Mepis 11 Manual

Good luck and have fun!

— Warren

MEPIS 11 Users Manual

Use Ctrl + F to search this Manual

Welcome!

Welcome to the world of Linux and MEPIS. If you have just booted the MEPIS Linux LiveDVD or

LiveUSB, you have the opportunity to explore some of the features of a whole new computer

operating system before you decide to install it! Exploration, evaluation, comparison. . .decision. So far

you have taken the first solid step toward a better computing experience, so enjoy exploring MEPIS

Linux 11!

A Note from The Architect of MEPIS

Relax—you're among friends. The MEPIS community includes tens of thousands of people like youwho want to work and play on their computer free of blank blue screens, viruses, and spyware—whilepaying only a fair and modest price for all of the software they need.

MEPIS Linux is intended to be easy to try, easy to install, and easy to use. This guide is meant to be

your roadmap for getting started with MEPIS Linux. We show you how to boot from DVD, how to

test drive MEPIS Linux, how to install on your hard drive, and how to start using MEPIS Linux as a

complete replacement for your current operating system.

You'll find lots of helpful people at the MEPIS forum sites listed in Section 11, along with many other

resources to get you started.

If you are a developer, you have the freedom to remaster a customized version of MEPIS Linux. We

have people who have done that. In fact one of them did such a nice job of converting MEPIS Linux

into a distro to use for old computers with low processing power and RAM by today's standards, that

we invited him to become a member of the official MEPIS family, with his antiX Operating System.

But it doesn't matter who you are. From computer professional to first-time computer user, we have

tried to make an operating system for you. . . for free. . .for whatever you need to accomplish.

1.1: About MEPIS Linux

MEPIS Linux 11 is based on Debian 6.0, codename "Squeeze," and is a ready-to-use desktop operating

system for PC computers that have Intel or AMD processors with either 32 or 64 bit architecture, and

for Apple computers with Intel processors. It is designed to work side-by-side with Microsoft's

Windows or Apple's Mac OS X in a dual-boot configuration, or to replace your old Operating System

entirely.

MEPIS Linux 11 comes in two different versions:

MEPIS Linux 32 for 32-bit architecture

MEPIS Linux 64 for 64-bit architecture

The 32-bit version will work for 64-bit architecture and may actually be better for many users, since

some software is only available in 32-bit and might require some effort to make it run on a 64-bit

system. The main advantage of 64-bit is that it is faster for a few applications and possibly more on

the cutting edge of technology. For system requirements and recommendations, please consult

Section 3.1.

MEPIS LLC and MEPIS Linux were founded by industry veteran Warren Woodford in November 2002

to create a userfriendly Linux version that “just works” based on Debian Linux. The first release was inMay 2003. In July 2006, MEPIS transitioned with the release of 6.0 from using Debian packages to

using packages and repositories from Ubuntu 6.06LTS (“Dapper Drake”).

A major upgrade (6.5) came out in April 2007, introducing for the first time 64-bit and Mactel support.

A few months later, anticapitalista, a member of the European MEPIS community, released his well-

received antiX based on a MEPIS Linux core and optimized for old and low-spec computers.

In Version 7.0, released in December, 2007, MEPIS Linux switched its base to a combination of MEPIS

packaged binaries, based on Debian and Ubuntu source code, combined with a Debian Stable OS core

and extra packages from Debian package pools. As the developer explains: “By using the latest Debianand Ubuntu source code for building user applications, we can provide the best latest versions of the

applications users want the most. And by building on top of a Debian Stable core, we can provide a

release that has the stability and long life that users want.” The emergence of a Community PackagingTeam has allowed users to remain current with application releases while retaining the signature

stability.

MEPIS development continues to track Debian development. MEPIS 8.0 was released in February

Welcome

1: Introduction

2: Getting MEPIS

3: Pre-Installation

4: Installation

5: Configuration

6: The Command Line

7: Software Management

8: Basic Use

9: Advanced Use

10: Under the Hood

11: More Resources

12: Glossary

FEEDBACK

Email:

[email protected]

Forum: forum.mepiscommunity.org

HTML in Header and Footer Demo

This is page 1 of 106

Demo Version - Evo Pdf Tools

http://www.evopdf.com

2009 as "Lenny" became the new Debian Stable 5.0, in March 2010 MEPIS 8.5 was released

integrating the new KDE 4.3 desktop environment. Now MEPIS 11 is released using the latest

updates available from Debian Stable 6.0 and the KDE 4.5 desktop.

If you use MEPIS Linux, please consider paying for your copy by contributing or shopping at the store.

MEPIS Store: http://www.mepis.org/store.

Debian Squeeze: http://www.debian.org/releases/squeeze/

1.2: Support

Support source

The primary source of support for non-commercial MEPIS Linux users lies with the Community:

Users Manual. Written by MEPIS users who volunteer for the Community Documentation

project, this excellent resource is the place to start. It covers all the basics of installation,

configuration, troubleshooting, basic/advanced use, and more. It's on the MEPIS LiveDVD,

the installed desktop, and online at the Forum (below) and the MEPIS home page.

Wiki. Continually edited and updated, the Wiki provides more detailed information on general

and specific topics. Subject categories and a powerful search engine make it easy to find

what you are looking for. Since all contributions come from volunteers with limited time, the

Wiki is not always and everywhere up-to-date.

Forum. Several years' worth of searchable discussions provide a wealth of detail on user's

concerns. Questions (requires registration) are quickly answered by volunteer members of

the world-wide MEPIS users community, and the only stupid question is the one you don't

ask. Help with versions earlier than MEPIS 7 can be found in the Archives.

Particularly difficult hardware questions that are not answered from these sources can be submitted to

Warren at mepis.org; ask at the Forum for details.

Support cycle

How long will your MEPIS Linux 11 continue to have support? The answer to this question depends

on the type of support you mean:

Hardware. Hardware is supported in the kernel, where continuous development goes on.

Very new hardware may not yet be supported, and very old hardware, though still

supported, may no longer be sufficient for the demands of the desktop and applications.

Desktop. KDE4 is a resource-intensive desktop under very active development. The version

shipped with MEPIS 11 has already had many improvements and is considered stable.

Applications. Applications continue to be developed after the release of MEPIS 11, meaning

that the shipped versions will get older as time passes. In MEPIS Linux, the problem is

addressed through a combination of sources: Debian, Warren, and the Community Packaging

Team. There will come a point in a few years where it will be increasingly difficult to update

applications for older MEPIS versions because the supporting applications have changed so

much. The individual user will have to decide when the problem has become critical.

Security. Security updates from Debian will cover MEPIS 11 users well into the foreseeable

future.

Finally, it is important to remember that the number of Community members maintaining installations

of earlier versions continually decreases. Although you may still find people able to help with MEPIS 8,

few are now available for MEPIS 7 and before.

Bugs

Bugs are errors in a computer program or system that produce incorrect results or abnormal behavior.

All software contains them, and the developers upon whom MEPIS Linux relies work hard to correct

them. MEPIS has no formal structure or mechanism of bug reporting, but relies on the following

informal system:

Self help: do a web search on the exact error message, or on a string of words that

includes the program and the type of error (e.g., "k3b cd rip failure").

Wiki consultation: search the Wiki for the category of error you are seeing (e.g., "sound

not working").

Forum post: report the bug you are seeing in the appropriate place (e.g., Video) on the

MEPIS Community Forum, making sure to supply the MEPIS version you are using and any

relevant hardware specifications (e.g., "nVidia GeForce 8100").




http://www.mepis.org/store

http://www.debian.org/releases/squeeze/

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%E2%80%9Dhttp://www.mepis.org/mepis-archives%E2%80%9D


Email Warren: when the bug has not been solved by Forum members and is in an area that

Warren works (such as hardware, the MEPIS Assistants, etc.), then describe it to Warren in

an email to dev AT mepis DOT org. Provide as much technical detail as possible so that he

can try to duplicate it.

1.3: This Users Manual

The Users Manual is the product of large group of volunteers from the MEPIS user community. As

such, it will inevitably contain errors and omissions, although we have worked hard to minimize them.

Please send us suggestions for improvement using one of the methods listed in the left panel.

Updates will be available on a regular basis through the standard package procedures.

The Manual is designed to walk new users through the steps of obtaining a copy of MEPIS Linux 11,

installing it, configuring it to work with one's own hardware, and putting it to daily use. It aims to

provide a readable general introduction to MEPIS Linux for the new user, and purposely gives

preference to graphical tools. For detailed or infrequent topics, the user should consult the Wiki or the

Forum.

Some terms that might be unfamiliar to some readers appear in green. Hover your mouse over one

of these words for a brief definition, or click on it to go to the Glossary entry for that term. Your

browser's back button will return you to your original spot. Or right-click on the term's link and choose

to open in a new window or tab.

All content is © 2011 by MEPIS LLC and released under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5. Citation

should read:

MEPIS Community Documentation Project. 2011. MEPIS 11 Users Manual.

For help outside the scope of this Manual, see Section 11.

Creative Commons license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/

2.1: Getting MEPIS

Introduction

The MEPIS Linux LiveDVD o r LiveUSB boots your computer without accessing the hard disk. It

copies a virtual filesystem into RAM that acts as the center of a temporary operating system for the

computer. When you end your LiveDVD session, everything about your computer is back to the way

it was, unchanged.

This provides a number of benefits:

It enables you to run MEPIS Linux on your computer without installing it.

It allows you to determine whether MEPIS Linux is compatible with your hardware.

It helps you to get a feel for how MEPIS Linux works and to explore some of its features.

You can decide whether MEPIS Linux is what you want without permanently affecting your

current system.

Running from the LiveDVD also has some disadvantages:

Because the entire system is operating from a combination of RAM and the DVD, MEPIS

Linux will require more RAM and run more slowly in a LiveDVD session than if it were installed

on the hard drive.

Some unusual hardware that requires specialized drivers or custom configuration may not

work in a LiveDVD session where permanent files can't be installed.

Installing and removing software is not possible because MEPIS Linux runs from a read-only

medium.

How to get a MEPIS LiveDVD

If you don't have a copy of MEPIS Linux 11 on a DVD already, here are the ways to obtain a copy.




http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/


Buy From MEPIS

The advantages of buying your LiveDVD from MEPIS include ease of setup and—with a subscription—early access to upgrades and new versions.

1. Get the latest version of MEPIS Linux on DVD, shipped to you.

2. Pay a subscription fee at the MEPIS Store and download directly from our FTP server.

MEPIS Store: http://www.mepis.org/store

Free Download

You can download any testing or final release versions of MEPIS Linux for free from one of the public

mirror sites listed on the page linked below. Sometimes the mirrors are a bit behind the MEPIS

Subscription download site, and some mirrors get out-of-date from time to time. If you can't find a

particular version at one site, it may be available at one of the other sites. Downloading the current

MEPIS ISO via BitTorrent is also an option.

The LiveDVD you download is actually an ISO: a disk image file in the ISO 9660 file system format.

Before trying to turn it into a Mepis LiveDVD, please consult Section 2.2.

If you use a free version of MEPIS Linux, please consider making a donation to support further

development of MEPIS Linux.

Download MEPIS: http://www.mepis.org/mirrors

MEPIS torrents: http://www.mepiscommunity.org/en/node/54

Links and Guides for Section 2.1

Wikipedia: ISO 9660: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_9660

2.2: Obtaining & verifying the ISO

Introduction

This page provides guidance if you intend to download an ISO and burn your own DVD instead of

buying it from the Mepis Store.

Downloading MEPIS Linux

Here are a few considerations to keep in mind:

The first day or two after a new ISO is released, a particular mirror (a web site that is an

exact copy of another site) may not have it. Check other mirrors until you find the version

you are looking for, then click the filename to download it. These files are usually very large,

so plan to wait for some time (depending on your machine, connection and web traffic).

Sometimes an ISO may be incomplete. This is caused by the mirror attempting to grab the

ISO before it has completely uploaded to their source site. If this happens, the ISO may be

unusually small or it may give cloop errors when a DVD is booted.

If different mirrors offer ISOs of different sizes, the larger ISO is probably correct. If a mirror

site has a bad ISO file, it will probably be replaced during the next automatic update at that

site, usually done once per day.

Make sure to download the md5sum file (see below) from the same directory as the ISO

file. It will have the same filename but the extension will be .md5sum. Make certain that

you put the md5sum file in the same directory as the ISO file.

If the md5sum does not match, you could try one of the following options:

Copy the ISO with a bad checksum to a download folder used by a BitTorrent

program (see Section 8.1), then restart the download using a BitTorrent client

program. Most BitTorrent clients will find the file already on your hard disk and

patch it by downloading only the missing or damaged portions.

Try a different mirror site.

Download the ISO again.

Downloading MEPIS Linux via BitTorrent

BitTorrent file sharing (see also Section 8.1) provides an internet protocol for efficient mass transfer

of data. It decentralizes the transfer in such a way as to utilize good bandwidth connections and to




http://www.mepis.org/store

http://www.mepis.org/mirrors

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/en/node/54

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_9660


minimize strain on low-bandwith connections. An added benefit is that most, if not all, BitTorrent

clients perform error checking during the download process, so there is no need to do a separate

md5sum check after your download is complete. It has already been done!

The MEPIS Torrent Team also maintains a seeded BitTorrent swarm of the latest MEPIS Linux ISO,

registered at LinuxTracker.org within 24 hours of its official release. Bit-torrent downloads may be

somewhat slow following a major release. See link below.

Verifying the md5sum

After you have downloaded an ISO, the next step is to check its md5sum against the official one.

The md5sum is the result of a complex calculation on the contents of a file: the outcome is a unique

string. It will be identical to the official md5sum if your copy is authentic. The following steps will let

you verify the integrity of the downloaded ISO on any OS platform:

md5sum: Windows

Windows users should download a tool called md5summer (link below):

1. Download the self-extracting .exe file. Double-click it to put 2 files in the current directory:

md5summer.exe and md5summer.md5

2. Run md5summer.exe, respond “yes” to associate extension .md5 with md5summer

program.

3. Now you can either double-click on the .md5 file and the program will check the md5 sum

automatically, or from inside the md5summer program you can select the location of the

.ISO and .md5 files, and then click “verify sums” and select the .md5 file you want to

check.

md5sum: Linux

Method 1. The easiest way to check an ISO's integrity in Linux is to use K3b, the CD/DVD burner that

is installed with MEPIS Linux 11.0. When you first load an ISO file into K3b, it will automatically

calculate and display the md5sum. You can be confident the download is valid if the final five

characters match those in the md5sum file you downloaded with the ISO.

Method 2. If not using K3b, open up a console/terminal and type:

cd /directoryname

where directoryname indicates the location of the ISO and md5sum files. Then type:

md5sum filename.iso

Be sure to replace filename with the actual filename (type in the first couple of letters then hit Tab

and it will be filled in automatically).

Compare the number obtained by this calculation with the md5sum file downloaded from official site.

If they are identical, your copy is identical to the official release.

md5sum: Mac

Mac users need to open up a console/terminal and change into the directory with the ISO and

md5sum files. Then issue this command:

md5 -c filename.md5sum

Be sure to replace filename with the actual filename (type in the first couple of letters then hit Tab

and it will be filled in automatically).


Wikipedia: Bit-Torrent: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bit_torrent

MEPIS Wiki: Using KTorrent: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=KTorrent

MEPIScommunity.org: Torrent Team Project:


Mepis page at Linuxtracker: http://linuxtracker.org/index.php?

page=torrents&search=&category=33

md5summer download page: http://sourceforge.net/projects/md5summer/

Wikipedia: md5sum: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Md5sum




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bit_torrent

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=KTorrent


http://linuxtracker.org/

http://sourceforge.net/projects/md5summer/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Md5sum


2.3: Creating a bootable medium

Introduction

Once you have successfully downloaded an ISO and verified its integrity, you are ready to create a

bootable medium. For many users, this will be a LiveDVD, but others may need or want a Live USB.

Burning a LiveDVD

Creating a Live USB

Burning a LiveDVD

General tips

1. Most important: do not burn the ISO onto a blank DVD as if it were a data file! An ISO is a

formatted image of an entire DVD. You need to choose Burn disk image or Burn ISO in the

menu of your CD/DVD burning program. If you just drag and drop it into a file list and burn it

as a regular file, you will not get a bootable LiveDVD.

2. Use a good quality writable DVD with a 4.7 GB capacity.

Burning the ISO

Linux

The following method describes burning with K3b, the default application in MEPIS Linux, but you can

use any burner or the command line just as well.

1. Right-click the ISO and select Open with >K3b

2. Wait until the md5sum is calculated, then compare it with the one that you downloaded

with the ISO. If the md5sum does match, it means you have a corrupted file.

3. Check verify written data. After the DVD is written, K3b will read it and compare the

result with the MD5 sum of the ISO.

Windows

If you already have a DVD burning program installed on your computer such as Nero or EasyCD Creator

(Roxio), go directly to Step 2.

1. Download and install a DVD Burner such as Cheetah (follow link below).

2. Put a blank medium in your drive. Start the burner, and click Start and choose Burn ISO

File (other wording may be used). In Nero and Roxio there is a similar command to Burn a

Disk Image or ISO.

NOTE: the program names here are used as examples only, and no endorsement or guarantee is

intended.

Mac

You probably already have Toast (Roxio) or a similar CD/DVD burning program installed. Just follow

Step 2 above.

Verify the integrity

It is a good idea to verify the integrity of the burn, just as you did of the ISO (in Section 2:2). If you

didn't burn your new MEPIS Linux LiveDVD/DVD with a program that can verify the data after the

burn, you can check its integrity another way.

Linux

In terminal type:





md5sum devicelocation

If you burned a DVD, the typical device location ("mount point") is /dev/cdrom. Other devices can

be hdc or scd0. Navigate with the file manager Dolphin to /etc/fstab to check the device names on

your system.

Wait for the MD5 sum to be calculated, and compare it with the sum obtained from the download

site: they should be the same.

Windows

1. Get the free version of the Windows application IsoBuster from the link below.

2. Insert DVD in drive.

3. Run IsoBuster as Administrator.

4. In registration dialog, select “Free funct. only”.5. In left pane, right-click on DVD (top line) to get context menu, and select: MD5 Checksum

file > Create MD5 Checksum > For image file with 2048 bytes/block.

6. Compare the MD5 in the .tao line of the output with that of the downloaded ISO.

NOTE: the Windows program cited here is used as an example only, no endorsement or guarantee is

intended.

Mac

When you select to verify the data in Toast or another burner, a byte-for-byte comparison with the

ISO file will be carried out to check the DVD's integrity.

Troubleshooting

If you verified the md5sum of the ISO before you burned, but the DVD you burned is no good:

Try burning again at a slower speed.

Try another blank disk.

Creating a Live USB

Netbooks typically lack a CD/DVD drive, so a Live USB is required for temporary use and installation.

Other users may also want a Live USB for improved portability or speed. Once you have obtained the

ISO, whether by purchase or download, you can easily create a bootable USB that works on most

systems.

If you have an existing installtion of MEPIS, or can boot the LiveDVD on a different

computer, then a MEPIS application is available to you that makes the process easy.

Plug in your USB device. It needs to remain unmounted, so ignore the Device

Notifier screen that pops up.

Click Start Menu > Settings > MEPIS System Assistant, then click on the

MEPIS USB Key tab.

Make the appropriate selections for the USB key, key type and ISO source.

Click Apply, wait until the process is finished, then reboot or exit for later use.

See Section 5.4 for details

If you need or want to create the Live USB from the netbook itself, you should use an

alternative method:

Download and install the Unetbootin Windows package from the Unetbootin

home page listed below.

Plug in the USB stick you are going to use and reformat it to FAT32. On

Windows, use the My Computer screen, right-click your USB device in the menu

and select Format, then FAT 32.

Start Unetbootin, and use the GUI to locate your MEPIS ISO file (or to

download it) and the USB device (usually already identified for you)

Create the files necessary (it will take some time) on the USB device

Whichever method you used to create the Live USB, you will probably need to take a few steps to

get your computer to boot correctly using the USB.

To boot with the USB Drive, many computers have special keys you can press during booting

which allow you to choose that device. Typical Boot Device Menu keys are Esc, F8, F9, F10

or F12.

Alternatively, You may have to go into the BIOS to change the boot device order:

Boot the computer, and hit the required key (e.g., F2, F10 or Esc) at the

beginning to get into the BIOS

Click on (or arrow over to) the Boot tab

Identify and highlight your USB device (usually, "USB HDD"), then move it to the

top of the list. Save and exit





If unsure or uncomfortable about changing the BIOS, ask for assistance in the

Forums.

On older computers without USB support in the BIOS, you can use the Plop Linux LiveCD

that will load USB drivers and present you with a menu. See the website linked below for

details.

Once your system is set to recognize the USB Drive during the boot process, just plug in the Drive

and reboot the machine.


Wikipedia: LiveDVD: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_CD

Wikipedia: Disk Images [ISO]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CD_image

Wikipedia: md5sum: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Md5sum

MEPIS Wiki: Installation topics: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Category:Installation

Cheetah home page: http://www.cheetahburner.com/

ISObuster home page: http://ISObuster.com/

Unetbootin homepage: http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

MEPIS Wiki: Netbook: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Netbook

Plop Linux: http://www.plop.at/en/ploplinux.html

3: Pre-Installation

3.0: Introduction

Before launching into an installation of MEPIS Linux, there are a few steps you will want to take. This

includes checking your hardware for compatibility issues, preparing your hard drive, and backing up any

important files from your current operating system.

Pre-installation steps:

3.1 System requirements

3.2 Coming from Windows®

3.3 Booting up

3.4 The new desktop

3.5 Partitioning the hard drive

3.6 Exiting


Trying MEPIS Linux: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Trying_MEPIS

3.1: System requirements

Introduction

The following are minimum and recommended hardware requirements for installing MEPIS Linux. Keep

in mind the following:

Minimum specifications are only what is required for install. You will get poor performance

from a system with minimum specifications.

Hard drive space directly correlates to the number of files you can store and additional

programs you can install.

More RAM will allow you to run more programs at once, and will make MEPIS Linux more

responsive.




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_CD

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CD_image

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Md5sum

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Category:Installation

http://www.cheetahburner.com/

http://isobuster.com/

http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Netbook

http://www.plop.at/en/ploplinux.html

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Trying_MEPIS


Minimum specifications

Minimum specifications usually allow installation and booting, but severely restrict performance. If you

have trouble booting from the LiveDVD, try switching to a LiveUSB.

MEPIS Linux

A DVD drive (and BIOS capable of booting from that drive), or a live USB (and BIOS capable

of booting from USB)

A modern i686 Intel or AMD processor

512 MB of memory

5 GB free hard drive space

A SoundBlaster, AC97 or HDA-compatible sound card.

Note: To run MEPIS Linux 64bit, you will need a AMD Athlon64, Athlon64-FX, Athlon64-X2, Opteron,

Sempron64, Turion64, or Intel Core 2 Duo desktop, Core 2 Duo mobile, Pentium4 Prescott with

EM64T, PentiumD with EM64T.

antiX MEPIS Linux

Note that antiX is not included on the MEPIS DVD.

Pentium II or equivalent AMD7/Athlon

128 MB RAM plus swap. Will work with 64MB plus swap or use the cli-installer

2.0 GB free hard drive space

Note: antiX also works on PI and k5/k6 AMD boxes.

Recommended specifications

MEPIS Linux

A DVD drive (and BIOS capable of booting from that drive), or a live USB (and BIOS capable

of booting from USB)

A modern i686 Intel or AMD processor

1 GB RAM or more

at least 10 GB free hard drive space

a 3D-capable video card for 3D desktop support

antiX MEPIS Linux

Pentium II or equivalent AMD7/Athlon

256 MB RAM plus swap

5.0 GB free hard drive space

3.2: Coming from Windows®

Introduction

If you are going to install MEPIS Linux as a replacement for Microsoft Windows®, it is a good idea toconsolidate and back up your files and other data currently stored in Windows. Even if you are

planning to dual-boot, you should make a backup of this data in case of unforeseen problems during

the install.

Backing up files

Locate all of your files, such as office documents, pictures, video, or music:

Typically, most of these are located in “My Documents” folder (C:\Documents and





Settings\Username\My Documents in Windows 2000, XP, and Vista, or C:\My

Documents in Windows 95, 98, and ME).

Search from the Windows start menu for various types of files to make sure you have found

and saved them all.

Once you have located all such files, burn them to a CD or DVD, or copy them to an external

device such as a USB hard drive or second computer.

Backing up email, calendar, and contact data

Depending on the email or calendar program you use, your email and calendar data may not be saved

in an obvious location or under an obvious file name. Most email or scheduling applications (such as

Microsoft Outlook®) are able to export this data in one or more file formats. Consult your application'shelp documentation to find out how to export the data.

Email data: The safest format for email is plain text, and most mail programs support this

feature. If you are using Outlook Express, your mail is stored in either a .dbx or .mbx file,

either of which can be imported into Thunderbird on MEPIS Linux. Use the Windows search

feature to locate this file and copy it to your backup. Outlook mail should be imported first

into Outlook Express before being exported for use in MEPIS Linux.

Calendar data: MEPIS Linux's calendar software supports the iCalendar and vCalendar

standards, so you should export your calendar data to this format if you wish to use it in

MEPIS Linux.

Contact data: MEPIS Linux's addressbook software is capable of importing many addressbook

formats, but the most universal are CSV (comma separated values) or vCard.

Using Windows CD of XP SP2 or higher to create a backup

If you have a copy of the original WinXP CD (SP2 only!), insert it into your drive when you're in

Windows and when the autorunner starts choose Perform additional tasks >Transfer Files and

Settings, then Old computer to backup most of your files and preferences for Windows-based

programs to a file on your hard disk, which can then be burned to a CD or DVD for restoration later if

things go wrong.

NOTES: 1) The resulting file can grow to huge proportions. There is no option to split the file if it

grows too big, so choose the option to transfer only the settings and copy the remaining files you

want to keep separately. 2) Do not rely on this method to backup email and browser data for other

programs than Microsoft's own.

Accounts and passwords

Although not usually stored in readable files that can be backed up, it's important to remember to

make note of various account information you may have saved in your computer. Your automatic log-

in data for websites or services like your ISP will have to be entered in all over again, so make sure to

store off disk the information you need to access these services again. Examples include:

ISP login information You will need at least your username and password for your internet

service provider, and the phone number to connect if you are on dial-up or ISDN. Other

details might include a dial out number, dialing type (pulse or tone), and authentication type

(for dialup); IP address and subnet mask, DNS server, gateway IP address, DHCP server,

VPI/VCI, MTU, Encapsulation type, or DHCP settings (for various forms of broadband). If you

are not sure what you need, consult your ISP.

Wireless networking You will need your passkey or passphrase, and network name.

Web passwords You will need your passwords to various web forums, online stores, or other

secured sites.

Email account details You will need your username and password, and the addresses or URLs

of the mail servers. You may also need the authentication type. This information should be

retrievable from the Account settings dialog of your email client.

Instant messaging Your username and password for your IM account(s), your “buddy list,”and depending on the service, the server connection information may be necessary.

Other If you have a VPN connection (such as to your office), a proxy server, or other

configured network service, make sure you find out what information is necessary to

reconfigure it in the event that you need to.

Browser favorites

Web browser favorites (a.k.a. bookmarks) are often overlooked during a backup, and they are not

usually stored in a conspicuous place. Most browsers contain a utility to export your bookmarks to a

file, which can then be imported into the web browser of your choice in MEPIS Linux. Here are some

export methods for common web browsers:

Internet Explorer Click File > import and export, select export favorites, select the

favorites folder (to export all favorites), select export to file or address and enter a





filename for the favorites.

Firefox 3 and above Click Bookmarks > Organize Bookmarks, highlight the bookmark

folder to backup, click Import and Backup - Export HTML..., enter a filename for the

bookmarks.

Opera Click File > import and export, choose export Opera bookmarks (if you plan to

import them into Opera) or export bookmarks as HTML (if you plan to import them into

another browser), select the location for the favorites file.

Software licenses

Many proprietary programs for Windows are not installable without a license key or CD key. Unless you

are set on doing away with Windows permanently, make sure you have a license key for any program

that requires it. If you do decide to reinstall Windows (or if dual-boot setup goes awry), you will be

unable to reinstall these programs without the key.

If you cannot find the paper license that came with your product, you may be able to locate it in the

Windows registry, or using keyfinder software (example link below).


Example keyfinder software: http://www.magicaljellybean.com/

Example software cleanup http://www.stevengould.org/software/cleanup/

Windows to MEPIS: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Windows_to_MEPIS

Windows data migration: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Windows_to_MEPIS_migration

3.3: Booting up

Insert the disc into your DVD drive (or the Live USB into a port) and restart your computer. You may

need to set your system to boot from the medium first, see Troubleshooting below for details.

The GRUB screen

Once you have booted to the live medium, you will be presented with a menu offering various choices

resembling the screenshot below:

These are handled by a bootloader named GRUB that allows you to have several operating systems

on your computer. The default boot choice should work for most computers. The AUFS option below

Default adds a read/write filesystem module that allows software to be installed and used during a

LiveDVD or LiveUSB session but not beyond.

You can also run GRUB from the command line when booting, see the Wiki entry listed below.

Cheat codes

If you look at the bottom of the GRUB screen, you will see a cursor blinking at the end of a row of

codes. You can add a cheat code here to pass a command (along with a value, when applicable) to




http://www.magicaljellybean.com/

http://www.stevengould.org/software/cleanup/

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Windows_to_MEPIS

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Windows_to_MEPIS_migration

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/index.html#s03-4_troubleshooting%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/index.html#s12-1_bootloader%20


the system in order to adjust for special situations, typically display problems. Here are some of the

most common codes used:

noagp Disable AGP (Accellerated Graphics Port)

nomodesetInstructs the kernel not to load video drivers. Good to try this when you get

black screen with a nVidia card.

rootdelayintroduces a wait period (use = and a value in seconds) that allows devices to

settle down. Try this if you have problems booting, typing rootdelay=30.

xdrvrSpecifies a video driver for your hardware. Common uses: xdrv=vesa for a

generic driver, xdrv=intel for an unrecognized Intel driver.

vga=normal Can be used with older hardware to disable default resolution.

A full list can be found in the Wiki entry listed below, and you should ask on the Forum about any

problems you are experiencing.

The Black Screen

Sometimes it happens that you do not end up looking at the graphical login at all, but instead only

have a somewhat scary black screen in front of you, often with a blinking cursor in the upper left

corner. This happens because for some reason the system was unable to start X, the window system

for Linux.

To get to a login prompt, press Ctrl-Alt-F1 at the same time, and then log in as "demo" with

password "demo" (or provide your username and password if already installed). Once logged in, you

can type startx to try to boot into KDE or at least to get an idea of what is wrong. Exit by

becoming root: type root if you are not already logged in, otherwise su), and enter halt or reboot.

For solutions to such a failure to start X, please consult Section 5.5 Display.

Login

If all goes well, you will arrive at a graphical login screen ("kdm") asking for a username and password.

Type in demo for both and hit Enter to log in to MEPIS Linux. Note: do not log in as root if you will

be installing, as that can lead to errors.

Note that there are also buttons for "Session type" and "Menu." The allows you to pick which

desktop environment or window manager you want to use; the default is the one used for the last

session. The Menu button allows you to reboot, exit, etc.


MEPIS Wiki: GRUB: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=GRUB

MEPIS Wiki: GRUB from the command line: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=GRUB_from_command_line

MEPIS Wiki: Cheat codes: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Cheatcode

3.4: The new desktop

This section is designed to acquaint you with the basic features of the KDE4 desktop, liberally

borrowing material from KDE.org documentation and other online resources. For more info and

customization options, follow the Wiki link at the end of this section.

Plasma

Plasma provides the desktop interface for KDE 4, including the application launcher (start menu), the

desktop and the desktop panel. Plasma also provides many standardized services such as artwork,

presentation and script management.

Plasma uses a system of applets that are collectively called plasmoids, but range from informative

widgets (see below) to mini-applications like calculators and dictionaries. An applet may also contain

another applet (known then as a containment). An important feature of Plasma is that there is no

longer a distinction between panels (like the taskbar), desktop icons, and widgets; they are all created

and treated the same way.

What is commonly referred to as the “cashew” is the Plasma logo you can find on the default desktop,on the upper right corner, and on the right-hand side of the panel. By right-clicking to unlock widgets

and clicking on a cashew, you can access configuration options and features; you can also just right

click on the desktop.




http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=GRUB

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=GRUB_from_command_line

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Cheatcode


Widgets

A widget is a basic visual building block of the Plasma desktop (the GUI) which, combined in an

application, holds all the data processed by the application as well as the available interactions with this

data. Other common names are applet or gadget. Superkaramba Themes, Apple's Dashboard, Google

Gadgets, Yahoo Widgets, Vista Sidebar Widgets, and Opera Widgets are all examples of other widget

systems, some of which Plasma also supports.

A certain number of widgets are supplied by default, and others are downloadable via the Add

Widgets dialogue box. To add a widget to the desktop or panel, first unlock the widgets if they are

locked, then simply right-click anywhere, select Add Widgets..., and choose the widget from the list.

Particularly useful widgets include:

Folder View: displays the contents of any folder

Quicklaunch: allows up to 6 applications to be available with a single click, nice on the

desktop for the most used apps

System Monitor: various monitors: hard disk, network usage, temperature, etc.

When you are done working with your widgets (including the panel), don't forget to lock them by

right-clicking on the desktop (or the panel, under Panel Options) and selecting that command. This

will prevent your widgets from possibly moving around or even disappearing.

Adding Widgets

To add widgets to the desktop: right-click an empty space on the desktop and select Add Widgets,

then drag the widget onto the desktop

To add a widget to the panel: right-click an empty patch in the panel, and select Panel Options >

Add Widgets

In the dialog box that appears, select a widget. Use the arrow symbols to the left or right to scroll

through the widgets available, you can also enter a search term in the input field. To make the

selected widget appear on the desktop or in the panel, double-click it, and then close the dialog box.

To remove a widget from the desktop or panel: right-click the widget and select the Remove entry.

If these menu options are not available, your desktop elements are probably locked! In this case right-

click and select Unlock Widgets.

Configuring Desktop Widgets

Hover your mouse cursor over the widget until a translucent frame appears around the widget,

showing a number of symbols. Make sure the widgets are unlocked first.

To change the widget size, left-click on the scale symbol in the frame and keep the mouse

button pressed while slowly moving your cursor across the desktop.

To rotate the widget in any direction, left-click the arrow symbol in the frame And keep the

mouse button pressed while moving your cursor in a circle across the desktop.

There is a sticky boundary in the horizontal and vertical positions where you can “clamp” thewidget, if you like. Of course, you can also arrange it in any tilted position.

To change the contents, settings, or properties of a widget, left-click the wrench symbol in

the frame and use the configuration dialog box that appears.

Additional widget source files can be obtained from KDE-look.org under plasmoids. Those that are not

directly downloadable (as binaries from the "Add Widget" dialog) can be downloaded as source files

that will need to be compiled (see Section 7.3). Compiling instructions are included in the compressed

file that contains the source code.





Panel

By default, the panel ("Kicker" in KDE3.5) appears along the bottom of the screen, and takes up

much of the width of the screen. It is something of a one-stop shop for almost anything that you

might want to access quickly. MEPIS comes with a default panel described below, but the panel is also

capable of running any docked widgets and extensions, such as child panels.

Icon key to default panel:

By default, the panel on the KDE4 desktop in MEPIS 11 contains L-R:

The Main Menu icon on the extreme left. Installed programs are automatically listed in the

Main Menu in the appropriate category. To start a program, click on the Main Menu icon in

the panel or press Alt + F1, then navigate to the program listing and click it.

The Pager, which provides access to virtual desktops (see #9 below)

Quick launch program icons.

In the middle the Taskbar shows currently open windows.

On the right, the System Tray holds current essential processes:

Information

Power status

Upgrade notifier

Clipboard

Sound mixer

Device notifier

Power management

Network manager

Hidden icons

Clock/calendar

The panel settings icon ("cashew") is on the extreme right.

When you hover the mouse pointer over an icon in the panel, a short description is displayed.

There are other options off the context menu when you left-click the panel's cashew on the right

end and select Panel Settings:

The arrows on the right will adjust the maximum and minimum sizes of the panel. The left

arrow indicates the starting position.

Screen Edge allows you to choose the location by dragging.

Height determines the height of the panel by clicking / dragging. The result is visible in the

release of the click.

More Settings gives you a sub-menu of more options such as hiding, alignment, etc.

Configuring Panels

You can customize all KDE panels according to your preferences. Applications and widgets can be

added to the quick launch area, the system tray in the main panel or to additional panels. Panel

elements and additional panels can be moved to different places or be completely removed at any

time.

To access any options for the current panel, right-click an empty patch in the panel (or click the

cashew icon at the end of the panel) and select Panel Options > Panel Settings. The panel

changes view and shows its configurations options. (If the menu item and the icon are not available,

your desktop objects are probably locked. To unlock, right-click and select Unlock Widgets first.)

To move panel objects to a different place within the panel, hover the mouse cursor over

the respective panel object (for example, program icon, pager, etc.). The mouse cursor

turns into a crosslines-like form. Click the object and move the cursor to the desired position

in the panel. Click again to fix it at this place.

To enlarge the distance between two widgets, use Add Spacer..... A spacer widget appears

on the right side. Drag and drop it to the preferred place.

To change the panel width, click and drag the small arrow icons at the left and right end of

the settings panel.

To change the panel height, click the Height button and move the mouse cursor to the

desired end location.

To place the panel at different sides of the screen use the Screen Edge button. Drag and

drop the panel to the preferred position.

If you need additional widgets on your panel, add them with the Add Widgets.... button.>

To remove program icons or widgets from the panel, right-click the unwanted object and

select the menu item to remove the icon or widget.

The icons in the system tray usually belong to applications running in the background.

Therefore you can only remove those icons if you close those applications (right-click the

icon and select Quit).





To prevent the panel and widgets being moved accidentally, right-click and use Lock

Widgets.

For additional configurations options like alignment and functions, click More Settings.

When all panel changes are done, close the panel settings with red close button on the right side.

Menus

You have the option of 3 menus in KDE 4:

Classic menu (default)

Kickoff: new style menu

Lancelot, an automatic menu

The first two are installed by default, and are toggled by unlocking widgets, then right-clicking the

menu icon and selecting the alternative. Lancelot must be installed as a widget; once it is installed,

the classic Menu can be restored by installing the widget "Application Launcher."

System Settings

The KDE control center is called “System Settings,” and is the place to go to change any settings thataffect the whole KDE environment. You can open it from the crossed tools icon in the panel, or by

clicking Start Menu > Settings > System Settings.

The System Settings screen is divided into a number of separate areas, each of which contains several

icons:

Common Appearance and Behavior

Workspace Appearance and Behavior

Network & Connectivity

Hardware

System Administration

Lost and Found

To find a particular setting, use the search box in the upper right corner, or hover your mouse over

the icons to see their contents.

Krunner

Krunner is a tool for searching and launching files and applications. It can also be used for more generic

operations such as calculator or unit converter. To start it: 1) click Start Menu > Run Command, 2)

Press Alt+F2, or 3) right-click the desktop > Run Command. The KDE 4 version performs many

functions (click the question mark for help), for instance:

Application launcher

Begin to type the name of the application you want to run. Krunner will grow a short list of

applications based on the letters you type. You can finish typing the name, or just click the

right one from the new short list. If an application requires root access, you should get a

dialog box for the password. Occasioinally, you must tell KDE that you want to function as

root by typing:

kdesu applicationname

Calculator

You can use Krunner as an efficient calculator. Just type the expression you want to

evaluate such as

32*12= or =32*12

(You can put the = sign before or after the expression). It is possible to evaluate more

sophisticated expressions such as:

=sqrt(4) + 32 * sin(60)

Converter

You can quickly convert measurements in Krunner by just typing in the value and unit. For

instance, if you type:

3m in ft

you will see the result: 9.84251968503937.

Running BASH commands

Krunner doesn't only recognize applications, but also all binaries throughout your system. You

can use this ability to run bash commands such as cp, mv, etc. To do so, start Krunner and

type the commands just as you would in Konsole, for example:





cp ~/Documents/myFile ~/myFile

Internet commands

Enter any URL and the page will pop up in your default browser.

Task-oriented searches

Start Krunner and click on the wrench symbol > User Interface tab, then select Task

Orientated >OK. This changes Krunner into QuickSand, an alternative front end. Just start

typing to initiate a search. QuickSand represents matches to a query as a scrolling line of

icons. A completion box of matches is also shown when the matches first arrive. The list can

be scrolled using the up and down arrow keys when the completion box is shown or the left

and right arrow keys.

Other search means

See Section 8.7 on KFind and Nepomuk-Strigi

File management

Dolphin is the default file manager in KDE4. By focusing exclusively on file management, Dolphin avoids

many of the pitfalls inherent in the Konqueror approach familiar from KDE 3.5, leading to such items as

a more flexible sidebar system and a less-invasive notification system that doesn't interrupt user work

flow. Konqueror can still be used as file manager (as can other alternatives, for that matter) and in

fact it shares the fileview functionality with Dolphin.

On the left-hand side, Dolphin's Panel provides quick access to your most often used locations, called

“Places.” Just drag a folder to the sidebar to be able to quickly access it, not only from Dolphin itself,but also from the KickOff Places tab and the Lancelot Computer tab. Right-click an empty space in the

Panel to see other options.

Some hints and tips to get you started:

F4 opens up a terminal at the bottom in the current folder, while F3 gives you a split view

that is handy for moving or copying files.

For directories containing lots of images, press the preview button in Dolphin's toolbar and

get previews of the files located in the current directory. For very large images, you will have

to change the limit in Settings > Configure Dolphin > General > Preview tab.

To quickly move between directories, click on the "breadcrumbs" located right above the

main view screen (e.g., Home > Mail > Inbox). Clicking on the arrow next to one of the

breadcrumbs lets you move swiftly to different subdirectories.

For a sidebyside view that makes copying files between directories easy, hit the “SplitView” button.

Dolphin remembers settings for a specific directory, but you can also set global defaults by

clicking Settings" >Configure Dolphin.

For more tips and hints, as well as customization ideas, follow the link below to the Wiki.

Okular Document Viewer

Okular allows you to view a great number of file formats, including PDF, PostScript, OpenDocument

format files in the LibreOffice suite (ODF), OpenDocument text (ODT), some eBook formats (ePub),

and even Microsoft® Compiled HTML Help files (CHM). Okular also provides support for bookmarks,annotations, form fields and multimedia content, and the rotation of pages.

Start Okular by clicking Start Menu > Office > More Applications, or press Alt + F2 and enter

okular.

To open a document, select File > Open and choose the desired file from the file system. Navigate

through the document by using the navigation icons at the top or bottom of the window

Depending on the icon you click on the navigation panel on the left, the sidebar either shows a table

of contents, a Thumbnail view of each page, the Reviews, or your Bookmarks for this file. To filter for

any text listed in the sidebar or the overall document, enter a string field at the top of the sidebar. If

you want to select and copy text or images from the file in Okular. click the Selection icon in the

toolbar and select one of the options from the context menu. Click the Browse icon to switch back to

browsing the document.

Working with Bookmarks and Annotations:

With Okular, you can review a document by highlighting certain text parts or by adding annotations or

bookmarks that Okular then attaches to the file in the form of metadata.

To add a bookmark for a page, click the page in the sidebar or in the main menu display field

and press Ctrl + B. The page is added to the Bookmarks list on the left sidebar.

Right-click the bookmark entry to access a context menu for going to this bookmark,

renaming or removing it.

To create an annotation for this page, press F6 and select one of the annotation tools from

the toolbar that appears. The annotation is added to the list of Reviews and is flagged with

the login name of the user who created it.

Use the icons at the bottom of the sidebar to group the annotations by page, by author or





to show the annotations for the current page only.

To open a pop-up note and add text for an annotation (or to remove an annotation), right-

click the annotation entry in the Reviews list and select the corresponding menu item.

The annotations or markers you added are automatically attached to the file: you do not

need to save them.

KWallet

Kwallet is a password management tool that can collect and store all passwords in one or more

encrypted files (called “wallets”). When you enter a password in a KDE application for the first time (inKmail of Network Manager, for example), you are asked if you want to store the password. If you click

Yes, Kwallet wizard opens by default. Note: if you do not want to use KWallet, you still must step

through the dialog box the first time it comes up.

To activate Kwallet, select Basic Setup and click Next. Select Yes, I wish to use the KDE Wallet to

store my personal information and enter a password. This is your master password for the default

wallet (kdewallet) that will be created during the next step. Then click finish to close the wizard.

Warning! Protect Your Kwallet Password:

If you forget your master password for any wallet, it cannot be recovered! Furthermore, anyone who

knows your password can obtain all information contained in the respective wallet. If other people log

ono your computer, make the Kwallet password a good one and write it down in a safe place!

If you started the Kwallet wizard from another application like Network Manager or Kmail, Kwallet will

prompt you to enter the password again in order to store the password for this application in the

newly created wallet. After initial configuration you can open your wallet at any time to view, search,

delete, or create entries. Normally you do not need to add additional data manually. KDE recognizes if

a resource requires authentication and Kwallet starts automatically, prompting you for the Kwallet

password,.

To configure any Kwallet options, press Alt + F2 and enter kwalletmanager. Then, in the Kwallet

Manager that opens, select Settings > Configure Wallet.

Desktops Activities

Desktop Activities is a desktop usability concept that allows you to have multiple settings for your

desktop or desktops, something not possible for the virtual desktops accessible through the Pager.

Activities allow you to specialize each desktop (AKA "activity") to whatever task you need to

accomplish, and to distinguish it by selecting a different set of plasmoids/wallpapers/information for

each.

To change an existing activity, right-click the Desktop > Folder View Settings. Then click on Activities

in the left panel, then use the Type pull-down menu to select what you want. To create a new

activity, click on the Desktop upper-corner cashew > Unlock Widgets, then click on it again > Zoom

Out. This causes the desktop to shrink. Now click on the green plus sign "Add Activity" and you

should see a new blank desktop besides the old one. This can be repeated multiple times. Click on the

+ (plus sign) for the desktop you wish to use, then set up your Desktop by clicking on the wrench

icon (Desktop Settings) below it; when you have finished, do not forget to lock widgets. If you want

to remove an activity later, unlock the widgets and zoom out from your current desktop view, then

select the red cross from the toolbar underneath to remove the activity.

Available activities for KDE 4.5 include:

Folder view (default) -- displays the contents of a folder (by default the user's Home

directory)

Desktop view -- displays a blank desktop to which widgets can be added as desired

Newspaper -- displays widgets you add in two columns

Search and Launch -- displays icons for each menu entry, and has a quicklauch bar on top

Right-click the desktop > Folder View Settings.

Click on Activities in the left panel, then use the Type pull-down menu to select





Search and Launch Containment and click OK.

To configure what appears in the main panel, right-click the desktop and select

Configure Search and Launch, then click on Main menu in the left panel.

To remove an icon from the upper bar, hover your mouse over it and click on the

minus sign.

To add an icon to the upper bar, click on an icon in the main area then hover your

mouse over the application you want and click the plus sign.

To get back, right-click the desktop > Configure Search and Launch > Activities and

use th pull-down menu to return to your preferred type.

To switch quickly between the activities: create a new panel and locate it where you want it,

then add the widget "Activity Bar" to the panel. If you like, you can resize the panel to match

the bar and set it to auto-hide.

Netbook desktop

There is also a special configuration called Netbook. To switch to the Netbook Desktop:

Click System Settings > Account Details > Social Desktop and un-check

Enabled.

Go back by clicking arrow at the top left of the dialog, click on Workspace >

Workspace Type > Netbook, click Apply.

A Search and Launch as described above (with a different wallpaper) will be created

as well as a Page One that is linked by default to openDesktop.org.

Below is the default Page One with a random weather location but no sources selected for the

Community or Knowledge widgets.

When Netbook is first launched, it is recommended that you cancel the login dialogs that pop

up. Also, you probably will want to click on Page One at the top of the page, and delete the

Community and KnowledgeBase widgets with the black cross in the top right corner of each,

or by right clicking and selecting delete from the context menu (they can be reinstalled later if

required). Then use the Search and Launch tab at the top of the page to return to the main

desktop. For details about this Netbook configuration, see the Wiki entry below.

Applications

There are a few programs you may want to investigate while booted to the LiveDVD:

Firefox is the default web browser in MEPIS Linux.





Kopete is an instant messenger client that supports several popular IM services, such

as Yahoo, AIM, and MSN.

Kmail is an email program that belongs to KDE's personal information manager

applications. You can install Kontact as a single application for all PIM components:

calendar, email, addressbook, sticky notes, RSS aggregation, etc..

MEPIS Linux includes a few games, such as solitaire. You can even play them while

you install!

KsCD is a music player. You can use it to play music files or CDs.

The video player KMplayer will handle all sorts of videos.

For more information on available applications, see Section 8.

Testing hardware compatibility

One of the best things about the LiveDVD is that you can use it to test your hardware's

compatibility with MEPIS Linux without installing it to your hard drive. Keep in mind that in

general everything runs much more slowly from the LiveDVD.

While booted to the LiveDVD, make sure you test:

Sound

Network connection (particularly wireless)

Video (including 3D acceleration)

Peripherals such as printer, camera, MP3 player, or scanner. See Section 5.2 on

setting these up.

Some hardware may require the installation of drivers to work correctly.

Troubleshooting

DVD won't boot. If you have checked the integrity of your ISO, make sure your computer is

set to boot to the DVD drive. Newer computers often have a hotkey such as F8, F10, or F12

which will invoke a boot device menu when pressed during startup. For older machines, you

may need to edit your system's boot device order in the CMOS (BIOS) settings. Please consult

your system's operating manual for the correct procedure.

LiveDVD stops during boot, or once booted performs exceptionally poorly. Try some of the

Boot Options that can be found by clicking F1 on the opening screen (GRUB). Problems with

hardware, for instance, can often be overcome by entering noacpi, noapic, and/or nolapic.

Does not boot to graphical login (kdm). First, check that you have a good download and burn,

as described earlier. If that is OK, then try these steps:

Boot using the Safeboot option on the opening menu (GRUB)

Reboot, highlight the kernel you want to use (usually the most recent), and add at

the bottom where the cursor is blinking vga=normal and xdrvr=vesa

Try adding at the bottom acpi=force or acpi=off

If you continue to have problems, use the MEPIS X Windows Assistant (Section

5.3.4) to copy a working configuration to your computer.

Sound not working. Here are some steps to follow if you have no sound:

Take a look in the mixer (KMix) settings and make sure that all the sliders are

enabled. Then on the KMix menu bar go to Settings >Configure Kmix, and make

certain the "restore volumes on login" is checked

With some cards it is sometimes necessary to open a terminal, become root, and

type (one line at a time):

alsaconfalsactl store

Note: 1) alsactl is part of alsa-utils, which is not installed by default; 2) in mid-2009

'''alsaconf''' was removed from alsa-utils and is no longer available through the Debian

repos, though it is available from the Community repos.

Try opening a terminal and becoming root, then typing:

dpkg-reconfigure alsa-base

For ''snd-hda-intel'' systems try right-clicking the desktop > Run Command, and enter

kdesu kwrite /etc/modprobe.d/snd-hda-intel





Once that file opens, comment out the first line; if that doesn't work, try

commenting out the second line instead if it is not already. Save, and then run

alsaconf.

In the second line of that same file, try adding your specific machine model, for

instance:

Options snd-hda-intel model=lenovo

or the name of your sound card, for instance

Options snd-hda-intel model=Realtek ALC888

You can get your card model by entering in a terminal:

cat /proc/asound/card0/codec#* | grep Codec


Testing your hardware: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=

Testing_your_hardware_for_problems

Trying MEPIS Linux: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Trying_MEPIS

Ccleaner home page: http://www.ccleaner.com/

MEPIS Wiki: Boot options: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Boot_options

Plasma introduction: http://userbase.kde.org/Plasma

Wigets: http://kde-look.org/

MEPIS Wiki: Dolphin: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Dolphin

MEPIS Wiki: Netbook desktop: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=KDE4_desktop#Netbook_desktop

KDE4 tutorials: http://userbase.kde.org/Tutorials

KDE 4 Desktop customization: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=KDE4_desktop#KDE_4_

Desktop_customization

3.5: Partitioning the hard drive

Introduction

Before starting the install, you may wish to prepare the partitions on your hard drive to install

MEPIS Linux. You can do this during installation, but it is recommended that you do it before

starting the install. Note that some older hardware may require a restart after the partition

tables are edited.

About partitioning

To prepare the hard drive for MEPIS Linux, it is recommended that you create three partitions:

one for the root of the filesystem, one for the user home directories, and one for swap (virtual

memory). You do not have to create a separate home, but it makes upgrades easier and

protects against problems caused by users filling up the drive. If you choose to install to the

entire disk without partitions, you can skip this next section.

How big should the partitions be?

Root partition: The minimum size for the root partition is 2.5 GB, however, this size

will not allow you to install many programs, and may cause difficulty doing upgrades.

Depending on how many programs you wish to install, you may want to allot

between 5 and 10 GB.

Home partition: The home partition is where the documents and configuration data

for all users is stored. Typically, you want to make this partition as large as possible,

especially if you store a lot of pictures, music, or video data.

Swap partition: The swap partition is used by the operating system to store the

contents of RAM when programs ask for more RAM than the system has. As such,

while swap space should be analogous to the amount of RAM in the system, it

becomes less necessary the more RAM you have. A good rule of thumb is to make




http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Testing_your_hardware_for_problems

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Trying_MEPIS

http://www.ccleaner.com/

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Boot_options

http://userbase.kde.org/Plasma

http://kde-look.org/

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Dolphin

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=KDE4_desktop#Netbook_desktop

http://userbase.kde.org/Tutorials

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=KDE4_desktop#KDE_4_Desktop_customization


the swap space double the size of your RAM, but no more than 1 GB (1024 MB).

Notes: 1) gamers should note that they will need a bigger Root partition than usual, since the

big games such as Westnoth or World of Padman will fill up a 10 GB root partition very quickly;

2) it is a good idea to plan on keeping about 10% of a partition as free space to avoid file

fragmentation.

Hard drive names and types

Before you begin editing partitions, it is critical that you understand how MEPIS Linux (and

other Linux operating systems) refers to hard drives and hard drive partitions.

Unlike Windows, which assigns a “drive letter” to each of your hard drive partitions, MEPISLinux assigns a short device name to each hard drive or other storage device on a system.

The device names always start with sd plus a single letter. For instance, the first drive on your

system will be sda, the second sdb, etc. Within each drive every partition is referred to as a

number appended to the device name.

Thus, for instance, “sda1” would be the first partition on the first hard drive, while “sdb3”would be the third partition on the second drive. It is important to understand the difference

between referring to an entire device (such as sda) and a partition on the device (such as

sda1).

There are more advanced means of naming drives, the most common of which is the UUID

(Universally Unique IDentifier), used to assign a permanent name that will not be changed by

the addition or removal of equipment. See the Wiki entry under Links and Guides, below.

PC hard disks were originally permitted only four partitions. These are called "primary" partitions

in Linx and are numbered 1 to 4. You can increase the number by making one of the primary

partitions into an "extended" partition, then dividing that into logical partitions (limit 15) that

are numbered from 5 onward. Linux can be installed into a primary or logical partition.

Resizing an NTFS partition

Resizing an NTFS (Windows NT File System) partition with KDE Partition Manager is generally a

painless and simple procedure. However there are some small risks, particularly if your hard drive

is old or very full. You can mitigate these risks by taking the following steps on your Windows

installation (consult your online Windows help (F1) if you are unsure how to perform any of

these tasks):

Back up all your data, if you haven't already!

Run the disk cleanup wizard to delete unnecessary files. You may also want to run a

third party cleanup tool (example link below). Make sure there is enough free space

on the drive so that it will still have several gigabytes free after you resize it.

Check the filesystem for errors using chkdsk.exe or scandisk.exe (depending on your

version of Windows).

Defragment your hard drive.

If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7: Use the “Disk Management” tool inWindows to resize the drive. Be warned: this tool does not respect standard hard

disk partitioning conventions and it will often leave a small unusable portion of the disk

at the end point of the shrunken partition that will show up in the standards-based

partitioning tools like those provided with MEPIS Linux.

Resizing steps:

Take your time! You can do the steps one at a time or all together at the end. Here we

separate them out so we can illustrate the result of each step. Note that you can only resize

unmounted partitions, so to change the partition where MEPIS Linux itself is installed you

would have to use the LiveDVD.

From the LiveDVD click Start Menu > System > KDE Partition Manager, and

supply root's password.

In KDE Partition Manager select the correct drive in the left panel, then select the

partition in the right panel. Be careful here!

Rightclick on that partition and select “Resize/Move”. Choose the new size of thepartition. The free space that will remain will be used for MEPIS Linux installation;

make sure the “free space after” resizing will be larger than the minimum required sizefor your version of MEPIS Linux (see minimum/recommended specifications). Click

“OK”

Click on the Apply menu icon and respond “Apply...” to the dialog. KDE PartitionManager will now repartition your drive; at the end you should get a message that

the operation was completed successfully. The result will look something like this:

Let's start by creating the Root partition that will hold the operating system. Make

sure you have already figured out how to divide up the partition you just created.

1. Rightclick on the “unallocated” partition and select “New”. You will see thisdialog box:





2. Usually you will select Primary for partition type unless you have more than 4

partitions (see hard drive names).

3. Select Ext3 as the File system, and set the size so that enough is left for

Home and Swap. Click “OK”.

4. It is often very conventient to add a Label (here something like: "MEPIS 11")

when you create a new partition.

5. Click “OK”

Now for the Home partition:

1. Repeat the steps above, again selecting Primary and Ext3.

2. Set the size, making sure to leave enough room for the Swap partition.

3. If you do not want to create a separate partition for Home, your personal files

will be in the Home folder of the root partition you created before.

Finally, the Swap partition:

1. Repeat the steps to above, again selecting Primary as the Partition type.

2. Select linux-swap as the File system

3. Make the size at least equal to the amount of RAM you have installed.

4. When you have finished, you will see something like this:

Very Important! Note down the partition numbers/names as displayed in the new layout

(e.g., sda3) for both the root and the home partition. You will need this information when

choosing what partition number/name to install Mepis on, and to ensure that you do not

overwrite your Windows partition!

Other partitioning considerations

Many home computers are sold with a “diagnostic partition” and “restore partition”, inaddition to the factory OS install. If you see multiple partitions showing up in KDE

Partition Manager that you were not aware of, they are probably these.

Some computers need to be rebooted after changing the partitions before they can

access the new partitions. If you are having trouble installing or formatting your new

partitions, restart the computer and try again.

After resizing an NTFS partition and booting back to Windows, Windows will claim the

drive is “dirty” and do a disk check. This is normal, and no data corruption shouldresult from the resize. Allow the check to run its course, and your drive should be

fine after that.


MEPIS Wiki: UUID: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Uuid

Wikipedia: cfdisk: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cfdisk

Wikipedia: Partitioning: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disk_partitioning

Linux Partitions: A Primer: http://www.tutorialized.com/tutorial/Linux-

Partitions-A-Primer/4549

Repartition your hard drive: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Repartition_your_hard_drive




http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Uuid

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cfdisk

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disk_partitioning

http://www.tutorialized.com/tutorial/Linux-Partitions-A-Primer/4549

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Repartition_your_hard_drive


3.6: Exiting

It is important to exit MEPIS Linux correctly when you have finished your session so that the

system can be brought down in a secure way. All running programs are first notified that the

system is going down, giving them the time to save any file being edited, exit from mail and

news programs, etc. If you just turn the power off, you risk the possibilities of damaging the

operating system.

There are two common ways to exit a session correctly:

Right-click the open desktop, and select Leave to see this dialog box.:

For further options, press and hold the left mouse button on one of the choices.

Click Start Menu > Leave for exit options:

Permanent

To leave a session for good, select one of the following:

Log out (End Session). Choosing this will end everything you are doing, if you have

not closed/stopped things yourself, and bring you back to the login screen with the

system still running. You can also get back to the login screen by clicking Ctrl-Alt-

Bksp, but any open programs and processes will not be saved.

Turn Off/Restart. Self-explanatory options that alter the system state itself.

Temporary

You can temporarily leave your session in one of the following ways:

Lock screen. This option protects your Desktop from unauthorized access while you

are away by requiring your user password to return to the session.

Start a parallel session as a different user. You choose this to leave your current

session where it is and be able to work for a short time as a different user.

Suspend to RAM (Sleep). This option places your system into a low-power state.

Information on system configuration, open applications, and active files is stored in

main memory (RAM ), while most of the system's other components are turned off.

It is very handy and works very well in MEPIS Linux, though some systems may may

not automatically restore wireless and/or bluetooth.

Suspend to Disk (Hibernate).This selection will save running processes to the hard

drive and power down the computer. In MEPIS Linux the success of this choice varies

among systems, with often no restoration happening. Some users report success

with the following addition (replace "/swapdrive" with the correct drive, e.g. /sda2)

to /boot/grub/menu.lst:

resume=/swapdrive





Emergency

Once in a while you may encounter a total lockup of your computer that cannot be corrected

by killing a runaway program (Section 8.7). The desktop freezes and becomes entirely

unresponsive. You have two options remaining, both of which use the SysRq key (on some

keyboards, the key may be labeled Prt Scr or Print Screen).:

Force X to restart.Hold down the Alt-SysRq keys, and press K; all session processes

will be killed and you will end up back at the login screen.

Use magic SysRq key (REISUB).Hold down the Alt-SysRq keys (sometimes only the

left Alt key will work), and slowly press the keys R-E-I-S-U-B; your system should shut

down correctly and reboot. The purpose of this magic key is to go through several

stages that nurse your system safely out of a failure of some sort, and often only the

first 2 letters are sufficient. Example, Alt-SysRq + R, then E, then try what you were

attempting to do before the failure, if the system is still unresponsive, continue with

the I, try again and if you still have no joy, you may as well finish the sequence.


Wikipedia: Magic SysRq Key: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_SysRq_key

Wikipedia: ACPI:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Configuration_and_Power_Interface

4: Installation

4.0 Introduction

The motto of MEPIS Linux is “Easy to try, easy to install, easy to use.” And indeed, you willmost likely discover that MEPIS Linux is the easiest and friendliest operating system installation

you have ever used.

Section 4.1: Detailed Steps for Installing MEPIS Linux on most computers

Section 4.2: Installing in special situations

Section 4.3: Troubleshooting installation problems; Links and Guides

Section 4.4: Installing on Apple Intel computers

Section 4.5: Uninstalling

4.1 Detailed steps

At this point, you should have done the following:

Downloaded the MEPIS Linux ISO and burned it to a DVD (see Section 2.2).

Backed up your important data (see Section 3.2).

Freed the necessary space on your hard drive, if needed (see Section 3.5).

Created partitions for MEPIS Linux (see Section 3.5). Optionally, you can do this

during the installation.

Now all you will need to do is run through the simple installation wizard and then restart your

machine. Depending on your configuration, this will probably take less than 15 minutes, and

could even be as little as 5 minutes!

These instructions should cover most installation scenarios; for more details or for unusual

circumstances, see the left panel of the MEPIS installer as you go through, or check the links

below.

Before you begin

In most cases the MEPIS Linux installation process should go fine. But sometimes things can go

wrong (because of user error, for instance) and potentially wipe out the contents of your hard

drive. If you are not prepared for that possibility, stop now and protect your data.

Welcome

1: Introduction

2: Getting MEPIS

3: Pre-Installation

4: Installation




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_SysRq_key

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Configuration_and_Power_Interface


Launch the Installer

Boot to the LiveDVD (see Section 3.3). Once at the desktop, click the MEPIS Install icon and

enter root when prompted for a password.

License and Terms

Read through the license and terms of use. Note that Warren Woodford released the source

code for the proprietary Installer and System Assistants under the Apache License in the Fall of

2008. Check I agree to the Terms and click Next.

Page 1 (Disk, Partitions, and Type of Installation)

Select the disk on which you wish to install MEPIS Linux. Refer to Section 3. if you are not

sure what the Linux hard drive names mean. What you do next is determined by how you

wish to set up your computer:

Auto-install using entire disk

Select this option if you plan to use the entire hard drive for MEPIS Linux and you

aren't particular about how the partitions are set up. If you select this, the installer

will create a root, swap, and home partition for you using the entire drive. You can

optionally specify an amount of space to leave unused, if you plan to create more

partitions afterward. Make sure you understand that selecting this option will

delete any existing partitions and data. Only choose this if you are not going to

keep anything on the selected hard drive.

Custom install on existing partitions

If you are installing MEPIS Linux to a dual-boot with another operating system, or you

wish to define the sizes of your partitions manually, you need to select this option. If

you have not previously set up your partitions (see Section 3.4), you may click the

button to run KDE Partition Manager at this point and create them. You must have

your partitions created before moving on if you want to select this option.

Page 2 (Partitions and Preferences)

If you chose Auto-install using entire disk on the last page, you will not see this page. Skip

to the next step.

Page 2a (Choose Partitions): If you chose custom install on existing

partitions, you will now be prompted to select the partitions to install MEPIS Linux.

Specify the root and swap partitions you have set up previously; if you have set up

a separate partition for your home directory, specify it here, otherwise set home to

“root”.

Page 2b (Preferences): Check “Preserve data in /home” if you are doing anupgrade and already have data in an existing home partition; note that this option is

not recommended. Select Check for badblocks if you want to do a scan for

physical defects on the harddrive during formatting. This is recommended. Finally, you

can optionally select the type of filesystem you want to use on the hard drive. If you

don't know what to choose here, the default ext3 is recommended. In MEPIS Linux,

ext4 is available (see Section 10.1).

Page 3 (Installation in Progress)

MEPIS Linux will now begin the install. You will be prompted to confirm the formatting of each

partition (or the entire disk). Answer “YES” to each, then sit back, relax and read theinformational messages while MEPIS Linux is copied to your hard drive.

Page 4 (Select Boot Method)

You now need to install GRUB, the bootloader (see Section 5.4). In most cases, you should

go with the default setting (MBR). Select root if you are an expert, as you will need to

manually edit the existing boot loader to boot to MEPIS Linux, either directly or by

chainloading.

If you are installing to MBR and have more than one hard drive, make sure you have the

correct drive selected for “system boot disk.” Usually this will be the first drive on the system(sda).

NOTE: The initrd option refers to an initial RAM drive, a virtual hard drive created in the

system's memory that allows the kernel to load special driver modules required to read the

boot device (hard drive). It is the default setting.

Page 5 (Common Services to Enable)

On this page you can enable or disable a few common services:

ppp is required for dialup internet connections, ADSL connections, and PPTP

support. Note that if you have DSL but connect your computers through a router,

you do not need PPP.

bluez is for bluetooth device support. If you do not have bluetooth capabilities on

5: Configuration

6: The Command Line


8: Basic Use

9: Advanced Use

10: Under the Hood

11: More Resources

12: Glossary

FEEDBACK

Email:

[email protected]






your computer, you may safely disable bluez.

cupsys is the Common Unix Printing System. You should install cupsys if you intend

to print from this machine or use it as a print server.

Page 6 (Computer Network Names)

Here is where you specify your computer's name and domain. On most home networks the

domain does not matter; however, if you are on a large corporate network, or your network

has its own internal DNS server, you can set your domain name here.

You can also enable or disable the Samba server and configure the Samba workgroup (see

Section 5.6.3). If you have other computers running Windows on your network and wish to

share files or printers to them, enable this setting.

Page 7 (Setting the Localization, Clock, and Timezone)

Page 7a (Localization Defaults): If you are in the United States, the default locale settings

should be fine for you. If you are outside the USA, select the keyboard and locale settings

appropriate to your language and country.

Page 7b (Configure Clock): You can also indicate here whether your hardware clock is set

to GMT (a.k.a. UTC). If you are dual-booting with Microsoft Windows, you will want to leave

this unselected. If you are installing on Apple hardware or if this computer will only run Linux,

check this box.

Page 7c (Timezone): Here, you can choose from the dropdown menu the time zone in which

you are located. The entries are organized alphabetically and grouped by continent for your

convenience.

Page 8 (Accounts and Passwords):

On this page you will set up a username and password for the default user, and a password for

the root (administrative) user For your convenience, you may tick the box "show passwords"

to check if your passwords match.

Usernames:

Are case sensitive. For simplicity's sake, use all lower case.

Should not contain spaces or symbols

Can also be created using MEPIS User Assistant (see section 5.3.3) after installation,

if you need more users.

Passwords:

Are case-sensitive.

Should be secure, especially the root password. They should be at least six

characters, contain a mix of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols,

and should not be based on a dictionary word.

Should not be forgotten. You'll need to have root password to do any administrative

task on the computer, such as installing software or configuring hardware, so it is

advisable not to use for the root account passwords that others may guess easily, like

"root."

Finished!

This concludes the setup. Click Finish, and you will be prompted as to whether or not you

want to reboot. Click YES. The LiveDVD will shut down and the disc will be ejected. You can

now boot into MEPIS Linux!


Manually editing GRUB: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Editing_the_GRUB_menu

4.2: Special situations

Older hardware

If you are trying to install MEPIS Linux on older hardware, and the LiveDVD is running very

slowly, try the following:

Don't load KDE: At the login menu, go to the Session menu and select failsafe,

then log in as root (password is root). You will find yourself at a command prompt.




http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Editing_the_GRUB_menu


Enter the command minstall. This will launch the installation wizard, and you can

proceed with section 4.1 from step 2.

Install using a different machine: Remove the hard drive from your old computer,

and insert it into a faster machine. Run the MEPIS Linux install as described in section

4.1. After installation is complete, remove the hard drive and put it back in the old

machine. Because MEPIS Linux redetects all hardware on every boot (rather than

once during the installation), you should have little or no problem.

Try antiX: If your hardware is very old (near or below the minimum requirements),

you may have better results from antiX. This community remaster of MEPIS Linux was

designed for old machines.

Without a DVD

Even if your computer does not have a bootable DVD drive, you can install MEPIS Linux.

For instance, if your system supports booting from a USB drive (Apple does not) you should be

able to boot to the flash drive and proceed with the install normally. On a second computer,

boot to the LiveDVD and create a bootable MEPIS Linux flash drive using the MEPIS System

Assistant. Most users report this method is actually much faster than a traditional CD/DVD

installation. Check the MEPIS Wiki for details and current status.

For other alternative boot methods, see this Links and Guides subsection.

4.3: Troubleshooting

Lockups during installation

If MEPIS Linux is locking up during installation, it is usually due to a problem with faulty

computer hardware, or a bad DVD. Refer to Section 2.3 for details on verifying your MEPIS

Linux DVD.

If you have determined that the DVD is not the problem, it may be due to faulty RAM, a faulty

hard drive, or some other piece of faulty or incompatible hardware.

Refer to the Links and Guides at the bottom of the page for details on testing your

RAM and Hard drive for physical defects.

Shut down your computer and remove any non-essential hardware, then attempt

the installation again. Non-essential hardware may include USB, serial, and parallel-port

devices; removable PCI, AGP, PCIE, modem slot, or ISA expansion cards (excluding

video, if you do not have onboard video); SCSI devices (unless you are installing to or

from one); IDE or SATA devices that you are not installing to or from; joysticks, MIDI

cables, audio cables, and any other external multimedia devices.

Add one of the Boot Options space at the bottom where the cursor is blinking (see

Section 3.3).

Systems often lock up due to overheating. Open the computer's case and ensure

that all the system's fans are running when it is turned on. If your BIOS supports it,

check the CPU and Motherboard temperatures and compare them to the

temperature specifications for your system.

Your DVD drive may be having problems. If your system supports it, create a MEPIS

Linux bootable USB flash drive and install from that.

Installed MEPIS does not boot

After a reboot, it sometimes happens that your computer reports that no operating system or

bootable disc was found. Usually, this means that either you failed to install GRUB, or you failed

to mark at least one partition bootable (a.k.a. “active”) during custom partitioning of the harddrive.

To fix this, try the following:

1. Boot to the LiveDVD, log in as demo

2. Launch KDE Partition Manager, and select the drive on which you installed MEPIS

Linux

3. The partition on which you installed MEPIS Linux should say “Active” in the “Status”field. If it does not, right-click it and select set active. Then click Commit.

4. If that was not the problem, launch the MEPIS System Assistant and run a GRUB

repair. If you did not previously install GRUB to the MBR, this might be something to

try.

5. If this still does not fix it, you may have a faulty hard drive. Use the the MEPIS

System Assistant (from the LiveDVD) to check your MEPIS Linux partition for bad

blocks.

Installed fstab shows wrong filesystem type





It sometimes happens that the filesystem type is reported incorrectly for ntfs or vfat partitions,

showing them as ext3 or ext4. This is usually caused by the filesystem type being set

incorrectly in the MBR tables. When you reformat a partition to a different type, that only

changes the actual format of the partition, it does not update the MBR.

It may be possible to change this by using the command line utility cfdisk (type man:cfdisk

into a Konqueror address field for details), but that can fail if irregularities exist such as with the

cylinder end point (common when multibooting with Windows Vista or Windows 7). Always

reliable will be to open a root Dolphin by clicking Start Menu > System > Dolphin as su,

navigating to /etc and clicking on the file fstab. Back it up immediately as fstab_old o r

something similar so you can restore it if necessary. Look for the problem partitions, for

example:

/dev/sda2 /mnt/sda2 ext3 noauto,users,exec,relatime 0 0

Although the partition is labelled with the filesystem type ext3 (in red above), let's say it is

actually ntfs or vfat. Highlight ext3, delete it, and enter auto so the corrected line looks like

this:

/dev/sda2 /mnt/sda2 auto noauto,users,exec,relatime 0 0

Check carefullly that you have not made any mistake, then save the file. Note: it is often more

reliable to specify auto-detection of a Windows filesystem type than to try to specify it.


MEPIS Wiki: Alternative boot methods:

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Alternative_boot_methods

MEPIS Wiki: Installing MEPIS without a CD/DVD:

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Installing_without_a_CD

MEPIS Wiki: Testing RAM and HDD for problems:

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=

Testing_your_hardware_for_problems

Wikipedia: Comparison of file systems:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_file_systems

Wikipedia: Virtual Memory: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_memory

Wikipedia: Initrd: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initrd

MEPIS Wiki: fstab: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Fstab

4.4: Apple Intel computers

MEPIS Linux is compatible with Apple Intel computers: those based on Intel x86 CPUs, with

the exception of some small details. Intel Core 2 or Xenon-based Apple computers can run 64-

bit MEPIS, but all Intel-Core-based Apple computers can run 32-bit MEPIS.

MEPIS Linux has a utility for preparing your Apple bootable hard drive for OS X so that you can

install MEPIS Linux painlessly. This MEPIS Assistant is compatible with OS X Tiger and Leopard.

There is a README file in the in the LiveDVD OSX directory with more information.

Instructions for installation:

1. Put the MEPIS Linux media into an appropriate drive, and use the Finder to navigate

to the OS X folder of the DVD.

2. Drag and drop the MEPIS Linux Assistant for OS X (SimplyMEPIS

Assistant.app.zip) to the OS X desktop.

3. Unzip it, then launch the SimplyMEPIS Assistant.app and follow the instructions.

4. When prompted, reboot into the DVD and install MEPIS Linux following the directions

in Section 4.1.

5. Install MEPIS Linux on the partition you created with the MEPIS Linux 8.5 Assistant

for OS X.

6. Install GRUB on root. DO NOT install it on the MBR.

7. If GRUB installs OK, finish the installation, and reboot into OSX or MEPIS Linux.

8. If you get an error message that says: "Sorry, installing GRUB failed. This may be due

to a change in the disk formatting." then do the following:

1. Quit the installation process, and restart your Mac.




http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Alternative_boot_methods

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Installing_without_a_CD

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Testing_your_hardware_for_problems


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_memory

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initrd

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Fstab


2. At the rEFIt startup screen, use your left and right arrow keys to select

"Start Partitioning Tool". You will see a list of partitions and proposed

updates to the MBR. Press "y" to accept the MBR updates.

3. At the rEFIt startup screen, use your left and right arrow keys to select

the "Shut Down Computer" or "Restart Computer".

4. Start the computer, and go back to step 7. You should not get the

GRUB installation error again.

9. After installing MEPIS Linux, return to the Assistant in OS X to enable dual booting.

NOTE: the Installer disables options that would be likely to damage your OS X System Drive.

Do not try to use Parted, KDE Partition Manager, or QTParted to do anything on an OS

X System Drive. If used, parted will probably destroy the OS X installation and make the disk

unbootable.

4.5: Uninstalling MEPIS Linux

Overview

In many instances, removing MEPIS is no different from that of any other operating system.

But when you need to remove MEPIS from a dual boot system and restore the original single

partition structure, the procedure is somewhat more complicated.

Remove the Linux partition

1. Boot up the LiveDVD and log in as your regular user.

2. Click Start Menu > System > KDE Partition Manager (Partition Editor), and supply the

root password.

3. In the upper right corner of the screen, select the hard drive (you will see a

Windows partition when you have the right one).

4. Right-click the MEPIS Linux drive or drives, and select delete from the menu. If delete

is not there, choose "resize" and shrink it to zero.

5. When all Linux drives are done, then resize the Windows drive to the maximum.

6. Reboot without the DVD into Windows, which will probably tell you it has to check

the drive.

Restore the MBR

If GRUB (the boot loader used by MEPIS Linux) was installed on the MBR (master boot record

at the very beginning of a hard drive), you will probably also have to reinstall the Windows

bootloader in one of the following ways:

With Windows XP and later, you need to boot into the Windows Recovery

Console. Follow the link below for up-to-date details.

If you do not have the Windows CD, you can repair the MBR with third-party

software such as Active@ Partition Recovery for DOS (link below). You need the

commercial version for this feature, and it may require that you had backed up the

MBR.

For Windows Vista, follow the link below on how to use the Bootrec.exe tool.


Windows Recovery Console: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314058

Active@ Partition Recovery for DOS: http://www.partition-recovery.com/

Bootrec.exe tool for Windows Vista: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392

5: Configuration




http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314058

http://www.partition-recovery.com/

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392


5.0: Introduction

This section covers configuration instructions in order to get your system running correctly

from a fresh installation of MEPIS Linux. For optional customization and personalization features,

see the first two items under Links and Guides at bottom. Click on any of the following links for

details about configuration in that topic area:

5.1: Quick fixes

5.2: Peripherals

5.3: MEPIS Assistants

5.4: GRUB Bootloader

5.5: Display

5.6: Network

5.7: Sound

5.8: Bluetooth


MEPIS Wiki: Customization: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Category:Customization

MEPIS Wiki: KDE4: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Category:KDE4

5.1: Quick fixes

After a fresh installation many people find these first steps useful to get going. For personal

customization, see final Wiki link.

Manual links:

Wired internet connection (Section 5.6.1.1)

Wireless internet connection (Section 5.6.1.2)

Adjusting fonts and display resolution (Section 5.5)

Sound configuration (Section 5.7)

Set language, keyboard, time format and other locale items(Section 5.9)

Wiki links:

Easy installation of common software packages:

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Smxi

Access the Windows side of a dual-boot:

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Kwikdisk

Change the Desktop wallpaper: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Change_Wallpaper

Set up a screensaver: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Xscreensaver

Create a link on the desktop: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Creating_a_link_on_

the_desktop

Change measure units: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Change_Measure_Units

Other customization: href="http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Category:

Customization

5.2: Peripherals

This section covers how to install and set up peripherals in MEPIS Linux.




http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Category:Customization%20

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Category:KDE4

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Smxi

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Kwikdisk

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Change_Wallpaper

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Xscreensaver

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Creating_a_link_on_the_desktop

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Change_Measure_Units

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Category:Customization


5.2.1: How to set up a camera

5.2.2: How to set up a monitor

5.2.3: How to set up a printer

5.2.4: How to set up a webcam

5.2.5: How to set up a scanner

5.2.6: How to set up a handheld device

5.2.7: How to set up a MP3 player

Click on the item that interests you to see details on how to set up that peripheral.

5.2.1: How to set up a camera

In most cases MEPIS Linux will add a camera automatically:

1. Switch on your camera in 'play' mode and connect it to your computer.

2. Click Start Menu > System > System Settings > Digital Camera, and you will

usually see your camera icon already there.

3. If it is not there, you can add it manually by clicking the menu camera icon and

finding your camera in the list.

Retrieving images from your camera is easy:

1. Most cameras will be recognized by the Device Notifier in the System Tray on the

right side of the panel, which will send up a notification that a new storage device

has been connected, and it will carry the name of your camera. Click on that device,

and then select "Open with Dolphin" from the items on the list.

2. Alternatively, click Start Menu > Graphics > Gwenview (Image Viewer), and you

will see your camera listed under Places.

3. A third possibility is to install Digikam from the repos. It will likely recognize your

camera and allow you to import images.

4. Some brands (Kodak, for example) or models sometimes present particular problems,

and may require a manual edit of the rules governing how plug-in devices are

handled. See the Wiki link below for Kodak cameras on how to do that.

5. Occasionally, it may be necessary to explore your camera's menu in order to change

the connection type from PTP to USB.

If your camera uses a multimedia card for storage, as many do, you may find it easiest to use a

card reader (cheap if not built in) to connect to your USB port. Under MEPIS Linux, it will

usually show up as an additional media device on your desktop, and you can read and write to

it as if it were a hard or floppy disk.

Troubleshooting

Make sure your user-id appears in the camera group (create it if necessary) using

Start Menu > System > KUser.

If your camera does not appear, check to see if it is on the USB device list linked

below.

Google for the keywords "gphoto2 YourCameraMake YourCameraModel". Look for a

changelog that includes your model. Check the version of the changelog and

compare it to the output of typing this into a terminal:

gphoto2 --version

You may need a new version of gphoto2 if the older version of the program does

not recognize the camera. See whether one is available from MEPIS Repositories or

search the MEPIS Community Forum (see Links & Guides). See Section 7.3: Other

install methods: source code if you need to compile it yourself.

Links and Guides for Section 5.2.1

USB device list: http://www.qbik.ch/usb/devices/showdevcat.php?id=10

MEPIS Wiki: KUser: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Kuser

MEPIS Wiki: Kodak cameras: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Kodak_cameras

MEPIS Community




http://www.qbik.ch/usb/devices/showdevcat.php?id=10

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Kuser

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Kodak_cameras



Repository: http://www.mepiscommunity.org/en/node/273

MEPIS Community Forum: http://forum.mepiscommunity.org

5.2.2: How to set up a monitor

See also Section 5.5: Display

In most cases, the monitor will be recognized by MEPIS Linux when the LiveDVD is booted,

and the appropriate driver will be included when the OS is installed on the hard drive.

Changing monitors

1. Shutdown the entire system and disconnect the power.

2. Unplug the monitor.

3. Plug in new monitor and reconnect the power to the computer.

4. When you reboot, the system will usually recognize and configure your new monitor

correctly.

Troubleshooting

Consult Section 5.5 Display on how to change drivers or resolution.

5.2.3: How to set up a printer

Basic operation

USB printers plugged directly into the computer will probably be automatically recognized and

installed by a KDE utility that does the configuration, though they can also be manually

installed. Printing itself is enabled by CUPS (Common UNIX Printing System).

All printer management is handled by Printer Configuration, found by clicking Start Menu >

Settings > System Settings. Scroll down if necessary to find Printer Configuration icon, and

click on it. Any printer automatically installed will be listed there on the left-hand side, where

there are also entries for New Printer and Server Settings, which you would use when sharing

a printer (see Section 9.1). Click on New Printer, and follow the screens to set up a new

network printer or printer class (group, e.g., "color printers").

If this method does not work satisfactorily for you, you can open a browser and type in the

address bar:

http://localhost:631/

This will present you with the CUPS (Common Unix Printing System) interface, where you can

click on "Adding Printers and Classes" at the top of the middle column, then "Add Printer" on

the following page.

Troubleshooting

MEPIS Wiki: Printer help: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Hardware#Printers

MEPIS Wiki: Canon ixxx printer drivers


Install_Canon_ixxx_Printer_Drivers

MEPIS Wiki: Install Brother printer drivers:


Install_Brother_Printer_Drivers

CUPS Mini-Tutorial: http://dev.linuxfoundation.org/~till/printing-





http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/index.html

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Hardware#Printers

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Install_Canon_ixxx_Printer_Drivers

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Install_Brother_Printer_Drivers

http://dev.linuxfoundation.org/~till/printing-tutorial/tut.html


tutorial/tut.html


KDE Userbase: Printer config: http://userbase.kde.org/Printer_Config

Printer compatibility database: http://www.linux-foundation.org/en/

OpenPrinting/Database/DatabaseIntro

KDE print home page: http://printing.kde.org/

CUPS home page: http://www.cups.org/

5.2.4: How to set up a webcam

Introduction

Webcams have traditionally been tricky to configure with Linux. However, MEPIS Linux uses

the latest Linux kernels, which include webcam drivers that make the process easier than

before.

Basics

Here are the basic steps to take:

First, plug in the webcam, and see if it works! Webcams using common drivers will

often work just fine.

To test whether it is working, try these options:

Click Start Menu > Internet > Kopete (Instant Messenger), then

click on the menu bar Settings > Configure... > Video. After a few

seconds, you should see the webcam's view.

Install Skype, then click on Options >Video Devices, and click on the

Test button.

Install cheese, then click Video and Start recording.

Install camstream, then click File > Open Viewer and select your

webcam.

If one of those procedures does not work--and webcams often only work with

certain applications--get the brand and model and USB ID of your webcam by

opening a terminal and typing:

lsusb

Output for the webcam will resemble this:

Bus 001 Device 002: ID 046d:0870 Logitech, Inc. QuickCam Express

Google the device ID (bolded) to find out about its driver and Linux status.

Check the webcam tables linked below for information and help.

Search MEPIS community forum, then post your brand, model and device ID number

(use lsusb) if still having trouble.

NOTE: If looking to buy a new webcam, many users report consistent good luck with those

supported by uvcvideo, and gspca, now supplied as kernel modules.


MEPIS Wiki: Webcam: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Webcam_Overview

KDE Userbase: Webcam Support:

http://userbase.kde.org/Kopete/Webcam_Support

Ubuntu webcam lists: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/

HardwareSupportComponentsMultimediaWebCameras

The Linux Documentation Project: Webcam-HowTo:

http://tldp.org/HOWTO/html_single/Webcam-HOWTO/




http://dev.linuxfoundation.org/~till/printing-tutorial/tut.html

http://userbase.kde.org/Printer_Config

http://www.linux-foundation.org/en/OpenPrinting/Database/DatabaseIntro

http://printing.kde.org/

http://www.cups.org/

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Webcam_Overview

http://userbase.kde.org/Kopete/Webcam_Support

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/HardwareSupportComponentsMultimediaWebCameras

http://tldp.org/HOWTO/html_single/Webcam-HOWTO/


5.2.5: How to set up a scanner

Introduction

Scanners are supported in Linux by SANE (“Scanner Access Now Easy”) which is an application

programming interface (API) that provides standardized access to any raster image scanner

hardware (flatbed scanner, hand-held scanner, video- and still-cameras, frame-grabbers, etc.).

Basic steps

You can manage your scanner in MEPIS Linux with the KDE frontend Skanlite by following

these steps:

Click Start Menu > System > Synaptic Package Manager.

Locate and install the skanlite package (see 7: Software Management)

Click Start Menu > Graphics > Skanlite

Kooka will check the system for scanners and present you with a list of what it has

found.

For details on how to use Skanlite, click the help icon to see the handbook.

A good alternative for flatbed scanners involves installing kipi-plugins from the repos,

which will give you a basic scanner under Start Menu > Graphics > Acquire

Images.

Troubleshooting

Make sure your scanner is listed as supported by SANE by following the link below.

Sometimes there is a conflict with another driver that leads to various odd behaviors.

To check:

1. Click Start Menu > System > Dolphin as Su (File Manager as su),

and provide the root password.

2. Type (or copy and paste) into the address bar:

/etc/sane.d/dll.d/libsane-extras

3. The file will open. There should be a # symbol at the beginning of this

line to “comment out” the driver:

geniusvp2

4. If not, put one there, save the file and exit


SANE home page: http://www.sane-project.org/

Scanners supported by SANE: http://www.sane-project.org/sane-mfgs.html

Scanners across a network: http://www.linux.com/feature/57798

Other common choices: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Linux_software#Scanner

5.2.6: How to set up a handheld device

Success with using a handheld device with MEPIS Linux depends on the handheld OS and

hardware being used. Many users get around the complications of synching through the use of

cloud applications such as Google Calendar or Dropbox.

Palm devices

PalmOS devices can be used on MEPIS Linux to sync handheld data to the Jpilot desktop

application, though there is no longer any integration with KDE applications such as Calendar or




http://www.sane-project.org/%20

http://www.sane-project.org/sane-mfgs.html%20

http://www.linux.com/feature/57798

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Scanner%20


Contacts.

Preliminaries

Make sure your handheld data are backed up before you start.

Make sure your device info is correct, including spelling and capitalization

If you are using a Palm device that has been used on another PC, you may have to

restore the factory defaults (hard reset)

Make sure that the modules you need are loaded: visor, usbserial and uhci_hcd or

ehci_hcd. See the Wiki on handling modules, linked below.

Setup

The following technique works on MEPIS with many Palm devices.

Using any installation method, install these packages:

pilot-linkjpilotlibpisock9

Connect your Palm handheld to the computer

Open Jpilot (Start Menu > Office) and click on File > Preferences > Settings, and

select the appropriate Serial Port from the pull-down menu. When using a cradle On

MEPIS, the choice of usb: will usually work.

Press the hotsync button on the Palm device, then click the hotsync icon on the

lower left in J-Pilot. It should start syncing. Sometimes, you may need to wait 5

seconds before pressing the JPilot icon.

Once setup has worked, you can usually perform a hot sync simply by pressing the

hot sync button on your handheld or its cradle.

Troubleshooting

Go through the preliminary steps again. Be sure that the modules are loaded.

Plug your handheld directly into the PC (no hub).

Palm Pre

It has been reported that the Palm Pre can be synched with Google Contacts and Calendar;

see the link below.

RIM Blackberry devices

There is no official method of synching a BlackBerry device with Linux, but there is group

working on the problem called the Barry Project. The Project's critical software barry-util is

available from the Community Repositories for MEPIS 11, and usage details can be found in the

Wiki.

Other devices

At the present, synching a PDA that runs Windows Mobile is difficult. However, there are

active projects working on this. Check the sites linked below for new developments. Likewise,

there currently is no easy way to sync Nokia phones with the desktop. In both cases, you can

use Bluetooth to move files and a cloud application for such things as contacts, calendars, etc.


MEPIS Wiki: JPilot: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Jpilot

MEPIS Wiki: PalmOS devices: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=PalmOS_devices

MEPIS Wiki: Module loading: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Loading_a_module

Palm OS device reset primer: http://www.tankerbob.com/palm/resets.htm

Palm Pre: http://userbase.kde.org/Tutorials/Kontact_Palm_Pre_Sync

Barry Project: http://netdirect.ca/software/packages/barry

MEPIS Wiki: Blackberry http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Blackberry

MEPIS Wiki: PocketPC devices: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=PocketPC_devices




http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Jpilot

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=PalmOS_devices

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Loading_a_module

http://www.tankerbob.com/palm/resets.htm

http://userbase.kde.org/Tutorials/Kontact_Palm_Pre_Sync

http://netdirect.ca/software/packages/barry

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Blackberry

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=PocketPC_devices


5.2.7: How to set up a MP3 player

With the latest kernels used by MEPIS Linux, using portable media players such as iPod,

Creative Zen, or iRiver has become very easy. Two good graphical frontend applications

available for managing songs and playlists with MP3 players are Amarok and Gtkpod

Amarok

Amarok is a KDE music manager not installed by default in MEPIS Linux, but easily

available from the repos. Most MP3 and other media players will be autodetected by

Amarok.

1. Plug in your device.

2. Device Notifier will pop up, listing the device. Click on the device icon to

open it up in Dolphin.

3. Open Amarok, select your device, and click Connect.

Gtkpod

Gtkpod is a platform-independent application specializing in Apple's iPod. It supports

the first to fifth generation devices, including the iPod mini, iPod Photo, iPod Shuffle,

iPod nano, and iPod Video. It is available through Synaptic.

Troubleshooting

Check the application web sites linked below for detailed information.


Amarok home page: http://amarok.kde.org/

Gtkpod home page: http://www.gtkpod.org/wiki/Home

Portable player database: http://tuxmobil.org/portable_players.html


Introduction

A unique feature of MEPIS Linux is the group of configuration utilities known collectively as the

MEPIS Assistants, located in Start Menu > Settings or Start Menu > System. The MEPIS

Installer is treated separately in Section 4.

5.3.1: Network Assistant

5.3.2: System Assistant

5.3.3: User Assistant

5.3.4: Welcome Center

5.3: Links

5.3.1: Network Assistant

See Section 5.6 for details on networking configuration.

Configure your network access with MEPIS Network Assistant (command line: mnetwork), by

clicking Start Menu > Settings > MEPIS Network Assistant. The interface has five tabs.

Be sure to click Apply when you make a change on any tab (you will see a warning if you

don't).

General tab

Interface status This panel at the top of the screen displays the active interfaces and

indicates their status following an obvious color code. If you hover your cursor over

any interface you will see details on its current state.

Interface Configuration Mode:

The Automatic mode using NetworkManager is default on MEPIS Linux. It

allows easy connection to access points through any active interface.




http://amarok.kde.org/

http://www.gtkpod.org/wiki/Home

http://tuxmobil.org/portable_players.html


The Manual mode may work better, especially when interface problems

(e.g., with WPA encryption) show up in automatic mode. Check that

box to activate it and, if necessary, then Apply. If the NetworkManager

icon is in the system tray of the Panel at the bottom right of the screen,

right-click it to quit so that it does not interfere with the manual mode.

Driver Preferences:

Select the Broadcom wl driver for newer cards with the chipset

BCM4310 to 4312, BCM 4322, and BCM4328. Select the Broadcom b43

kernel drivers for older chipsets such as BCM4306.

On the use of Ndiswrapper to allow the use of Windows drivers in Linux,

see Section 5.6.

The Broadcom drivers may interfere with each other, so you should

uncheck the one that you are not using. Similarly, ndiswrapper should

not be used if you are relying on a kernel module, and vice versa.

Check the box for the ipv6 driver (the next-generation Internet Protocol

version) if you need it for a particular use. Since it can slow down

connections, it is disabled by default.

Configure Domain Name Service Source: allows you to adjust how DNS is set.

Network Control: permits restarting the network when changes have been made. In

some cases, you may have to reboot for the changes to take effect.

Wireless tab

If you are using wireless for internet access, note which interface (e.g. wlan0) you're

using.

Enter the name of your network (SSID), if you know it; you can also try any or

default. To see what networks are available, click Scan Access Points. All found will

show up in the SSID box along with an indication of their strength, and you can

select the one you want. Rarely you may need to adjust the frequency (channel) in

order to avoid conflict with other devices using the 2.4 GHz band.

Select your encryption mode (see WEP and WPA), if any, and enter the key. Click

Apply.

Interfaces tab

Use the pull-down menu to get to your interface, then click Start at boot. If you

don't know which interface name you should use, open a terminal, become root, and

type:

iwconfig

Uncheck Start at boot for any other interfaces you will not be using.

Check the Start/Restart on Apply box and then Apply at the bottom to quickly

restart the interface.

If you need to, you can configure static IP settings.

Click Apply then OK. You may have to reboot for the changes to take effect, though

usually that is not necessary. On the LiveDVD, go back instead to the General tab

and click Stop Network, then Re/Start Network.

Troubleshooting tab

Hardware Clicking on Scan hardware will return a detailed description of your

network cards and chipsets. Be sure to report this information when seeking help.

Associated drivers

Linux drivers. Any drivers associated with your wireless hardware will be

listed here.

Windows drivers. This panel allows you to see associated Windows drivers

for use with Ndiswrapper, as well as to add or remove a driver, or even

to blacklist Ndiswrapper if it is interfering with a Linux driver you want to

use.

Diagnosis tab

This tab provides easy access to network diagnostic problems using well-established tools.

Ping is used to send small data packets to another network host as a basic test for

connectivity. It will test your connection to any IP address or hostname you give it;

try something like www.yahoo.com to see how it works. Ten packets is often

enough, but you can select any number by using the arrows. Consult the MEPIS Wiki

link in the Links and Guides section on how to read and use the output.

Traceroute shows you the route over the network between two systems, listing all





the intermediate routers a connection must pass through ("hops") to get to its

destination. It can help you determine why your connections to a given server might

be poor, and can often help you figure out where exactly the problem is. Try

something like www.yahoo.com to see how it works. Ten hops is often enough,

but you can select any number by using the arrows. Consult the MEPIS Wiki in the

Links and Guides section on how to read and use the output.

5.3.2: System Assistant

This utility allows you to make various adjustments to your system, running as root. You can

start the utility from Start Menu > Settings > MEPIS System Assistant (command line:

msystem). The interface has four tabs:

Options: Here you can configure computer identity (name, domain, workgroup),

system locale, keyboard layout (use KDE System Settings to enable keyboard layouts

if different from system) and space recovery.

MEPIS USB key: This tab is for setting up a bootable Live USB key for netbooks or

OnTheGo (see link below).

Repair System Boot: This tab is used for repairing the MBR (Master Boot Record). It is

normally used when running from the LiveDVD. "System boot disk" refers to the MBR,

and "MEPIS installation disk" is the root partition. Check the Wiki for how to deal with

multiple hard disks or other complicated situations.

Repair Partition: This tab allows a partition to be tested for errors and bad blocks. It

may not be run from within the partition that needs to be checked, and for that

reason is usually run from the LiveDVD.

5.3.3: User Assistant

This utility aids in adding, editing, removing users to your system. You can start the utility from

Start Menu > Settings > MEPIS User Assistant. It has four tabs:

Repair: by checking the appropriate box, you can restore the defaults for any Users

group memberships, KDE application configurations, and Firefox configurations.

Copy/Sync: this tab allows you to copy or sync between desktops. It is used with

OnTheGo (see Links and Guides).

Add: you can add users here and assign them passwords.

Delete: here you can delete a user account, with the option of removing the

associated home directory.

5.3.4: Welcome Center

This is another new utility that aims to make the Users first encounter with MEPIS Linux as

friendly as possible. You can start it from Start Menu > System > MEPIS Welcome Center

(command line: mwelcome) . From this Center you can research a topic using MEPIS

documentation, join the Community forum, contribute to MEPIS development, install a

language pack, activate the Community repos, or add popular applications with a single click.


Wikipedia: the X Windows System: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_windows

MEPIS Wiki: Using Ndiswrapper: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Using_Ndiswrapper




http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_windows%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Using_Ndiswrapper%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Wep%20


MEPIS Wiki: WEP: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Wep

MEPIS Wiki: WPA: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=WPA

MEPIS Wiki: OnTheGo: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Onthego

5.4: GRUB bootloader

Introduction

GRUB is the default boot loader used by MEPIS Linux. A boot loader is software that tells your

computer where to find operating systems to boot. When you start your computer, GRUB will

provide you with a menu of choices. It is a very powerful boot loader that can load a wide

variety of free operating systems, as well as proprietary operating systems with an indirect boot

technique known as chainloading.

Overview

The typical default GRUB screen in MEPIS Linux shows 3 kernel entries for MEPIS ("stanzas"

that start with title), any other detected OS, and a MEMTEST entry. For a dual_boot on a

single hard drive with Windows XP installed in the first partition (named sda1 in MEPIS Linux,

see Section 3.5), it looks something like this:

timeout 10color cyan/blue white/blueforeground ffffffbackground 0639a1

gfxmenu /boot/grub/message

title MEPIS at sda2, newest kernelroot (hd0,1)kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda2 nomce quiet splash vga=791 boot

title MEPIS at sda2, previous kernel (if any)root (hd0,1)kernel /boot/vmlinuz.old root=/dev/sda2 nomce quiet splash vga=791 boot

title MEPIS at sda2, kernel 2.6.32-1-mepis-smproot (hd0,1)kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-1-mepis-smp root=/dev/sda2boot

title Microsoft Windows XP Professional at sda1rootnoverify (hd0,0)chainloader +1

title MEMTESTkernel /boot/memtest86+.bin

Three kernel entries are listed for technical reasons; details in the Wiki discussion of GRUB

under Links and Guides below.

The final entry, Memtest is a thorough, stand-alone memory test for all Intel or AMD-based

systems. It writes a series of test patterns to every memory address, then reads back the data

written and compares it for errors..

Customizing GRUB

After successfully installing a dual-boot system, many people want to adapt it to their

environment. Warning: making mistakes in editing GRUB configuration may render your system

unbootable. To recover from this situation see Section 5.3.2 for 'Repair System Boot'.

Configuring the boot menu timeout

It is possible to change the length of time for which the boot menu is shown. This is useful if

you would like the computer to start up faster (without the delay of showing the menu) or

would like more time to choose which operating system to start.

1. Click Click Start Menu > System > Dolphin as su, and supply the root password.




http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Wep%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=WPA%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Onthego%20


2. Click Ctrl-L to open the navigation bar, and type /boot/grub/menu.lst and hit

return. This will open the configuration file for GRUB (menu.lst) that you can now

edit in KWrite, the default text editor.

3. The first line contains text similar to the following:

timeout 10

This line determines the time, in seconds, during which the boot menu will be

shown. Change the number on this line to the number of seconds you would like.

Use 0 if you would not like the menu to be shown at all so that the default entry will

be booted automatically.

4. Click File > Save to save your changes and then Exit. Your changes should take

effect the next time you restart your computer.

Changing the default operating system to boot

There are various ways you can set which operating system will be started automatically if you

h a v e n o t c h o s e n o n e f r o m t h e b o o t m e n u w i t h i n a c e r t a i n t i m e . Open t h e

boot/grub/menu.lst file as root using the method indicated above, and do one of the

following:

Add a default order number

add the following option just above the first “title” entry:

default n

Change the variable n to “0” to boot from the first entry in the menu, “1” forthe second, and so forth.

Rearrange the stanzas

Highlight the stanza for the OS you want to boot by default

Cut and paste it into the first title position.

Configure GRUB to default to whichever OS you booted previously. For details, check

the Wiki entry on Customizing GRUB in Links and Guides below.

Whichever method you choose, save the file and exit when you are done. The

changes will take effect the next time the computer boots.

Troubleshooting

See the MEPIS Wiki links below for troubleshooting help.


Wikipedia: GRUB: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_GRUB

Memtest home page: http://www.memtest.org

MEPIS Wiki: GRUB: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=GRUB

Wikipedia: Chainloading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chainloading

MEPIS Wiki: Customizing GRUB: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Customizing_GRUB

MEPIS Wiki: Reinstalling GRUB: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Reinstalling_GRUB

MEPIS Wiki: Securing GRUB: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Securing_GRUB

MEPIS Wiki: How to use GRUB from the command line:

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=GRUB_from_command_line

5.5: Display

The Black Screen

Occasionally it may happen that when you boot up, you end up looking at an empty black

screen that may have a blinking cursor in the corner. This represents a failure to start X, the

windows system used by Linux. Possibilities and solutions for this failure include:




http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_GRUB%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.memtest.org%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=GRUB%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chainloading%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Customizing_GRUB%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Reinstalling_GRUB%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Securing_GRUB%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=GRUB_from_command_line%20


Wrong graphic driver. This problem can occur when using the LiveDVD or LiveUSB,

when you install a new monitor or with a new graphic card. It can be corrected by

changing the driver, see below.

Incorrect resolution. Normally, the resolution is configured automatically, but it can

fail. Try adding the cheatcode video=followed by your monitor's proper resolution

(e.g., video=1280x1024).

Driver not compiled. This problem happens every time a new kernel or an updated

Xorg is installed (if used). Use Ctrl-Alt-F1 to get to a login prompt, log in as your user,

then become root and use sgfxi. Details in the Wiki.

Refresh out of range.Solve this by adding the cheat code vsync=58-62.

Kernel modeset issues. Add the cheat code radeon.modeset=0 or

nvidia.modeset=0.

Agp issues. Add the cheat code noagp.

Unrecognized Intel chipset. Add the cheat code xdrvr=intel

Resolution

Resolution refers to the physical number of columns and rows of pixels creating the display

(e.g., 1920×1200). In most cases, the resolution is correctly setby the kernel during

installation (see Section 4.2) or when a new monitor is connected. If not, you can change it in

the following ways:

Click Start Menu > System > More Applications > KRandRTray to get an

applet in the System Tray that you can use to adjust resolution and other values.

This is particularly useful for laptops.

Click Start Menu > System > System Settings > Display and Monitor. Use the

pull-down menu to set the correct values.

For Nvidia cards, you can install the package nvidia-settings that will give you a

graphic tool that you can use to alter settings as root with the command

kdesu nvidia-settings

In difficult situations, it is possible to manually alter the configuration file

/etc/X11/xorg.conf. Always back up the file before you change it, and check the

Wiki and the Forum for help about specifying the use of that file.

Graphic driver

If you are not satisfied with your display's performance, you may need to upgrade your graphic

driver (make sure to first back up the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf, i f used) in one of the

following ways (see the Wiki for details):

Download directly from the manufacturer. This method will require you to select and

download the driver for your system; for system info, use

lspci|grep VGA

Here are driver websites for the three most popular brands--do a web search on "brandname

linux driver" for others:

Nvidia: http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx

ATI: http://support.amd.com/

Intel: http://intellinuxgraphics.org/download.html

Intel drivers must be compiled (Section 7.3), but Nvidia and ATI drivers are easily installed:

Navigate in Dolphin to the folder where they were downloaded

Right-click the file, select the Permissions tab, check "Is executable"

Press F4 to get a command line and type (using the real name of the file)

sh filename.run

Install additional driver packages from the repos.

With an ATI chip, for instance, direct rendering requires the addition of the package

libgl-mesa-glx.

Graphic controls are available for Nvidia (nvidia-settings) and some ATI drivers

Check the Wiki and Forum for details and help.

Use a script called sgfxi. This script was developed by a Linux user named h2-1 for standard

system upkeep for Debian, and currently supports ATI fglrx and Nvidia drivers. It also

supports converting from or to xorg free drivers like ati, intel, or nv. To get the script, open

Konsole, become root, and enter:

cd /usr/local/bin && wget -Nc smxi.org/sgfxi && chmod +x sgfxi

Once you have this installed, you can use it to easily change to the latest appropriate driver by

opening a root konsole and typing sgfxi. Follow the simple on-screen directions. Note that this is not

an official MEPIS product, so no guarantees can be made about its use.




http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx

http://support.amd.com/

http://intellinuxgraphics.org/download.html


Adjusting fonts

Basic adjustment

1. Click Start Menu > Settings > System Settings > Application Appearance > Fonts

2. Adjust font size as needed. You can adjust them individually, or all at once (e.g., when a

specific monitor makes them too large or too small) using the button Adjust All Fonts.

3. For help, press F1 to access the KDE Help Center.

Advanced adjustments

Firefox

1. Open Firefox and click on the menu bar Edit > Preferences >Content

2. Make any desired changes.

Opera

1. Open Opera and type in the navigation panel: about:config

2. Enter "font" in the search box, and make any desired changes.

GTK fonts

GTK+ is a multi-platform toolkit for creating graphical user interfaces. It is used in a variety of

applications such as Synaptic. You can easily add a page for adjusting GTK Fonts to the System

Settings:

1. Click Start Menu > System > Synaptic Package Manager.

2. Locate and install these packages:

gtk-qt-enginegtk2-engineskde-config-gtk-style

3. In the System Settings you will now find a GTK Styles and Fonts entry where you can

control the style and fonts used by GTK applications.

Adding fonts

1. Click Start Menu > System > Synaptic Package Manager.

2. Use the search function for “fonts.”3. Select and download the ones you want.

4. Enable the Debian multimedia software repository to get the Microsoft core fonts package -

msttcorefonts. Note: for installation methods, see 7: Software Management.

5. Click Start Menu > Settings > System Settings > Font Installer

6. From the Font Installer, click Add and open the font you have downloaded.

7. Click on the Install button.

NOTE: You may need to resize the window to see the Install button in the lower right

hand corner.

8. Your new fonts should be available in the font window of Start Menu > Settings >

System Settings & Appearance > Fonts.

Laptops

The action initiated by closing the lid of a laptop is set by default to Suspend to Ram after 15 minutes.

You can alter that behavior by clicking Start Menu > Settings > System Settings > Power

Management > Edit Profiles.

There is a small tool for changing the display on the fly that is handy when using a laptop. Located by

clicking Start Menu > System > KRandRTray (Screen Resize & Rotate). It sits in the system

tray, and allows you to conveniently alter screen size, orientation or refresh rate.

Troubleshooting

If all normal attempts to configure your video have failed, or if things have gotten totally messed up,

you can use a CLI tool called Xorg -configure that will examine your system and provide a new basic

configuration file. Note that there is no user input or choice of screen resolution. Details in the Wiki

entry, below.

Troubleshooting links




http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=No%20graphical%20login


MEPIS Wiki: No graphical login: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=No

graphical login

MEPIS Wiki: Reconfiguring Xorg.conf: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Xorg_-configure

MEPIS Wiki: Manually editing X config file: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Monitor_and_Display_Setup

Xorg.conf editing basics: http://www.linux.com/archive/feed/118108


MEPIS Wiki: Fonts: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Fonts

MEPIS Wiki: GTK+: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Gtk

MEPIS Wiki: Sgfxi: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Smxi#sgfxi

MEPIS Wiki: Monitor and Display Setup: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Monitor_and_Display_Setup

MEPIS Wiki: Increase monitor resolution: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Increase_Resolution

KPowersave home page: http://sourceforge.net/projects/powersave/

MEPIS Wiki: How to adjust monitor gamma:

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Adjusting_Monitor_Gamma

5.6: Network

Introduction

A computer network is simply defined as “A connection of two or more computers so that they canshare resources.” Resources are in the form of hardware (i.e., printers), software, data, Internetconnection, etc. Setting up a home network is a fairly straightforward task. But it is a good idea to

arm yourself with a little knowledge to make things easier, as well as safer (from a security point of

view). See Links and Guides below for background information.

We will be dealing with the various methods of internet access separately in subsequent sections, but

all of them can be managed in MEPIS in one convenient location by clicking Start Menu > Settings

> System Settings > Network Settings.

Overview

The discussion of networking breaks up into five areas:

5.6.1: Wired access

5.6.1: Wireless access

5.6.2: Firewalls

5.6.3: File sharing

5.6.4: VPN and Remote desktop


Wikipedia: Computer networks: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_network

Linux Networking Overview: http://tldp.org/HOWTO/HOWTO-INDEX/networking.html

How Home Networking Works: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/home-

network.htm

Specific Linux networking topics: http://linux-net.osdl.org/index.php?

title=Main_Page

Linux networking stack: at http://www.ibm.com/developerworks

5.6.1.1: Wired Internet Access




http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=No%20graphical%20login

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Xorg_-configure

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Monitor_and_Display_Setup

http://www.linux.com/archive/feed/118108

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Fonts

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Gtk

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Smxi#sgfxi

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Monitor_and_Display_Setup

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Increase_Resolution

http://sourceforge.net/projects/powersave/

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Adjusting_Monitor_Gamma

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_network

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://tldp.org/HOWTO/HOWTO-INDEX/networking.html%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://computer.howstuffworks.com/home-network.htm%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://linux-net.osdl.org/index.php?title=Main_Page%20

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/library/l-linux-networking-stack/


MEPIS Linux typically picks up wired internet access upon boot without much problem.

Ethernet and cable

MEPIS Linux comes preconfigured for a standard LAN (Local Area Network) that uses DHCP (Dynamic

Host Configuration Protocol) to assign IP addresses and DNS (Domain Name System) resolution. This

will work in most cases as-is. You can change the configuration with the MEPIS Network Assistant

(see Section 5.3) . When you boot MEPIS Linux, your network adapters are assigned a short

interface name by udev, the kernel's device manager. For normal wired adapters this is usually eth0

(with subsequent adapters eth1, eth2, eth3, etc). Wireless adapters often come up on the eth0

interface in MEPIS Linux, but the interface name depends on the adapter's chipset. For instance,

atheros cards often show up as ath0, while ralink usb adapters may be rausb0. To find out what

interfaces have been detected and named in your system, click Start Menu > System > KInfoCenter

(Info Center) > Network Interfaces. For more details, open a terminal, become root, and enter:

ifconfig -a

It is highly recommended that you have a firewall (see Section 5.6.2) running if you are connecting

directly to the Internet with your PC! If you are running a stand-alone/external firewall, most of which

will run DHCP by default, simply connect to the router/hub/switch and your machine should

autoconfigure via DHCP.

ADSL or PPPoE

If you use ADSL or PPPoE, connecting to the internet is easy in MEPIS Linux. Click Start Menu >

Settings > System Settings > Network Settings, then the DSL tab. Click the Add... button and

fill in the required information, checking to connect automatically if you want.

NOTE: you may encounter problems when using a USB device to connect instead of going through a

router. If that happens, plug the unit into the computer, open Konsole, and type:

dmesg | tail

Post a message on Forum with the output to get some help in finding the driver you need.

Dial-Up

If you use a dialup connection with your computer, you will use KPPP. Click Start Menu > Internet

> KPPP (Internet Dial-Up Tool) to define an account, test that the modem is working, and dial

your ISP. A wizard makes the process painless, but for configuration details you can consult the KPPP

Handbook in Links and Guides.

On the Device tab you will need to set up the serial information. Accepting the default /dev/modem

may work, but you might need to try another interface. These are the Linux equivalents of the COM

ports under MSDOS and MSWindows®:

COM 1 - /dev/ttyS0

COM 2 - /dev/ttyS1

COM 3 - /dev/ttyS2

COM 4 - /dev/ttyS3

NOTE: For some users, KPPP does not work correctly in MEPIS Linux. Consult the KPPP section of the

MEPIS Wiki linked below for solutions that users have found. If you continue to have difficulties, you

should install gnome-ppp and try connecting with that application instead.

Command line utilities

Command line utilities are useful for seeing detailed information, and are also commonly used in

troubleshooting. Most must be run as root.

ifconfig - main configuration utility for network interfaces. Full documentation can be found

by typing man:ifconfig into the Dolphin address bar.

ifup interface - bring up the specified interface. For example:

ifup eth0 - command that brings up the ethernet port eth0ifup wlan0 - command that brings up the wireless port wlan0

ifdown interface - the opposite of ifup.

iwconfig - wireless network connection utility. Full documentation can be found by typing

man:iwconfig into the Dolphin Location bar . For example:

iwconfig - by itself, iwconfig will display your wireless statusiwconfig eth0 essid any - this command connects eth0 to any AP in range





iwconfig wlan0 essid foo - connects wlan0 to AP with essid "foo"iwconfig eth0 key off - clears out the WEP keyiwconfig ath0 key 12345678901 - sets ath0's WEP key to 12345678901

iwlist - another wireless ethernet utility. In Dolphin, type the URL: man:iwlist for the Iwlist

man page. Example of use:

iwlist wlan0 scanning - shows properties of wireless networks within range of wlan0.iwlist ath0 bitrate - shows the current speed of communications on ath0.

Troubleshooting

Ethernet cards in MEPIS Linux are configured in the file /etc/network/interfaces. The file is actually

very simple in format and syntax, and not hard to edit in the event that other tools fail. See

documentation by typing "man:interfaces" into the address bar of Dolphin.

Other troubleshooting help:

MEPIS Wiki: Network interface varies: at http://www.mepis.org/docs

MEPIS Wiki: Unstable connection: at http://www.mepis.org/docs

Links and Guides for Section 5.6.1.1

KPPP handbook: http://docs.kde.org/stable/en/kdenetwork/kppp/index.html

MEPIS Wiki: KPPP: at http://www.mepis.org/docs

Wikipedia: DHCP: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhcp

Wikipedia: 802.11x: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/802.11

Wikipedia: Udev: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Udev

Linux modem howto: http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Modem-HOWTO-1.html#ss1.1

5.6.1.2: Wireless Internet Access

MEPIS Linux comes preconfigured to autodetect a WiFi card, and in many cases your card will be

found and set up. If not, see below for the basic steps for enabling wireless.

There are three ways wireless can be supported in MEPIS:

With a native driver that comes as part of the Linux kernel (example: ipw3945 for Intel).

With a Windows driver using the application Ndiswrapper (supplied by default), which

"wraps" your Windows driver so that it can be used in a Linux system (example: bcmwl5 for

Broadcom).

With a Windows driver using the commercial product Linuxant.

Sometimes there is both a native Linux driver and a Windows driver available. You may want to

compare them for speed and connectivity, and you may have to remove the one you are not using to

prevent a conflict. For more information, see Links and Guides below.

Wireless cards can be either internal or external. USB modems (wireless dongles) usually show up on

the wlan interface, but if not then check others on the list.

NOTE: The successful method varies for users because of the complicated interactions among the

Linux kernel, wireless tools, and the local wireless card chipset and router.

3G modems

For wireless internet access using a 3G modem, please refer to the Debian Wiki's 3G pages linked at

the bottom of the page.

Basic Wireless Steps




http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Network_interface_varies%20

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Unstable_Connection

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://docs.kde.org/stable/en/kdenetwork/kppp/index.html%20

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Modem#Dialup_Connection

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhcp%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/802.11%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Udev%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Modem-HOWTO-1.html#ss1.1%20


1. Click on the Network Manager icon in the system tray on the right side of the panel, and you

will see something like this:

2. Click on the line that gives the name of an interface in the left panel (e.g., WLAN

Interface)

3. Click on the interface that now shows up in the right panel

4. A config window opens up. The system will try to detect the correct encryption type (e.g.

None, WEP or WPA), but you may need to verify if it is set correctly. Change if necessary,

and fill in any required passwords. Check 'Automatically connect' at the top of the screen if

you want your machine to connect without user intervention the next time you are within

reach of this network.

5. When everything is done, click OK.

6. The KWallet system wizard opens up. Click Next

7. If you want to use the KDE wallet to store personal information, check the box and consult

the KWallet discussion in Section 3.4, above. For now, it is easier if you leave it unchecked

and click Finish; you can always set it up later. The connection will be made.

8. Examples of wireless interfaces include:

eth, when a kernel module is being used and a wired interface exists

wlan, when ndiswrapper is operating and often when using native drivers

ra0 for cards with Ralink 2500 chipsets using the native driver. If an external

device such as a dongle is being used, this may show up as rausb0

For a full list, consult the Debian Wiki on Wifi linked below.

9. If Network Manager does not see a particular network, open the MEPIS Network Assistant

(see Section 5.3). On the General tab, click on the radio button for Manual (mnetwork) to

deactivate Network Manager. Then click on the Troubleshooting tab. In the top panel,

Hardware, click the Scan Hardware button to find the information about your chipset that

you need to get help. The output will show all recognized interfaces.

10. If an interface is found:

Search out any conflicts between drivers: 1) if you have a Broadcom chipset,

use MEPIS Network Assistant to turn off all drivers except the one you want to

use; 2) Atheros-based chipsets can cause more than one module to be loaded,

preventing a proper connection.

Try another connection manager such as Wicd or Ceni. Wicd (wicd-gtk is a nice

graphical app) is a popular choice for many Linux distributions, and can be gotten

from the MEPIS repositories. Ceni is in the Community Repository; it is particularly

useful for hidden access points and other difficult situations. Please note that

MEPIS can not guarantee the performance of these applications.

11. If no interface is found:

Open a terminal and type:

lspci

or

lsusb

Note the detailed information on your specific hardware, and look for more

information about that from the Debian Wiki on Wifi, from the LinuxWireless site

listed below, or on MEPIS community forum.

Although we would like to use native drivers, in some cases you will want or

need to use ndiswrapper and a Windows driver. This may be because you can't

otherwise connect, or because the connection is better. See below for details.

For some cards it is necessary to install firmware, the small programs and data

structures that internally control the electronic components. MEPIS comes with

quite a bit of firmware already available, but you may have to track down your

particular need. Use the LinuxWireless website linked below.

Open a terminal and type

dmesg | grep net

and look for any error message.

Report all relevant information in a post on MEPIS community forum, and ask for

help

Native drivers

MEPIS Linux includes a large number of native wireless drivers among its kernel modules. The





directions vary somewhat for each, and in some cases you will need to also obtain the firmware (small

programs that internally control various electronic devices). Pease consult the MEPIS Wiki on native

drivers, linked below.

Ndiswrapper

Ndiswrapper is an open source software driver "wrapper" that enables the use of Microsoft Windows

drivers for wireless network devices in Linux. It comes pre-installed in MEPIS Linux, along with a

number of the most common Windows drivers. Note that you MUST use a Windows 32-bit driver if

you have MEPIS 32-bit edition and you MUST use a Windows 64-bit driver if you have MEPIS 64-bit

edition. In general, Windows-XP drivers work much better than Vista drivers, so try the Windows-XP

driver first.

Here are the steps you should take to get wireless working with Ndiswrapper:

Open up MEPIS Network Assistant (Start Menu > System).

Click on the Troubleshooting tab, and click on "List Windows Drivers." Look for one of the

drivers there that is associated with your hardware.

If no driver is already associated, obtain the XP drivers for your card either from your legacy

installation or from other sources (check the Wiki).

Once you have placed the driver files (especially the *.inf and *.sys files) into a location on

your computer, return to the Troubleshooting tab.

Using the Remove Driver button, highlight and remove the existing drivers one at a time until

none are left.

Click on the Add Driver button, navigate to the location where you placed the XP driver files,

highlight the file and click OK

Click OK to close, and reboot your computer.

If you are not connected when you reboot, go back to the MEPIS Network Assistant and

make sure your network ESSID is entered on the Wireless tab. If not, enter it, click Apply,

and restart the interface on the Interfaces tab.

If you still have trouble, consult the Wiki or post the information described above in the last

of the Basic Steps on MEPIS community forum.

Links and Guides for Section 5.6.1.2

Wikipedia: Softmodems: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Softmodem

Linux drivers for winmodems: http://linmodems.org/

Linux wireless LAN support: http://linux-wless.passys.nl/

Linuxant home page: http://www.linuxant.com/

Linux Wireless: http://linuxwireless.org/

Debian Wiki: Wifi: http://wiki.debian.org/WiFi

Debian Wiki: 3G modem: http://wiki.debian.org/Modem/3G

MEPIS Wiki: Native wireless drivers: at http://www.mepis.org/docs/en

MEPIS Wiki: Ndiswrapper: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Using_Ndiswrapper

MEPIS Wiki: Wireless: at http://www.mepis.org/docs

5.6.2: Firewalls

Introduction

A firewall is a device or application used to filter data packets from incoming or outgoing network

traffic, usually based upon the IP address or type of service (literally, the port number). Firewall

configurations sometimes need to be adjusted if you add a new network service or change the port

of an existing network service on your computer.

Although MEPIS Linux does not come with a software firewall preinstalled and configured, it is

recommended you use one as a safety precaution, especially if you do not have a router. Firewalls are

aimed at two groups of users: novice to intermediate users who are not experts in networking and

security, and users who don't want the hassle of dealing with using scripts and parameters. See Links

and Guides for more details.

Software

Most firewall programs available for MEPIS Linux are merely frontends for Netfilter/iptables, the

network filtering module in newer Linux kernels. So, the real differences among different firewalls are




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http://wiki.debian.org/WiFi

http://wiki.debian.org/Modem/3G

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the way the interface works and what options are available. Here are several alternatives to consider

(details in Wiki):

Firestarter

Guarddog

Kmyfirewall

Troubleshooting

MEPIS Wiki: Edit iptables manually: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Iptables


Firewalls FAQs: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/firewalls-faq/

Wikipedia: Netfilter/iptables: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netfilter

Wikipedia: Comparison of firewalls:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_firewalls

Guarddog manual: at http://www.simonzone.com

MEPIS Wiki: Firestarter: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Firestarter

MEPIS Wiki: Guarddog: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Guarddog

Kmyfirewall home page: http://kmyfirewall.sourceforge.net/

5.6.3: File sharing

Introduction

MEPIS Linux can handle a large variety of networking protocols to make files and directories available

to other computers on your network. Many people accustomed to Windows may be confused by the

variety of file sharing protocols and not understand why there are so many when Windows simply

allows you to "share" files without much rigamarole. Being open, though, Linux allows you to choose

the protocol that best suits your needs.

Samba

This is the protocol used by Windows machines (which they call SMB: “Server Message Block”). Sambais the most complete solution to share files with Windows machines on your network without making

changes to the Windows machines. Samba sets up network “shares” (directories available to otherusers) for chosen Linux directories and all contained subdirectories. These appear to Microsoft

Windows users as normal Windows folders accessible via the network.

It also offers some other services for interfacing with Windows networks, such as domain

authentication, messaging services, and netbios name resolution. Finally, it provides an easy method of

connecting Linux machines to each other and even to Mac machines.

There are two basic aspects to sharing files on your network through Samba: first, setting up a samba

server on the machine whose files you want to share, and then telling the server which directories itserver on the machine whose files you want to share, and then telling the server which directories it

may share with other computers on your network.

Setting up a samba server

If you are logged into a KDE session as root, go to: Start Menu > Settings > System Settings >

Network and Connectivity > Sharing

To avoid the risks of logging into a session as root: from your user account, open a Konsole window,

or right-click on the desktop and choose run command from the pop-up menu. Enter this command:

kdesu kcmshell4 kcmsambaconf

Enter root's password when prompted. You should then have the window Samba KDE Control

Module. You have tabbed windows for these configuration categories: Base Settings, Shares,

Printers, Users, Advanced.

For detailed information on how to configure your Samba Server, see the Mepis Wiki:

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Configuring_SAMBA

Welcome

1: Introduction

2: Getting MEPIS

3: Pre-Installation

4: Installation

5: Configuration

6: The Command Line


8: Basic Use

9: Advanced Use

10: Under the Hood

11: More Resources

12: Glossary




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Adding Samba shares

In addition to going into Samba KDE Control Module to add more directories to share, there is another

shortcut you can take to add shares. Use Dolphin to navigate to the folder/directory you want to

share. Right-click and select Properties. Click on the Share tab, then on the button Configure File

Sharing. Provide root's password, and then define the users and folders available to Samba.

When considering Samba

Pros:

Looks and acts just like a Windows file share to clients.

Has lots of Windows networking features beyond file sharing (Domain

authentication, Windows messaging service, netbios names, print sharing, etc).

Very flexible and configurable.

Cons:

Not the most stable option

Can be confusing to set up on the server side, because some of the terminology

is different.

Security can be weird, since Windows clients are not all consistent in how they

deal with security.

Not the best choice if you have relatively few (or no) Windows computers

involved.

Other methods

NFS:

This is the standard Unix protocol for sharing files. Many feel it is better than Samba for

sharing files, and it can be used with Windows (2000 & XP) machines if you install Services

for Unix or a third-party NFS client on them. For more information, see Links and Guides at

the bottom of the page.

Pros:

More mature and stable than Samba for Linux / Unix servers.

Simpler and less cumbersome than Samba.

Cons:

Windows clients require extra configuration.

Terminology somewhat different from what Windows users are

used to using.

SSHFS:

This is a pretty new protocol that requires some additional installation on Mepis (at least for

the client). It is a mountable filesystem protocol implemented using SSH, so it is encrypted

and only requires that the server be running SSH. For more information, see Links and Guides

at the bottom of the page.

Pros:

Server only needs to be running SSHD: nothing else to set up.

All transmissions encrypted for security.

Cons:

Requires extra setup on the client -- modules need to be compiled,

permissions set up, folders mounted, etc.

Hard to control what user has access to; anything they can access

locally is available over the network.

Cannot setup "anonymous" shares. (?) (At least not without a

major security compromise).

Forget about using this with Windows clients.

FTP

This is a very old protocol that still enjoys common use and support. It does not have all the

features of other protocols and is somewhat insecure, but is a good choice if you are going

to share files out to the internet and you have a wide variety of client OS's. For more

information, see Links and Guides at the bottom of the page.

Pros:

Mature protocol, widely recognized.

Most OS's (including Windows) come with ftp clients built in. (On

windows, IE is a passable ftp client).

Can be set up for anonymous sharing or secured sharing.

Cons:

Not very secure for use on the internet (passwords sent in plain

text).

Not very flexible for sharing out multiple unrelated folders.

Setup can be a bit of a challenge for newbies.

BitTorrent

BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer file sharing (P2P) communications protocol for distributing large

amounts of data widely without the original distributor incurring the entire costs of

hardware, hosting and bandwidth resources. See Section 8.1: Bit-Torrent.


FEEDBACK

Email:

[email protected]






Mepis Wiki: Samba: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=SAMBA

Wikipedia: Samba: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samba_(software)

Samba project page: http://www.samba.org/

Wikipedia: NFS: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_File_System_(protocol)

Webmin home page: http://www.webmin.com/

MEPIS Wiki: SSHFS: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=SSHFS

MEPIS Wiki: FTP: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=FTP

5.6.4: VPN and Remote Desktop

Introduction

VPN (Virtual Private Network) and remote desktop connections are carried out in MEPIS Linux by

utilities available from the standard repositories.

VPN

Install Kvpnc from the repositories to easily manage VPN connections in a graphic environment. Follow

these steps to connect with Kvpnc:

1. Click Start Menu > Settings > System Settings > Network Settings > Network

Connections, VPN tab.

2. Click Add and choose the VPN type from the pull-down menu.

3. Fill in the boxes on the Network Connection screen as appropriate.

4. Click OK to save the profile, then click the Apply button to connect.

5. To disconnect, right-click the icon in the System Tray and select 'Disconnect'.

The command-line VPN client Vpnc is available from the repos and is compatible with Cisco EasyVPN.

Open a terminal, become root, and simply enter:

vpnc

For details, consult the man pages by entering man:vpnc in Dolphin's address bar.

Remote Desktop

Remote desktop connections can be managed by clicking Start Menu > Internet > KRDC

(Remote Desktop Client). Follow these steps to connect:

1. Click Start Menu > Internet > KRDC.

2. Click the button in the middle of the application that corresponds to the connection you

wish to make: VNC, RDP or local network.

3. Type the IP address of the remote computer in the address bar at the top and press

Return.

4. You will be presented with a "Host Configuration" dialogue box with different options

depending on the connection type. Edit the options as you wish or stick with the defaults.

5. You should now be connected to the remote server and be able to control it as if you were

physically present at the remote site.

All successful connections will be stored in the "History" in the left-hand panel.


Kvpnc project page: http://home.gna.org/kvpnc/en/index.html

Krdc handbook: at http://docs.kde.org

Wikipedia: Remote desktop: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remote_desktop




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5.7: Sound Configuration

See also Section 8.2: Multimedia

Introduction

Linux has many different ways of interacting with audio hardware. The main two are the Advanced

Linux Sound Architecture (ALSA) and the Open Sound System (OSS). KDE builds on these low-level

systems with its own Phonon API which all KDE multimedia programs use for playing sound.

Fortunately, MEPIS chooses the most appropriate audio settings automatically and you do not need to

worry about the details.

Basic configuration

KMix is the recommended way to adjust the details of your sound.

1. Open KMix by clicking Start Menu > Multimedia > KMix, or by clicking the speaker icon in

the system tray (right side of the panel) and then on Mixer.

2. On the tab that may carry the name of your soundcard, make sure the Master volume (on

the far left) is turned up.

3. Also, make sure PCM is turned up (the control with the blue squiggly line above it). You can

hover your cursor over the icons to find out what they mean.

4. Make sure that the Mute checkbox next to the slider controls is not ticked.

5. On the menu bar click Settings >Configure Kmix and make certain that Restore

volumes on login is checked.

You can also check that your audio hardware is working correctly in Start Menu > Settings >

System Settings > Multimedia. Click on the "Music" category in the left-hand panel and select a

device in the right-hand panel (there may be more than one). Click "Test" to verify that each device is

working correctly. You can determine the primary soundcard by adjusting its priority with the "Defer"

button.

NOTE: you cannot play an audio CD by clicking on the CD-ROM icon on the desktop. You must use an

installed player (see Section 8.2: Multimedia).

Multimedia restricted formats

People wishing to play back video and audio files in proprietary formats will need to install this

packages:

libdvdcss2

This is available through Synaptic after checking the box next to this repository (see Section 7.2):

deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org squeeze main

NOTE: The use of this package is of questionable legality in some countries, so please check your local

restrictions before installing it.

System sounds

You can control KDE system-wide sound settings by following these steps:

1. Click Start Menu > Settings > System Settings > Application and System

Notifications > Event Source

2. Click on any Event source to make any changes. If you don't want to hear the initial music

notes when the desktop comes up, for instance, you would select KDE Workspace as the

event source, then highlight Login and uncheck Play a sound below.

Troubleshooting

You can set up your sound driver by installing the package alsaconf from the Community repos. Then

open a terminal, become root, and type:

alsaconf

This will start an automatic process to discover your sound card and install the correct driver.





In order to troubleshoot any problems you will need to know what sound card you have. Open a

terminal by clicking Start Menu > System > Konsole (Terminal), and enter this line:

lspci | grep -i audio

This command asks that all devices be listed that contain the word “audio” in their description, andthe output will tell you your card manufacturer and model. Here is an example of output:

0000:00:1f.5 Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corp 82801EB/ER (ICH5)

With this information, you can use the MEPIS Wiki to track down more information and help, or ask on

the Forum. In rare cases, you may have to load a module for your card following the directions linked

below.

NOTE: Many of the drivers do not include the snd- prefix; you will need to add that to get the actual

module name.

MEPIS Wiki: Sound not working at all: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Sound_not_working

MEPIS Wiki: Unsupported file types: at http://www.mepis.org/docs

MEPIS Wiki: Loading a sound module: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Loading_a_module


ALSA home page: http://www.alsa-project.org/

ALSA Wiki: http://alsa.opensrc.org/index.php?title=Main_Page

ALSA sound card vendor/driver matrix: http://bugtrack.alsa-

project.org/main/index.php?title=Matrix:Main

ALSA sound card setups: http://alsa.opensrc.org/index.php?title=Sound_cards

OSS home page: http://www.opensound.com/oss.html

KMix handbook: http://docs.kde.org/stable/en/kdemultimedia/kmix/index.html

KsCD handbook: http://www.kde.org/applications/multimedia/kscd/

Phonon home page: http://phonon.kde.org/

MEPIS Wiki: sound driver database: at http://www.mepis.org/docs

Wikipedia: MIDI: at http://en.wikipedia.org

5.8: Bluetooth

Bluetooth is enabled in MEPIS Linux by default through the kernel, and its tools can be accessed most

easily from the menu found by right-clicking the Bluetooth icon on the right side of the panel:

Input devices such as a keyboard or mouse will usually be picked up automatically as soon as you plug

the receiver into the computer, and you should be able to just start using the device. If you

experience problems, click Start Menu > System > KUser, provide root's password and check that

your username is checked to belong to the Bluetooth group.




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MEPIS Wiki: Bluetooth: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Bluetooth

Bluez - Linux Bluetooth Stack: http://www.bluez.org/about/

5.9: Localization

Background

MEPIS Linux can be altered to match your native country and language. Not all languages are currently

available, but more are being developed.

Configuration

Here are the configuration steps you can take to localize your MEPIS Linux:

Change the keyboard: click Start Menu > Settings > System Settings > Locale >

Keyboard Layout, Layout tab: Enable keyboard layouts. Select the keyboard you want.

Change the number and time settings: click Start Menu > System Settings > Locale,

highlight Country/Locale in the left panel and select your preferences

Change time format (12h or 24hr): Start Menu > System Settings > Locale >

Country/Region & Language,Time & Dates tab.

Get your clock to show the correct time: Right-click the digital clock > Digital Clock Settings

> Time Zones. Type the name of your preferred timezone into the search field, or scroll the

list to find your preferred timezone, then click on it to select it. Then click on the pull-down

menu for Clock defaults and click on your preferred timezone > OK.

Get spellchecker to use your language: install the myspell package for your language (e.g.,

myspell-en-au). Then click Start Menu > Settings > System Settings > Locale, click

on Spell Checker in the left panel, and use the pull-down menu to set the system-wide

preference.

Get local weather info: install the package plasma-dataengines-yawp, which will provide

additional feeds for various applications and widgets.

Get language packs for major applications: open Synaptic, and search on "localization" to find

and install language packs (e.g., kde-|10n-es) for the applications you use.


6: The Command Line

Introduction

Although MEPIS Linux offers a complete set of graphical tools for installing, configuring, and using your

system, the command line (also called the console, terminal, BASH, or shell) is still a useful and at times

indispensible tool. Here are some common uses:

Launch a GUI application to see its error output.

Speed up system administration tasks.

Configure or install advanced software applications.

Execute multiple tasks quickly and easily.

Troubleshoot hardware devices.

The default program to run a terminal in a MEPIS Linux KDE desktop window is Konsole, which can

be found at Start Menu > System > Konsole (Terminal). Some commands are only recognized for

super user (root), while others may vary the output depending on user. To obtain temporary root

permissions:

open Konsole.




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type su.

enter root's password

You will recognize when Konsole is running with root privileges by looking at the prompt line right

before the space where you type. Instead of a $, you will see a #; in addtion, the font color changes

to red.

NOTE: if you try to run as a regular user a command that requires root privileges such as hwinfo, you

will receive an error message that the command was not found.

First steps

For more information on running Konsole for solving system problems, please refer to the topic

Troubleshooting at the end of this section. Also, it is advisable to make backups of the files you are

working on as a root user with the commands cp and mv (see below).

Though console commands can be fairly complex, understanding the command line is just a matter of

putting together simple things. To see how easy it can be, open Konsole and try a few basic

commands. This will all make more sense if you do it as a tutorial exercise rather than just reading it.

Let's start with a simple command: ls, which lists the contents of a directory. The basic command lists

the contents of whatever directory you are currently in:

ls

That's a useful command, but it's just a few short columns of names printed across the screen.

Suppose we want more information on the files in this directory. We can add a switch t o t he

command to make it print out more information. A switch is a modifier we append to a command to

change its behavior. In this case, the switch we want is:

ls -l

As you can see on your own screen if you are following along, this switch provides more detailed

information on the files in any directory. Of course, we might want to see the contents of another

directory (without going there first). To do this, we add an argument to the command, specifying

which file we want to look at. An argument is a value or reference we add to a command to target

its operation. In this case:

ls -l /usr/bin/

By giving an argument of /usr/bin, we can list the contents of that directory, rather than the one

where we currently are.

There are a lot of files in /usr/bin! It would be nice if we could filter this output so that only entries

that contained, say, the word "fire" would be listed. We can do this by piping the output of the ls

command into another command, grep. The pipe, or “|” character (Caps + \), is used to send theoutput of one command to the input of another.

The command grep searches for the pattern you give it and returns all matches, so piping the output

of the previous command to it filters the output.

ls -l /usr/bin/ | grep fire

Thanks to grep, we only see the lines of the output that contain the word "fire". Finally, suppose we

want these results saved in a text file for use at a later time?

When we issue commands, the output is usually directed to the console display; but we can redirect

this output somewhere else, such as to a file, using the > (redirect) symbol:

ls -l /usr/bin/ | grep fire > FilesOfFire.txt

This command now instructs your computer to make a detailed list of all the files that contain the

word "fire" in a particular directory, and to create a text file containing that list, in this case named

"FilesOfFire.txt". As you can see, the command line can be used to perform complex tasks very easily

by combining simple commands in different ways.

Common commands

Here is a list of rudimentary terminal commands. For a complete reference, see the Links and Guides

section.





Filesystem navigation

cd /usr/shareChanges current directory to the given path: “/usr/share”. With no

argument, cd takes you to your home directory.

pwd Prints the current working directory path

ls

Lists the contents of the current directory. Use the -a switch to show

hidden files as well, and the -l switch to show details on all files. Often

combined with other terms: lsusb lists all the usb devices, lsmod all the

modules, etc.

File management

cp source.file

destination.file

Copy a file to another filename or location. Use the -R switch ("recursive")

to copy entire directories.

mv source.file

destination.file

Move a file or directory from one location to another. Also used to rename

files or directories and to make a backup, for example before changing a

critical file such as xorg.conf.

rm

deleteme.file

Delete a file. Use the -R switch to delete a directory, and the -f switch

("force") if you don't want to be prompted to confirm each deletion.

cat file.txt Prints the contents of a file on the screen. Only use on text files.

grep

Find a given string of characters in a given piece of text, and print the entire

line it was on. Usually used with a pipe, e.g. cat somefile.txt | grep

somestring will display the line from somefile.txt that contains ”somestring”.To find a network usb card, for instance, you could type: lsusb | grep

network. The grep command is case sensitive by default, use the -i switch

to make it case-insensitive.

most

More sophisticated file viewer, which features one screenful at a time, up

and down scrolling, text searching, line numbers, and other things. Often

used in a pipe, for instance cat somefile.txt | most. NOTE: this replaces

less as the default pager in MEPIS Linux.

Symbols

|The pipe symbol, used to send the output of one command into the input

of another.

>

The redirect symbol, used to send the output of a command into a file or

device. Doubling the redirect symbol will cause the output to be added to

the end of an existing file rather than replacing it.

&

Adding the ampersand to the end of a command (with a space before it)

causes it to run in the background, so that you don't have to wait for it to

complete to issue the next command.

Troubleshooting

For most new Linux users, the command line is mainly used as a troubleshooting tool. Terminal

commands give quick, detailed information that can be easily pasted into a forum post, search box, or

email when seeking help on the web. It is strongly recommended that you keep this information at

hand when asking for help. Being able to refer to your specific hardware configuration will not only

speed up your process of obtaining help, but also it will let others offer you more accurate solutions.

Here are some common troubleshooting commands. Some of them may not output information, or

not as much information unless you are logged in as root.

lspci

Shows a quick summary of detected internal hardware devices. If a devices shows

as unknown, you usually have a driver issue. The -v switch causes more detailed

information to be displayed.

lsusb Lists attached usb devices.

dmesg

Shows the system log for the current session (i.e. since you last booted). The

output is quite long, and usually this is piped through grep, less (similar to most)

or tail (to see what happened most recently). For example, to find potential errors

related to your network hardware, try dmesg | grep -i net.

ifconfig Shows the status of currently active network interfaces. See Section 5.6.1.

iwconfig Shows the status of your wireless network interface. See Section 5.6.1.2.

top Provides a real-time list of running processes and various statistics about them.

Accessing documentation for commands

Many commands will print out a simple "usage information" message when you use the “help” or “h” switch. This can be helpful for quickly recalling the syntax of a command. For

example:

cp --help

For more detailed information on how to use a command, consult the command's man




http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/index.html#s12-1_rootuser%20


page. Short for “manual,” man pages typically contain detailed information about switches,arguments, and sometimes the inner workings of a command. Even GUI programs often

have man pages, detailing available command line options.

Manual pages are conveniently viewed in Dolphin by typing man:commandname into the

address bar. In addition, by simply typing man:/ into Dolphin, you can browse the entire

collection of man pages installed by MEPIS.

The man page may also be read at the console with the command man commandname.

By default, man pages are displayed in the terminal's most pager, meaning that only one

screenful of the file is displayed at a time. Keep these tricks in mind to navigate the resulting

screen:

The space bar advances the screen.

The letter b moves the screen backward.

The letter q exits the help document.

Links and Guides for Section 6

BASH beginner's guide: http://tldp.org/LDP/Bash-Beginners-Guide/html/index.html

Command line basics: http://www.linuxcommand.org/


7.1: Introduction

Methods

Synaptic is the recommended method for beginners to manage software packages, although other

methods are also available and may be required for certain situations.

7.2: Synaptic Package Manager

7.3: Other methods

Packages

Software operations in MEPIS are accomplished through the Advanced Package Tool (APT) system.

Software is provided in the form of a package: a discrete, non-executable bundle of data that

includes instructions for your package manager about installation. They are stored on servers called

repositories, and can be browsed, downloaded, and installed through special client software called a

package manager. The recommended package manager for MEPIS is Synaptic, though the graphical

utility Gdebi and the command-line utility apt-get are also included for those who prefer them.

The majority of packages have one or more dependencies, meaning that they have one or more

packages that must also be installed in order for them to work. The APT system is designed to

automatically handle dependencies for you; in other words, when you try to install a package whose

dependencies are not already installed, your APT package manager will automatically mark those

dependencies for installation as well. It can happen that these dependencies can not be met,

preventing the installation of a package.

Repositories

APT repositories (repos) are much more than just web sites with downloadable software. The

packages on repository sites are specially organized and indexed to be accessed through a package

manager, rather than browsed directly. MEPIS Linux comes with a set of enabled repositories that

offer you both security and choice. If you are new to MEPIS (and especially if you are new to Linux),

it is recommended that in general you stick with the default repositories at first, with the exception of

the multimedia repository that you will need to enable for proprietary-format codecs (see Section

8.2).

For security reasons, these repositories are digitally signed, meaning that packages are authenticated

with an encryption key to make sure they are authentic. If you install packages from non-Debian repos

without the key, you will get a warning that they could not be authenticated. To get rid of this

warning and make sure your installations are secure, you need to install any keys not installed by

default; see if the repo contains a keyring package, or check its home page for instructions on adding

the key. Most repositories should have a keyring package which installs the necessary keys (search

keyring in Synaptic). Here are the most common:

gnome-keyring

debian-archive-keyring

debian-multimedia-keyring




http://tldp.org/LDP/Bash-Beginners-Guide/html/index.html

http://www.linuxcommand.org/


The MEPIS Community has its own repository of packages that it builds and maintains. These packages

are distinct from official MEPIS packages, and typically have been "backported" from "forward"

Debian versions (testing or even experimental). To find out more about what is available, who the

packagers are, and even how to get involved, follow the MEPIS Community Package Project link

below.

Repositories are most easily added, removed, or edited through Synaptic, though they can also be

altered by hand by editing the file /etc/atp/sources.list in a root terminal. In Synaptic, click

Settings > Repositories, then click the button New and add the information. Here, for instance, is

how the settings look for the MEPIS Community repo:

At times it may be easier to directly alter the repository list in the /etc/apt/sources.list file. This can

be edited as root with any text editor by backing up the existing file, editing the original file, and

saving it. The same repository viewed above looks like this in the file:

deb http://main.mepis-deb.org/mepiscr/repo/ mepis11cr main non-free

Some repositories carry special labels:

contrib, which depend on or are accessory to non-free packages.

non-free, which do not meet the Debian free software guidelines (DFSG).

security, which contain security-related updates only.

backports, which contain packages from newer versions of Debian that have been backwards

compiled for Debian 6.0 (“Squeeze,” the version SimplyMEPIS is built with) to keep your OSup-to-date.

mepis, which contain the special packages that make MEPIS what it is.

Tips

Be sure to have only one package manager open at a time, or you will get an error message.

MEPIS Linux is binary-compatible with DEBIAN Squeeze (codename for the current stable

release). This means that software compiled to run on Squeeze should be able to be run

without modification on MEPIS Linux. Adding repositories or installing packages designed for

newer versions of Debian, Ubuntu, or Ubuntu derivatives (including SimplyMEPIS 6.x) may

cause system instability.

In addition to dependencies, packages can also specify suggests and recommends, visible in

Synaptic by right-clicking the package name. Recommends, unlike “dependencies,” are notabsolutely required, but should be installed along with the package in most circumstances.

Suggests are packages that enhance or compliment the package in question, but are not

required. To see and/or mark suggested or recommended packages, right-click the package

name and select mark suggested for install or mark recommended for install,

respectively.

If you plan to install software using methods other than APT (for instance, to get a newer

version), make sure you purge any versions that have been installed using Synaptic (right-

click, Mark for Complete Removal). Since non-repository installations often put files in

different locations than repository installations, failing to remove the repository version can

cause two conflicting versions to be installed side-by-side.

Troubleshooting

Should you uninstall? Occasionally, conflicts in package dependencies can cause the APT

system to require the uninstallation of a large number of important packages in order to

install some other package. This is rare with the default configuration, but becomes

increasingly likely as you add unsupported repositories. BE VERY ATTENTIVE whenever

installing a package would require that others be removed! If a large number of packages are

going to be removed, you may want to investigate another method of installing this

application.

Should you keep?: When upgrading, you will often be informed that a new configuration file

is available for a certain package, and be asked whether you want to install the new version

or keep your current version.

If the package in question is from a MEPIS repository, it is recommended that

you “install the maintainer's version”

Otherwise, answer “keep the current version” (N), which is also the default

choice.

Here is an example of the dialog you would see when the repository list is being

changed by MEPIS--notice that the answer at the end is y, telling Synaptic to





go ahead and install the changed file :


Wikipedia: APT: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Packaging_Tool

MEPIS Wiki: Installing/Removing Software: at http://www.mepis.org/docs

MEPIS Community Packaging Project: http://www.mepiscommunity.org/en/node/56

7.2: Synaptic Software Package Manager

Introduction

Synaptic is a friendly, easy-to-use frontend (GUI) to the APT package management system. It is a

graphical tool that allows you to install, remove, upgrade, downgrade, or get information on all the

software packages available in the online repositories on your repository list. Synaptic can be launched

from Start Menu > System > Synaptic Package Manager, or you can simply click on the

Synaptic icon in the system tray, the Apt-notifier (yellow box). Note that your root password is

required and, naturally, you will need to be connected to the Internet if you want to use the online

repositories (as opposed to the DVD).

Installing new software with Synaptic

Here are the basic steps for installing software in Synaptic:

1. Open Synaptic, supply the root password, and click Reload.

2. Hit the Reload button. This button causes Synaptic to contact the online repository servers

and download a new index file with information on what packages are available, what

versions they are, and what other packages are required for them to be installed. If you get

a message that some of the repositories failed to be contacted, wait a minute and then try

again.

3. If you already know the name of the package you are looking for, just click in the pane on

the right and start typing, and Synaptic will incrementally search for what you type.

4. If you don't know the package's name, use the Search box in the upper right corner to

locate software based on name or keywords. This is one of Synaptic's greatest advantages

over other methods.

5. Alternatively, use one of the filter buttons in the bottom left corner:

Sections provides subareas such as Editors, Games and Amusement, Utilities, etc.).

You will see a description of each package in the bottom pane, and can use the tabs

to discover more information about it.

Status groups packages by their installation situation.

Origin will show packages from a specific repository.

Custom Filters provides various filter options

Search Results will show a list of previous searches for the Synaptic session you are in.

6. Click the empty box next to it and select Mark for Installation. If the package has

dependencies, you will be notified and they will automatically be marked for installation as

well. You can also just double-click the package if it is the only one you are installing.

7. Click Apply to begin the installation. You will see a warning message “You are about toinstall software that can't be authenticated!” that you can safely ignore.

8. There may be additional steps: just follow the prompts as you receive them until the

installation completes.

9. Occasionally, packages will fail to install because their install scripts fail one or more safety

checks; for instance, a package might try to overwrite a file that is part of another package,

or require downgrading another package due to dependencies. If you have an install or

upgrade that is stuck on one of these errors, it is called a broken package. To fix this, click

on the Broken packages entry in the left panel. Highlight the package and try first to fix

the problem by clicking Edit >Fix Broken Packages. If that is not successful, then right-

click the package to uninstall it.




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Packaging_Tool

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Installing_/_Removing_Software



Upgrading software with Synaptic

Synaptic enables you to quickly and conveniently keep your system up-to-date.


2. Synaptic will inform you if any packages are upgradeable by marking them with a star. You

can also click the Status button on the bottom left and select the Installed (upgradeable)

section in the left pane to see all the upgradeable packages installed on your system.

3. Click the Mark All Upgrades icon below the menu bar to select all of these packages for

upgrade, or click on the packages one-by-one to individually select upgrades.

4. Click Apply to begin the upgrade, ignoring the warning message. As the installation process

begins, you have the option of watching the details in a terminal within Synaptic.

5. With some package upgrades, you may be asked to confirm a dialog, enter configuration

information, or decide whether or not to overwrite a configuration file you have altered. Pay

attention here, and follow the prompts until the upgrade completes.

Downgrading software with Synaptic

Sometimes you may want to downgrade an application to an older version, for instance because of

problems that arose with the new one. This is easy to do in Synaptic:


2. Click on Installed in the panel on the left, then find and highlight the package you want to

downgrade in the panel on the right

3. On the menu bar, click Package > Force version...

4. Select from the available versions on the pull-down list

5. Click Force Version, then install in the usual manner.

Pinning software with Synaptic

Sometimes you may want to pin an application to a specific version to keep it from being upgraded in

order to avoid problems with more recent ones. This is easy to do:


2. Click on Installed in the panel on the left, then find and highlight the package you want to

pin in the panel on the right.

3. On the menu bar, click Package > Lock version...

4. Synaptic will highlight the package in red and add a lock icon to the first column.

5. To unlock, highlight the package again and click Package > Lock version (which will have a

check mark).

NOTE: this pinning only affects the application Synaptic, not the actual list of application versions used

by Apt, and will not work if you later use another upgrade means. For a universal pinning method,

follow the example linked below.

Removing software with Synaptic

Removing software from your system with Synaptic seems as straightforward as installing, but there is

more to it than meets the eye:

To remove a package, simply right-click it and select Mark for Removal or Mark for

Complete Removal.

Removal uninstalls the software, but leaves configuration files in case you want

to keep your settings.

Complete Removal removes the software and the configuration files as well

(this is known as purging a package).

When you have other programs that depend on the package being removed, those

packages will have to be removed as well. This usually happens when you remove software

libraries (packages starting with “lib”), services, or commandline applications that serve asback-ends to other applications. Make sure you read carefully the summary Synaptic gives

you before clicking OK.

Removing large applications that are composed of many packages can bring complications.

Many times these packages are installed using a meta-package, which is an empty package

that simply depends on all the packages you need for the application. The best way to

remove a complicated package like this is to inspect the dependency list for the meta-

package, and remove the packages listed there. Take care, however, that you don't

uninstall a dependency of another application you want to keep!

You may find that the staus category Autoremoveable begins to accumulate packages.

These were installed by other packages and are no longer needed, so you can click on that

status category, highlight all the packages in the right pane, and then right-click them to

remove.






MEPIS Wiki: Installing/Removing Software: at http://www.mepis.org/docs

MEPIS Wiki: Pinning Nvidia drivers: at http://www.mepis.org/docs

Synaptic home page: http://www.nongnu.org/synaptic/

Synaptic howto (Ubuntu): https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SynapticHowto

7.3: Installing Software by Other Methods

Deb packages

The software packages installed through Synaptic (and APT behind it) are in a format called deb

(short for “Debian”, the Linux distribution that devised APT). You can manually install downloaded deb

packages using the graphical tool Gdebi or the command-line tool dpkg. These are simple tools to

install local *.deb packages.

Installing *.deb files with Gdebi

1. Navigate to the deb package you want to install and click on it. Gdebi will open the install

dialog.

2. Click Install.

3. Enter your root password when prompted.

4. Gdebi will attempt to install the package, and report the results.

5. Gdebi can also be used from the command line

Installing *.deb files with dpkg

1. Navigate to the folder containing the deb package you want to install using Dolphin.

2. Hit F4 to open a terminal, and become root

3. Install the package with the command (substituting the real package name, of course):

dpkg -i packagename.deb

4. If you are installing multiple packages at the same time, you can do it all at once using:

dpkg -i *.deb

NOTE: In a shell command, the asterisk is a wild card in the argument. In this case it will cause

the program to apply the command to any file whose name ends with “.deb”.

5. If required dependencies are not installed on your system already, you will get unmet

dependencies errors as dpkg does not automatically take care of them. To correct these

errors and finish the installation, run

apt-get -f install

Apt-get will attempt to rectify the situation by either installing the needed dependencies (if

they are available from the repositories), or removing your .deb files (if the dependencies

cannot be installed).

More install methods

Sooner or later some software that you want to install will not be available in the repositories and you

may need to use other installation methods. These methods include:

RPM packages: Some distributions of Linux use the RPM packaging system (short for

RedHat Package Manager, developed by RedHat Linux). RPM packages are similar to deb

packages in many ways, and there is a command-line program available from MEPIS Linux to

convert RPM packages to debs called alien. Alien does not come installed with MEPIS Linux,

but is available from the default repositories.




http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Installing_/_Removing_Software

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Pinning_nvidia_drivers

http://www.nongnu.org/synaptic/

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SynapticHowto


After you have installed alien on your system, you can use it to install an rpm package with

this command (as root):

alien -i packagename.rpm

That will place a deb file with the same name in the location of the rpm file that you can

then install as described above. For more detailed information on alien, see the internet

version of its man page in the Links and Guides section at the bottom of this page.

Source code: Any open-source program can be compiled from the programmer's original

source code if there is no other option. In ideal circumstances, this is actually a pretty simple

operation, but sometimes you can run into errors that require a little more skill to sort

through. Source is usually distributed as a tarball (tar.gz or tar.bz2 file). See the Links and

Guides section for a tutorial on compiling programs.

Miscellaneous: Many software developers package software in their own custom ways,

usually distributed as tarballs or zip files. They may contain setup scripts, ready-to-run

binaries, or binary installer programs similar to Windows “setup.exe” programs. In Linux, suchprograms often end in “.bin”. GoogleEarth, for example, is often distributed this way. When

in doubt, consult the installation instructions provided with the software. If you have to

compile a package, consult the MEPIS Wiki article below.


MEPIS Wiki: Installing Software: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Installing_Software

MEPIS Wiki: Compiling: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Compiling.

Gdebi home page: https://launchpad.net/gdebi

The Debian package management tools: http://www.debian.org/doc/FAQ/ch-

pkgtools.en.html

Debian APT guide: http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/apt-howto/

Alien man page: http://linux.die.net/man/1/alien

8.0: Using MEPIS

This section gives the user a basic orientation to the applications used in MEPIS Linux for common

tasks. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list, but to focus on those that are installed with MEPIS,

to provide common alternatives, and to point to resources for configuration and use. In topic areas

where installed applications are minimal or absent, a representative sample of available applications has

been presented.

The section is divided into the following topics:

8.1 Internet

8.2 Multimedia

8.3 Office

8.4 Home

8.5 Security

8.6 Utilities

8.7 System

8.8 Good practices

8.9 Games

8.10 Kids stuff

8.11 Google tools

8.12 antiX

Click on the link that interests you to see how MEPIS is used in that topic area.

8.1: Internet (client)

Web browsers




http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Installing_Software

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Compiling

https://launchpad.net/gdebi

http://www.debian.org/doc/FAQ/ch-pkgtools.en.html

http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/apt-howto/

http://linux.die.net/man/1/alien


Two web browsers, Konqueror and Mozilla's Firefox, are installed with MEPIS Linux and available by

clicking Start Menu > Internet. The Debian packagers also provide a rebranded variant of Firefox

named IceWeasel, which is updated frequently. If coming from Windows, be sure to consult Section

3.2: Coming from Windows about migrating data.

Firefox home page: http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/

KidZui — easy Firefox add-on turns the best open-source web-browser into fun, kid-safe

browser with over a million kids games, YouTube videos, and websites:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/9689

Konqueror home page: http://www.konqueror.org/

IceWeasel Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceweasel

Other common choices: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Browser

Email

An email client Kmail is installed with MEPIS Linux and available by clicking Start Menu > Internet. Its

icon can be found on the left side of the panel. Thunderbird is another popular choice, using the

package from the Mozilla site (check the Wiki for directions); or use Debian's rebranded Icedove,

installable through the repos. If coming from Windows, be sure to consult Section 3.2: Coming

from Windows about migrating data.

Kmail home page: http://kontact.kde.org/kmail/

MEPIS Wiki: Kmail setup: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Kmail

Thunderbird home page: http://www.mozilla.com/thunderbird/

Icedove Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icedove

Other common choices: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Email

Chat and discussion

IM

MEPIS Linux comes installed with Kopete, a multi-protocol client. Start it from Start Menu >

Internet > Kopete.

In addition, you can install Skype from the repos or use a web-based client such as Meebo in Firefox.

Kopete home page: http://kopete.kde.org/

Meebo home page: http://www.meebo.com/

Skype home page: http://www.skype.com/

Other common choices: at http://www.mepis.org/docs

Voice chat

Skype is available through Synaptic for MEPIS Linux, though the Linux version may lag behind the

Windows version in terms of features and version numbering. Once installed, to start, click Start

Menu > Internet > Skype. The latest version of Skype for Linux includes good video support,

though suitable webcam drivers are required before this feature will work.

Skype home page: http://www.skype.com/

Skype for Linux: http://www.skype.com/intl/en/get-skype/on-your-

computer/linux/

Other common choices: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Voice_Chat

Video chat

No video chat program is installed by default in MEPIS Linux, although Kopete can transmit webcam

images under certain protocols. Ekiga and aMSN are available for download from the standard

repositories; Ekiga in particular seems to have very good hardware recognition, including audio. See

also Skype above.

Ekiga home page: http://www.gnomemeeting.org/

aMSN home page: http://www.amsn-project.net/index.php

Other common choices: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Video_Chat

IRC

IRC (Internet Relay Chat) can be conducted in MEPIS Linux by setting up an IRC account in Kopete.




http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/9689%20

http://www.konqueror.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceweasel

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Browser

http://kontact.kde.org/kmail/

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Kmail

http://www.mozilla.com/thunderbird/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icedove

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Email

http://kopete.kde.org/

http://www.meebo.com/

http://www.skype.com/

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Instant_Messenger

http://www.skype.com/

http://www.skype.com/intl/en/get-skype/on-your-computer/linux/

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Voice_Chat

http://www.gnomemeeting.org/

http://www.amsn-project.net/index.php

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Video_Chat


MEPIS IRC channel: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=IRC

Wikipedia: IRC http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Relay_Chat

Other common choices: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#IRC

Usenet

The MEPIS Linux user has a couple of choices for participating in Usenet (USEr NETwork), the

distributed internet discussion system. Thunderbird can be set up as a reader by clicking File > New...

> Account, selecting Newsgroup account and fi l l ing in the server name. There is also the

dedicated Pan Newsreader with a large feature set that can be installed through Synaptic.

Pan home page: http://pan.rebelbase.com/

Wikipedia: Usenet http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usenet

RSS

MEPIS Linux offers three easy ways to subscribe to RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds:

In Firefox or IceWeasel, you can simply go to the page with the RSS and click Bookmarks >

Subscribe to This Page and the application you have selected under Preferences will open.

Other modern browsers behave similarly.

There is also a large range of add-ons that can be installed in Firefox by clicking Tools >

Add-ons. Thunderbird or IceDove can be set up for RSS feeds by clicking File > New >

Account, selecting RSS News & Blogs and naming the account. Then right-click the new

folder and select Manage Subscriptions.

Finally, there is a dedicated desktop application called Akregator, part of the KDE office suite,

which can be installed from the repos.

The method you use will depend merely on personal preferences.

Akregator home page: http://akregator.kde.org/

Wikipedia: RSS: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS_(file_format)

MEPIS Community RSS tutorial: http://www.mepiscommunity.org/en/tutorials

BitTorrent

BitTorrent, the peer-to-peer file sharing protocol, can be managed by the KDE application KTorrent

which is installable through Synaptic for use with MEPIS Linux. Once you have downloaded a .torrent

file from a tracker site, you simply need to double click it and KTorrent will ask you where to save the

package and initiate the download.

MEPIS Wiki: KTorrent: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=KTorrent

KTorrent home page: http://ktorrent.org/

Wikipedia: BitTorrent http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bittorrent

Other common choices: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#File_Sharing

FTP

You have a number of choices for FTP transfer in MEPIS Linux (see also Bluetooth, below).

Click Start Menu > Internet > Konqueror, details in the Konqueror Handbook.

Click Start Menu > Internet > KFTPgrabber, details in the Handbook

Install the Firefox extension called FireFTP.

Install any other FTP client you like from the repos.

FireFTP home page: http://fireftp.mozdev.org/

KFTPgrabber home page: http://www.kftp.org/

Wikipedia: FTP: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ftp

Other common choices: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#FTP

Bluetooth

See also Section 5.8: Bluetooth

Bluetooth provides a means to connect and exchange information between personal devices such as

mobile phones, laptops, digital cameras, etc., over a secure short-range radio frequency. Many basic

tools (see Section 5.8) are available by right-clicking the Bluetooth icon on the right side of the panel

and are mostly self-explanatory.




http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=IRC

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Relay_Chat

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#IRC

http://pan.rebelbase.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usenet

http://akregator.kde.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS_(file_format)

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/en/tutorials

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=KTorrent

http://ktorrent.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bittorrent

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#File_Sharing

http://fireftp.mozdev.org/

http://www.kftp.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ftp

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#FTP


Note: make sure that your user name is included in the Bluetooth group using KUser.

Object transfer

Various applications can use Bluetooth to pass objects (files, pictures, vCal entries, vCards, etc.)

between devices, though some work may better than others. All rely on the Object Exchange

protocol (OBEX), a kind of binary HTTP optimized for ad-hoc wireless links that is built in on many

devices like PDAs and mobile phones.

OBEX Client (kbtobexclient) is installed by default, and easily used from the host computer or the

device:

From the host computer:

Pair the device with the host computer by right-clicking the Bluetooth icon,

selecting Manage Devices, and following the prompts. Make sure the device is in

discoverable mode.

Right-click the Bluetooth icon and select Send file....

Follow the prompts to select the file and the device, then finish to send.

From the device:

Pair the device with the host computer if not already done.

Initiate transfer on the device by the appropriate means.

If the transfer fails for some reason, then right-click the Bluetooth icon and

select Browse Devices

Now you can use Dolphin in the the usual manner to drag files back and forth

between the device to the host computer.

For other options, see the MEPIS Wiki links listed below.

MEPIS Wiki: Bluetooth: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Bluetooth

Wikipedia: OBEX: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OBEX

MEPIS Wiki: Phones: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Phone

8.2: Multimedia

Music

Playing music

A simple music players is provided with MEPIS Linux that can be found under Start Menu >

Multimedia

KsCD: KsCD is a fast, CDDB (Compact Disc Database)-enabled CD player (see Section 5.7:

Sound for configuration).

KsCD Homepage: http://www.kde.org/applications/multimedia/kscd/

Wikipedia: CDDB http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cddb

Amarok: Music player with many advanced features that is also iPod-compatible. Not

installed by default, it is easily obtained from the repos.


Other common choices: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Music_Player

Ripping music

There are various ways to rip music, of which the easiest is to use K3B directly. Open up K3B. On the

left hand side there will be a list of the drives available. Simply click on the Audio CD and wait until the

files are listed. Highlight the ones you want to rip, right-click, and select Start Ripping. Choose the

Destination Base Directory, and click Start Ripping.

K3b handbook: at http://docs.kde.org

Wikipedia: KIO: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KIO

Other common choices: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Music_Ripper

Composing/editing music

Audacity is an excellent cross-platform open-source program for recording and editing

sounds. It does not come pre-installed with MEPIS Linux, but can be installed through

Synaptic. It is easy to use and comes with excellent instructions.

Audacity home page: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

aRts simulates a complete modular analog synthesizer on your PC. MEPIS Linux includes two




http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Bluetooth

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OBEX

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Phone

http://www.kde.org/applications/multimedia/kscd/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cddb


http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Music_Player

http://docs.kde.org/development/en/extragear-multimedia/k3b/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KIO

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Music_Ripper

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/


tools to work with this program found by clicking Start Menu > Multimedia > More

Applications:

Audio Filter Designer (aRts Builder) -- this program permits building custom

layouts and configurations for audio mixers and similar applications.

Sound Server Control (aRts Control Tool) -- brings together a number of

utilitites for controlling and configuring aRts behavior.

aRts home page: http://www.arts-project.org/>http://www.arts-project.org/

aRts handbook: http://www.arts-project.org/doc/handbook/index.html


Organizing music

See Section 8.4: Home productivity

Video

Playing videos

MEPIS Linux comes with 2 video players: Kmplayer and Mplayer can be found under Start Menu >

Multimedia.

Mplayer: MPlayer is a movie player which runs on many systems and plays many popular

media file types including those on DVDs and VCDs.

Mplayer home page: http://www.mplayerhq.hu/design7/info.html

KMplayer The KMPlayer is a video player plugin for Dolphin and basic frontend for KDE.

KMplayer home page: http://kmplayer.kde.org/

Other common choices:http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Video_Player

Ripping videos

MEPIS Linux doesn't come with any video ripping software by default, but there are plenty of choices

available for download. Acidrip and DVD::Rip are all you need to rip non-copyrighted DVDs to your hard

disk. None of these programs will operate on DVDs that have encryption. You will need a package

called libdvdcss2 to work wi th encrypted media, see Section 5.7: Sound configuration:

Restricted formats.

Acidrip: AcidRip is a Gtk2::Perl application for ripping and encoding DVD's to DivX4 .avi files

with a simple Graphical Interface. Acidrip runs on top of the excellent MEncoder.

Acidrip home page: http://untrepid.com/acidrip/

dvd::rip: dvd::rip is a full featured DVD copy program written in Perl. It provides an easy to

use but feature-rich Gtk+ GUI to control almost all aspects of the ripping and transcoding

process.

DVD::Rip home page: http://www.exit1.org/dvdrip/


Editing videos

Video editing can be very hard disk intensive and is best done with a reasonably powerful machine

with lots of storage space.

Kdenlive is installed by default and found by clicking Start Menu > Multimedia > Kdenlive (Video

Editor). It is an intuitive and powerful multi-track video editor, including most recent video

technologies.

Kdenlive home page: http://www.kdenlive.org/

Kino is available for MEPIS Linux from the repos. It features excellent integration with IEEE-1394 for

capture, VTR control, and recording back to the camera.

Kino home page: http://www.kinodv.org/

Other common choices:http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Video_Editor

NOTE: To achieve a higher level of operability with video editing, install the following additional

packages:

dvdrtools, dvd+rw-tools, dvd-slideshow, submix-dvd




http://www.arts-project.org/

http://www.arts-project.org/doc/handbook/index.html

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Music_composer.2Feditors

http://www.mplayerhq.hu/design7/info.html

http://kmplayer.kde.org/

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Video_Player

http://untrepid.com/acidrip/

http://www.exit1.org/dvdrip/

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Video_Recording.2FRipping

http://www.kdenlive.org/

http://www.kinodv.org/

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Video_Editor


Graphics

Viewing images

Dolphin has a built in previewer for images with adjustable thumbnail sizes. Select both the Icon and

Preview buttons in the toolbar. Fine tune with the zoom buttons at the bottom of the window and

settings in Dolphin >Settings >Configure Dolphin >General >Previews.

MEPIS Wiki: Dolphin: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Dolphin

Gwenview is good image application is available in MEPIS Linux: Start Menu > Graphics. It can be

used as an image browser, for slide shows, to edit metadata, and for basic image manipulation.

Gwenview home page: http://gwenview.sourceforge.net/

Digikam is installed by default: Start Menu > Graphics. It is a photo management tool similar to

Google's Picasa that comes with a stand-alone photo viewer. To get the most out of Digikam and its

plugins, install the following packages:

mpg123 vorbis-tools graphicsmagick mjpegtools

Digikam home page: http://www.digikam.org/

Other common choices:http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Image_Viewers

Editing images

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is available to MEPIS Linux users under Start Menu >

Graphics. Check whether the Community repo has a more recent version. It is similar in function to

Adobe Photoshop.

GIMP home page: http://www.gimp.org/

GIMP tutorials: http://www.gimp.org/tutorials/

Other common choices: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title= Linux_software#Image_Editors

Organizing images

See Section 8.4: Multimedia management

TV to PC

Watching television on a PC requires a good recent hardware configuration with sufficient processor

speed and memory, software to process the signal for display and an adapter card that works with

Linux. A number of programs are available and are listed below; which one works for a given tuner

card is VERY DEPENDENT on which native driver(s) your card uses.

Here is a partial list of available software, from basic to advanced, that you can install:

Xawtv — a basic application with viewer and commandline configuration tools.

Kaffeine — an application with more advanced configuration capabilities, and can also readprogram guides) and record programs that you can schedule.

MythTV — a complex software collection that provides the functions of a personal videorecorder.

For details and other options, follow the MEPIS Wiki link below.

MEPIS Wiki: TV: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Tv

Xawtv homepage: http://linux.bytesex.org/xawtv/

Kaffeine homepage: http://kaffeine.kde.org/

MythTV homepage: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mythtv

8.3: Office productivity





http://gwenview.sourceforge.net/

http://www.digikam.org/

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Image_Viewers

http://www.gimp.org/

http://www.gimp.org/tutorials/

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Image_Editors

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Tv

http://linux.bytesex.org/xawtv/

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://kaffeine.kde.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mythtv


Office suites

MEPIS Linux comes with access to a great free office suite called LibreOffice, which is the Linux

equivalent and near dropin replacement for Microsoft Office®. The suite is available under Start

Menu > Office > LibreOffice.

LibreOffice supports for the .docx, .xlsx and .pptx file formats of Microsoft Office 2007 and above.

Word Processor: LibreOffice Writer. An advanced word processor compatible with .doc

files.

Spreadsheet: LibreOffice Calc. An advanced spreadsheet compatible with .xls files.

Presentation: LibreOffice Impress. Used for presentations, etc.

Draw LibreOffice Draw. Used to create graphics and diagrams.

Math: LibreOffice Math. Used for for mathematical equations.

Base: LibreOffice Base. Used to create and manipulate databases.

MEPIS Wiki: LibreOffice: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Libreoffice

LibreOffice home page: http://www.libreoffice.org/

Other common choices: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title= Linux_software#Office_Productivity

NOTE: The utility KCharSelect allows you to find unusual characters (foreign letters, symbols, etc.)

and paste them to the clipboard for use in a word processor or other program. It is found by clicking

Start Menu > Utilities > KCharSelect (Character selector).

Desktop publishing

LibreOffice can produce simple documents for publication, but for people who want more power and

flexibility, more capable programs are available. Scribus is designed for flexible layout and typesetting,

and for professional quality equipment, and a detailed published manual is available. Available through

Synaptic.

Scribus home page: http://www.scribus.net/

FAX

In addition to internet options, the MEPIS Linux user has means of working with a FAX from the

desktop.

Kfax and KFaxView: are simple FAX viewers available from the repos.

LibreOffice: It is also possible to FAX directly through LibreOffice Writer.

LibreOffice Getting Started guide:

http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Documentation

Internet FAX price comparison: http://www.faxprices.com/

PDF documents

You can view your PDF files by clicking them to open them in the default Okular (see Section 3.4),

available by clicking Start Menu > Office > Okular (Document Viewer). For other PDF operations

such as copying text or images, merging, etc., follow the link to the MEPIS Wiki.

Okular home page: http://okular.kde.org/

MEPIS Wiki: PDF: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Pdf

Other common choices: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#PDF

Contact Manager

MEPIS Linux has an excellent Personal Information Manager available from the repos called Kontact. It

links your contacts with your email, calendar, newsreader, journal and notes all in a single window.

Kontact home page: http://userbase.kde.org/Kontact




http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Libreoffice

http://www.libreoffice.org/

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Office_Productivity

http://www.scribus.net/

http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Documentation

http://www.faxprices.com/

http://okular.kde.org/

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Pdf

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#PDF

http://userbase.kde.org/Kontact


Organizer

The organizer KOrganizer is the calendar and scheduling component of Kontact. It is available from the

repos. The application fully integrates its components, facilitating many everyday operations with its

features.

KOrganizer home page: http://userbase.kde.org/KOrganizer

Business management

Powerful business programs are available for use in MEPIS Linux, though none is installed by default. If

not available in Synaptic, they would have to be installed through other methods of software

installation (see Section 7.3: Installing programs by other methods).

Vtiger CRM: Enterprise-ready open-source CRM software mainly for small and medium

businesses.

Vtiger home page: http://www.vtiger.com/index.php

Journyx: Employee time and expenses tracking for Projects, Billing, Payroll, etc. Free full

unlimited use for up to 10 users (not open-source).

Journyx home page: http://journyx.com/

Open-source customer relations (CRM) software: http://www.tech-faq.com/crm-

software.shtml


8.4: Home productivity

See also 8.3: Office productivity

Money management

Open-source programs for managing personal finances are available that can import standard formats

such as QIF.

Gnucash: A double-entry book-keeping personal finance system similar to Quicken. Also

install the package gnucash-docs for a handy tutorial. NOTE: in MEPIS Linux, you must

install the package available from the Community repo to avoid dependency problems.

Gnucash home page: http://www.gnucash.org

Kmymoney: A personal finance manager similar to Microsoft Money, available for download

through Synaptic as kmymoney2

Kmymoney2 home page: http://kmymoney2.sourceforge.net/index-home.html

Other common choices: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Money_Management

Multimedia management

Photos

DigiKam is an excellent management tool for photos, allowing tagging, comments, and a variety of

ways of organizing your collection.

Digikam home page: http://www.digikam.org/

Other common choices: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Photo

Music

Amarok is a powerful music management tool available for MEPIS Linux by default. A detailed

handbook is available off the Help menu.


Other common choices:




http://userbase.kde.org/KOrganizer

http://www.vtiger.com/index.php

http://journyx.com/

http://www.tech-faq.com/crm-software.shtml

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Business_Management

http://www.gnucash.org/

http://kmymoney2.sourceforge.net/index-home.html

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Money_Management

http://www.digikam.org/

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Photo


http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Music



List management

A good desktop sticky note application is available by default by clicking Start Menu > Utilities >

More Applications > KNotes (Popup Notes). Another useful utility is QuickList, available from the

repos.

Genealogy

GRAMPS (Genealogical Research and Analysis Management Programming System) is a free Software

Project available from the repos. It includes a professional genealogy program and a Wiki. It can use

data files exported from other programs exported in the GEDCOM format.

GRAMPS home page: at http://www.gramps-project.org

GRAMPS LiveDVD: http://www.gramps-project.org/wiki/index.php?title=

Linux_Genealogy_CD

Wikipedia: GEDCOM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GEDCOM

8.5: Security and Privacy

Firewall

Guarddog and Firestarter can protect your system from external hackers while not being intrusive

during normal use. Their interfaces are clear and offer many options, but most users will almost never

have to open the applications or make changes.

The most common need to open your firewall application comes when the user is required to permit a

protocol through the firewall, for instance when installing a network printer. Check the software's

handbook for details on when and how to do this.

MEPIS Wiki: Firestarter http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Firestarter

MEPIS Wiki: Guarddog http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Guarddog

Other common choices: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Firewall

Antivirus

MEPIS Linux does not currently require antivirus software because no viruses able to attack and

damage a Linux system are in circulation. The purpose of installing an antivirus would be to assist with

stopping Linux users from unknowingly passing virus-infected emails and other documents to Windows

users, as well as to provide an open-source tool for protection in a dual-boot setup with Windows.

KlamAV is available for MEPIS Linux from the repos. The program is inactive until it is opened by a user

with root privileges.

KlamAV home page: http://sourceforge.net/projects/klamav/

AntiRootkit

Rootkits are intended to hide software action from the operating system, and can be used

malevolently. Here are two of the most common anti-rootkit applications, available through Synaptic:

rkhunter. You can check if your system has been rootkitted by opening a terminal,

becoming root, and entering the command:

rkhunter --updaterkhunter -c

Select options from the screen output, and run your check.

Rkhunter home page: http://www.rootkit.nl/

chkrootkit. Another tool that locally checks for signs of a rootkit by running as root:





http://www.gramps-project.org/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page

http://www.gramps-project.org/wiki/index.php?title=Linux_Genealogy_CD

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GEDCOM

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Firestarter

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Guarddog

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Firewall

http://sourceforge.net/projects/klamav/

http://www.rootkit.nl/


./chkrootkit

Chkrootkit home page: http://www.chkrootkit.org

Other common choices: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#AntiRootKit

Password protection

Passwords are protected in MEPIS Linux by the use of KDE Wallet, which is enabled by default. To

change KDE Wallet's behavior, click Start Menu > Settings > System Settings > Account

Details > KDE Wallet.

MEPIS Wiki: KDEWallet: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=KDEWallet

KDE Wallet handbook:

http://docs.kde.org/development/en/kdeutils/kwallet/index.html

NOTE: it is important to set a strong password in the first place. A strong password:

is not a word in your native language.

is preferably random.

should contain lower and UPPER case.

should include letters, numbers and preferably special signs, e.g. %@^&.

should contain at least 7-8 characters.

Encryption

File or folder encryption is made possible by KGpg, available by clicking Start Menu > Utilities >

KGpg (Encryption Tool). This utility is also integrated with Dolphin, so that a file or folder may be

encrypted by right-clicking it and selecting the desired feature under Actions.

KGpg handbook: http://developer.kde.org/~kgpg/doc/

Privacy

User privacy is enabled system-wide by default in MEPIS Linux, so that items such as recent

documents, web browsing history, etc., are cleared during shutdown. Some applications (e.g.,

Firefox/IceWeasel, Opera) have their own privacy controls as well.

Web content filtering in Linux can be executed using a program such as Dansguardian, available

through Synaptic.

Dansguardian home page: http://dansguardian.org/

MEPIS Wiki: Dansguardian setup: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Dansguardian_setup

Vulnerability

Open-source vulnerability scanners and intrusion-detectors for servers are available for use with MEPIS

Linux.

Nessus: A popular vulnerability scanner available in an open-source version.

Nessus home page: http://www.nessus.org/about/

Snort: An open-source network intrusion prevention and detection system

Snort home page: http://www.snort.org/


Wikipedia: Antivirus: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antivirus

Wikipedia: Antivirus Rootkit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rootkit

Securing Debian Manual http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/securing-debian-

howto/index.en.html#contents




http://www.chkrootkit.org

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#AntiRootKit

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=KDEWallet

http://docs.kde.org/development/en/kdeutils/kwallet/index.html

http://developer.kde.org/%7Ekgpg/doc/

http://dansguardian.org/

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Dansguardian_setup

http://www.nessus.org/about/

http://www.snort.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antivirus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rootkit

http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/securing-debian-howto/index.en.html#contents


8.6: Utilities

See also Section 8.7: System

NOTE: many more utilities are available for MEPIS than the few installed by default: open Synaptic,

click Sections at the bottom of the left panel, and scroll down the list to select the category Utilities.

Accessibility

Various open-source utilities exist for MEPIS Linux users with disabilities. Here are two of the most

commonly used, available from the repos.

Kmag: Screen and cursor magnification is availble by installing KMag, which opens a floating

window that magnifies everything around your cursor for those with a vision impairment, or

for those that need that little more zoom.

KMag home page: http://kmag.sourceforge.net/

KMouseTool: KMouseTool can be installed from the repos, and it will click the mouse for

you, so you don't have to.

KMouseTool FAQ: http://accessibility.kde.org/aids/kmousetool.php/

Other accessibility applications are available through Debian and KDE projects:

KDE accessibility software: http://accessibility.kde.org/aids/

Debian accessibility software: http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-accessibility/

Desktop

The following packages for use on the desktop can be found under Start Menu > Utilities.

Klipper (Clipboard Tool): A clipboard tool that docks into the system tray and keeps a

record of items you copy to the clipboard, as well as offering a few additional features like

the ability to open a web page.

Klipper overview: http://userbase.kde.org/Klipper

KCalc (Scientific Calculator): A calculator for the KDE Desktop that can be used in simple

or scientific mode.

KCalc home page: http://docs.kde.org/applications/utilities/kcalc/

Notes is an easy way to create sticky notes for the desktop. It is a widget that can be

installed in the usual way (see Section 3.3).

Other KDE Desktop applications: http://www.kde-apps.org/

Folders and Files

MEPIS Linux comes with a powerful graphical program to manage files and folders called Dolphin, the

default file manager and file viewer for KDE4. There is also a command-line program available from the

repos called Midnight Commander that uses the entire terminal screen. Each has its advantages,

depending on your preferences and the task you need to accomplish.

Dolphin: as a File Manager is reached most easily by clicking the icon on the left side of the

panel at the bottom of the screen. Note that by default Dolphin does not show hidden

system files (the ones that start with a dot such as .mozilla); to change that, click View >

Show Hidden Files.

MEPIS Wiki: Dolphin: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Dolphin

Dolphin home page: http://dolphin.kde.org/

Wikipedia: Dolphin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin_(software)

Midnight Commander: Once installed, the program is started by opening a terminal,

becoming root if needed (for altering system files, for example), and typing: mc.

MEPIS Wiki: Midnight Commander: at http://www.mepis.org/docs

Midnight Commander FAQs: http://www.ibiblio.org/mc/FAQ

Wikipedia: Midnight Commander http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midnight_commander

Ark: A Graphical Archiving tool for KDE, similar to winzip, with support for zip, tar, tar +

compression (lzop, gzip, bzip2, bzip, compress) lha, zoo, rar, ar, etc... It is most commonly

used simply by right-clicking a file or folder in Dolphin and selecting Compress or Extract,

depending on the item's current state. You can also click Start Menu > Utilities > Ark

(Archiving Tool).

Ark information page: http://utils.kde.org/projects/ark


Printing




http://kmag.sourceforge.net/

http://accessibility.kde.org/aids/kmousetool.php/

http://accessibility.kde.org/aids/

http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-accessibility/

http://userbase.kde.org/Klipper

http://docs.kde.org/stable/en/kdeutils/kcalc/index.html

http://www.kde-apps.org/


http://dolphin.kde.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin_(software)

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Midnight_commander

http://www.ibiblio.org/mc/FAQ

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midnight_commander

http://docs.kde.org/stable/en/kdeutils/ark/using-ark.html

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Advanced_file_tools


If you have a HP printer, there is a utility package available for MEPIS Linux called HPLIP Toolbox that

can be installed from the repos. HPLIP Toolbox is an HP-developed solution for printing, scanning, and

faxing with HP inkjet and laser-based printers in Linux. There is also a handy toolbox that sits in the

System Tray called hplip-gui available through the repos.

Hplip home page: http://hplip.sourceforge.net/

8.7: System

See also Section 5: Configuration

Finding files and folders

A number of powerful means of finding files or folders, both graphical and command-line, are available

for MEPIS Linux.

GUI:

KRunner is a handy search tool, available simply by pressing Alt+F2. See section 5.3.

KFind: This graphical search program can be reached by clicking Start Menu > Find

Files/Folders. You can search by name, location, contents or properties.

KFind handbook: open the application and click the Help button.

Nepomuk/Strigi form a critical part of KDE4's approach to the concept of a Semantic

Desktop. Nepomuk is a system component that classifies, organizes and presents data, while

Strigi is a deep-indexed search daemon. Together they constitute a highly efficient and

flexible search system. If not installed by default, they can be enabled by following the

directions in the Wiki entry listed below.

Nepomuk: http://userbase.kde.org/Nepomuk

Semantic Desktop: Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_desktop

Enabling Nepomuk/Strigi: MEPIS Wiki: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Nepomuk-Strigi

CLI:

locate: A command-line tool that can be installed from the repos. For each given pattern,

locate searches one or more databases of file names and displays the ones that contain the

pattern. For example, typing:

locate firefox

will return an extremely long list with every single file that has the word “firefox” in its nameor in its path. This command is best used when the exact file name is known.

Manual page for locate: http://www.linuxcommand.org/man_pages/locate1.html

whereis: Another command-line tool, installed by default. For each given pattern, whereis

searches one or more databases of file names and displays the file names that contain the

pattern, but it ignores paths so the return list is much shorter. For example, typing:

whereis firefox

will return a much shorter list something like this:

firefox: /usr/bin/firefox /etc/firefox /usr/lib/firefox \ /usr/X11R6/bin/firefox /usr/bin/X11/firefox \ /usr/share/firefox /usr/share/man/man1/firefox.1.gz

Manual page for whereis:

http://www.linuxcommand.org/man_pages/whereis1.html

which: Another command-line tool available by default. For the given pattern, which

attempts to identify the executable. For example, typing:

which firefox

will return just one file:

/usr/bin/firefox

Welcome

1: Introduction

2: Getting MEPIS

3: Pre-Installation

4: Installation

5: Configuration

6: The Command Line


8: Basic Use

9: Advanced Use

10: Under the Hood

11: More Resources

12: Glossary

FEEDBACK

Email:

[email protected]





http://hplip.sourceforge.net/

http://userbase.kde.org/Nepomuk

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_desktop

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Nepomuk-Strigi

http://www.linuxcommand.org/man_pages/locate1.html

http://www.linuxcommand.org/man_pages/whereis1.html


Manual page for which: http://www.linuxcommand.org/man_pages/which1.html

How to list your hardware

For configuration you will probably need to discover exactly what hardware is connected to your

system. Use one of the following methods.

Basic list

One good place to get information about your hardware is Kinfocenter. Click Start Menu > System

> KInfo Center (Info Center), and you will see the list of hardware in the left panel, and details in

the right.

Detailed list

You can get more detailed information using a command-line program that comes pre-installed with

MEPIS.

Open a terminal and type as root hwinfo to see a detailed list of hardware. If you run the

command as an ordinary user, you may get less information.

You can copy and paste this list into a document. Or you can redirect the output to a plain

text document by typing this as root:

hwinfo > /home/username/Documents/hwlist

How To Get System Info in Linux: at http://www.computerbob.com

Screensavers

KDE has its own screensaver program known as KScreensaver, available by clicking Start Menu >

System > System Settings > Display and Monitor. There is also a very creative screensaver

known as Xscreensaver, available through the repo. If you install the latter, you can install

kscreensaver-xsavers to integrate it with System Settings administration location.

MEPIS Wiki: Xscreensaver: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Xscreensaver

Wikipedia: Xscreensaver: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XScreenSaver

Other common choices: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Screen_Saver

Killing runaway programs

When a program refuses to end, you can kill it in a number of ways. Here are two of the most

common:

Desktop:

Press Ctrl-Esc, which brings up KDE System Guard. Locate the program you

want to stop by scrolling through the list or using the search box, highlight it,

and click Kill Process.

Press Ctrl-Alt-Esc to change the cursor into a skull and crossbones. Click on any

open program to kill it. This xkill program can also be launched from the

command line:

xkill

Terminal: : Press Ctrl-C, which will usually stop a program/command you started in a

terminal session.

MEPIS Wiki: Killing a runaway program: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Killing_a_runaway_program




http://www.linuxcommand.org/man_pages/which1.html

http://www.computerbob.com/guests/how_to_get_system_info_in_linux.php

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Xscreensaver

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XScreenSaver

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Screen_Saver

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Killing_a_runaway_program%20


Symbolic links

A symbolic link (also soft link or symlink) is a special kind of file that points to another file, much like a

shortcut in Windows or an alias in Macintosh. A symbolic link does not contain any actual data (as a

hard link does), it just points to another file somewhere in the system.

There are two ways to create a symlink: Dolphin or the command line.

Dolphin: Navigate to the file or folder (target of the link) that you want to use under

another name, then use the split screen icon to open another Dolphin window and navigate

to where you want the symlink to be located. Drag the target to the symlink location. A box

will open with choices to Move Here, Copy Here, or Link Here. Select Link Here and

you're done! Name it however you want, and you have a symbolic link to the target file —which is still in its original location.

Command line: Open a terminal and type:

ln -s TargetFile LinkName

Be sure to include full path as well as file/folder names. The -s switch indicates that a

symbolic link and not a hard link (that points directly to data) is being created.

Wikipedia: Symbolic link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symlink

The Seven Unix/Linux File Types: http://sblinux.org/pages/permissions01.html#filetypes

System monitoring and scheduling

A variety of tools to help you monitor your system are available in MEPIS Linux. can be found at

various locations under the Start Menu > System menu tree. For details on these tools, check the

MEPIS Wiki.

Info Center: KInfoCenter provides you with a centralized and convenient overview of

your KDE and system settings. The information center is made up of multiple modules. Each

module is a separate application, but the information center organizes all of these programs

into a convenient location.

KInfocenter handbook: http://userbase.kde.org/KInfoCenter

KwikDisk: A handy panel applet that is available from the repos for MEPIS Linux. It displays

the available file devices (hard drive partitions, floppy and CD/DVD drives, etc.) along with

information on their free space, type and mount point. It also allows you to mount and

unmount drives. It provides as well an easy entry for KDiskFree, below.

KDiskFree: A graphical tool to display disk usage as a bar chart. It will only display

information on mounted drives. You may need to right-click on the device and choose

mount if the device you want to view is currently unmounted. Right-click it to see

something like this:

Battery Monitor: Kpowersave is a utility designed to assist with power management in

laptops, but it works equally well with desktops and some Uninterruptible Power Supplies,

enabling the system to shut down nicely when a low power condition is found. Install it from

the repos.

Kpowersave home page: http://sourceforge.net/projects/powersave/

Performance Monitor: KSysguard is the KDE Task Manager and Performance Monitor. It

can be used to monitor system performance, memory usage and to shut down non-

responsive applications.

KSysguard handbook: at http://userbase.kde.org/KSysGuard

Ksensors: A graphical frontend to the lmsensors package for monitoring a motherboard,

it allows you to access information from temperature and fan speed sensors. After installing it

from the repos, you should run sensors-detect in a root terminal and answer yes to all

prompts.

Ksensors home page: http://ksensors.sourceforge.net/





http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symlink%20

http://sblinux.org/pages/permissions01.html#filetypes

http://userbase.kde.org/KInfoCenter

http://sourceforge.net/projects/powersave/

http://docs.kde.org/stable/en/kdebase-workspace/ksysguard/introduction.html

http://ksensors.sourceforge.net/

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Utilities


8.8: Good practices

This section covers the good basic practices that MEPIS Linux users should follow to keep their system

efficient and secure.

Backup

The most important practice is to back up your data and configuration files regularly, a process that is

easy in MEPIS Linux. It is highly recommended that you back up to a different drive than the one your

data is on! You can buy a new storage device, or use an old hard drive if you can find one.

Back up data:

Make sure you back up your data, including documents, graphics, music, and mail. By default, most of

this is stored in your Home directory.

Back up configuration files:

Here is a list of items for backup:

/home: Holds most of the personal configuration files.

/root: Holds the changes you have made as root.

/etc/X11/xorg.conf: (X configuration file).

/etc/apt/sources.list: (apt sources file).

/boot/grub/menu.lst: (Grub menu file).

Back up a list of installed program packages:

It's also a good idea to save in your /home/username directory a file that contains the list of programs

that you have installed with Synaptic, apt-get or Gdebi (see Section 7: Software Management ).

If in the future you need to reinstall, you'll just have to paste the names of the files into an apt-get

install command. You can create an inventory of all packages on your system installed since

installation with:

dpkg --get-selections >list_packages.txt

To reinstall ALL those packages at once:

dpkg --set-selections <list_packages.txtapt-get updateapt-get dselect-upgrade

Back up using LuckyBackup

LuckyBackup is a graphical front end for a program known as rsync that functions as a backup system

for KDE. It is installed by default. Directions on use in the Manual listed below

luckyBackup Manual: http://luckybackup.sourceforge.net/manual.html

MEPIS Wiki: Backup: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Backup

MEPIS Wiki: Rdiff-Backup: h/br://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Keep#Rdiff-Backup

Other common choices: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Backup

Disk cloning

As a precaution in case of complete hard disk failure, some users create a complete image of their

harddrive, a technique called disk cloning or ghosting. In case a new harddrive must be installed, the

user can simply restore the entire image to be back in operation in a few minutes. Open-source (e.g.,

Partimage, G4L) and proprietary (e.g., Acronis) ghosting software are available to carry out this

procedure. Depending on the software used, you may have to carry this out from a separate drive or

a LiveDVD.

Cloning can also be used to make an identical working copy of your hard disk or partition to a second

disk or partition with an equal or larger size than the original by using the command line tool dd. Unlike




http://luckybackup.sourceforge.net/manual.html

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Backup

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Keep#Rdiff-Backup

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Backup


the cloning tools listed above, dd copies the hard disk or partition on a sector by sector basis, so

everything is copied, including unused sectors. That being the case, it can take some time for larger

drives.

Wikipedia: Disk cloning: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disk_cloning

MEPIS Wiki: Partimage: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Partimage

G4L project page: http://sourceforge.net/projects/g4l

MEPIS Wiki: G4L: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=G4l

Acronis home page: http://www.acronis.com/

LinuxQuestions.org: Learn the dd command at http://www.linuxquestions.org

Other common choices: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Backup

Remove unneeded services

It's a good idea to remove services that start at boot time and you don't need both to improve

security and to limit resources utilization. To stop a program, for example called UnneededProgram

from starting, execute this command as root:

update-rc.d -f UnneededProgram remove

Here is a list of services that you might not need (check!):

spamassassin: e-mail spam filter.

hpoj: HP Office Jet printer driver.

cupsys: Common UNIX Printing System(tm).

ntpdate: Set system time from internet NTP servers.

MEPIS Wiki: Service configuration: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Runlevel

An introduction to services, runlevels, and rc.d scripts: http://www.linux.com/articles/114107

Disk maintenance

It is rare that you will need to do much disk maintenance compared to Windows, since Linux

operating systems and the disk filesystems they utilize are designed differently. Still, there may come a

moment when you want to check for partition/disk errors, something done in Windows with

scandisk. To check for filesystem and disk read/write errors, go through the following steps:

Click Start Menu > Settings > MEPIS System Assistant, and supply the root password.

Click on the tab Repair Partition.

When run from within the installed operating system, the Assistant will only test the drive.

If you want to actually repair problems, you need to run the System Assistant after booting

from the LiveDVD and choose bad blocks. The Assistant will ask you interactively if you

want to repair problems it uncovers.

NOTE: The act of defragmenting or “defragging” a drive, so well known in Windows®, is ordinarilyunneeded in MEPIS Linux as long as you have a standard Linux filesystem such as ext3, ext4 o r

ReiserFS.

Upgrade precautions

These are some time-tested rules of thumb for new users of MEPIS Linux to avoid getting into trouble

when upgrading their software:

Always read the prompts carefully.

Use the recommended URLs in your sources.list of software repositories.

If upgrading in a terminal, use upgrade. Never use dist-upgrade or smart upgrade.

When given the choice between the maintainer's config file and what's on your system,

take the time to consider the options. If you have no other idea, then accept system

changes coming from the MEPIS development source, but keep your current one for all

others.

Sometimes packages are held back because they need to install or upgrade additional

packages to be upgraded. Other times they are held back because they will uninstall large

portions of your system if you install them. If you can't figure out the reason, it is better to

leave them alone.




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disk_cloning

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Partimage

http://sourceforge.net/projects/g4l

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=G4l

http://www.acronis.com/

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-newbie-8/learn-the-dd-command-362506/?highlight=learn%20

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Backup

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Runlevel

http://www.linux.com/articles/114107

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/index.html#s12-1_filesystem%20


MEPIS Wiki: upgrade vs. dist-upgrade: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Upgrade_vs._dist-upgrade

MEPIS Wiki: Sources.list: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Sources.list_MEPIS_8.0

8.9: Games

See also Section 9.3: Windows® programs under MEPIS

Because of space limitation, MEPIS Linux comes with only a few simple games, but many more are

available. Browsing the extensive list of games available through Synaptic (click Sections >Games at

the bottom of the left panel) or following the links below will bring up many other titles for your

enjoyment.

Adventure Games

There are no Adventure Games installed by default. Here are a couple of popular ones you can install

via Synaptic to get you started.

Beneath A Steel Sky: A science-fiction thriller set in a bleak post-apocalyptic vision of the

future.

Beneath A Steel Sky home page: http://www.revolution.co.uk/_display.php?id=16

Kq: A console-style role playing game, similar to Final Fantasy.

Kq home page: http://kqlives.sourceforge.net/

Arcade Games

There are many arcade games that can be downloaded via Synaptic.

Chromium: A fast paced, arcade-style, top-scrolling space shooter.

Chromium home page: http://www.reptilelabour.com/software/chromium/

Defendguin: A clone of Defender, where your mission is to defend little penguins.

Defendguin home page: http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/defendguin/

Homepage

Foobillard: A billard game with excellent graphics and sound.

Foobillard home page: http://foobillard.sunsite.dk/

Frozen Bubble: Colored bubbles are frozen at the top of the playing screen. As the Ice

Press descends, you must pop out groups of frozen bubbles before the Press reaches your

shooter.

Frozen Bubble home page: http://www.frozen-bubble.org/

Planet Penguin Racer: a fun racing game with your favourite penguin. Tuxracer home

page: http://tuxracer.sourceforge.net/

Ri-li: A toy train game.

Ri-li homepage: http://ri-li.sourceforge.net/

Supertux: A classic 2D jump'n run side-scrolling game in a style similar to the original

SuperMario games.

Supertux home page: http://supertux.lethargik.org/

Supertuxkart: A much improved version of tuxkart.

Supertuxcart home page: http://supertuxkart.sourceforge.net/

Board Games

The classic Minesweeper is available by clicking Start Menu > Games > Tactics & Strategy >

KMines (Minesweeper-like Game). There are other excellent board games available from the repos

for you to try.

KMahjongg: The classic Chinese tile game played as a solitaire puzzle.

KMahjongg home page: http://games.kde.org/game.php?game=kmahjongg

Shisen-Sho: A single-player tile game similar to Mahjongg except the board is rectangular

and very large.

Shisen-Sho handbook: help:/kshisen/index.html

Here are some others to whet your appetite:

Do'SSi Zo'la: The goal of the basic Isola game is to block the opponent by destroying the

squares which surround him.

Do'SSi Zo'la home page: http://dossizola.sourceforge.net/




http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Upgrade_vs._dist-upgrade

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Sources.list_MEPIS_8.0

http://www.revolution.co.uk/_display.php?id=16

http://kqlives.sourceforge.net/

http://www.reptilelabour.com/software/chromium/

http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/defendguin/

http://foobillard.sunsite.dk/

http://www.frozen-bubble.org/

http://tuxracer.sourceforge.net/

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20%20http://ri-li.sourceforge.net/

http://supertux.lethargik.org/

http://supertuxkart.sourceforge.net/

http://games.kde.org/game.php?game=kmahjongg

help:/kshisen/index.html

http://dossizola.sourceforge.net/


Gnuchess: A chess game.

Gnuchess home page: http://www.gnu.org/software/chess/

Card Games

You have an installed set of 12 solitaire card games available by clicking Start Menu > Games > Card

Games > KPatience (Patience Card Game).

Kpatience handbook: http://games.kde.org/game.php?game=kpat

Here are some other fun card games available from the repos for MEPIS.

Hearts (gnome-hearts):The classic hearts game.

Gnome-hearts home page: http://www.jejik.com/gnome-hearts/

KPoker: A 5-card draw poker game from KDE. One player (like a poker-hand machine), or

play against a computer opponent.

KPoker home page: http://kpoker.sourceforge.net/

Pysol: Over two hundred card games from a single application.

Pysol home page: http://www.pysol.org/

Tactics & Strategy Games

Many Strategy games can be downloaded via Synaptic. A couple of the most popular:

KSudoku: A KDE version of the popular number strategy game.

KSudoku handbook: help:/ksudoku/index.html

SameGame: Ksame is based on the Mac SameGame: eliminate connected blocks of marbles

from a rectangular board. Gravity rearranges the board after every group elimination. One

player.

KSame handbook: http://kde.org/applications/games/ksame/

Freeciv: A clone of Sid Meyer's Civilization© (version I), a turn-based multiplayer strategy

game, in which each player becomes the leader of a stone age civilization, trying to gain

ascendency as the ages progess.

Freeciv home page: http://www.freeciv.org/index.php?title=Freeciv

Lbreakout2: LBreakout2 is a breakout-style arcade game where you use your paddle to

aim a ball at bricks until all bricks are destroyed. Many levels and surprises.

Lgames home page: http://lgames.sourceforge.net/

Lincity: A clone of the original Simcity© — you must build and maintain a city and keep itspeople satisfied so that your population grows.

Lincity home page: http://lincity.sourceforge.net/

Battle for Wesnoth: A highly-rated turn-based strategy game with a fantasy theme. Build

your army and fight to regain the throne.

Battle For Wesnoth home page: http://www.wesnoth.org/

Windows games

A number of Windows games can be played in MEPIS Linux by using a Windows emulator such as

Cedega or DOSBox, or some may even run under Wine: see Section 9.3: Windows® programsunder MEPIS for details.


Games for Linux: http://games.linux.sk/

The Linux Game Tome: http://www.happypenguin.org

KDE Games Homepage: http://games.kde.org/

Linux board and card games: at http://www.linux.org/apps

Wikipedia: Linux gaming at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_games

Top 21 games of 2007: http://rangit.com/software/top-8-linux-games-of-2007/

Top 10 free Linux games: http://techgage.com/article/top_10_free_linux_games/

MEPIS Wiki: Emulation & compatibilty: at http://www.mepis.org/docs

8.10: Kids stuff

While there is no kids stuff provided with the default MEPIS Linux installation besides a few games,




http://www.gnu.org/software/chess/

http://games.kde.org/game.php?game=kpat

http://www.jejik.com/gnome-hearts/

http://kpoker.sourceforge.net/

http://www.pysol.org/

help:/ksudoku/index.html

http://docs.kde.org/stable/en/kdegames/ksame/index.html

http://www.freeciv.org/index.php?title=Freeciv

http://lgames.sourceforge.net/

http://lincity.sourceforge.net/

http://www.wesnoth.org/

http://games.linux.sk/

http://www.happypenguin.org

http://games.kde.org/

http://www.linux.org/apps/all/Entertainment/Board/Card_Games.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_games#Emulation_and_compatibility_layers

http://rangit.com/software/top-8-linux-games-of-2007/

http://techgage.com/article/top_10_free_linux_games/

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Emulation_.26_Compatibility


there is a great deal available through Synaptic or from online resources. You can also search the

repos for junior- to find packages associated with the DebianJr project (see Links and Guides). The

following suggestions will give you a sense of what is available.

Education

Childsplay: — suite of educational games for young children.Childsplay: http://www.schoolsplay.org//

GCompris — suite of educational games for children aged 2 to 10. GCompris home page: http://gcompris.net/-en-

Wikipedia: GCompris: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GCompris

Linux Letters and Numbers (Lletters) — fun games help children learn their letters,numbers, and spelling.

Linux Letters and Numbers home page: http://lln.sourceforge.net/

TuxType — typing tutor. Kids type in the letter or word on a falling fish and tux eats thefish if they're right.

TuxType home page: http://tuxtype.sourceforge.net/

TuxMath — arithmetic learning game. Similar to the classic “Missile Command” game, exceptto shoot down the falling bombs kids must solve a mathematical problem and type in the

answer.

TuxMath home page: http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/tuxmath/

Desktop Fun

Xpenguins — penguins walk around your screen. Can be customized with other characterslike Lemmings and Pooh Bear (need to enable “allow programs to run in root window” inKDE).

Xpenguins home page: http://xpenguins.seul.org/

Oneko — a cat (neko) follows your cursor (the mouse) around the screen. Can becustomized with a dog or other animal.

How to use Oneko: at http://dailypackage.fedorabook.com

PhunLand — Phun is a free game like 2D physics sandbox where you can play with physicslike never before. The playful synergy of science and art is novel, and makes Phun as

educational as it is entertaining.

How to use Phun: http://www.phunland.com/wiki/Home

Xteddy — put a cute teddy on your desktop. Alternatively you can add your own image.Xteddy homepage: http://staffwww.itn.liu.se/~stegu/xteddy/index.html

Security

KidZui — easy Firefox add-on turns the best open-source web-browser into fun, kid-safe

browser with over a million kids games, YouTube videos, and websites:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/9689

Graphics

TuxPaint — fun and easy to use drawing program for young children. Sound effects and acartoon character help let the user know what's going on, and keeps them entertained.

TuxPaint home page: http://www.tuxpaint.org/

Ktuberling — “Mr Potato Head” type game for small children. Choose from a Potato,Penguin, or Underwater canvas/accessory sets.

Ktuberling home page: http://opensource.bureau-cornavin.com/ktuberling/

Links and Guides for Section 8:10

KDE Education: http://edu.kde.org/

Linux for kids: http://www.linuxforkids.org/

DebianJr: http://wiki.debian.org/DebianJr

Debian search: http://search.debian.org/

8.11: Google tools

Popular Google web-based tools can be integrated with your desktop in a number of ways:

Gmail. Options include:




http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/index.html#s08-10_links%20

http://www.schoolsplay.org//

http://gcompris.net/-en-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GCompris

http://lln.sourceforge.net/

http://tuxtype.sourceforge.net/

http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/tuxmath/

http://xpenguins.seul.org/

http://dailypackage.fedorabook.com/index.php?/archives/32-Friday-Fun-Oneko-A-sneaky-old-cat.html

http://www.phunland.com/wiki/Home%20

http://staffwww.itn.liu.se/%7Estegu/xteddy/index.html

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/9689%20

http://www.tuxpaint.org/

http://opensource.bureau-cornavin.com/ktuberling/

http://edu.kde.org/

http://www.linuxforkids.org/

http://wiki.debian.org/DebianJr

http://search.debian.org/


checkGmail is an applet that sits in the system tray and permits you to manage email

by right-clicking the icon.

KMail and Thunderbird can be integrated with your Gmail account. Create a new

IMAP account with the following settings:

Incoming Mail (IMAP) Server imap.gmail.com

Use SSL Yes

Port 993

Outgoing Mail (SMTP) Server smtp.gmail.com

Use Authentication Yes

Use STARTTLS/SSL Yes

Port 465 or 587

Account Name [email protected]

Email Address [email protected]

Password your Gmail password

Note that E-mail clients using IMAP generally leave messages on the server until

the user explicitly deletes them, so that option may not be visible.

Contacts. Options include:

Thunderbird. There is an extension available that syncs the Address Book with

Contacts when the app starts up.

You can sync your Gmail contacts with your desktop so that they will be available in

any KDE application:

Install akonadi-kde-resource-google from the repos

Log out and back in to restart KDE

Click Start Menu > System > System Settings > Personal Information

to get to the Configure KDE Resources page

Use the pull-down menu to select Contacts, then click Add...

Select Akonadi Address Books (Provides access to contact stored in Akonadi

address book folders)

Highlight Personal Contacts > Manage Address Book Sources > Add...

Highlight Akonadi Google Contacts Resource > OK

Provide account info > OK

Click out to return to the Configure KDE Resources page

Highlight the akonadi entry and then click the Use as Standard button if that

is what you want. Then click Apply.

Gcal. Options include:

Thunderbird. There is an extension available that mounts Google Calendar on a

tab with read-write capability, and others that allow the Lightning plugin

calendar to read and write to Gcal.

You can sync your Google Calendar so that it will be available in any KDE

application:

Install akonadi-kde-resource-googledata from the repos

Log out and back in to restart KDE

Click Start Menu > System > System Settings > Personal

Information to get to the Configure KDE Resources page

Use the pull-down menu to select Calendar, then click Add...

Click Manage Calendar Sources > Add...

Highlight Akonadi Google Calendar Source > OK

Provide account info > OK

Click out to return to the Configure KDE Resources page

Highlight and click the Use as Standard button if that is what you want.

Now if you install KOrganizer, all your Gcal data will be available. For other

calendar apps, you may need to point to the akonadi_gcal_resource file

in /home/username/.kde/share/config/

Gdocs. Options include:

LibreOffice has an extension called gdocs that helps directly upload a file to Google

Docs.

Google Earth. This app can be installed by direct download or through the repositories;

check the Wiki for installation and setup details.

Google Talk. This chat program can be used in Kopete when properly configured. See

directions below.

Links and Guides for Section 8:11

checkGmail home page: http://checkgmail.sourceforge.net/

Thunderbird and Gmail: http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?

hl=en&answer=38343

Synchronizing KDE apps with Google: http://www.my-




http://checkgmail.sourceforge.net/

http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=38343

http://www.my-guides.net/en/content/view/178/26/


guides.net/en/content/view/178/26/

Thunderbird Gcal tab: https://addons.mozilla.org/af/thunderbird/addon/google-

calendar-tab/

MEPIS Wiki: Google Earth: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Googleearth

Gmail Help: Configuring other mail clients:


Google Talk: Help: http://www.google.com/support/talk/bin/answer.py?

answer=57557

8.12: antiX

The Users Manual for antiX MEPIS Linux can be found in the installed OS:

/usr/share/antiX/antiX-FAQ.html

It is also posted online at http://sblinux.org/antix/index.html.

9: Advanced Use

In this section you will find introductions to some of the more common advanced uses of MEPIS Linux.

Click on any section that interests you for details.

9.1: Internet (server)

9.2: Development

9.3: Windows® under MEPIS Linux

9.4: Virtual machines

9.5: Alternate Window Managers

9.6: Accessing other partitions

9.7: Scripts

Links and Guides

For other advanced uses, please consult the MEPIS Wiki:http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Main_Page

9.1: Internet (Server)

Server uses

There are many ways to use MEPIS Linux on a server. Click on any of the following items for details:

MEPIS Wiki: DNS Server http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=DNS_Server

MEPIS Wiki: Database server http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Database_Server

MEPIS Wiki: FTP server http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=FTP_Server

MEPIS Wiki: KDE file server http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=KDE_file_server

MEPIS Wiki: LAMP http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=LAMP

MEPIS Wiki: LTSP server http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=LTSP_Server




http://www.my-guides.net/en/content/view/178/26/

https://addons.mozilla.org/af/thunderbird/addon/google-calendar-tab/

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Googleearth


http://www.google.com/support/talk/bin/answer.py?answer=57557

http://www.google.com/support/talk/bin/answer.py?answer=57557

http://sblinux.org/antix/index.html

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%0Ahttp://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Main_Page

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=DNS_Server%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Database_Server%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=FTP_Server%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=KDE_file_server%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=LAMP%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=LTSP_Server%20


MEPIS Wiki: NX server http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=NX_Server

MEPIS Wiki: POP3 server http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=POP3_Server

MEPIS Wiki: Print server http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Print_Server

MEPIS Wiki: SMTP server http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=SMTP_Server

MEPIS Wiki: VNC server http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=VNC_Server

MEPIS Wiki: Web server http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Web_Server


MEPIS Wiki: Server utilities: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Linux_software#Utilities

9.2: Development

Introduction

If you are a programmer or interested in programming, MEPIS Linux is an excellent environment for

you to work in. Although only rudimentary development software is provided in the default install, a

wealth of tools is readily available from the repositories; many of these are the same tools used to

create MEPIS Linux! To see what is available, open Synaptic, click on the Sections button in the lower

left panel, then on Development.

Text Editors

GUI

A text editor is available by default in MEPIS Linux that can be accessed by clicking Start

Menu > Utilities > KWrite (Text Editor). It is a simple graphic text editor, with syntax

highlighting, code folding, dynamic word wrap and more.

KWrite and Kate home page: http://kate-editor.org/

Kate: A good graphic textfile editor for programming and config files, Kate is available from

the repos and offers syntax highlighting for many languages, multiple files that open in a

single instance, and many other nice features. KWrite and Kate home page: http://kate-

editor.org/

CLI

Vi: A command-line text editor; now improved as Vim.

Vi Cheat Sheet: http://www.viemu.com/vi-vim-cheat-sheet.gif

Vi & Vim home page: http://www.vim.org/

Nano: Another text editor for use in a terminal that has a number of nice features.

Nano home page: http://www.nano-editor.org/

Other common choices: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Text_Editing Wikipedia: Comparison of text editors:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_text_editors

Programming tools

C and C++

The GNU C compiler, gcc, is included in MEPIS Linux by default. The GNU C++ compiler is available

from the repositories in the g++ package; a number of other C and C++ compilers are also available.

The Kdevelop IDE, while it supports several languages, was written with C++ and C in mind. Install it

from the repositories with the kdevelop package.

Java

MEPIS Linux ships with OpenJDK Java runtime; the full developer kit can be installed by installing the

sun-java6-jdk package. The Java 5 runtime environment and development kit are also available, and

the GNU gcj Java compiler. Newer versions for Linux are available from Sun's website.

The popular Eclipse IDE is available from the repositories; it can be installed by simply selecting the




http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=NX_Server%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=POP3_Server%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Print_Server%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=SMTP_Server%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=VNC_Server%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Web_Server%20

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Utilities

http://kate-editor.org/

http://kate-editor.org/

http://www.viemu.com/vi-vim-cheat-sheet.gif

http://www.vim.org/

http://www.nano-editor.org/

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Text_Editing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_text_editors


“eclipse” package, but there are many optional addon packages for it as well. The BeanShell

interpreted Java environment is available from the repos, and the NetBeans IDE, available free from

Sun, also works on MEPIS Linux.

Python

Python 2.6.x comes preinstalled on MEPIS Linux. You can launch the interactive interpreter by typing

python at the console. Python 2.4 as well as a large selection of additional python libraries are also

available from the repositories, where you will also find the eric, idle, and boa-constructor IDEs.

Mono (.NET)

The “mono” packages in the repository provide a .NETcompatible runtime and developmentenvironment (for C#, ASP.NET, etc). Install the mono-2.0-devel package to get the runtime

environment and development tools. A mono IDE monodevelop is also available.

Other tools

CVS is a version control utility available from the repositories in the cvs package. Although

there are newer and more feature-packed version control utilities, CVS is mature and widely

supported by other tools.

Glade is a GUI designer for python or C++ applications using the GTK toolkit. It can be

installed from the repositories as glade.

Qt4-designer is a GUI designer made for KDE/QT applications and available from the repos.

Web Development

MEPIS Linux does not come with default applications already installed for designing web pages, but

several are available from the repositories:

Bluefish is a powerful editor targeted towards programmers and webdesigners, with many

options to write websites, scripts and programming code. It can be installed with the

bluefish package.

KompoZer is a complete web authoring system that combines web file management and

easy-to-use WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) web page editing.

Quanta Plus is a highly stable and feature-rich web development environment that starts

with the best architectural foundations and is designed for efficient and natural use. It is in

the Community Repositories and can be installed through Synaptic.

For those looking to do web development (as opposed to web design), the repositories boast a wide

array of web frameworks, services, API's and tools. Check the MEPIS Wiki for more information

Development utilities

Some handy development utilities are available for MEPIS Linux from the repos. Here are two of the

more commonly used:

KLinkStatus allows you to search internal and external links throughout your web site and

view them in a hierarchical format or site tree. Simply point it to a single page and choose

the depth to search.

KRegExpEditor enables you to write and edit regular expressions graphically rather than

using plain ASCII syntax.

Kompare permits a graphic comparison between two texts, with easy tools for managing

any differences.

KFileReplace replaces some strings with others in a lot of files in a single operation.


The Mono Project (.NET on Linux): http://www.mono-project.com

Java Development at Sun: http://java.sun.com

Python home page: http://www.python.org/

The MEPIS Wiki: Quanta Plus:http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Quanta

Bluefish home page: http://bluefish.openoffice.nl/

KompoZer home page: http://kompozer.net/

KLinkStatus home page: http://freshmeat.net/projects/linkstatus/

KRegExpEditor home page: http://www.blackie.dk/KDE/KRegExpEditor/

Kompare home page: http://www.caffeinated.me.uk/kompare/

The Art of Unix programming: http://www.faqs.org/docs/artu/index.html





http://www.mono-project.com

http://java.sun.com

http://www.python.org/

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Quanta

http://bluefish.openoffice.nl/

http://kompozer.net/

http://freshmeat.net/projects/linkstatus/

http://www.blackie.dk/KDE/KRegExpEditor/

http://www.caffeinated.me.uk/kompare/

http://www.faqs.org/docs/artu/index.html

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Programming


9.3: Windows® programs under MEPIS Linux

See also 9.4: Virtual machines

Introduction

There is a certain number of applications, both open-source and commercial, that will allow Windows

applications to run under MEPIS Linux. They are referred to as emulators, meaning that they replicate

the functions of Windows on a Linux platform. Many MS Office applications, games and other programs

can be run using an emulator with varying degrees of success ranging from near-native speed and

functionality to only basic performance.

Open-source

Wine is the primary open-source Windows emulator for MEPIS Linux. It is a kind of compatibility layer

for running Windows programs, but does not require Microsoft Windows® to run the applications.New Wine versions are rapidly packaged by Community members and made available on the MEPIS

Community forum and then in the Community Repository.

Wine home page: http://www.winehq.org/

MEPIS Community Repository (CR) forum:

http://forum.mepiscommunity.org/viewforum.php?f=78

MEPIS Community packages: http://www.mepiscommunity.org/en/node/273

MEPIS Wiki: Wine setup: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Wine_setup

Application compatibility: http://appdb.winehq.org/

DOSBox creates a DOS-like environment intended for running MS-DOS-based programs, especially

computer games.

DOSBox home page: http://dosbox.sourceforge.net/

DOSBox Wiki: http://dosbox.sourceforge.net/wiki/

Commercial

CrossOver Office allows you to install many popular Windows productivity applications, plugins and

games in Linux, without needing a Microsoft Operating System license. Supports Microsoft Word, Excel

and PowerPoint (up to 2003) particularly well.

CrossOver Linux home page: http://www.codeweavers.com/products/cxoffice/

Wikipedia: CrossOver: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CrossOver

Application compatibility: http://www.codeweavers.com/compatibility/browse/rank/

Cedega is designed to run DirectX and OpenGL games from the Microsoft Windows Platform under

Linux. Popular games such as Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Battlefield 2142, World of WarCraft, Madden

2007 and Civilization IV can be played on MEPIS Linux with this application.

Cedega home page: http://www.cedega.com//

MEPIS Wiki: Cedega: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Cedega

Cedega game database: http://transgaming.org/gamesdb/

Community visual guides (include Cedega): http://www.mepisguides.com/


Wikipedia: Emulator: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emulator

Checklist of games and emulators: http://checklist.berzerk.co.uk/AppList.php?

Hardware_ID=13

Other common choices:

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php

/Linux_software#Emulation_.26_Compatibility

9.4: Virtual machines

See also 9.3 Emulators




http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.winehq.org/%20



http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Wine_setup%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://appdb.winehq.org/%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://dosbox.sourceforge.net/%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://dosbox.sourceforge.net/wiki/%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.codeweavers.com/products/cxoffice/%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CrossOver%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.codeweavers.com/compatibility/browse/rank/%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.cedega.com//%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Cedega%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://transgaming.org/gamesdb/%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepisguides.com/%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emulator%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://checklist.berzerk.co.uk/AppList.php?Hardware_ID=13%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Linux_software#Emulation_.26_Compatibility%20


Introduction

Virtual machine applications are a class of programs that simulate a "virtual computer" in memory,

allowing you to install any operating system on the machine. It is useful for testing, running non-native

applications, and providing users the feeling of having a machine of their own. Many MEPIS Linux users

make use of virtual machine software to run Microsoft Windows “in a window” to seamlessly provideaccess to software written for Windows on their desktop. It is also used for testing to avoid

installation.

Applications

A number of virtual machine software applications for Linux exist, both open-source and proprietary.

MEPIS makes it particularly easy to use VirtualBox, so we will focus on that here. For details and the

most recent developments, see the MEPIS Wiki and MEPIS Community Virtual Machines/Emulators

forum linked below.

Here is an overview of the basic steps to set up and run VirtualBox:

Prepare the machine -- You will need some packages before you can install and run

VirtualBox. Open a terminal, become root, and type or paste in this command, which will pull

in the necessary software:

m-a prepare

Install VirtualBox -- This is most easily done from the repos through Synaptic. To have

access to the most recent version, add this repository (see Section 7.1):

deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian squeeze contrib

It is also possible to download directly from the VirtualBox website. Be sure to reboot after

installation.

Create a Virtual Machine -- To create a virtual machine start VirtualBox, then click the

New icon on the toolbar. You will need a Windows CD or a Linux ISO. Follow the wizard,

accepting all suggested settings unless you know better--you can always change them later.

Once the machine is set up, then you can select the mount point to be either the Host

Drive or a Virtual CD/DVD Disk File (ISO). See the instructions below for making those

assignments.

Install Guest Additions -- Be sure to install VirtualBox GuestAdditions to your Guest OS by

booting into the Guest OS, then clicking Devices >Install Guest Additions and pointing

toward the VBoxGuestAdditions.iso that it will automatically locate. This will allow you to

enable sharing files between Guest and Host and to adjust your display in various ways so

that it suits your environment and habits.

Install Extension Pack -- For VirtualBox V4.0 and greater, you should download and install

the Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack from the Oracle web site (see Links and Guides).

After the file is downloaded, navigate to it with Dolphin and click on the file's icon. The

Extension Pack will install automatically.

Select a Host Drive or Virtual CD/DVD Disk File – Click Settings > Storage, and a dialogbox will pop up where you will see in the middle a Storage Tree with an IDE Controller and a

SATA Controller below it. It looks something like this:

By clicking on the CD/DVD Drive icon in the Storage Tree, you will see the CD/DVD Drive

icon appear in the Attributes section in the right side of the window. Click on the CD/DVD

Drive icon in the Attributes section to open a drop-down menu where you can assign the

Host Drive or a Virtual CD/DVD disc file (ISO) to be mounted on the CD/DVD Drive. (You can

select a different ISO file by clicking on Choose a Virtual CD/DVD disk file and navigating

to the file.)

Run the machine. The device you selected (ISO or CD/DVD) will be mounted when you

start the virtual machine.





When a new kernel is installed, the modules must be rebuilt (including for the Guest

Additions). If the dkms package is installed, VirtualBox should automatically rebuild its kernel

modules (drivers), provided the kernel headers and build environment are also installed.

Excellent documentation is available through Help on the menu bar or as a PDF from the website.


Wikipedia: Virtual machine: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_machine

Wikipedia: Comparison of virtual machines:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_virtual_machines

VirtualBox home page: http://www.virtualbox.org/

VirtualBox Extension Pack: http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

MEPIS Wiki: kernel headers:http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Kernel_header

MEPIS Wiki: VirtualBox setup: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=VirtualBox

MEPIS Community Virtual Machines/Emulators forum:



Traditional window managers

A window manager in Linux is essentially the component which controls the appearance of windows

and provides the means by which the user can interact with them. MEPIS Linux comes with the K

Desktop Environment, or KDE for short, which provides basic desktop functions, many applications for

daily needs (Kmail, Amarok, K3b, etc.), and development tools and user documentation as well. MEPIS

11 uses KDE 4.5.3 because it is stable; it will move to later KDE 4.x versions when appropriate.

KDE home page: http://www.kde.org/

KDE forum:http://forum.kde.org/

Wikipedia: KDE:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KDE

KDE is a very powerful desktop environment, but others are available from the repos. Once installed,

you can choose the window manager you want from the Menu >Session Type on the login screen

(KDM) and log in to as you normally would. For Gnome, you can replace KDM with the Gnome login

screen GDM.

GNOME is another full-featured desktop environment that can be run on MEPIS Linux. It is

an intuitive and attractive desktop that is used in many other Linux versions. If this is a

permanent change, you should use Synaptic to search and remove all KDE packages first,

following the Wiki directions.

GNOME home page: http://www.gnome.org/

MEPIS Wiki: Installing GNOME: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Replacing_KDM_with_GDM MEPIS Wiki: Removing KDE:

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=KDE4_removal

Xfce is a lightweight desktop environment for various *NIX systems. Designed for

productivity, it loads and executes applications fast, while conserving system resources.

Xfce home page: http://www.xfce.org/

Xfce Wiki: http://wiki.xfce.org/

MEPIS Wiki: XFCE: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=XFCE

IceWM is a window manager for the X Window System whose goal is speed and simplicity. It

is the default for antiX.

IceWM home page: http://www.icewm.org/

IceWM FAQs and Howtos: http://www.icewm.org/FAQ/

Fluxbox is derived from Blackbox, and retains theme compatibility with it, while adding

numerous extra features. Very lightweight and configureable, it is supplied with antiX already

configured.

Fluxbox home page: http://fluxbox.sourceforge.net/

Fluxbox Wiki: http://fluxbox-wiki.org/

LXDE is a fast and light destop environment whose components can be installed separately.

LXDE home page: http://lxde.org/

LXDE Wiki: http://wiki.lxde.org/en/Main_Page

Openbox is a fast and highly configurable destop environment that supports

freedesktop.org standards.

Oopenbox home page: http://openbox.org/

LXDE Documentation: http://openbox.org/wiki/Help:Contents




http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_machine%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_virtual_machines%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.virtualbox.org/%20

http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Kernel_headers

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=VirtualBox%20


http://www.kde.org/

http://forum.kde.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KDE

http://www.gnome.org/%20

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Replacing_KDM_with_GDM

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=KDE4_removal

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.xfce.org/%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://wiki.xfce.org/%20

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=XFCE

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.icewm.org/%20

http://www.icewm.org/FAQ/

http://fluxbox.sourceforge.net/

http://fluxbox-wiki.org/

http://lxde.org/

http://wiki.lxde.org/en/Main_Page

http://openbox.org/

http://openbox.org/wiki/Help:Contents



Wikipedia: X Window Managers

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_window_managers

Overview of window managers: http://www.linuxsoft.cz/en/sw_list.php?

id_kategory=5

9.6: Accessing other partitions

Overview

Immediately after installing MEPIS Linux you have access to the root filesystem. Everything you

need to run MEPIS Linux is already mounted there. But you may need to take extra steps to access

data elsewhere, or you might want to set up a partitioning schema that safely stores your data

outside your /home directory partition. In cases like that, you may need to know how to mount

partitions other than your root partition.

But what exactly is a partition?

Here is a good, basic definition from the Linux Documentation Project:

Partitioning is a means to divide a single hard drive into many logical drives. A partition is a contiguous

set of blocks on a drive that are treated as an independent disk. A partition table is an index that

relates sections of the hard drive and attached devices to partitions.

When you installed MEPIS Linux, it set up a root filesystem on the partition that you designated. But

other partitions can be mounted to the root filesystem and so be made available to the system and its

users.

In general, a partition can be mounted dynamically whenever it becomes physically connected,

mounted manually when you need access to it, or mounted automatically upon boot. In terms of

actual process, dynamic mounting is done by the by udev device manager, while the options for

manual mounting as well as for automatic mounting at boot are governed by the configuration file

/etc/fstab. The udev device manager listens for devices being added or removed from the system,

such as a USB drive, and makes them available to the system. Usually, fstab is the only one that users

might need to modify.

The following sections discuss these methods in more detail.

9.6.1: Dynamic mounting

Dynamic mounting occurs when a device is plugged into the system. Most of the time, it will allow you

to have access to the device's partition without any action on your part, usually through a window

opened up by KDE. Thus, when you plug in a device (USB memory stick, camera, PDA, etc.), the

window that pops up showing the contents of that device ultimate depends on dynamic mounting by

udev.

The following description udev outlines the mounting process (edited from Wikipedia):

udev is a generic kernel device manager that runs as a daemon [background process] on a Linux

system and listens for a new device being initialized (or a device being removed) in the system. The

system provides a set of rules that match the properties of the discovered device. A matching rule will

possibly name and create a device node and run configured programs to set-up and configure the

device. udev rules can match on properties like the kernel subsystem, the kernel device name, the

physical location of the device, or properties like the device's serial number. Rules can also request

information from external programs to name a device or specify a custom name that will always be the

same, regardless of the order devices are discovered by the system.

Rarely, however, no matching occurs and the device is not made available to the system by KDE. This

may be due to a hardware problem or a udev problem. It is easy to find out whether the device has

been recognized by the system. First plug it in, then open a terminal and type:

dmesg | tail

If the hardware has been recognized, you should see its name and address in the output. That means

that the problem lies at the next step, and you may have to modify udev (not recommended for

newbies). Search first on your device ID number (e.g., ID 03f0:2112) to see what others have done.

For guidance on writing udev rules, consult the how-to below.

Wikipedia: Udev: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Udev

How to write udev rules: http://www.reactivated.net/writing_udev_rules.html




http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_window_managers%20

http://www.linuxsoft.cz/en/sw_list.php?id_kategory=5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Udev

http://www.reactivated.net/writing_udev_rules.html


9.6.2: Manual mounting

If you need access only on an occasional basis to a partition that is not on a device dynamically

mounted, such as a partition on your HDD with another OS, you can mount it manually. The file

manager Dolphin makes it very easy to mount any partitions by dragging them to the Places panel on

the left side, then simply clicking on them, as already described in Section 3.4.

KwikDisk

Another graphical application for mounting partitions is KwikDisk, a kicker applet that will show up in

the system tray when started by clicking Start Menu > System > More Applications > KwikDisk

(Removeable Media Utility). It has a variety of uses:

It displays the available file devices (hard drive partitions, floppy and CD drives, etc.) along

with information on their free space, type and mount point.

It allows you to easily mount and unmount drives. Just click on the partition you want to

mount (e.g. sda1, sdb1, sdb2, etc.). This will work for any Linux partition, and for Windows

98, 2000 and XP as well. You may have to provide root's password, depending on how

permissions are set up.

It has a menu entry for KDiskFree, a utility that measures available space.

Simply click on the device that interests you to view the contents, and you will something like this

(note KwikDisk icon at lower left corner):

9.6.3: Automatic mounting

In order to set MEPIS to automatically mount another partition at boot time so that it will be

accessible at all times, you will need to edit options in the /etc/fstab configuration file. Before we

get into the details, let's go over the basic structure of every line in that file:

The fstab file

The file /etc/fstab has two parts: permanently available devices and, starting after the comment line:

“Dynamic entries below.” These are partitions detected at the time you installed MEPIS Linux, but

which are not integral to operating MEPIS. They may be manually mounted, per Section 9.6.2, above.

When they are mounted, the settings listed in /etc/fstab will govern their placement and permissions

in the root filesystem.

But when you wish to change a partition from the “occasionally mounted manually” category to onethat is automatically mounted all the time, a few changes need to be made to the /etc/fstab

configuration file.

Here is a typical entry for the first primary partition of a main hard drive:

/dev/sda1 / ext3 defaults,noatime 1 1

Each of the six elements of this entry contains information that must be presented in a specific order,

as we can show with this table where the same entry is divided out into the standard categories:

[Device] [Mount Point] [Filesystem] [Options] [dump] [fsck order]

/dev/sda1 / ext3 defaults, noatime 1 1





Now that the structure of the entries makes some sense, we can proceed to edit the file.

Automounting a partition to the root filesystem

As with most Linux configuration files, editing this configuration file (see Section 10.3) can easily be

done with a text editor, after you back up the original file.

1. Open the Konsole terminal window (Start Menu > System > Konsole (Terminal)) and

type:

cp /etc/fstab ~/Backups/fstab.original

This will copy the current /etc/fstab into your /home/username/Backups directory under the

name “fstab.original” in case you need to restore it later. To restore it you would need toissue this command as root:

cp /home/username/Backups/fstab.original /etc/fstab

Note that in the first command, you copied a system file to your personal directory using the

tilde —a shorthand for “user home directory.” All cool. But the command to restore a system

file needs to be much more precise. In addition to issuing the command as the root user,

you need to specify the user home directory more strictly —from the root point of view.

2. To open up the current /etc/fstab in the text editor kwrite, with root privileges, type in

konsole:

kdesu kwrite /etc/fstab

3. Locate the line designating the partition you want to have mounted; the first column will

refer to it as /dev/sdxn where x is a letter and n is a number. Highlight the entire line and

cut it, then paste it into the upper part of the file. For example let's use /dev/sda3 as it

originally appears:

sysfs /sys sysfs defaults 0 0# Dynamic entries below/dev/sda1 /mnt/sda1 ext2 noauto,users,exec 0 0/dev/sda2 /mnt/sda2 auto noauto,users,exec 0 0/dev/sda3 /mnt/sda3 auto noauto,users,exec 0 0

For the future, it might be good to document your change with a comment line so you

know what is what. The following is an example of the new line in place, with a comment

line added:

sysfs /sys sysfs defaults 0 0# automatically mounted partitions/dev/sda3 /mnt/sda3 auto noauto,users,exec 0 0# Dynamic entries below/dev/sda1 /mnt/sda1 ext2 noauto,users,exec 0 0/dev/sda2 /mnt/sda2 auto noauto,users,exec 0 0

4. VERY IMPORTANT: you must change the option in column 4 to auto! Do not alter

anything in column 3, which may or may not already contain the word “auto.” Column 3refers to filesystem type, not to mounting options. The lines should now look similar to this,

with only one word changed:

sysfs /sys sysfs defaults 0 0# automatically mounted partitions/dev/sda3 /mnt/sda3 auto auto,users,exec 0 0# Dynamic entries below/dev/sda1 /mnt/sda1 ext2 noauto,users,exec 0 0/dev/sda2 /mnt/sda2 auto noauto,users,exec 0 0

5. Check to see that the original line for the partition is missing from the bottom section of

Dynamic entries, and exists only in the new, upper section. An error will result if the line

designating any partition exists twice.

6. Save the file and exit KWrite. To put your changes into effect, open a terminal, become

root, and type:

mount -a

Now fstab will be parsed and all filesystems that are set to mount at boot will be

immediately mounted if they are not already. You will find the partition mounted under

/mnt.





Automounting a partition to a subdirectory

To make it more convenient, you can mount it to another location. Let's say you want your Windows

XP partition to show up as a mounted directory under /home. Here's how:

1. First, create the folder where you want it to be. Open Dolphin, right-click an empty space

and click Create New >Folder... and enter XP as the name we're going to use.

2. Open up the current /etc/fstab in the text editor KWrite, with root privileges, by typing in

konsole:

kdesu kwrite /etc/fstab

As before, back up the file before you start working on it.

3. Locate the line in the dynamic section for the partition you want to mount in /home. Here

we will assume the original line looks like this, though yours may differ:

/dev/hda1 /mnt/hda1 /mnt/hda1 ntfs-3g defaults,noatime 0 0

4. Cut it from the dynamic section and paste it above in the fixed section. Then change the

mount location to your new directory:

/dev/hda1 /home/UserName/XP/ ntfs-3g defaults,noatime 0 0

5. As before, if you see the word noauto in your particular entry, you should change it to

auto.

6. Save and exit. When you reboot, your hda1 partition's contents should show up in the “XP”subdirectory in your /home directory.

7. After first boot, you may find that MEPIS has changed the ownership of the subdirectory

mointpoint to “root”. For mounting an NTFS partition this may not be a problem, as thedefault NTFS mount options set the group ID to “users” and allow that group rwpermissions. If it is an ext3 or other Linux partition, you will not have write permission. So

the user named "joany" would change the ownership back with the following CLI command,

using Konsole:

su [and give root password when prompted]chown -R joany:users /home/joany

Check to see that you have the correct user and group owner with:

ls -l

or by checking your home directory in Dolphin using the Detailed List View mode. Once it's

fixed, subsequent booting does not affect the ownership.

Troubleshooting

Windows FAT partition

Although Windows NTFS partitions (as used in Windows 2000 and later) usually present little problem,

there is sometimes difficulty with the necessary system permissions to write or delete files on a

Windows FAT partition (as in Windows 98). If this seems to be the case on your computer, you'll

need to insert a step after Step 4 above:

Inserted Step: setting permissions when mounting a VFAT partition

Set the following additional mount options for a Windows FAT partition. Note that MEPIS should

already have identified it as a vfat partition in the third column, so all your changes need only be in the

fourth column (bolded below):

/dev/sda5 /mnt/sda5 vfat user,users,gid=disk,umask=0000,utf8=true 0 0

If you need to set something other than full read/write/execute permissions for everyone who logs

into your MEPIS system, you wil l need to do more study before fine-tuning your mounting

permissions.

MEPIS Wiki: fstab: MEPIS Wiki: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Fstab

Community Guide to fstab: http://sblinux.org/pages/fstab01.html

Linking partitions to your /home directory http://sblinux.org/pages/symlink-home.html




http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Fstab%20

http://sblinux.org/pages/fstab01.html

http://sblinux.org/pages/symlink-home.html


9.7: Scripts

Introduction

A script is a simple text file that can be written directly from a keyboard, and consists of a logically

sequenced series of operating system commands. The commands are handled one at a time by a

command interpreter which in turn requests services from the operating system. The default

command interpreter in MEPIS is Bash. The commands must be understandable to Bash, and

command lists have been established for programming use. A shell script is the Linux counterpart of

batch programs in the Windows world.

Scripts are used throughout the Linux OS and applications that run on it as an economical method of

executing multiple commands in an easily created and modified manner. During boot, for instance,

many scripts are invoked to start up specific processes such as printing, networking, etc. Scripts are

also used for automated processes, system administration, application extensions, user controls, etc.

Finally, users of all kinds can employ scripts for their own purposes.

A simple script

Let's do a very simple (and famous) script to get the basic idea.

Open the text editor KWrite (Start Menu > Utilities), and type:

#!/bin/bashclearecho "Good morning, world!"

All scripts open with a shebang as in the first line: it is a combination of a number sign, an

exclamation point, and the path to the command interpreter--here, Bash is the interpreter

and it is found in the standard location for user applications.

Save that file in your home directory with the name SimpleScript.sh.

Right-click the file name, select Properties, and check "Is executable" on the Permissions tab.

Open a terminal and type:

sh /home/UserName/SimpleScript.sh

The line "Good morning, world!" will appear on your screen.

This simple script doesn't do very much, but it does establish the principle that a simple text file can

be used to send commands to control your system's behavior.

Example of a useful script

Let's look at a useful script for the ordinary user that reduces all the moves involved in backing up

multiple sets of files into a single keystroke. The script below relies itself on a system script called

Rdiff-backup that would need to be installed from the repos for the script to work. It copies one

directory to another, keeping a record of the differences in a special subdirectory so you can still

recover files lost some time ago. (Incidentally, Rdiff-backup uses in turn on a script called Diff.)

In this example, a user named “newbie” wants to set up a script to back up documents, music, mailand pictures from the /home directory to an external drive.

1 #!/bin/bash2 #3 # This Rdiff-Backup script backs up to a second hard drive4 # It must be run as root in order to mount the second hard drive56 # To restore files, issue the command: cp -a /mnt/sda1/username /home7 # To restore, but not overwrite: 8 # cp -a -i --reply=no /mnt/sda1/username /home910 # Mount the external devices1112 mount /dev/sdb113 mount /dev/sdb214 mount /dev/sdb31516 # Execute the backup1718 rdiff-backup /home/newbie/Documents /mnt/sdb2/Documents19 rdiff-backup /home/newbie/Music /mnt/sdb1/Music20 rdiff-backup /home/newbie/Mail /mnt/sdb2/Mail





21 rdiff-backup /home/newbie/Pictures /mnt/sdb3/Pictures22 23 # Unmount the external devices2425 umount /dev/sdb126 umount /dev/sdb227 umount /dev/sdb3

Now let's look at this script's components:

Lines 2-8: a number sign has been placed in front of these lines (called "commenting them

out") to indicate to Bash that they are not part of the sequence of commands to be

executed. Their purpose here is to provide anyone who looks at this script with information

about such things as the script's origin, creator, purpose, and license (metadata).

Line 10: good scripts separate the commands into clearly labelled procedural sections, bolded

here and in lines 15 and 22.

Lines 12-14: the three devices to be used for the backup have to first be mounted so they

are available to the system.

Lines 18-21: here bash is told to use the system script rdiff-backup to compare the original

directories (sources) with the backup directories (targets), copy over the differences it finds,

and keep a record of the changes.

Lines 25-27: once the backup work is done, the external drives are unmounted from the

system.

Anyone who wanted to use such a script would have to carry out a few execution steps:

1. Copy the whole script.

2. Right-click the desktop and select Create New >Text file...

3. Give the file a name that makes sense (no spaces, though), and add the "sh" extension so

you will recognize it is a script. For this example, you might select

Backup_DocsMusicMailPictures.sh

4. Open the new text file and paste in the script.

5. Change any names, locations, etc. to what they are on your particular system. In the

example above, you may well have different names and/or locations for the directories to be

backed up, and different devices where they are supposed to go.

6. Save that script in a place you can easily find it when you need it, let's say you make a new

directory /home/scripts for it.

7. Right-click the script, select Properties, click on the Permissions tab, and check the Is

executable box and click OK.

8. When you are ready to backup, open a terminal and type:

sh /home/scripts/Backup_DocsMusicMailPictures.sh

Hint: use the tab key to autocomplete the file name after you type the first few letters.


MEPIS Wiki: Bash: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bash

MEPIS Wiki: Script: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Script

BASH guide for beginners: http://tldp.org/LDP/Bash-Beginners-

Guide/html/index.html

Linux shell scripting tutorial:http://www.freeos.com/guides/lsst/

Directory of Linux commands:http://www.linuxdevcenter.com/linux/cmd/

10: Under the Hood

10.0: Introduction

Users coming from Microsoft Windows® typically find a lot of unfamiliar concepts, and get frustratedtrying to do things the way they are accustomed to doing them. This section will give you a

conceptual overview of some basic aspects of MEPIS Linux, and how they differ from other systems to

help ease your transition.

MEPIS Linux ultimately inherits its fundamental design from Unix, an operating system that has been

around in various forms since 1970 —much earlier than MSWindows®. MEPIS Linux is also mainly

composed of free, open-source software (FOSS) (i.e. software that is distributed without

restrictions on the use of its source code). The Unix heritage plus the open-source nature of MEPIS

have a strong impact on its design.




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bash%20

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Script%20

http://tldp.org/LDP/Bash-Beginners-Guide/html/index.html

http://www.freeos.com/guides/lsst/

http://www.linuxdevcenter.com/linux/cmd/


Unix provided the foundation for the development of Linux starting in 1991. As is well known, Linus

Torvalds united his developing kernel with the free software framework of the GNU Project, started

by Richard Stallman in 1984, and the resulting OS is often referred to as GNU-Linux.

A user interface of some sort needs to serve for input and control. At its simplest, this interface is a

command line, as in the original Unix and also in the original MS-DOS prior to MS-Windows, but today

all the most popular Linux versions use a graphical user interface (GUI) that relies on the X Window

System, a software system and protocol that provides the basic framework for graphical display.

Finally, MEPIS builds directly on the highly popular Linux distribution called Debian, its direct upstream

source of fundamental structures and features. Founded in 1993, Debian has become preeminent in

areas such as package development, release protocol, organizational structure and commitment to

free software. To the solid core provided by Debian's stable release, MEPIS adds user-friendly features

such as a very simple installation tool, excellent hardware recognition, a set of configuration

“Assistants,” and a LiveDVD framework—all supported by a lively and knowledgeable Community thatcontributes to MEPIS the artwork and documentation, as well as additional software packages.


MEPIS Wiki: Windows to MEPIS: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Windows_to_MEPIS

Wikipedia: Unix: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix

Linux home page: http://www.linux.org/

Wikipedia: Linux: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux

X.org home page: http://www.x.org/wiki/

Wikipedia: X Window System:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_Window_System

Debian home page: http://www.debian.org/

Wikipedia: Debian: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debian

10.1: The filesystem structure

Orientation

There are two basic uses of the term “filesystem.” The first is the Operating System's Filesystem. Thisrefers to the files and their organization that the operating system uses to keep track of all the

hardware and software resources it has as its disposal while running. The other use of the term

filesystem refers to the Disk Filesystem, designed for the storage and retrieval of files on a data

storage device, most commonly a disc drive. The Disk Filesystem is set when the disk partition is first

formatted, prior to writing any data on the partition.

The Operating System's Filesystem

One of the first problems many new Linux users struggle with is how the filesystem works. If you have

been looking around your MEPIS Linux system trying to find the C:\ drive or D:\ drive, for instance,

you are searching in vain: MEPIS handles hard drives and other storage media differently from

Windows. Rather than having a separate filesystem tree on every device, MEPIS has a single filesystem

tree ( called the root of the filesystem) which is marked “/” and contains every attached device.

When a storage device is added to the system, its filesystem is attached to a directory or subdirectory

of the file system; this is called mounting a drive or device.

If you open Dolphin and browse to “/”, you will notice a number of directories with names based onthe Unix Filesystem Hierarchy Standard. Here is a simple description of the major directories in

MEPIS along with a common example of when users commonly work with files there (see MEPIS Wiki

for details):

/bin This directory contains binary program files which are used by the system during

startup, but which also may be required by user actions once the system is fully up and

running.

Example: Many basic command-line programs, such as the Bash shell, and utilities like dd,

grep, ls, and mount are located here, in addition to programs only used by the OS.

/boot As you might guess, files that Linux needs to boot are located here. The Linux

kernel, the core of the Linux operating system, is kept here, as are bootloaders such as

GRUB.

Example: users modify /boot/grub/menu.lst to change the list of bootable operating




http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Windows_to_MEPIS

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix

http://www.linux.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux

http://www.x.org/wiki/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_Window_System

http://www.debian.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debian


systems or the length of time to wait for default booting.

/dev In this directory are special files that link to the various input/output devices on the

system.

Example: no file here is commonly accessed directly by users, except in CLI mounting

commands.

/etc This directory contains configuration files for the system such as as well as application

configuration files.

Example: The file /etc/fstab specifies mount points for additional filesystems on devices,

partitions, etc. that can be configured for your optimal use.

Example: display problems sometimes involve editing the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf.

/home Here the user's personal directories (data and settings) reside. If there is more than

one user, a separate subdirectory is set up for each. No user (except root) can read another

user's home directory. The user's directory contains both hidden (where the filename is

preceded by a dot) and visible files; hidden files can be revealed by clicking View >Show

Hidden Files in Dolphin.

Example: users typically organize their own files at first by using default directories such as

Documents, Music, etc.

Example: your Firefox profile is located in .mozilla/firefox

/lib This directory contains shared object libraries (analogous to Windows DLL's) that are

required at boot time. In particular, kernel modules will be found here, under /lib/modules.

Example: no file here is commonly accessed by users.

/media Files for removable media such as CDroms, floppy drives, and USB memory sticks are

installed here when the media are automounted.

Example: After dynamically mounting a peripheral device like a flash drive, you may access

it here.

/mnt Physical storage devices must be mounted here before they can be accessed. After

drives or partitions are defined in the /etc/fstab file, then their filesystem is mounted here.

Example: Users can access drives and partitions mounted here.

/opt This is the intended location of major third-party application subsystems installed by the

user.

Example: if you want to install Google Earth, this is where you place it. Some distros,

including MEPIS, also place user-installed programs in /usr subdirectories.

/root This is the home directory for the root (adminstrator) user. Note that this is not the

same as “/” the filesystem root.

Example: no file here is commonly accessed by users, but files saved while logged in as

the root user may be saved here.

/sbin Programs are installed here if they are required by the system startup scripts but will

not normally be run by users, other than root—in other words, system administration utilities.

Example: no file here is commonly accessed by users, but this is where files like modprobe

and ifconfig are located.

/tmp This is the location of temporary files produced by programs—such as compilers—asthey run. In general, these are short-term temporary files, of use to a program only while it

is running.


/usr This directory contains many things for user applications, and is analogous in some ways

to the Windows directory “Program Files”.

Example: many executables are located in (/usr/bin)

Example: documentation (/usr/docs) and configuration files, graphics and icons are in

(/usr/share).

/var This directory contains files that are constantly changing while Linux is running, e.g.

logs, system mail and queued processes.






The Disk Filesystem

The disk filesystem is something about which the average user does not need to be much concerned.

The default disk filesystem used by MEPIS Linux is called ext3, a version of the ext2 filesystem that is

journaled —i.e., it writes changes to a log before enacting them, rendering it more robust. Thefilesystem ext3 is set during installation when your your hard drive is formatted.

By and large, ext3 has more years on its track record than any of its rivals, and combines stability and

speed; for these reasons, we do not recommend installing MEPIS onto a different disk filesystem

unless you are well-educated in the differences. However, MEPIS can read and write to many other

formatted disk filesystems, and may even be installed on some of them, if for some reason one of

them is preferred over ext3. A journaling file system called ext4 is being developed as the successor

to ext3 and is also available.

NOTE: if you are dual or multi-booting different operating systems on the same computer, see

Section 9.6: Accessing other partitions for more information.


FileSystem Hierarchy Standard: http://www.pathname.com/fhs/

Wikipedia: Filesystem http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_system

Wikipedia: Comparison of filesystems:


Wikipedia: Ext3: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ext3

Wikipedia: Ext4: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ext4

10.2: Permissions

MEPIS is an account-based operating system. This means that no program can run without a user

account to run under, and any running program is thereby limited by the permissions granted to the

user who started it.

In MEPIS Linux there is one and only one user account that has permission to do everything; this

account is called root (not to be confused with the “root” of the filesystem, mentioned in Section10.1 see: root filesystem) . The root user has a unique password that is set during system

installation. When you run programs (such as Synaptic or MEPIS System Assistants) that need to

access or change protected operating system files and directories, you will be prompted for the root

password. Once you enter it, MEPIS will be able to make the specific changes it needs.

NOTE: Much of the security and stability that Linux is known for hinges on the proper use of limited

user accounts, and the protection provided by default file and directory permissions. For this reason,

you should operate as root only for a procedure that requires it. Never log into MEPIS as root to run

the computer for normal activities!

Basic information

The default file permissions structure in Linux is fairly simple, but more than adequate for most

situations. For each file or folder, there are three permissions that can be granted, and three entities

(owner/creator, group, others/world) to which they are granted. The permissions are:

Read permission means that data can be read from the file; it also means the file can be

copied. If you don't have read permission for a directory you can't even see the names of

files listed in it.

Write permission means that the file or folder can be changed, appended, or deleted. For

directories, it specifies whether a user can write to files in the directory.

Execute permission means whether or not the user can run the file as a script or program.

For directories, it determines whether or not the user can enter and make it the current

working directory.

Every file and folder acquires a single user designated as its owner when it is created on the system.

(Note that if you move a file from another partition where it has a different owner, it will keep the

original owner; but if you copy and paste it, it will be assigned to you.) It also has a single group

designated as its group, by default the group to which the owner belongs. The permissions you grant

to others affect everyone who isn't the owner or in the owning group.




http://www.pathname.com/fhs/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_system%20


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ext3

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ext4


NOTE: For advanced users, there are additional special attributes beyond read/write/execute that can

be set: sticky bit, SUID, and SGID. For more information, see Links and Guides for Section 10.2.

Viewing, setting and changing permissions

Dolphin

To view or change a file's permissions in KDE, right-click the file and select Properties. Click the

Permissions tab. Here you can set the permissions granted to the owner, group, and others using

the pull-down menus. For some files (like scripts, for instance), you need to check the box to make

them executable, and for folders you can check a box to limit the deletion of files inside it to the

owners. If necessary, you can click Advanced Permissions and see the permissions grid for the file.

NOTE: you must be operating as root to change the permission of a file or directory whose owner is

root.

MUser

The MEPIS User Assistant is an easy way to add or delete a user. In addition, it can restore default

values for groups and memberships.

KUser

KUser is part of KDE and can be reached by clicking Start Menu > System > KUser and supplying

the root password. It allows detailed control of a Users account. The main screen has two tabs, one

for users and the other for groups; above them sits a toolbar and on top a menu bar. Here are the

icons on the toolbar:

The first three buttons in the toolbar have to do with user management (default tab): add user, edit

user, and delete any user highlighted. When you add a user, you will see this dialog box:

The second three are used with similar functions for group management (Groups tab), and allow you

to decide who belongs to each group. This can be important for access to hardware, as the following

example shows:

Sometimes a program needs to have a user registered before it will operate correctly. Let's take an

example with the photo organizer DigiKam, which can be fussy about this. According to the directions

on the DigiKam home page, the username should be added to the user group “camera” but thatgroup is not listed. Here's how you would do that:

1. Click Start Menu > System > KUser (User Manager), and supply root's password.

2. Click on the Groups tab, and confirm that there is no group name “camera.”3. Click on the add group icon, or on the menu bar Group >Add...

4. In the dialogue box that pops up, type camera as Group name.

5. Highlight your username in the column on the right, then click the middle Add... button to

move your username into the column Users in Group.

6. Click OK.

7. The Group tab now includes the group “camera” with your username.

Welcome

1: Introduction

2: Getting MEPIS

3: Pre-Installation

4: Installation

5: Configuration

6: The Command Line


8: Basic Use

9: Advanced Use

10: Under the Hood

11: More Resources

12: Glossary

FEEDBACK

Email:

[email protected]





http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/index.html#s01_welcome%20

mailto:[email protected]



CLI commands

Although Dolphin and KUser cover most daily situations, sometimes it can be preferable to deal with

the command line. Basic permissions are represented by r (read), w (write) and x (execute).

To view permissions of a file on the command line, type this:

ls -l NameOfFile

The -l switch will cause the file to be list in long format, displaying its permissions among other

information. Here is an example of what the user "newbie" might see for the Firefox profiles.ini file:

newbie@Computer:$ ls -l /home/newbie/.mozilla/firefox/profiles.ini-rw-r--r-- 1 newbie users 94 2008-10-22 10:07 profiles.ini

The bolded "rw-r--r--" bit right after the opening dash (indicating it is a regular file) contains

read/write/execute permissions for owner, group and others: 9 characters total. Here it shows us that

the owner has read and write but not execute (rw-), but the group and others can only read (r--).

The owner in this case is specified to be "newbie" who belongs to the group "users".

If for some reason it was necessary to change the ownership of this file to root using the command

line, you would use the chown command like this:

chown root /home/newbie/.mozilla/firefox/profiles.ini

For details on using chown, as well as the more detailed chmod, see Links and Guides for Section10.2.


MEPIS Wiki: Permissions: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Permissions

KUser: http://userbase.kde.org/KUser

File permissions: http://www.linuxforums.org/security/file_permissions.html

10.3: Configuration files

With only rare exceptions, program and system settings on MEPIS Linux are stored in discrete

plaintext configuration files; there is no “Registry” which requires special tools to edit. Most

configuration files are just simple lists of parameters and values which are read by programs when they

launch to determine their behavior.

User config files

Files that hold individual user settings (such as high scores for your games, or the layout of your

desktop) are stored within a Users home directory, typically as a hidden file or directory, and can only

be edited by that user or by root. These personal configuration files are actually less often edited

directly than system files because most of the user configuration is done graphically through the

applications themselves. When you open an application and click Edit >Preferences, for example,

your selections are written to a (usually hidden) configuration file in your user directory. Likewise in

Firefox, when you type about:config in the address bar, you are editing the hidden configuration

files.

System config files

Files that hold system-wide configurations or defaults (such as the file that determines which services

automatically launch during boot up) are largely stored in the /etc/ directory and are only editable by

root. Most of these files are never touched directly by regular users, such as these for instance:

/etc/rc.d/rc5.d — Contains files to control runlevel 5 into which MEPIS boots after login.




http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Permissions

http://userbase.kde.org/KUser

http://www.linuxforums.org/security/file_permissions.html


/etc/sysconfig/keyboard — Used to configure the keyboard.

/etc/network/interfaces — Defines internet interfaces on the system.

Some configuration files can contain just a few lines, or even be empty, while others may be quite

long. The important point is that if you are looking for a configuration file for an application or process,

head for the /etc directory and look around.

Example

We already looked at editing the configuration file /etc/fstab a couple of times earlier, so let's look at

a different example here. Sound problems can be solved with a number of grahical and command-line

tools, but once in a while a user needs to edit directly the system-wide configuration file. For many

systems, this will be /etc/modprobe.d/snd-hda-intel.conf. It is a simple file whose top paragraph

looks like this:

# some chips require that the model be set manually# for example asus g71 series may need model=g71voptions snd-hda-intel model=auto

To try to get sound, you might decide to substitute the exact information about the sound model in

place of the word “auto.”. To find out your sound model, you could open a konsole and type:

lspci | grep Audio

The output will depend on the system, but it will take the following form:

00:05.0 Audio device: nVidia Corporation MCP61 High Definition Audio (rev a2)

Now you can plug that information back into the configuration file:

# some chips require that the model be set manually# for example asus g71 series may need model=g71voptions snd-hda-intel model=nvidia

You would save the file, reboot the machine, and hopefully your sound would be working. You could

also try more precision by using model=nvidia mcp61 instead, if the first did not work.


Understanding Linux configuration files:

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/library/l-config.html

10.4: Runlevels

MEPIS Linux boots up by executing the program init. After completing the boot process, init

executes all start scripts in a directory specified by the default runlevel (this runlevel is given by the

entry for id in /etc/inittab). Like most other Linux versions, MEPIS has 7 runlevels:

0 Halt (power down)

1Single-user mode: provides a root console without logon. Useful if you lose your root

password

2 Multiuser with no network

3 Console logon, no X (i.e. no GUI)

4 Not used/custom

5 Default GUI logon

6 Reboot

MEPIS defaults to runlevel 5, therefore any init scripts set up in the level 5 config file will run at boot.

Use




http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/library/l-config.html


Understanding runlevels can be handy. When users have a problem with X Window Manager, for

instance, they can not work on it on the default runlevel 5, because as we just saw that is the level

where X runs. But they can drop to runlevel 3 where they can work to fix things by opening a

terminal, becoming root, and typing:

telinit 3

Once you are out of X and looking at a prompt, login with your normal username and password. To

get back to the login screen, become root and type:

telinit 5

Other useful commands when you are looking at the prompt on runlevel 3 include:

halt (as root) — shuts the machine down.

reboot (as root) — reboots the machine.

[application command] — will run that application if it is not graphical.

It is equally possible to boot to runlevel 3 by merely adding the number three at the end of the boot

options on the GRUB screen. From there you can simply type:

startx

to get to runlevel 5 and your desktop.


Wikipedia: Runlevel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runlevel

Wikipedia: init http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Init

The Linux Information Project: Runlevel Definitionhttp://www.linfo.org/runlevel_def.html

10.5: The Kernel

Introduction

Last place in this Users Manual goes to the first and most important element of MEPIS Linux: the Linux

kernel. Every Linux version (distro) uses some version of the kernel, which was first developed and is

still maintained by Linus Torvalds, with input from many other programmers around the world.

The following diagrams and descriptions of the GNU/Linux kernel come from the Anatomy of the Linux

kernel and gives the average user a clear sense of the kernel's place in the Linux OS:

At the top is the user, or application, space. This is where the user applications are executed. Below

the user space is the kernel space. Here, the Linux kernel exists.

There is also the GNU C Library (glibc). This provides the system call interface that connects to the

kernel and provides the mechanism to transition between the user-space application and the kernel.

This is important because the kernel and user application occupy different protected address spaces.

And while each user-space process occupies its own virtual address space, the kernel occupies a single




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runlevel

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Init

http://www.linfo.org/runlevel_def.html%20


address space.

The kernel itself has a number of components that include process management, memory

management, network stack (definition of a particular group of protocols along with the software to

implement them), virtual file system, and device drivers. The largest of these by far is the collection of

device drivers that are necessary to make your hardware usable.

Much more detail is available from the documents referenced in the Links and Guides for Section10.5.

Kernel versions

The Linux kernel is in constant development, so it uses a version numbering system to keep track.

MEPIS Linux 11 is released using the kernel 2.6.36, but that will change over time. To find out your

current major kernel version name, open a terminal and type:

$ uname -r

You will see a result something like 2.6.36-1-mepis-smp (32bit) or 2.6.36-1-mepis64-smp (64bit).

The MEPIS kernel also has an internal version number that you can see by looking on the "Installed

files" tab of the current kernel entry in Synaptic.

Unlike other software on your system, the kernel is not upgraded automatically except below the

minor revision level (indicated by the third number in the kernel name). To upgrade the kernel when a

new one becomes available in the repos, follow this procedure:

Open Synaptic as root and search on the word “linuximage”.

Look at the results carefully, and install the image marked upgradeable that has the word

"mepis" attached and the next higher version number.

Such updates (only internal version number changes) can be installed without endangering the reboot

process. Kernel upgrades, where the major number changes will show up as a new package instead of

an upgrade in Synaptic, should be approached with caution. They can be problematic, and may

require manual editing of GRUB (see Wiki).

To solve particular problems, advanced users sometimes make use of kernel patches. A patch is

program that updates files according to instructions contained in a separate file, called a patch file.

The patch file consists of a list of differences that can be run to change the original file. For details,

follow the Wiki link below.

Advanced users sometimes compile and install their own kernel, starting with the kernel source code.

The motivation for doing this can range from pure fun to practical goals such as to produce a kernel

optimized for a certain architecture and use. Although the procedure is complicated, detailed

directions can be found in the MEPIS Wiki if needed.

Kernel headers

In order to compile some programs you might need to have kernel headers, which are C files that

define structures and constants that are needed for building most standard programs. Some programs

ask for kernel sources, but most often the headers are sufficient. They may be installed by default

but, if not, you can find them in Synaptic, but you have to be careful to match the headers to your

kernel version. For this reason, it is actually somewhat easier to open a terminal, become root, and

type:

apt-get install linux-headers-$(uname -r)

This code will enter automatically the number of your working kernel and fetch the appropriate

headers.

Kernel panic and recovery

A kernel panic is a relatively rare action taken by the MEPIS Linux system when it detects an internal

fatal error from which it cannot safely recover. It can be caused by a number of different factors that

range from hardware problems to a bug in the system itself. When you get a kernel panic, try

rebooting with the MEPIS Linux LiveDVD, which will overcome temporarily any software problems and

hopefully allow you to see and offload your data. If that doesn't work, then unplug all unnecessary

hardware and try again.

Your first concern is to access and secure your data. Hopefully, you have it backed up somewhere. If

not, you can use one of the data recovery programs such as testdisk or ddrescue that are supplied

with MEPIS Linux (details in the Wiki). Your last resort is to take your harddrive to a professional

recovery business.




http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/index.html#s10-5_links%20


There are a number of steps you might have to take to recover a functional MEPIS Linux system once

you have your data safe, although ultimately you may have to reinstall using the LiveDVD. Depending

on the type of failure, the following steps may be undertaken:

Remove packages that broke the system.

Reinstall the X config file.

Reinstall GRUB.

Reset the root password.

Reinstall MEPIS.

Be sure to ask on the forum.mepiscommunity.org if you have any questions about these procedures.


Linux kernel archives:http://www.kernel.org/

Anatomy of the Linux kernel: at http://www.ibm.com/developerworks

Interactive map of Linux kernel: http://www.makelinux.net/kernel_map

Wikipedia: Linux kernel: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_kernel

GNU C Library home page: http://www.gnu.org/software/libc/

MEPIS Wiki: Applying patches to a kernel: at http://www.mepis.org/docs

MEPIS Wiki: Compiling and installing a new kernel: at http://www.mepis.org/docs

MEPIS Wiki: Editing GRUB: at http://www.mepis.org/docs

MEPIS Wiki: Ddrescue: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Ddrescue

MEPIS Wiki: Recovery: at http://www.mepis.org/docs

11: More resources

If you are looking for something that is not covered in this Manual, these MEPIS resources are available

for more help.

MEPIS Community website

Built and maintained by members of the MEPIS community, this website has links to nearly all aspects

of MEPIS Linux online. Designed to be the primary bookmark for the MEPIS Linux user, it contains not

only links to other MEPISrelated websites, but uptodate news on MEPIS Community Projects —suchas the Community Software Repository and the MEPIS Torrent Team— that are available nowhereelse. Available in five languages.

Wiki

The MEPIS Wiki contains a great deal of other material. As an ongoing product of volunteer users, it

can be more up-to-date and detailed than the Manual, while also needing constant updating. Here's

how to find what you're looking for:

Follow the structure by drilling down in the four areas laid out on the Main Page:

Getting Started: intended to provide new MEPIS users with the basic tools to get

their system up and running.

General Knowledge Database: intended to provide users with more advanced tools to

understand and use their MEPIS system.

Help and Guides: self-explanatory title, there is great stuff here for MEPIS users.

Wiki Issues: topics pertaining to the Wiki itself.

Consult Special Pages:

Click on the Wiki Categories link in the left panel, and select your topic of

interest. This is a very useful but often overlooked way to find answers to your

questions.

If you are looking for something added recently, click on the Recent Changes

link.

Click on the link Special pages for other possible aids.

Forums




http://www.kernel.org/

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/library/l-linux-kernel/

http://www.makelinux.net/kernel_map%20

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_kernel

http://www.gnu.org/software/libc/

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Applying_patch(es)_to_a_kernel

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Compiling_and_installing_a_new_kernel

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Editing_the_GRUB_menu

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Ddrescue

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=General_Knowledge_Database#Emergency_and_Recovery


MEPIS Linux users have a number of forums at their disposal:

forum.mepiscommunity.org: A friendly community forum for every level of knowledge,

from newbie to expert.

Mepisimo (español): http://www.mepisimo.com/forum/index.php

LinuxQuestions.org: A venerable Linux forum that has a section dedicated to MEPIS.

See the Links and Guides section at the bottom of the page for all the above.

Forum protocol

To get the answer you are seeking on any of these forums, please try to follow these procedures:

Do some research on your own, reading the Wiki and using the search engines.

Use meaningful, specific subject headers so people know what you are talking about.

“PLEASE HELP ME” is not going to get you much attention, whereas “MEPIS problems withHP scanner” is much more likely to attract people who can help.

Describe carefully your hardware (see Section 5.1) and the sequence of actions that led to

the problem(s).

Remain courteous: these forums are staffed by volunteers who give of their time,

knowledge, and expertise for the sole reason of wanting to help--the simple words "thank

you" can do wonders.

Search engines

A number of search engines can be used for more help:

Wiki search engines:

Basic search: type what you are looking for into the search box in the left panel

and hit return.

Detailed search: click on the Custom search lin in the left panel. This will take

you to page powered by a custom Google search that will search the entire Wiki

for whatever you enter.

Mepis.org search engine -- good tool that gives you access to all the older discussions and

announcements published on the main MEPIS site. Be careful that the information you find

applies to your version of MEPIS.

forum.mepiscommunity.org search engine -- another good tool on this community site.

Google or another universal search engine -- you need to be careful about suitability of

results, but these can be particularly useful for tracking down drivers, error messages,

hardware specs, etc.

NOTE: much of the Linux documentation on the web is out-of-date or unsuitable for MEPIS Linux,

and could actually do more harm than good to your system! Ask on the MEPIS community forum, if

you are not certain whether or not an internet tip is applicable to MEPIS.


MEPIS Community Website: http://www.MEPIScommunity.org/

MEPIS Wiki: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Main_Page

MEPIS Wiki: Useful links: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Useful_links

MEPIS Community Forum: http://forum.mepiscommunity.org/

Mepísimo: http://www.mepisimo.com/forum/

LinuxQuestions: at http://www.linuxquestions.org

MEPIS Wiki: IRC channel: http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=MEPIS_irc_channel

12: Glossary of common terms

Introduction

Linux terms can be confusing and offputting at first, so this Glossary provides a list of the ones used in

this Manual to get you started. For more help on the terms used in the Linux computer world, see

Links and Guides.




http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepisimo.com/forum/index.php%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Main_Page%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Useful_links%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://forum.mepiscommunity.org/%20

http://www.mepisimo.com/forum/%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/forumdisplay.php?f=64%20

http://www.mepiscommunity.org/user_manual11/%20http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=MEPIS_irc_channel%20


If you reached this page by clicking on a green glossary link, use your browser's [<—] back buttonto return you to your previous page.

Terms

applet: A program designed to be executed from within another application. Unlike an application,

applets cannot be executed directly from the operating system.

backend: Also back-end. The backend includes the various components of a program that process

the user input entered through the frontend. See also frontend.

backport: Backports are new packages that have been recompiled to run on a released distribution

in order to keep it up-to-date.

BASH: The default shell on most Linux systems as well as on Mac OS X, BASH is an acronym for

Bourne-again shell. For more information, see Links and Guides at the bottom of the page.

BitTorrent: Also bit torrent or torrent. A method invented by Bram Cohen to distribute large files

without the need for a single individual to provide the hardware, hosting and bandwidth resources

required.

Bootloader: Program that initially chooses an operating system to load after the BIOS has finished

intializing the hardware. Extremely small in size. the bootloader's only job is to hand contol of the

computer over to the Operating System's kernel. Advanced bootloaders offer a menu to choose

between several installed operating systems.

chainloading: Also chain loading. Instead of directly loading an operating system, a boot manager

like GRUB can use chain loading to pass control from itself to a boot sector on a hard disk partition.

The target boot sector is loaded in from disk (replacing the boot sector from which the boot manager

itself was loaded) and the new boot program is executed. In addition to when it is necessary, as in

booting Windows from GRUB, the advantage to chainloading is that each operating system on the

hard disk drive —and there could be dozens— can be responsible for having the correct data in it'sown boot sector. So GRUB residing in the MBR need not be rewritten every time there are any

changes. GRUB can simply chainload the relevant information from the boot sector of a given partition

whether it has changed or remained the same since the last boot time.

cheat code: Codes can be entered under "Boot Codes" (at the bottom of the screen where the

cursor is blinking) when booting a SimplyMEPIS LiveDVD or LiveUSB to change the booting behavior.

They are used to pass options to the MEPIS operating system to set parameters for particular

environments. An example is “vga=normal” which tells the system to disable the default resolution,often used for older monitors.

cloop error: A failure to read a block of compressed data. CLOOP is shorthand for compressed

loopback device, a linux kernel module that allows a compressed filesystem to be read, such as is used

on a MEPIS LiveDVD.

command line interface (CLI): Also known as console, Konsole, terminal, command prompt, shell,

or bash. This is a UNIX-style text interface, which MS-DOS was also designed to resemble. A root

console is one where administrative privileges have been acquired after entering the root password.

desktop environment: The software which provides a graphical desktop (windows, icons,

desktop, task bar, etc) for an operating system user. MEPIS integrates the KDE desktop and

configures it to feel familiar to both Windows® and Mac OS X® users.

disk image: A file containing the complete contents and structure of a data storage medium or

device such as a hard drive or DVD. See also ISO.

Distribution: A Linux Distribution, or “distro”, is a particular packaging of the Linux kernel withvarious GNU software packages, and different desktops or window managers. Since —unlike theproprietary code used in the Microsoft and Apple OS's— GNU/Linux is Free, OpenSource Software,literally anyone in the world who has the ability can freely build on what has been done and innovate a

new vision of a GNU/Linux operating system. MEPIS Linux is a distro based on the Debian Linux family.

file system: Also filesystem. This refers to the way that files and folders are logically arranged on a

computer's storage devices so they may be found by the operating system. It can also refer to the

type of formatting on a storage device, such as the common Windows formats NTFS and FAT32, or

the Linux formats ext3, ext4 or ReiserFS, and in this sense refers to the method actually used to

encode binary data on the Hard Disk Drive, floppy, flash drive, etc.

free-as-in-speech: The English word “free” has two possible meanings: 1) without cost, and 2)without restrictions. In part of the open-source software community, an analogy used to explain the

difference is 1) “free” as in beer vs. 2) “free” as in speech. The word freeware is used universally to

refer to software that is simply without cost, whereas the phrase free software loosely refers to

software that is more properly called open-source software, licensed under some type of open source

license such as the GPL.

frontend: Also front-end. The front-end is the part of a software system that interacts directly

with the user. See also backend.

GPL: The GNU General Public License. This is a license under which many open-source applications

are released. It specifies that you may view, modify, and redistribute the source code of applications





released under it, within certain limits; but that you may not distribute the executable code unless

you also distribute the source code to anyone who asks for it.

Graphical User Interface (GUI): This refers to a program or operating system interface that uses

pictures (icons, windows, etc), as opposed to text (command-line) interfaces.

home directory: One of the 17 top-level directories branching from the root directory in MEPIS

Linux, /home contains a subdirectory for every registered user of the system. Within each Users

home directory s/he has full read-write privileges. Further, most of the user-specific configuration files

for various installed programs are stored in hidden subdirectories within the /home/username directory

—as i s d own l o aded ema i l . O t h e r d own l o aded f i l e s u s u a l l y g o b y d e f a u l t i n t o t h ehome/username/Documents or /home/username/Desktop subdirectories.

IMAP: The Internet Message Access Protocol is an protocol that allows an e-mail client to access a

remote mail server. It supports both on-line and off-line modes of operation.

interface: A point of interaction between computer components, often referring to the link

between a computer and a network. Examples of interface names in MEPIS Linux include WLAN

(wireless) and eth0 (basic wired).

ISO: A disc image following an international standard that contains data files and filesystem

metadata, including boot code, structures, and attributes. This is the normal method for delivering

Linux versions such as MEPIS over the Internet. See also disk image.

kernel: The layer of software in an operating system that interacts directly with the hardware.

LiveCD/DVD: A bootable compact disc from which one can run an operating system, usually with a

complete desktop environment, applications, and essential hardware functionality. In 2003, MEPIS was

the first distribution of Linux to include a GUI-based Installer application on the desktop of a fully

functional LiveCD, so a separate Installation CD was no longer needed. Simultaneously, MEPIS was also

the first Linux to include GUI-based tools, now called Assistants, on the LiveCD to help a user repair a

broken system.

LiveUSB: A USB flash drive on which an operating system has been loaded in such a way that it can

be booted and run. See LiveDVD.

MBR: Master Boot Record: the first 512-byte sector of a bootable hard disk drive. Special data

written to the MBR enables the computer's BIOS to pass the boot process off to a partition with an

installed operating system.

md5sum: A program that calculates and verifies a file's data integrity. The MD5 hash (or checksum)

functions as a compact digital fingerprint of a file. It is extremely unlikely that any two non-identical

files will have the same MD5 hash. Because almost any change to a file will cause its MD5 hash to also

change, the MD5 hash is commonly used to verify the integrity of files.

mirror: Also mirror site. An exact copy of another Internet site, commonly used to provide multiple

sources of the same information to supply reliable access to large downloads.

module: Modules are pieces of code that can be loaded and unloaded into the kernel upon

demand. They extend the functionality of the kernel without the need to reboot the system.

mountpoint: The place on the root filesystem where a fixed or removable device is attached

(mounted) and accessible as a subdirectory. All computer hardware needs to have a mountpoint in

the filesystem to be usable. Most standard devices such as keyboard, monitor and your primary hard

disk drive are mounted automatically at boot.

NTFS®: Microsoft's New Technology File System debuted in 1993 on the Windows NT Operating

System, geared to business networks, and with revisions entered the mainstream Windows users'

desktop computers in later versions of Windows 2000. It has been the standard file system since

Windows XP was introduced in late 2001. Unix/Linux-oriented folk say it stands for "Nice Try File

System."

open-source: Software whose source code has been made available to the public under a license

that allows individuals to modify and redistribute the source code. In some cases, open-source licenses

restrict the distribution of binary executable code. For more information visit the Open Software

Initiative (link below).

package: A package is a discrete, non-executable bundle of data that includes instructions for your

package manager about installation. A package doesn't always contain a single application; it might

contain only part of a large application, several small utilities, font data, graphics, or help files.

package manager: A package manager such as (Synaptic or Gdebi) is a collection of tools to

automate the process of installing, upgrading, configuring, and removing software packages. See 7.2:Synaptic Software Package Manager

Panel: The panel in KDE (Kicker in KDE 3.5) that appears by default at the bottom of the screen

and contains navigation icons, open (minimized) programs and system notifications. It is highly

configurable, and can include a utility to switch between any of several desktops you can run

simultaneously, if your primary desktop surface tends to get cluttered with open programs. Section3.4

port: A virtual data connection that can be used by programs to exchange data directly, instead of

going through a file or other temporary storage location. Ports have numbers assigned for specific

protocols and applications, such as 80 for HTTP, 5190 for AIM, etc.




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repo: See repository.

repository: A software repository is an internet storage location from which software packages may

be retr ieved and instal led via a package manager. In MEPIS Linux, the repository l ist fi le

(/etc/apt.sources.list) is typically modified through the default package manager Synaptic.

root: Root has two common meanings in Unix/Linux OSs, and they are intimately connected, but

the distinction is important to understand. The root filesystem is the basic logical structure of all the

files the operating system can access, whether programs, processes, pipes or data. It should follow

the Unix Filesystem Hierarchy Standard, which specifies where in the hierarchy to locate all types of

files.

The second meaning of root is the computer user who owns the root filesystem —and so has allpermissions necessary to do anything to any file. While it is sometimes necessary to temporarily assume

the powers of the root user to install or configure programs, it is dangerous and violates the basic

security structure of Unix/Linux to log in and operate as root unless absolutlely necessary. In a

command line interface, a regular user can temporarily become root by issuing the command su then

entering the root password.

runlevel: A runlevel is a preset operating state on a Unix-like operating system. A system can be

booted into any of several runlevels, each of which is represented by a single digit integer. Each

runlevel designates a different system configuration and allows access to a different combination of

processes (i.e., instances of executing programs). See Section 10.4: Runlevels

script: An executable text file, containing commands in an interpreted language. Usually refers to

BASH scripts which are used extensively “under the hood” of the Linux operating system, but otherlanguages may be used as well.

session: A login session is the period of activity between a user logging in and logging out of a

system. In MEPIS Linux, this typically indicates the lifetime of a particular user "process" (the program

code and its current activity) that KDE invokes.

source code: The human-readable code in which software is written prior to being assembled or

compiled into machine-language code.

switch: A switch (also flag, option or parameter) is a modifier appended to a command to change its

behavior. A common example is -R (recursive), which tells the computer to carry out the command

through all subdirectories.

symlink: Also symbolic link and soft link. A special type of file that points to another file or directory

and not to data. It allows the same file to have different names and/or locations.

tarball: An archiving format, like zip, popular on the Linux platform. Unlike zip files, though, tarballs

may use one of a number of different compression formats, such as gzip or bzip2. They usually end in

file extensions like .tgz, .tar.gz, or .tar.bz2. Many archive formats are supported in MEPIS with a

graphical application called Ark. Usually an archive can be extracted simply by right-clicking on it in KDE.

Unix: Also UNIX. The operating system which Linux is modeled after, developed in the late 1960's at

Bell Labs and used primarily for servers and mainframes. Like Linux, Unix has many variations.

window manager: A componen t o f a desk top env i r onmen t t ha t p rov i des t he bas i c

maximize/minimize/close/move functions for windows in the GUI environment. Sometimes it can be

used as an alternative to a full desktop environment. In MEPIS, the default window manager is called

KWin, and is an integral part of the K Desktop Environment (KDE).

X: Also X11, xorg. The X Window System is a networking and display protocol which provides

windowing on bitmap displays. It provides the standard toolkit and protocol to build graphical user

interfaces (GUIs) on Unix-like operating systems and OpenVMS, and is supported by almost all other

modern operating systems. In Mepis Linux, the X server operates on runlevel 5 . See a lso:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_display_manager


MEPIS Wiki: Terminology http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?

title=Category:Terminology

Open Software Initiative: http://www.opensource.org/

SuperLinux Encyclopedia: Jargon http://slencyclopedia.berlios.de/jargon.html

Welcome

1: Introduction

2: Getting MEPIS

2.1: Introduction

2.2: Obtaining & verifying the ISO

2.3: Creating a bootable medium

3: Pre-Installation

3.0: Introduction

3.1: System requirements

3.2: Coming from Windows

3.3: Booting up





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3.4: The new desktop

3.5: Partitioning the hard drive

3.6: Exiting

4: Installation

4.0: Introduction

4.1: Detailed Steps

4.2: Special situations

4.3: Troubleshooting

4.4: Apple Intel computers

4.5: Uninstall

5: Configuration

5.0: Introduction

5.1: Quick Fixes

5.2: Peripherals


5.4: GRUB

5.5: Display

5.6: Network

5.7: Sound

5.8: Bluetooth

5.9: Localization

6: The Command Line


7.1: Introduction

7.2: Synaptic Package Manager

7.3: Other Methods

8: Basic Use

8.0: Introduction

8.1: Internet

8.2: Multimedia

8.3: Office

8.4: Home

8.5: Security

8.6: Utilities

8.7: System

8.8: Good Practices

8.9: Games

8.10: Kids stuff

8.11: Google tools

8.12: antiX

9: Advanced Use

9.0: Introduction

9.1: Internet (server)

9.2: Development

9.3: Windows® under MEPIS

9.4: Virtual Machines


9.6: Accessing Other Partitions

9.7: Scripts

10: Under the Hood

10.0: Introduction

10.1: The Filesystem

10.2: Permissions

10.3: Configuration files

10.4: Runlevels

10.5: The Kernel

11: More Resources

12: Glossary

end of file





Mepis 11 Manual

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