Re: [newbie] Getting the basics going
The best and easiest (it's entirely graphical!) way to give user access to a burner, IMHO, is to use userdrake to add your user to the cdwriter group. As for burning software, have your tried X-CD-Roast? Burning software in GNU/Linux is currently designed for functionality rather than for user-friendliness. Once you're used to them (it shouldn't take long), they are very quick and easy to use. Apps like Roxio's Easy CD Creator may be easy for newbies, but they are also huge, bloated apps (Easy CD Creator 4 is about 70MB) that are actually _less_ functional than their nimble (Gcombust is about 700KB) *nix counterparts. For example, my Iomega ZipCD drive (32x read, 8x write, 4x rewrite) can burn at a maximum of 2x in Windos 98 and 2000 using both Easy CD Creator (which came with the drive) and Nero 5. In GNU/Linux, using frontends to cdrecord like Gcombust, X-CD-Roast and Gtoaster, I can burn at a full 8x without errors. On Tue, 24 Jul 2001 17:18, Michael Spivak wrote: Hi I had exactly the same problem, untill i discovered something nice : To use the CDR/W you should have root permissions !! To avoid it you should do next steps : 1. Open the LinuxConf as root and go to the Users menu 2. Make yourself a part of a 'Root' group (and not yours as by default) 3. Open the console, su, then go to /usr/bin 4. Type : chmod 775 cdrecord, then chmod 775 cdda2wav 5. Open the GToaster, go to the configuration and scan the bus Voualla - you see your CDR Then, you should go and play with the application to see what options are necessery for you, but be sure you check the 'Lock CD' - i never success to burn any CD without locking it. This what helped me, and i hope it will help you too *** Michael Spivak *** -Original Message- From: John Rigby [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2001 8:04 AM To: Paul; Newbie Subject: Re: [newbie] Getting the basics going On Tue, 24 Jul 2001 15:44, you manipulated electrons to produce: 3. Cannot figure out how to operate CDRW Writer! ( M8 knows it's there, but I'm only allowed one CD - I have 2, both identified) Hi John, Linux treats CD-writers as SCSI devices. Since most modern CD-RW's are IDE, there's some work to be done. (MDK 8 did it all by itself for me though.) Hi Paul, Thanks 4 the help! As I said though, M8 knows they are there, I can even access either one - PROVIDED I delete the other off the desktop first. It simply will not allow two cdroms on the desktop at once. ( Remember I am gui-oriented) The other point was that there are two supplied CD burner progs: Gcombust and Gtoaster from initial install. Both are less than intuitive!! I came from good ol' EasyCD point and click! No average user would have a hope with either of them. I'm looking for a more friendly one. -- Sridhar Dhanapalan. There are two major products that come from Berkeley: LSD and UNIX. We don't believe this to be a coincidence. -- Jeremy S. Anderson
Re: [newbie] Getting the basics going
Here's the text from a Civileme post last month: -- quote -- SCSI Emulation is in two parts--first a message to the kernel to tell it to assume emulation is done Second is a modprobe of scsi and a link to the appropriate SCSI device The first part is simple in /etc/lilo.conf or in drakboot (Control Center Boot Config) make sure you have this in the append hdc=ide-scsi if for example it is hdc. Now in /dev you need to do the following cd /dev rm cdrom2 ln -s scd0 cdrom2 if, for example, the /etc/fstab entry uses /dev/cdrom2 for your CDRW. Finally somewhere you need a modprobe ide-scsi It can be dropped int the next to last line of /etc/rc.local (an extra one won't hurt if your system is already doing one) It is a little known fact that ordinaty plain vanilla CDROMs can also be scsi-emulated in the same manner. Our tests over the past 5 months show this works just as well as the dual structure we now support. -- /quote -- On Tue, 24 Jul 2001 16:03, John Rigby wrote: On Tue, 24 Jul 2001 15:44, you manipulated electrons to produce: 3. Cannot figure out how to operate CDRW Writer! ( M8 knows it's there, but I'm only allowed one CD - I have 2, both identified) Hi John, Linux treats CD-writers as SCSI devices. Since most modern CD-RW's are IDE, there's some work to be done. (MDK 8 did it all by itself for me though.) Hi Paul, Thanks 4 the help! As I said though, M8 knows they are there, I can even access either one - PROVIDED I delete the other off the desktop first. It simply will not allow two cdroms on the desktop at once. ( Remember I am gui-oriented) The other point was that there are two supplied CD burner progs: Gcombust and Gtoaster from initial install. Both are less than intuitive!! I came from good ol' EasyCD point and click! No average user would have a hope with either of them. I'm looking for a more friendly one. -- Sridhar Dhanapalan. There are two major products that come from Berkeley: LSD and UNIX. We don't believe this to be a coincidence. -- Jeremy S. Anderson
Re: [newbie] Getting the basics going
Sridhar, On Tue, 24 Jul 2001 18:40, you manipulated electrons to produce: The best and easiest (it's entirely graphical!) way to give user access to a burner, IMHO, is to use userdrake to add your user to the cdwriter group. I got in couldn't see how to add a user/group gave up and went out and went back and now I can't access it at all. ERROR: cannot lock user lib file/etc/ptmp or etc/gtmp exist As for burning software, have your tried X-CD-Roast? * No another new one! :-) Burning software in GNU/Linux is currently designed for functionality rather than for user-friendliness. Once you're used to them (it shouldn't take long), they are very quick and easy to use. Apps like Roxio's Easy CD Creator may be easy for newbies, but they are also huge, bloated apps (Easy CD Creator 4 is about 70MB) that are actually _less_ functional than their nimble (Gcombust is about 700KB) *nix counterparts. For example, my Iomega ZipCD drive (32x read, 8x write, 4x rewrite) can burn at a maximum of 2x in Windos 98 and 2000 using both Easy CD Creator (which came with the drive) and Nero 5. In GNU/Linux, using frontends to cdrecord like Gcombust, X-CD-Roast and Gtoaster, I can burn at a full 8x without errors. ** That would be nice. I make an awful lot of coasters under Doze. -- Cheers, John http://counter.li.org GO HERE IF YOU SUPPORT LINUX! Fablor is now Webhosting?? What on earth for?? Info here: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (it's only an Autoresponder) :-)
Re: [newbie] Getting the basics going
On Tuesday 24 July 2001 07:19, John Rigby wrote: 2. Cannot get my new Linux Ready Lexmark Z32 Printer to work properly with Star. Cannot get it to accept new drivers./new printer. Do you mean StarOffice 5.2? I got it to print like this: setup your printer in CUPS. This should have been done at mdk8 installation, but let's list it as a separate step, just in case in SO, install Generic Printer and point it to default_queue (lpr). Use the configure button to set it to the maximum dpi for your printer in Wordperfect 8, you do the same thing, but install the Passthru Postscript printer and point it to lp. This is just from trial and error, btw - I won't claim really to know what the heck I'm doing, but it seems to me that CUPS as the systemwide printer driver and the drivers supplied by various apps can get into a disagreement over who is in charge. By using these very generic PostScript drivers you just deliver a Postscript file/stream to CUPS, which then prints it out. I stand very much open to correction on this point (but until then, I am printing quite happily!) -- Michel Clasquin, D Litt et Phil (Unisa) [EMAIL PROTECTED]/unisa.ac.za http://www.geocities.com/clasqm This message was posted from a Microsoft-free PC Free Dimitry Sklyarov!
Re: [newbie] Getting the basics going
On Tue, 24 Jul 2001 21:26, John Rigby wrote: Sridhar, On Tue, 24 Jul 2001 18:40, you manipulated electrons to produce: The best and easiest (it's entirely graphical!) way to give user access to a burner, IMHO, is to use userdrake to add your user to the cdwriter group. I got in couldn't see how to add a user/group gave up and went out and went back and now I can't access it at all. ERROR: cannot lock user lib file/etc/ptmp or etc/gtmp exist Here's how to add a user to the cdwriter group: 1. Load userdrake, as root. 2. You should have a window with a list of the users configured on your computer. Select the user you want to modify and click Edit (or just double-click the user name). 3. A window will pop up. Select the Groups tab. You will see a two-column list. The first list (In Groups) shows the groups the user is in. The second (Available Groups) shows all available groups. You can use the Add and Delete buttons to add/remove your user from groups. 4. For maximum system security, you should add yourself to as few groups as possible. Add yourself to the cdwriter group. 5. Click OK at the bottom of the window. The window will close. Now click Save. 6. Exit UserDrake. If you can't access UserDrake for some reason or other, you can use LinuxConf (run linuxconf as root). -- Sridhar Dhanapalan. There are two major products that come from Berkeley: LSD and UNIX. We don't believe this to be a coincidence. -- Jeremy S. Anderson
Re: [newbie] Getting the basics going
On Tue, 24 Jul 2001 19:19, Michel Clasquin wrote: On Tuesday 24 July 2001 07:19, John Rigby wrote: 2. Cannot get my new Linux Ready Lexmark Z32 Printer to work properly with Star. Cannot get it to accept new drivers./new printer. Do you mean StarOffice 5.2? I got it to print like this: setup your printer in CUPS. This should have been done at mdk8 installation, but let's list it as a separate step, just in case in SO, install Generic Printer and point it to default_queue (lpr). Use the configure button to set it to the maximum dpi for your printer in Wordperfect 8, you do the same thing, but install the Passthru Postscript printer and point it to lp. This is just from trial and error, btw - I won't claim really to know what the heck I'm doing, but it seems to me that CUPS as the systemwide printer driver and the drivers supplied by various apps can get into a disagreement over who is in charge. By using these very generic PostScript drivers you just deliver a Postscript file/stream to CUPS, which then prints it out. I stand very much open to correction on this point (but until then, I am printing quite happily!) That's absolutely right. StarOffice and WordPerfect are not true GNU/Linux apps, and so do things their own way. This, of course, often creates much confusion. Things should be much better after OpenOffice is released. -- Sridhar Dhanapalan. There are two major products that come from Berkeley: LSD and UNIX. We don't believe this to be a coincidence. -- Jeremy S. Anderson
Re: [newbie] Getting the basics going: CDWRITERS
On Wed, 25 Jul 2001 11:52, John Rigby wrote:
Hi again,
On Wed, 25 Jul 2001 00:41, you manipulated electrons to produce:
The best and easiest (it's entirely graphical!) way to give
user access to a burner, IMHO, is to use userdrake to add your
user to the cdwriter group.
I got in couldn't see how to add a user/group gave
up and went out and went back and now I can't access it at all.
ERROR: cannot lock user lib
file/etc/ptmp or etc/gtmp exist
If you can't access UserDrake for some reason or other, you can use
LinuxConf (run linuxconf as root).
*** Still have the error showing and won't open userdrake.
linuxconf - I can't see how to do it there.
Okay, here's the method a sysadmin would use (i.e. it's quick, but not as
user-friendly). As root, open up the /etc/group file in a text editor. Look
for the line that begins with cdwriter. You will notice that each line is
of the format groupname:member1:member2:etc.. Without alterations, your
cdwriter line should look like cdwriter:x:80:. To the end of this, add
your username so that it looks something like cdwriter:x:80:jrigby. Save
the file and exit. You may wish to reboot to ensure that the new settings are
properly in place (This shouldn't be necessary, but worth doing just in case).
--
Sridhar Dhanapalan.
There are two major products that come from Berkeley:
LSD and UNIX. We don't believe this to be a coincidence.
-- Jeremy S. Anderson
[newbie] Getting the basics going
Hi folks, I went and put my 2 cents worth on the Forum: How to move mandrake along.. hot subject, eh? In catching up with the support pleas here, I've noticed a distinct non-recognition by people of their own status! Some of the self-proclaimed Newbies only talk in acronyms and I can't even read their question, much less see an answer! :-) Please REAL Newbies, pass on to me the gotchas that baffled you when you tried to start up - no matter how simple they seem when looking back! How did you fix it? I hope to get a subsidiary Site up soon with a collaboration program to make it easy. So here I am back in Nursery Class: 1. I get pointed to all sorts of things, but the destructions might just as well be in Yuvan ( obscure Central Asian Dialect) . 2. I want to use the GUI wherever possible - especially as I expect to have to teach a lot of TOTALLY NEW (Nursery-level) people how to drive Mandrake, through another project I'm on. -- Growth will not be possible in any meaningful way while Mandrake tries to be all things to all people in one Distro family. Just like on this list. We go from Newbies, only trying to install a complex network to run an international Bank/Gambling centre - to me. Just trying to get on the Net, write a letter, dictate a memo/karioke(?) back up a dir, play with some html design. We really do need a Nursery Distro: VERY limited in options, designed only to include proven programs to: 1. Hit the Net 2. Write a Letter. 3. Play some music 4. Do the Home Accounts 5. Auto upgrade/official install program THAT's ALL - AND NO MENTION OF COMMAND LINE ANYTHINGS! ( A big thing is a current list of known compatible bits/drivers) Thank heavens we have so many people on here from the experts who talk in code to the fellow starters who willingly put in their personal experiences. THANK YOU! By the time *I* get my Mandrake up and going, we should have a nice little E-book ready for the next lot. Just in time to become irrelevant due to *all* the fixes in the next one.. :-} MY OWN LIST OF KNOWN PROBLEMS 1. Cannot get my ALS4000 Sound Card to go. ( M8 Even identified it) No help on the Avance Site. 2. Cannot get my new Linux Ready Lexmark Z32 Printer to work properly with Star. Cannot get it to accept new drivers./new printer. 3. Cannot figure out how to operate CDRW Writer! ( M8 knows it's there, but I'm only allowed one CD - I have 2, both identified) 4. Star Office - seems potentially great. Lousy basic fonts, won't upgrade/use my Windows ones. ( Did get complex info on converting them - but would be way beyond a normal nursery level user) 5. Scanner. Canoscan N340P. Even have a the info from the Net on a fix. Have no idea what the destructions really mean. 6. Frustrating Utilities. Like KDE Search weirdo. Docs not outsider friendly. 7. Crashing of supplied programs like SCREEM - makes a real mess. GOOD THINGS: __ 1. Much faster Modemming. 2. No Dozing off (BSOD) 3. Dead simple install - EXCEPT default is for Server too.. 4. Gnome put all the Windoze Drives on the Desktop - complete with icons! 5. Terrific friendly support. No flaming by smartass one-step-in-fronters. -- Cheers, John http://counter.li.org GO HERE IF YOU SUPPORT LINUX! Fablor is now Webhosting?? What on earth for?? Info here: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (it's only an Autoresponder) :-)
Re: [newbie] Getting the basics going
3. Cannot figure out how to operate CDRW Writer! ( M8 knows it's there, but I'm only allowed one CD - I have 2, both identified) Hi John, Linux treats CD-writers as SCSI devices. Since most modern CD-RW's are IDE, there's some work to be done. (MDK 8 did it all by itself for me though.) This is a multi-stage rocket, but simple steps they are. First identify the device that the CDRW is on. /dev/hdb, /dev/hdc etc. hdb: slave on first IDE controller, hdc: master on second IDE. Then there is hdX=scsi-ide. in Lilo (if you use that) you put that in the append line: append=hdX=scsi-ide Run lilo -v and reboot. The X stands for the proper letter of the drive. In Grub (/boot/grub/menu.lst) you have to add that to each kernel-line. Save the file and reboot. If you have no other SCSI devices, you should now be able to do ln -s /dev/hdX /dev/scd0 which links the cdrom to the first SCSI device. (Unix starts counting at 0.) Now, when you type cdrecord --scanbus cdrecord should show your cd-rw as scsi-device. And this means you can go and burn! Good luck! Paul
