Ubuntu 9.10: Karmic Koala

[wollensak]

ok question from the new guy so I downloaded Ubuntu and got it installed but cant for the life of me get the internet running, I tried to look online and was told to check system. administration and network but still got nothing. I have a DSL modem from Bell, can anyone help?

Ubuntu has detected your wireless card in the laptop and is defaulting to that.

If you want to use the wired connection, click on the Icon on the right hand side of the menu bar - the one that looks like two bllack rectangles. Select the wired connection an you are good to go.

Let us know if that works.

 

[wollensak]

Scary Ubuntu

... Poor Scouser. Let us know what happens to you in the forums. If you read my original thread you know I was interested in getting Ubuntu. I did actually but was afraid to install it. Left it on disk. I checked it out and really like it but... I had a feeling that when I installed it I would be in for all kinds of trouble and not know what the F@#$ was going on. So you installed and lost your Internet? I heard of another who installed and lost his Windows operating system. Turns out if you change the size of the partition containg your operating system you lose it! My feeling from the beginning was that linux is written by techies for techies. Which leaves me out sort to speak. I spent around 10-12 hours over 2 days on the Ubuntu forums and got nowhere really. Could not understand most of the arcane language. I just do not have that kind of time to lose (not wasted because I enjoyed the process and learned). Just wish I could retire and learn this shit. So this leads me to a point : why don't some of you techies write a book/manual which is understandable for guys like me. I know of many people who would get more involved but who won't due to exactly this sort of thing. You could make a fortune!!

You are trying to do this the hard way. Just follow the instructions as you are loading Ubuntu. There are three choices. They are very clear. If you select the side-by-side install
you WILL NOT lose your windows partition. BUT YOU HAVE TO READ THE INSTRUCTIONS, not just mindlessly click.

Did you read my responses in your deleted thread, which has now been restored??
Try Ubuntu on an old P3. Learn by doing.

Most computer purchasers buy their machines with the Operating System already loaded.
If they had to do a Windows install themselves they would realize that installing Windows is 10 times trickier than installing Ubuntu.

Scouser1 did not lose his internet by installing Ubuntu - he has a connectivity problem that I have explained.

If you really want to try Ubuntu and don't want to do it yourself, any computer service guy can install dual boot for you at a nominal cost.

+++ OR +++

GO TO YOUTUBE.COM. Search for Install Ubuntu. I just did. There are a ton of videos there on this very topic!. Click this : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFZtz-aa2Cg

++++ OR ++++

Use the WUBI Installer here: http://wubi-installer.org/

 

[scouser1]

I used the WUBI installer, but if I only checked off the wired connection, wouldnt I lose my wireless abilities elsewhere? Also someone mentioned that Ubuntu feels like its exclusively for progammers, thats exactly the feeling I am getting and almost ready to pull the plug on it and just go back to straight Windows?

 

[WoodPeckr]

I used the WUBI installer, but if I only checked off the wired connection, wouldnt I lose my wireless abilities elsewhere?

No. That will just apply to Ubuntu. It will have no effect on Windows.

Also someone mentioned that Ubuntu feels like its exclusively for progammers, thats exactly the feeling I am getting and almost ready to pull the plug on it and just go back to straight Windows?

Other Linux distros are much more complicated than Ubuntu.
Ubuntu is very simple to use and is the favorite version in many other countries for this reason. Run it off a Live-CD and you will see how simple it really is to use. It's easier than Windows. My 6 year old nephew knows how to use it....

 

[wollensak]

Really?

I used the WUBI installer, but if I only checked off the wired connection, wouldnt I lose my wireless abilities elsewhere? Also someone mentioned that Ubuntu feels like its exclusively for progammers, thats exactly the feeling I am getting and almost ready to pull the plug on it and just go back to straight Windows?

Regardless of your Wubi Install, both Wireless and Wired are available in Ubuntu.
Wubi is just a tool to simplify the Install process.

Ubuntu would have detected your wireless card (because it's a laptop and has a wireless card), and assumed you were going to use it wireless.

If you want to use the Ethernet (wired) connection, you must enable the wired connection on the Ubuntu desktop.

Did you click on the Internet connection Icon on the Ubuntu desktop? Right beside the date. If you have both wired (Ethernet) and wireless cards installed in this laptop, as you suggest, you should see both choices. If you don't, you have a valid problem.


BTW Windows operates exactly the same. You have to explicitly enable one of wired or wireless.

I m assuming that you have used this laptop in Windows both wireless and wired and it works OK.

If you want to believe Ubuntu is hard, and only for programmers, and want to give up, do so. If you don't want to solve the problem, then don't. Ubuntu may not work
for your particular machine. I really doubt it, but could be. Dell is shipping laptops with Ubuntu installed, and I don't think they'd build machines just for a small group of PC programmers, but hey who knows?

If you think solving problems in Windows is easy and user-friendly, dream on in technicolor.

 

[scouser1]

ok just to clarify things up I am using a desktop attached to a Bell modem that has wireless capabilities for others to use in my house, I did manage to get the internet running on Ubuntu like you suggested by clicking off the wireless, now my question is what if someone else in my place is using their laptop on my network, I would have to reclick it right? would I lose my internet connection? also I cant get Flash sites like Youtube and other video sites running even though I downloaded the applications it said it needed to? thanks for your help.

 

[WoodPeckr]

ok just to clarify things up I am using a desktop attached to a Bell modem that has wireless capabilities for others to use in my house, I did manage to get the internet running on Ubuntu like you suggested by clicking off the wireless, now my question is what if someone else in my place is using their laptop on my network, I would have to reclick it right? would I lose my internet connection? .

No.
Others can still use your network which is independent of Ubuntu when you go hardwired.

also I cant get Flash sites like Youtube and other video sites running even though I downloaded the applications it said it needed to? thanks for your help.

Flash is the only bug I had. It's common.
Remedy is easy and found in Ubuntu Forums.
I got the correct code there and put it in Terminal via command line.

Best to go there since the fix depends on your configuration and if you are running a 32 or 64 bit Ubuntu version.

 

[scouser1]

No.
Others can still use your network which is independent of Ubuntu when you go hardwired.




Flash is the only bug I had. It's common.
Remedy is easy and found in Ubuntu Forums.
I got the correct code there and put it in Terminal via command line.

Best to go there since the fix depends on your configuration and if you are running a 32 or 64 bit Ubuntu version.

I downloaded the Opera browser and the flash installation and now have full video on, geez this is a long learning process now I need to figure out how to transfer files from Windows which I have searched but seems complicated again.

 

[WoodPeckr]

... now I need to figure out how to transfer files from Windows which I have searched but seems complicated again.

It's just new to you.
You will find Ubuntu layout is very simple.

Gettting into the Windows partition is easy.
At the top where you see Applications, Places, System; click, Places > Disk

You should see 2 Disks. One for Linux, the other is for Windows.

Just click on them (put in your password if asked) to find the M$ Disk, then you will see all your M$ folders. Just scroll through them for the ones you desire, then double click to open them, etc. When you find what you are looking for in the M$ partition, simply drag & drop it into your Linux partition wherever you desire. Drag & Drop is all it takes to transfer files.

 

[scouser1]

It's just new to you.
You will find Ubuntu layout is very simple.

Gettting into the Windows partition is easy.
At the top where you see Applications, Places, System; click, Places > Disk

You should see 2 Disks. One for Linux, the other is for Windows.

Just click on them (put in your password if asked) to find the M$ Disk, then you will see all your M$ folders. Just scroll through them for the ones you desire, then double click to open them, etc. When you find what you are looking for in the M$ partition, simply drag & drop it into your Linux partition wherever you desire. Drag & Drop is all it takes to transfer files.

I am not seeing anything that says Disk under Places, I tried under computer but nothing came up.

 

[wollensak]

Filesystem

I am not seeing anything that says Disk under Places, I tried under computer but nothing came up.

I think he meant to say "filesystem". I will try this on my dual-boot machine and report back

 

[wollensak]

Windows files in Ubuntu

I think he meant to say "filesystem". I will try this on my dual-boot machine and report back

On my dual boot machine, the disk partitions are shown as 125GB Media, 63GB Media and 2.5GB Media. When I click on them individually, I am asked to supply my password, ad Ubuntu is logging me in as ROOT (Administrator).

When I do so, I see that the 63GB partition is my Windows partition, the 2.5GB is my Ubuntu programs partition, and the 124.5 is my Ubuntu data files partition. (Note that Ubuntu loads in a 2.5GB partition. This includes Open Office, Music and Movie Player etc. Definitely not bloatware!!).

I don't really need to move the Windows files into Ubuntu data. If it is music files for instance, I just open Rythmbox player and click on the Windows music folder. Rythmbox will link to this folder, and build a playlist without maunually moving everything.

I am pretty sure the Movie Player application will do the same.

My son did this on his Ubuntu machine and it worked fine

 

[WoodPeckr]

Just remembered scouser1 used WUBI for install.

We dual booted so it may show files differently for WUBI.

I'm not that familar with WUBI installs since I always dual boot.

The 2 reasons I prefer dual boot are:
1. If Windows crashes you won't be able to run Ubuntu, since Ubuntu is setup as a program inside of Windows.
2. Dual boot gives you the full power and speed of Linux. Your PC will think it has 2 Disk Drives. If Windows crashes you can still run Ubuntu, till you repair Windows. Believe WUBI slows Ubuntu performance down a tad since it runs as a program inside of Windows.

 

[scouser1]

ok after using the search files I found that the entire Windows system is under Computer then file system then host.

 

[WoodPeckr]

Good.
Just drag & drop whatever you want over to Linux.

If you drag an mp3 music file into Ubuntu you will have to get an mp3 plugin if you haven't already, to play mp3 files in Linux.

Ubuntu will tell you this when you try playing an mp3 the first time..
Just follow the prompt and Ubuntu will, search for, then download, then install that plugin for you, then tell you it's ready for use. All automatically. You can just sit back and watch Ubuntu do this.

 

[Anynym]

Ubuntu will tell you this when you try playing an mp3 the first time..
Just follow the prompt and Ubuntu will, search for, then download, then install that plugin for you, then tell you it's ready for use. All automatically. You can just sit back and watch Ubuntu do this.

By way of explanation: Ubuntu (like most Linux distributions) makes a distinction between clearly free software and software which may have intellectual property restrictions. For example, the MP3 algorithm is the intellectual property of a company in Germany. There are encoders which are available for private individual use, but not for commercial use. In order to distance Ubuntu from any discussions on copyright, they provide the capability to download appropriate encoders and decoders should any individual meet the licensing requirements, but without including questionable software in the "core" distribution.

 

[scouser1]

got a bizarre problem now the keyboard and mouse keeps freezing while running Ubuntu, I have tried the discussion forums but that hasnt provided any real answers.

 

[wollensak]

Suggestions

got a bizarre problem now the keyboard and mouse keeps freezing while running Ubuntu, I have tried the discussion forums but that hasnt provided any real answers.

What application are you running? Is it Firefox? Or Opera? I assume you are surfing the web when this happens.

If you close Firefox or Opera, then re-open it, does the problem go away?

Were you prompted to update your software? Is the the "red arrow" showing on your toolbar?
When you update Firefox, you are always prompted to reboot.

I suggest you click on TOOLS, then select "Clear Private Data" and see if this makes a diffference,

I have not used WUBI to install Ubuntu, nor do I use Opera. Could be an Opera issue.

 

[WoodPeckr]

Opera 10 has some minor bugs on 64 bit Ubuntu 9.04

Opera 10 has less problems on my 12 yr old PC with 32 bit Ubuntu 9.04.

Never had any problem with Firefox but just prefer Opera.

 

[scouser1]

The problem is happening on Opera which is the one I prefer, Firefox has stopped working completely and like you I am using 9.04 32 bit Ubuntu.