$ (square)

[reed9]

Ubuntu has a page on switching from Windows. It's a good place to start with linux.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Sw...tu/FromWindows

Some info on bluetooth and ubuntu:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Bl...etup%20Devices

Unfortunately, not the best documentation on that one.

[skirabbit]

by the way installed Thunderbird ok - found blue tooth on menu and manged to pair my keyboard - it works fine for a while then loses the pairing and I have to unpair and re-pair - done this about 4 times in the last hour - any ideas?

[skirabbit]

The blue tooth document says I should use the command sudo hidd but i get a response command not known - by the way is there a way to copy and paste in the term? so I do not have to rewrite everything?

[reed9]

For the default terminal in Ubuntu, you can paste with CTRL+SHIFT+V or right click and select paste.

[skirabbit]

I don't seem to have right click options on my mouse

[peteh]

I always have to copy and paste from the Edit entry on Menu Bar

[MikeTbob]

The blue tooth document says I should use the command sudo hidd but i get a response command not known - by the way is there a way to copy and paste in the term? so I do not have to rewrite everything?

Do you have a wheelmouse?
It has a little wheel in the middle of the buttons? Just highlight the text you want with your mouse, place the cursor where you want to paste and then press the wheel button 1 time.