I'm using Knoppix for some troubleshooting on my 3d card.

Can someone explain to me exactly what nVidia is talking about here?

(Particularily under step 3. I finally figured out how to navigate there using Konsole, and run the command. Then it said something like "<file> must be run in root." So I think "Oh, they mean a root session" so I open a new root session. It asks for a password. Won't give any indication if I type anything in. Except when I hit the Enter key, the cursor moves down a line, and a couple seconds later, it terminates the session.

Soo, anyway. I don't even know if Im doing the right thing. Can someone give me basic, step by step instructions for someone who's a complete noob with Linux.

are you running off a hard drive or a plastic disc?

Open a regular session.

Type: sudo passwd

Set a password for yourself as instructed.

Re-run the root session thinger and use your new password.

Thank you, CM. You're awesome. i'll try that tonight. So I am on the right track though, right?

Close, except that the nVidia installer complains if you are running an X session. Doing this on Knoppix is rather odd -- is it live off the CD or did you install it to the hard drive?

live cd. Just want to get the drivers installed, see how the card runs, then be done.

Also, since you're here, gbk. I'm interested in setting up a dual-boot system to some version of linux on a second hard drive. any reccomendations on what I should use and how to go about that? (again keeping in mind that I'm completely noobish about linux)

Since you have only worked with KDE, Kubuntu would be perfect for you. I have a feeling that these guys would recommend it as well. A lot of these issues you are having are very simplified in Kubuntu, and there is a huge user-base that is willing to help out. The Ubuntu distributions are very easy to learn with. (compared to other distributions at least)

Or should we have him set up Gentoo or Slackware, guys?

Kubuntu is nice.

crux.nu

or ubuntu and it's ilk; though, while only somewhat more automated, they are also massively more slow, bloated, and limited. I would rather use windows

and, gentoo, slackware, debian et al are nightmares

if you ever take up coding or serving get netbsd and plan9 (don't expect opengl)

Hey, Mistic0 is back! But I have a feeling that Sarn isn't looking for any OS that he has to compile himself. Crux does look pretty nice, from what I'm reading, but I prefer something like or based on Debian.

no compiling necessarily involved. Though you might want to figure out how linux does stuff before you try it, so you are able to set up grub, configure the kernel, figure out dependencies, set up scripts and configs, etc. But honestly, the instructions on the site probobly are enough to do all this

maybe play around with debian to get yourself familiar? Just make sure to step back if you find your self fiddling too much... you don't want to end up like a gentoo user -- *shudder*

Stimmt

use windows u n00bs, lol

I laughed.

How exacty is debian/gentoo/ubuntu nightmares? They're streamlined, well-configured, and slick. Gentoo may require a bit of time and effort, but ubuntu is far from bloated. Debian is even less so than Ubuntu.

If he wanted some stupidly fast no-features designed-for-486 OS, then he could just get debian and install fluxbox or something.

I also don't see any advantage of Crux over Gentoo.

I've done this before.

Ubuntu makes a very nice dual-boot system, or Kubuntu if you like KDE. The Ubuntu installer has always managed to configure grub correctly in every version I've used.

Just put in a second drive (set it to slave if it's ide) and the installer should be able to find it. (your windows drive would probably be hda, and your new drive would probably be hdb)

hmm... ubuntu takes several times longer to boot than windows xp, and the last time i tried it, it didn't even successfully boot on some of my machines out of the box. The whole thing feels like a giant botch



debian actually seems pretty good to me; i recommend it



frankly, i am enamored by crux because it's simplicity eliminates SO many problems i encounter in gentoo, where i find myself endlessly fiddling

by all means go for debian. Though, frankly, crux is so simple that you'd do well to go for it as soon as possible, seeing as how much flexibility it's generallity affords

I can testify that Ubuntu loads quicker than when I had Windows.

I can also see that it uses less services.

oops, maybe that was because i was running off the cd

how sloppy of me

Yeah, that's why it's the most popular desktop distro out there, because it doesn't work and is slow.

It has the best hardware support of pretty much any distro out there, and it boost fast enough. Is it super-omg-zergling-rush fast? No, but then again, Windows sure as hell isn't either. I find ubuntu to be comparable or even faster, especially on slower systems.



I don't find source-based distributions to be easy to work with, and as their own site says, it's for experienced linux users.

Besides, Ubuntu (and thus debian) holds a lot of flexibility also. Don't like all the software it comes with? Just uninstall it. It won't leave crap behind like windows programs do, so there's no downside. Don't like the window manager? Chose a different one.

The best part of Ubuntu is how they are adding support for what is generally considered "pain in the ***" hardware, such as wireless, and video drivers. Two clicks, a reboot, and your wireless is working and you have full hardware acceleration.

That's something I've yet to see any other distro do.

Well, the nVidia installer wants to run without X running, which is kind of a problem with the live knoppix (it shuts down after X closes). I would install it (or debian) somewhere to a spare hard drive so you can safely kill X and install the driver.


Yeah, another computer. Dual-booting, by its very nature, forces you to use either one OS or the other. You will find yourself using the one you are more familiar with more often than not, since the hassle of rebooting to use something else won't seem worth it. By installing it on a seperate system you remove that obstacle, and are free to use both operating systems at the same time.





Yeah, thats really what you want to give to the n00bs. Scare them off early so they won't be back later to bug you with annoying questions, right?

i don't know why you insist on using the phrase 'source-based'... it's quite easy to install and run crux in half an hour without touching any build scripts, with the exception of maybe the kernel



well then, the best of luck to mr shutteworth. But as it stands, i prefer windows xp, easily

(come on, reactos!)



at least i'll understand the questions! Troubleshooting gentoo is a nightmare...