While I'm awaiting my Kubuntu discs...

[Unspoken]

I need some information so that I will still be able to use most of my stuff.


First off, I need to know the process/coding and the steps to turn my winmodem into a linmodem. It's a Conexant D850 56K V.90 DFVc Modem. The stuff I found on the Ubuntu help site (back when I had Ubuntu) just didn't click with me. Simplified, plzkthx?

Secondly, I need to know if my ISP is compatible with Linux. I use NetZero currently, but I may be moving up to Insight Broadband (please, let it be true). I'm going to check the NetZero site again, but I don't think I found anything about it. Also, for some reason, they've jacked their internet so that you have to use their software instead of being able to make a new connection on Windows.

Third, and finally, I have a Dell 810 All-in-One Printer, connected via USB. Has Dell started to upload Linux drivers, or do I need to find a new source for it?

If I have any further questions, I'll be back.

[Garfunkel]

Is the modem wireless? If it is you should be able to use ndiswrapper to install the drivers for it, i suggest searching for it on ubuntu forums.

Your ISP should "support" linux, why wouldn't they? if they didn't that would be verging on illegal, especially when they themselves would use it on their servers...There is no real way they can go "sorry, no linux is allowed!".

The dell printer should work automatically, dell hardware usually doesn't have much of a problem with linux, especially now that they sell computers with ubuntu and have done so with red hat enterprise for years.

[kaphwan]

I'm browsing e-mpire on my disk-booted Kubuntu disk. I love it, it feels so sterile and clean and the internet works so quickly.

Now here I am, installing stuff. I get to the fourth step. Partitioning, bam bum buuuump. Tell me all about this. Kubuntu.com says I should back up all of my data prior to doing any partitioning and I'm scared stiff. Do I need to buy a bunch of DVD-R's and back alla ma shit up?

The two options besides "Manual", which caused me to shit myself and burst into tears at my lack of useful computer knowledge, were "use all of the hard drive" and some rewording of "use some of the hard drive" that I forget. My aim,at the moment, is to have dual OS's, or in other words being able to use this but also switching back to Windows when I feel like playing computer games.

Also, it hates my mouse for some reason. Touchpad is apparently fine though. Gofigure.

[Garfunkel]

hahhahahahah you're such a dick kaphwan. Go cry in the corner or something.

Anyway, seriously for a minute, nice that you've taken the big step. To have dual OS's so that you can choose which one at start up you have to "partition" your HDD to make room for kubuntu.

OK, step by step so your puny mind don't get no confusded.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO BACKUP IF YOU LISTEN TO ME VERY VERY CAREFULLY!

boot into windows and defragment your drive, this will place all your data towards the front of the drive, this will make it so that when you make room for kubuntu the partitioner will not destroy any windows data. Then after you are finished come back here while you are on the kubuntu disc.

[kaphwan]

I still see me backing up University work. I trust you completely, but my need to not die makes me irrational about it. Where can I get the drivers for my mouse, which worked at first but then when I unplugged it when moving laptop, it wouldn't work anymore?

My touchpad keeps reading a prolonged finger touch as a double-click, and it's getting really annoying. Also, how can I turn down sensitivity or something?

[Garfunkel]

some mice don't like being removed and put back without restarting, so try that, optionally, try pressing ctrl+alt+backspace to restart X.org and see if that fixes your mouse.

I can't help with your second problem, your third one should be fixable by going to settings and configuring your mouse. Have you defraged yet? backup really important files to a cd or something first if you want.

[Teh Roxor!]

Let me just say that backups are always a good idea no matter what you're doing. If the thought of losing what's on your hard drive scares the shit out of you and you don't have a backup, you have a problem. If you can, get a large external hard drive or something.

[kaphwan]

I've got two harddrives. The smaller one isn't the one windows is on. So therefore, I'm going to put my brother's shitty Scrubs, Prison Break, etc on DVD's totally clear that hard drive entirely and make it Linux.

Does this sound kosher?

[Garfunkel]

Yep, but there is really only danger, there is more of a danger of being in a horrible meteor collision with the blood and the dying and pain oh it hurts!

the partitioner ubuntu uses is smart enough to know if resizing your windows partition will destroy it or not. Unfortunately they don't use Gparted anymore (I LOVE gparted so much!) but the one they have isn't that bad. But resizing a windows partition and adding and adding an ext3 partition is easy even while asleep with your hands tied behind your back.

EDIT: yes, kaph that is kosher. That way you won't have to touch the other drive, are you sure that everything on the smaller HDD can be erased? Ubuntu will mount both drives and allow you to partition one of them to install ubuntu on, and mount the other one so that you can access your windows files within linux.

[Unspoken]

My modem isn't wireless. It's an internal modem for dial-up, which requires the conversion to a linmodem. I do not get the process of doing so (Linux is still very new to me). Even the help on the Ubuntu forums wasn't much. I came out more confused than I was before.


Also, I guess NetZero has something called "Linspire" (at least, that's what it sounds like on the site) that will let me use their ISP, so that shouldn't be a problem.

[Garfunkel]

linspire is another distro you dummy! :) it's a commercial distro. As for your dial-up modem, i can't help you, i've never dealt with dial-ups before, all i know is that you have to set up pppe

[Unspoken]

... Well fuck, then.

Guess I'll have to go without dial-up, then?

[Teh Roxor!]

Nah, as long as it's not a winmodem it should be easy.

[Garfunkel]

that's exactly the problem...

[Teh Roxor!]

Oh, well a friend of mine got his winmodem working. It can be done. I'll ask him.

[Khaos]

Unspoken, I just got my Kubuntu discs today haha. Just to pass around to potential Linux users...

A) Making a modem work, especially a WinModem, will be a toughie. If you can, just wait until you get that broadband; it's basically "plug-and-play" with broadband usually.

B) Yeah, NetZero has their own software they use to manage the dialup connection. I am not sure at all if they have a Linux version or a way you can configure it manually. You said they mentioned Linspire, another Linux distribution (also a horrible one), so they might have instructions for use on Linspire that can be adapted to work on Kubuntu.

C) I looked up that printer:
As noted for the Dell AIO 944, none of the Dell/Lexmark Multifunction/All-In-One printers will work under Linux due to them being Host-based printers (offloading processing to the OS, much like Winmodems), which make them cheaper by not requiring a powerful processor in the printer. Along with their use of proprietary print data streams, that makes them difficult to support without official drivers, which are Windows-only.
IBM has a technical description of the problem here:
http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=nas17997c91965ada7fc86256d43005680 a0 Dell's site lists only Windows drivers... Windows having a monopoly on the OS market sucks, eh?

Kaphwan, I can boot into Kubuntu and look exactly how to install onto your second hard drive instead of the first one. I'll talk to ya on MSN or something. Since you won't even be touching your first hard drive (except to load the boot loader that lets you choose which OS to load), a backup probably won't be necessary, but still a good idea if that one in a billion chance "scares you shitless". ;-] Regarding the mouse sensitivity, I am pretty sure it is in the Control Center (or it's equivalent on Kubuntu) somewhere...

[Garfunkel]

under ubuntu (not so sure of kubuntu) you can add new printers, there is a huge list of HP printers and i'm sure that one would be on there.

[Khaos]

This is a Dell printer, Garf, haha. If you want to see the status of your printer's working with Linux, go here: http://www.openprinting.org/printer_list.cgi

[Garfunkel]

wow, honest mistake.

[Unspoken]

I really need to get my other drive back to working order for Linux. :( I need a bit more space on it, and then I should be able to install Kubuntu on that one.

[Garfunkel]

if you have space on your current drive, you can partition it and dual-boot on the same HDD.