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[Jay Macartney]

 

-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Joerg Reinhardt
Sent: Sunday, February 20, 2000 1:06 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [newbie] Help!

Joerg Reinhardt wrote:

Dear Mandrake team,
I am new in using any operation systems. I´ve been a Computer freak in the late 80's and early 90's. I' ve had the C-64, an Atari later and an 486'er later on, wich wos running on DOS. When Windowns came, I did gave up to keep on the development. Now I've got an Pentium I, running on Powerlinux 6.2.
I still do understand how Hardware works, and how it's connectet together. I do also understand how most of the Software works generally, what the OS does, how any applikations are working, or how a Browser works... I know what files and Directorys are, what a harddisk-partition is and so on, but what I completely don't understand is, how Software is connectet together.
In DOS times, you had one program running, wich was using the DOS to use the several Devices.
Now you have Applications wich belongs to an desktopmanager uses graphik Support by the Window-Manager, wich uses the Linux in some way....?
I think my problem is clear now: I know, what each program itself does, but I neighter know to what other Parts of the whole Software it is connectet to, nor where to find it on my harddisk, in wich direktory.
The problems wich result from that, are for instance: I loaded down a realplayer  from the Net, installed it with RPM, found the main Part of it in /usr/bin, and other Parts of it in many other directorys, but what ever I "click" to, nothing works. I had the same problem with other downloads, either tar.gzip, or RPM likes. Propably it's just something very simple I did wrong, I might setup the files in the wrong direktory, or I've got to "tell" some part of the Application I want to install,or the OS itself, that I installed something new, but how to????
I'm able to tell my 95'er BIOS what a 13,6 GB harddisk is, by using an ontrak-diskmanager and updating my BIOS, but I'm obviously not able to print anything on my 9-Pin Printer(exept the test page). I'm absolutely frustratet, cause there seems to be no basic users manual, wich contains an "anatomie" of Linux, to see wich is connectet to what, and to specifie an error. All help suggestions are like "have you got the plug in?", or "if the x-345gtrz devive is linked to /&usr..... etc.", either for idiots or experts, but I'm neighter dump nor an expert, so what to do?
Any suggestions how to learn Linux from first Step, without having to re-learn where the power switch of my device is? To understand how the System is working and to have the possibility to administrate myself, was the mainreason to decide for Linux instead of Windos, but first I need to understand, so

if there is anyone able to help me in a general way, please send an e-mail to

[EMAIL PROTECTED]

thanks!

Joerg Reinhardt