Installing Programs Under Linpus

Just aquired an Acer Aspire One running Linpus. Nice little machine, compact, light and worked straight out of the box.

Completely new to Linux but have got to grips with the basics of this implementation on the acer. Everything works that comes installed, wi-fi works like a dream, have managed to install the xfce desktop options.

Have got into terminal mode and tried several things but its completely double dutch to me. All the advice gleaned from the internet tells me i need to install programs from here. Had various attempts but got knowhere....

Is there a simple dummies guide to installing programs or applications ?

I have attempted to install the VLC media player but have no simple idea how its done in terminal or otherwise. Have downloaded and unzipped the VLC distribution which has lots of files there, no idea on commands or which one to start to do the installation.

Any advice would be welcome.

 

I haven't seen a really simply guide yet, but perhaps someone else will know one.

Very basically, you can download things with the terminal command "yum", so typing "sudo yum install vlc" might get you somewhere, for example. That connects you to a "repository" of programs available to download that (hopefully) will work for your flavour of linux, and is supposed to sort out dependancies (i.e. where you need an extra library or something to make it work) automatically - you just need to use the correct name. Slightly clunkier, but perhaps easier, is to use the "add/remove programs" option from the right click menu (search if you haven't enabled that yet). This just gives you a front-end to yum, and shows a big list of what can be installed - as a linux newbie I found it quite handy to browse through. The problem with both these methods is that you then have to manually add the icon to your destop - again, search for how to do this, it's been mentioned a lot.

If you want to get some simple extra progs with minimal fuss, look at http://macles.blogspot.com/2008/10/new- ... e-one.html which covers how to get vlc, skype and a few other things installed straight to your desktop. Warning: the VLC downloaded under this method has many codecs stripped out. Read a comment dated Nov 1st about how to get it installed with the codecs if you choose to use this method. Elsewhere in macles blog he covers getting firefox 3, thunderbird and various other programs. (Reading your post back, I get the impression you may have modded your desktop away from the original? If so, this method may be a bad idea, as it is designed by Acer to work with their out-of-the-box desktop)

If you'd like to try using your downloaded files, try this link: http://www.tuxfiles.org/linuxhelp/softinstall.html . Goodness knows if it will work for what you've got, but might be worth trying.

Hope that helps - I'm about 3 weeks into linux, and it's an interesting learning curve.

 

viewtopic.php?f=39&t=5105 might be helpful!

 

Thanks for the information people, its been a big help.

The xfce mod to the desktop is essential, gives access to many options. I have been investigating the linpus op system on the acer and have come to the conclusion that you have to get your hands dirty to get things done (not a problem, just a learning curve).

The use of terminal in su (system user) mode is a must and the yum command very powerful.

Have just installed the thunderbird email client (the acer one only lets you have 6 accounts) which lets me have all my email accounts. It was dead easy to install, just go into terminal mode, su, and type : yum install thunderbird ( you need to be on-line). The installation went like a dream. Thunderbird is accessed from the desktop right click menu, I have not yet worked out how to get an icon in the program group.

Flushed with this success i tried to install Picasa and Miro, but these came up with dependency errors, it was then I got completely lost. I am going to invest in a book on Linux. As Linpus is Fedora based I will look for one that covers this.

Incidently the Miro application seems a nice application, more details are here....

http://www.getmiro.com/

Look forward to the next episode.....

 

You might try the windows version of Miro with wine... (http://www.winehq.org)
(it works, but is a bit slow... but video seemed to download/play ok in the quick test I just did)

 

So the Fedora version in the repos doesn't work? I'm not interested in it, but curious why you'd go to a Windows version and run it under wine?

Cheers.

 

Hiya rbil,
Miro - 0.9.8.1-7.fc8.i386
Missing Dependency: gecko-libs = 1.8.1.18 is needed by package gnome-python2-gtkmozembed
Missing Dependency: firefox = 2.0.0.8 is needed by package Miro
Miro - 1.2.7-2.fc8.i386
Missing Dependency: gecko-libs = 1.8.1.18 is needed by package gnome-python2-gtkmozembed
Missing Dependency: gecko-libs = 1.8.1.18 is needed by package Miro
I don't know anything about the gecko-libs, but they weren't in the repos so I couldn't build either...
Seemed like wine would be the simplest option for a new user? (it does "just work" that way)
Best, -Duncan.

 

Sounds like the first dependency problem described and fixed here: http://macles.blogspot.com/2008/08/depe ... e-one.html

 

As in my last post, i am off to buy / invest in a book before i try and do much with the acer. The debate is getting very interesting, but i might screw things up if i try to get to ambitious.......

Some knowledge is dangerous, a lot of knowledge is being careful. Have you any reccomendations as to what book would cover the linpus version on the acer.

I am off on a shopping trip to Amazon .....

 

The webcam no longer works..... I knew i should not have played around.

Have only installed the right click desktop and the thunderbird email client.

I get the webcam window and a grey screen.... help....

P.S...... Ordered the following book which should be good starter :
Linux All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies.

 

Still having problems with the webcam, all seems to point at the drivers....

I have downloaded the latest uvc drivers, unzipped the archive, but how the hell do i install these drivers under Linpus ?

Have tried lots of commands in terminal mode but everything is confusing and does not work.

Hoping the book ordered will bring some sense to Linpus ?? (Dread the thought i might be tempted to go for an XP install, at least i know this operating system well).

 

Well, the book has arrived today, and what a book.....

800 page volume and a DVD with several distro's on (twice the size and weight of the acer).

Read up to page 16 over lunch. I can see some bedtime reading in prospect.....

 

I think I am winning slowly.....

Have managed to install VLC and its working (kind of). I can now view .avi and .mp4 files in full screen mode only !!!, god knows why they do not work in any other mode I just get a blank black screen.

Installing was a pain in the butt... basically it was all to do with dependencies. I first updated the fedora code by doing a yum update ( this did not work first time so did it twice), then a yum install vlc, and terminal went mad installing this and that.... in the end it said complete.

VLC had been magically installed and was available from the right click menu.... then the fun started. Trying to play anything returned a black screen with only the audio playing, it was only by chance i decided to try full screen mode, hooray !!! it worked.

Have also installed Wine the windows emulator and that works ok, have yet to try any windows applications

The book is proving a challenge as it covers several distro's, but it is well written.

That BLOODY CAMERA still does not work, can someone tell me what the drivers name is and where to find it. I am pretty sure this is the problem.

I am getting to like the little Acer as you can see.....

 

Hi devondave,
what is it you're trying to do with the camera?
Some software (i.e. cheese) relies on drivers that can't (as far as I know) be fixed in Linpus.
For interest, I've switched to UNR Ubuntu now and cheese works in that out the box...
(as does practically everything on the One)
If you've got time, I recommend you give the new "Ubuntu Netboot Remix" (UNR) release a shot
(you can download and make the usb stick installer using Linpus)
viewtopic.php?f=67&t=7375&sid=8c6a8743504ebd0dc4e20775c2862aad#p48215
Cheers, -Duncan.
p.s I imagine the book covers the Ubuntu distro (really not *that* different to fedora)?
So your purchase and recent experience gain would not be in vain...

 

I just want the camera working as it could be useful at sometime, the quality is not to bad and worked ??? (once) had a reasonably good low level light.

The book is really good and a bargain at £8.

I have found in my internet trawls a version of Linux that seems useful as it comes fully customised, you can get a version that runs off a CD, a USB stick, can come in as low as 69mb. Its called : NimbleX

http://nimblex.net/

I might try the UNR Ubuntu distro you suggest, thanks.

 

The continuing story........

VLC has stopped playing movie files in full screen mode and now plays them perfectly in a windows mode !!!! I have not done any fiddling with VLC.....

The Web Camera does work only you cannot see what you are doing with it !!. Just out of bloody curiosity I fired up the web cam software, the usual grey screen came up, stared at the camera and hit the capture button and and image was captured in all its glory (to prove this i loaded it into the photo viewer and there i was in glorious colour). I did the same with the video button (after doing a few gestures) and there it was a video file, and it worked.....

Explain that then !!!!!!!

Now its getting personal, man versus machine and software (I like a challenge).

 

Clearly your machine has become possessed by some kind of malevolent force... :twisted:
In order to drive out the spirit and re-sanctify your One, you need to install Ubuntu UNR

 

sorry to butt in but im having sever trouble with running programs that ive already installed. I have recently just bought an aspire one and am 100% new to linux having used windows and mac in that past. All this "terminal" and "root" and "packages" is just total gibberish to me. Especially the Terminals. People seem to be able to type it like a second language.
For a while i was disappointed that i couldnt install amarok or frostwire as active programs on my all-too-simple desktop but then i did some long research to find that u could organise this by typing in xfce-setting-show in a terminal and following the steps untill u can right-click on the desktop and install software in system.
However, after installing a lot of software onto my computer using the package manager i realised i couldnt open the software/programs i had downloaded. I cant locate the programs/software on the desktop and when i search for them in the search tool and click into them, a restriction window pops up saying:
COULD NOT OPEN FILE "AMAROK"
The Nautilus File Manager is not running.
After all the work ive down to organise the package manager it seems i still cannot open the programs/software because of this file manager. What i also dont get is that on top of everything it says my file manager is Thunar 0.9.0 in "about" when i go to My Documents.
PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP ME!! KEEPING IN MIND I HAVEN'T A CLUE ABOUT LINUX OR TERMINALS OR ANYTHING. Need a seriously simple step by step guide to sorting out this Nautilus business. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks Ledgebag224

 

For some reason known only to itself, when clicking on things listed via "find" it tries to use Nautilus. However, if you just go back to your file manager (which is indeed Thunar), you can navigate to it through the directory structure. I've been meaning to find out how to fix it, but haven't got round to it. So just going back to file manager should sort you out in the short term.

If you'd like to add things to the main desktop menu, this is one of the many places you might find instructions: http://aspireoneuser.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=739

Hope that helps alleviate a little of the frustration.

 

but the thing is i tried just going to my normal file manager but the stuff I already downloaded still isn't in my thunar file manager i literally have no idea where they are located. and the only way i can locate it is if i search for it and as you know my nautilus file manager isnt running! I'm dying here!
also what is the directory structure? sorry but im very new to this.