The great AT Linux/BSD/*NIX FAQ project!

[IcemanJer]

Originally posted by: BML
Any word on Nvidia drivers for Redhat 8.0
Ive installed 7.3 with no hitchs but 8.0 dosent seem to like them.

Lets keep this bad boy to the top!

Well, I decided to not do the FAQ for RedHat 7.3 and nForce since the nvidia video driver release notes is VERY extensive, and you can also find info about the nForce core drivers in the README that comes with the driver package from nVidia.

Installing RedHat 8.0, however, is another issue. The GLX and kernel patch will work since you don't have to use the RPMs and can just install everything from the tarballed source files or sRPMs, given you have the kernel headers and gcc installed. The driver for the integrated audio of nForce works fairly well too since you just compile the module from scratch using the i810_audio module as the base.

The integrated LAN driver module is another story. The problem here is that when you compile the module for nvnet.o (the ethernet driver module), you compile the C source file given in the tarball, and a pre-compiled nvnetlib.o library module which nVidia compiled and included in the tarball. The library module is compiled with gcc 2.x, while the RedHat 8.0 kernel is compiled with gcc 3.x, and therefore the module won't work when you try to insert it into the kernel. And I can't find any public source of the nvnetlib.c source file so I can recompile it with gcc 3.x so it'll work with the RH8 kernel.

Anyways, that's where we stand. I've asked nVidia about this. So until nVidia release a gcc 3.x precompiled version of the nvnet.o module, those of us using nForce motherboards either have to stick with RH7.3, or use another PCI ethernet card to go online.

Cheers,
~Iceman

 

[IcemanJer]

up. again. re-sticky.

 

[Electrode]

up

 

[IcemanJer]

Re: RedHat 8.0 on nForce motherboards.

nVidia has just released version 1.0-0246 core platform drivers for the nForce motherboards, with added support for RedHat 8.0 and Mandrake 9. Basically what that means is that the modules are compiled with a later version of gcc than what they had used to compile the earlier nForce driver releases. You can get it here.

Note 0: The RPM binary installation is now available for RH8 with the base kernel version 2.4.18_14. If you have updated your kernel significantly (ie. with patches from kernel.org) then you should use the RPM for 2.4.18_17.

Note 1: I don't know what's up with the Source RPMs and the GZipped tarballs. Originally I just wanted to use the source files and compile the modules myself, but I wasn't able to install the SRPMs properly. And then when I tried using the tarballs, it looks like a few files were missing from the 'nforce/nvnet/' directory (one file gcc complained about was 'os.h') and the only file in the 'nforce/nvaudio' directory is the Makefile, and nothing else. My assumption is that the new tar file only contain the updated files... so you might still have to download nforce driver version 1.0-0261 and then patch it with the 1.0-0246. I didn't try this personally because I got fed up trying to figure out the nvnet.c and Makefile, and I just went and install the RPM instead.

But in any case, once you've installed the drivers, make sure you have the following lines in your /etc/modules.conf file:

alias usb-controller usb-ohci
alias char-major-195 NVdriver
alias eth0 nvnet
alias sound-slot-1 i810_audio

If KDE or Gnome hangs when it starts, try using 'alias sound-slot-1 nvaudio' instead.

 

[spyordie007]

Yeah, what happened to the sticky on this thread?

 

[Electrode]

bump

I am thinking of making a Linux/Windows dual boot FAQ that uses LILO instead of the WinNT boot loader. Any interest?

 

[BML]

Hello,

I have to configure a box running RH 7.3 to run Dual Pentium 3 800's. Ive done a little research on the net but cant come up with much help. I am still currently looking so please noone slam for not trying. I just figured maybe one of my fine ANANDTECH friends could maybe get me there pretty easy.

I posted about Nvidia video drivers for RH 8.0 and I followed the the Nvidia fact for 7.3 and it worked like a charm but my question was for RH 8.0 because the drivers fact on the website dont seem to support 8.0.

Thanx for the ISO mounting fact. No more digging for those skratched up iso images on my desk.

 

[Electrode]

meh, I'm doing it anyway.

Dual booting Windows and Linux using LILOThere is a FAQ that describes how to dual-boot Windows NT and Linux using the Windows NT bootloader, but what if you want to use LILO as the main bootloader? This FAQ will tell you how to do that. Note that throughout this FAQ, I'll be using the term "Windows NT" to describe all releases of Windows based on the WinNT kernel. That includes Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

The first part of this FAQ will tell you how to dual boot Linux and WinNT using a single hard drive. This is a fairly simple configuration, and is also the most common. The second part will describe something a little more complex: running Linux and Windows NT on seperate hard drives that both believe they are installed on the primary master IDE drive. This is useful if you've been dual-booting by swapping out hard drives to switch between Linux and NT, as I once did.


Example 1: WinNT and Linux on one hard drive

This is the most common configuration, and is fairly easy to set up. In fact, if you install Windows NT first, most Linux distros will detect it and set up a dual boot automaticly. However, if you install Linux first and NT second, you will need to do it manually. Here's how to do that:

1. Establish your partitions. I recommend this allotment, in this order:

48% of drive: Linux OS partition
1.5x physical RAM: Linux swap space partition
Whatever is left: Windows NT OS partition

2. Install Linux. When asked, install LILO in the MBR. I don't think Windows NT will trash the MBR when a bootloader exists there, but make a boot disk just in case!
3. Install Windows NT. If it doesn't wreck LILO, you will end up back in Linux after the text-mode install finishes. Otherwise, complete the install and then use your boot disk to get back to Linux.
4. Once you are in Linux, open up /etc/lilo.conf in your favorite text editor, and add this to the bottom, below the image= stanzas.

other=/dev/hda3
label=WindowsNT

The other= line tells LILO that it's booting an "other" (not DOS, not Linux) OS that is able to boot itself. The /dev/hda3 part tells it what partition to try to boot. If you used the partition example I suggested above, and you're doing this with the Primary Master IDE drive, then /dev/hda3 will be correct. The label= entry can be anything, but you cannot use spaces.

5. Save the file.
6. Run /sbin/lilo -L

The -L switch tells LILO to use LBA32 mode. Unless you have a <2GB hard drive, you will need this switch. If all is well, you'll see some "Adding" lines, then the prompt will return. One will have a * after it, that is the default entry. Now you may reboot, and Windows will be an option in the LILO menu. You are done!


Example 2: WinNT and Linux on seperate hard drives

This part of the FAQ is based on a guide from Frankenlinux.

What if you want to have Windows NT and Linux on seperate hard drives? Previously, you either had to give WinNT the primary hard drive, or swap out the hard drives to switch OSes. If you've been taking the swap approach, here's how to use LILO to make sense of it:

1. Jumper the Linux hard drive to be the master, and the NT drive to be the slave.
2. Hook them both up to the primary IDE channel.
3. Boot. You will get LILO and end up in Linux.
4. Open up /etc/lilo.conf, and add this to the end of the file:

other=/dev/hdb1
label=WindowsNT
table=/dev/hdb
map-drive = 0x80
to = 0x81
map-drive = 0x81
to = 0x80

Here's the line-by-line explanation:

other=/dev/hdb1: Tells LILO to boot an OS from the first partition on the primary slave drive.
label=WindowsNT: Tells LILO what this OS should be called.
table=/dev/hdb: Tells LILO to use the partition table from the primary slave drive.
map-drive = 0x80 / to = 0x81: Tells LILO to remap device 80 (primary master IDE drive) to 81 (primary slave).
map-drive = 0x81 / to = 0x80: Same as above, but in reverse.

5. Save the file.
6. /sbin/lilo -L

Reboot, and Windows will be a boot option. If you choose it, LILO will trick it into thinking it is on the Primary Master drive, when in fact it is on the Primary Slave.

As usual, I hope this FAQ has been informative.

 

[Electrode]

Originally posted by: BML
I posted about Nvidia video drivers for RH 8.0 and I followed the the Nvidia fact for 7.3 and it worked like a charm but my question was for RH 8.0 because the drivers fact on the website dont seem to support 8.0.

Use the tarballs.

 

[IcemanJer]

Originally posted by: BML
I have to configure a box running RH 7.3 to run Dual Pentium 3 800's. Ive done a little research on the net but cant come up with much help. I am still currently looking so please noone slam for not trying. I just figured maybe one of my fine ANANDTECH friends could maybe get me there pretty easy.

What sort of thing exactly are you looking for? Like how to enable SMP support in RH or something?

 

[BML]

Electrode
Thanx ill try that this weekend thanx.

And yes Im looking to enable SMP support for RH 7.3

 

[Poontos]

Great so far guys!


Here's a few:

1.) How to fix/repair/redo a dual/triple boot of Win2K or XP (using NTFS) and FreeBSD or Linux

HD layout: C:\Win2K - Unix or Linux - Free Space.

-While not damaging the Win2K install


2.) How to install:

-Mozilla to be utilized by KDE & Gnome (avoid using /stand/sysinstall) on FreeBSD (or Linux, pref. F-bsd )?

-After installing an application via a port, how do you cleanly utilize it in X (w/ KDE or Gnome, or Blackbox, etc.)?


3.) How to back up your X envrionment settings, KDE, etc.

-Scenario: Your install is trashed and you had lots of cool customizations

A.) Backup your XFree86Config obviously.
B.) What about all the apps you had installed? Re-install them and re-set them up to be utilized in your x desktop?


4.) How to upgrade applications with and without portupgrade.

-Scenario: A new version of one of your favourite apps comes out (Mozilla) or Konqourer has a patch out for example.

A) How to update it and keep it in your same envrionment without fubaring it?

B) If via portupgrade, what switches would you recommend?


5.) How to run XFree86 under FreeBSD (or any OS if the setup is the same) via a non-root account? (Yes I know xwrapper, but how about a nice tutorial)

I wish to compile these into an indexed FAQ with the respective authors permissions.

Cheers

 

[IcemanJer]

Originally posted by: BML
And yes Im looking to enable SMP support for RH 7.3

I know for the very least you have to use the Linux Kernel Config (KDE has a GUI front end for it), and enable or disable a few options in there (flags to tell the kernel Makefile what to compile). The Config utility should be in the Preferences-->System group in the KMenu, or you can launch 'kcmshell kde-linuz' from your CLI.

 

[hobgadling]

I figured since everyone else did FAQs about their favorite distobution's upgrade/install tool, I'd put my 2 cents in about urpmi

Urpmi FAQ

urpmi is the Mandrake install/update tool. It can install official packages from the Mandrake ftp sites, both updates and cooker (unstable), the installation cds, or unofficial sites (PLF). It checks dependencies, ending rpm dependency hell for Mandrake users. It will even check the gpg signatures on the packages automatically.

Setup-
urpmi.addmedia name ftp://mandrake.ftp.site/path/to/rpms with relative/path/to/hdlist
This will add the site at that url to the database of places to get rpms from. On the official ftp sites the path to the hdlist (a compressed list of rpms and their dependencies) is ../base/hdlist.cz.

urpmi.removemedia name
This will remove the media named name from places to look for rpms.

Usage-
urpmi.update name
This will look at the media named name for a new hdlist and download it if it is different from the one stored on your hard drive.

urpmi.update -a
This will update all the media that are not cdroms.

urpmi package name
This will look through the hdlists stored for a package named package name. If it cant find an exact match, it will look for all packages with that as a regular expression in them and output the list of those packages.

urpmi --auto-select
This will look to see what packages you have installed, and look through the hdlists for updates to those packages. If you dont want to be asked if it is okay to continue after getting a list of updates, use the --auto switch with that.

There's lots more options on the man pages, the install cdroms are automatically included when you install, and there are some gui programs that have the same functionality, but not the same flexibility.

--Hob

 

[BML]

Redhat 7.3 supports SMP from any new install. It gives you an option in Grub or Lilo to select the smp kernel. As for configuring it from a pre installed system i have no idea.

 

[MainFramed]

how do you delete cookies in red hat linux 7.3?

 

[Electrode]

Originally posted by: here4amission
how do you delete cookies in red hat linux 7.3?

Depends on what browser you are using.

Mozilla: Edit > Preferences > Privacy and Security > Cookies > Edit stored cookies
Konqueror: Settings > Configure Konqueror > Cookies > Manage
Netscape: ~/.netscape/cookies.txt

 

[MainFramed]

Originally posted by: Electrode

Originally posted by: here4amission
how do you delete cookies in red hat linux 7.3?

Depends on what browser you are using.

Mozilla: Edit > Preferences > Privacy and Security > Cookies > Edit stored cookies
Konqueror: Settings > Configure Konqueror > Cookies > Manage
Netscape: ~/.netscape/cookies.txt

thank you very much

 

[n0cmonkey]

In an effort to work on a "What Linux should I choose?" type of FAQ, Ill post what Ive been quoting the a few threads lately. Any addititions you would like to see can be pmed to me or added to the thread (pms keep the thread length down a bit, but if you watn to up the post count, feel free ). More information on packaging systems would be great. Ill work on something for Free/Net/OpenBSD if I get a chance or motivation.

Knoppix and the SuSE live eval cd are ways to see linux from a distance. They are run off of cdrom so no tough installation is necessary. Of course, you do not get a real feel for the system, but if you stilll arent sure you really want to try, this is probably the way to go.

Choices like RedHat, Mandrake, and SuSE are generally what you hear given to newbies looking to dip their toes in the water. These three companies are breaking new ground in usability on the linux front. They each have utilities to help install software and maintain older software. Their gui tools are typically installed on only their systems, so moving to another distribution after using one of these may be sort of a culture shock, especially if you choose one of the other distros I mention. These distros also generally go with bleeding edge, or damn close to it, software. They are also known to modify the default kernels a bit, but its typically not a problem. If you want to use it without necessarily learning much, this is the way to go.

Debian, Gentoo, and Slackware are a different breed:
Slackware wants to be the most "unix-like" and may be tough for some newbies. I personally liked Slackware 7 better than the current RedHat (at the time) because it was tough. I got to do things by hand instead of letting a system that may fail handle them for me. It taught me a lot by forcing me to do things.
Debian is for the GPL nut (yes, I say that just to annoy Nothinman ). Debian has a confusing install, if you dont read the instructions. It forces you, like Slackware, to do the work yourself. However, unlike Slackware, Debian has one of the most advancned software installation systems out there, for *any* OS. Using simple front-ends you can select from thousands of software packages, have the software download that package and any dependencies it may have, and install them for you. Typically this is a pain-free procedure. It can also update the base system and all packagess you have installed.

I will take a break for a second before going on to Gentoo to make a quick note abotu both Debian and Slackware. Both of these ditributions are fairly serious. If you want to learn the nitty gritty, this is the way to go. A nice mix of pre-built system, with dependancy on knwoledge. Both distros are a bit behind, but security fixes have been back-ported. They are very stable (even their unstable branches are pretty much production ready).

And on to Gentoo. I have not used this distro yet, but I have heard good things about it. It requires software to be compiled locally (and most of the system from what Im told) using their "emerge" system (similar to BSD ports). It is supposed to be fast (unless you are waiting for software to compile ) and fairly stable. They do however, have some fairly bleeding edge software. It sounds like a mix between the Debian/Slack camp and RH/Mandrake/SuSE camp.

 

[Electrode]

We've all been waiting for a "which distro to use" entry. Now at least we have the beginnings of one.

I'd like to see a bullet-point style list of pros and cons for each distro, if such a thing is possible.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: Electrode
We've all been waiting for a "which distro to use" entry. Now at least we have the beginnings of one.

I'd like to see a bullet-point style list of pros and cons for each distro, if such a thing is possible.

Its quite possible, but Im probably not the person to be doing it. I really havent used Linux much lately and have limited experience as far as all of the different distros. I tried to make what I wrote earlier as unbiased as possible, but coming up with something better from me might not be possible on this topic. If any of the users of a particular distro would like to make some bullet points for their distro, please pm them to me and/or post them. Other users of that distro should get a chance to agree or disagree with the points (pros and cons please!).

 

[RedBeard0531]

I'd like to vote for gentoo!

easiest software install:
emerge -p kde
emerge kde

Dependencies are taken care of AUTOMATICLY, without the need to manualy d/l anything. Once up and running be sure to emerge kportage to get a REALY nice front-end.

if you want a fast install use 1.2
if you want a fast system use 1.4

the only differance is in the version of gcc; all other prog are the same.

one more thing, be sure you are ready to compile your youn kernel b4 you install as this must be done.

 

[gizbug]

Sounds good to me

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: RedBeard0531
I'd like to vote for gentoo!

easiest software install:
emerge -p kde
emerge kde

Dependencies are taken care of AUTOMATICLY, without the need to manualy d/l anything. Once up and running be sure to emerge kportage to get a REALY nice front-end.

if you want a fast install use 1.2
if you want a fast system use 1.4

the only differance is in the version of gcc; all other prog are the same.

one more thing, be sure you are ready to compile your youn kernel b4 you install as this must be done.

Debian's apt, Mandrake's urpmi(?), and BSD ports all take care of dependancies when installing software.

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey

Originally posted by: Electrode
We've all been waiting for a "which distro to use" entry. Now at least we have the beginnings of one.

I'd like to see a bullet-point style list of pros and cons for each distro, if such a thing is possible.

Its quite possible, but Im probably not the person to be doing it. I really havent used Linux much lately and have limited experience as far as all of the different distros. I tried to make what I wrote earlier as unbiased as possible, but coming up with something better from me might not be possible on this topic. If any of the users of a particular distro would like to make some bullet points for their distro, please pm them to me and/or post them. Other users of that distro should get a chance to agree or disagree with the points (pros and cons please!).

debian:

pros:
package management
small size
software stability/quality
large community
portability

cons:
installer
interface & user setup can be rough around the edges
out of date software (esp. kde & gnome)
very cli based (cant say i would call that a con but many people like gui tools)
confusing for beginners or windows converts