Justbill

Well, I'm playing with something different this evening, I'm writing this post while running a live cd, SimplyMepis, who'd thought! I sure wouldn't have dreamed you could do something like this on an uninstalled OS. This is too cool! Justbill

Hi Bill, For starters, who needs windows98 when you have Linux I used one gig of swap for no better reason than, I had the space to do it. I still have about 10 gig of free space on this machine. I realize this machine is a dinosaur, but it is my first. I got it a year ago, cheap, to learn on. I didn't want to have a bunch of money tied up in something that I might screw up! I will, I'm quite sure get a new one this year, and when I do I am also sure I will run a linux system. I have the book "Linux for Dummies" by Jon Hall ordered from Amazon, hopefully that will answer some questions. I had a problem with win98 crashing on this machine, but not a problem with the floppy drive. On a side note, I got my cd burner working yesterday, flashed the drive(off a floppy), and tried to burn a couple of things useing "Nero"(in win98). Nero said that it burned, but, the cd's didn't work. I then went to FC3 and downloaded "Simply MEPIS" and burned that successfully, and ran it as a live cd in demo mode for a short time last night.I also burned "Debian Sarge" successfully So my floppy works in win98, and my cd burner works in FC3. I still haven't resolved my printer problems in FC3, but that'll come. All in all things are looking up! Justbill

Tell me how to get FC3 off my machine! I have tried t run "wipe drive" and it wont boot from the cd rom at startup. I have reset the BIOS to boot from cdrom at startup and it still won't. Someone, PLEASE tell me how to remove this, and I won't bother you again. I have another os to install, but FC3 will not let ANYTHING run from boot. desperately yours Jstbill

Hi Guys! I was away all day (and half the night) messing with this machine. First of all I want to thank everyone for all the help, I have learned so much since I have been coming here! I still am not sure why this thing was not booting correctly, but it is now! I did reset the BIOS, and saved the changes, and the hardware SEEMS to be working correctly. As for my operating systems (thats right I said "systems"), I ran fdisk off of the Windows98 floppy (start up), and removed all my partitions, that got rid of everything! I started from scratch, installed Windows98, gave it a 20 gig partition, and then re-installed FC3 with a 20 gig partition and a 1 gig swap! I can't believe I actually acomplished that! Try to remember this is all new to me! I do believe that FC3 is a good OS, I just don't have really any experience with any Linux systems. So I elected to have Win98 on here to fall back on when I need to do some buisiness stuff, and can't figure out how to do something in FC3. I am also very anxious to learn how to use this OS (FC3). Also, the machine is an HP 233, pentium II, 192mb ram, 60 gig HD, the cd rom and cd burner are installed in the machine (not usb). Any how, thanks again for all the help, I know I'm going to need more, but for now, this thing (my computer) is doing everything I need it to do! Justbill

Burning a cd. Tonight I tried burning a cd from the command line. I actually got it to do something..............it told me no, but it tried! I think it is a configuration problem, the machine sees it as a 52x16 cdrom, when in fact, its a Dominator 4-in-1 Plus CDRW+DVD-ROM. How would I go about changing the configuration. I think I'll be able to get this machine to burn cd's, if I can just get it to recognize whats there. Thanks Justbill

My neighbor downloaded and burned "SimplyMepis 2004.6iso" for me last night, from mrbass.org. I have tried to run it on my machine, but FC3 starts instead. In "set up" I changed it to boot from removable devices, but guess who keeps getting in the way? You guessed it , FC3. I'm wondering about now, who owns my machine, me or FC3! Any how, any thoughts on my new dilema? Or do I just need to rip the hard drive out of this thing to get the machine back. Justbill

Well, I've made up my mind (or whats left of it)! Fedora Core 3 has got to GO! As I have said in the other thread, this OS is probably very good, but I am an amature, and I do have an older computer. So, I'm just guessing, but it sounds to me like I need to re-format. My plan is (scarey as it may be), to purchase Nortan's Partition Magic, to try to get this OS off my computer(as I have NOT been able to remove it as yet), and then install something else. I have a copy of VectorLinux SOHO 5.0, does anyone have any thoughts on that OS? Does anyone have any suggestions. I downloaded Mepis but cannot burn it to a cd. I am not prepared to give up on Linux yet, I think this may just be to complicated of an OS for me. Soooooooooooooooooo, whats out there available that is sympathetic and forgiving to amatures like me? Justbill

Clutch: The reason I was toying with the idea of Partition Magic, was , I forgot to mention that the FAT32 part of my HD is, well, missing, gone, deleted, disappeared, it just aint there. Not real sure where it went, but it aint livin in this machine no more And, I really don't remember who mentioned it, but I was told that tool could replace FAT32. So, I guess I really don't know< I was just going to give it a try. Any advice? Justbill

cant' I use it? I am new to computers, I have an old HP 233, with a 60 gig hard drive, 192 mb of ram, and yes, I know I could use a new machine, but this has been inexpensive to learn on! I had 98SE on this machine originally, but it kept crashing. So I got frustrated, and got Fedora 3. It looked nice at first, no trouble installing, and a real nice web experience. However when it comes to the everyday little things , like trying to print, well, I have not been able to get my printer to work at all, not even a test page. This more "capable" system is only more capable, if you can actually use it! Now I would just like to get it off my machine! But, I can't. I have a copy of Vector, that a friend gave me, but it won't install because Fedora is there. I realize I am new to computers and to Linux, but there has to be something I can do with this. Can anyone tell me in simple terms either how to get my printer working, or how to get Fedora out of my machine and life? I have already had (and am considering) the suggestions that involve tall buildings, or the rear tandems of large trucks ( the trucks idea is looking good). the version of Vector that I can't seem to get installed is SOHO 5.0. If anyone can help, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks William (Justbill) Sanders williamsanders@charter.net

BSchindler I have done what you asked, through the df command, here are the results: File System 1-K blocks Used Available Use% Mounted on dev/mapper/VolGroup00-LogVol00 57153828 3767128 50483456 7% / /dev/hda1 101086 12084 83783 13% /boot none 95708 0 95708 0% /dev/shm /dev/fd0 1424 13 1411 1% /mnt/floppy I just entered ls /mnt/floppy, and it shows a file name "jcmpri~1.doc" At this point I typed cat /mnt/floppy/<jcmpri~1.doc> and it said bash: syntax error near unexpected token 'newline' and that is as far as I got. There is a small text file on this floppy, that was made on a machine using Win.98 so I know its there. Thank Justbill

Right now I would like to be promoted to armature! This machine is a Pentium II 233 processor, 192 mb ram, 60 gig HD, I've added a Mad Dog 4-in-1 one Dominator cd burner (which I like to call the pouting puppy), I'm not going to say its no good, but I will say I would'nt give it to someone I didn't like Thank you for your suggestion, I will look at all of them, Knoppix, and Mepis have already been suggested. so I will probably go with one of those. "Blastingus Cappus Partitionus Harddriveee" Justbill's new motto Loosely translated "I'm fixin to blow this freakin thing up" Justbill

BSchindler: For starters, thank you for taking the time time write all that out , I truly thank everyone for there time and effort! I did attempt your suggestion, and I could get to a point with it, but it would not let me read files, and it would not write. My apologies, but at that point I was quite frustrated, and cannot remember what it said the reason was. It did recognize that there was a disk in the floppy drive, and came up "/dev/floppy"several times if I remember correctly. Quite honestly, I've never messed around in msdos, so this is very strange to me, and I find myself bouncing back and forth to the thread, just to remember the directions you gave me, and then enter them correctly. I really am at a losss at this point . Plus I need something that my wife and kids can use, and that is why I am considering a simpler to use OS. any how, I will try again. One problem I have is access to another computer, to see if it wrote the files. I tried checking the disk by re-mounting it in this machine, and it acted like it was empty.I will probably not be able to try again until tomorrow night, so I'll write back then. Thanks again Justbill

Lets Seeeeeeeeeeeee, The printer won't print! The CD Burner wont burn! The Floppy wont floppy (or whatever its supposed to do)! I can play a nice game of cards with the machine (it usually wins ), and I'm wondering why I am sticking with this OS! Oh thats right , I can't even get it off my machine, to try VectorLinux (which I have a copy of). I have Mepis saved to my HD, but can't get it to burn! This is getting old fast! thank you very much for the encouraging notes, and all the help you all tried to give me! "Justbill" williamsanders@charter.net

Bill, I think my computer hates me! I followed all of your directions exactly (i believe), and I still haven't been able to copy the files. and the last time I tried to unmount the floppy, it wouldn't do it, something about didn't agree with "fstab", and it would'nt let me exit from "terminal", in fact I'm not sure it let "su" exit. I did like the whole God analogy, what command prompt do I use to get lightening bolts to come down and whip this machine into shape :-) All kidding aside, I really am a novice at this, I've really never messed around in msdos, so this is all new to me, again, I may have bitten off more than I can chew with this OS. Thank you all very much for trying to help, and I will keep trying with this OS, so any more advice will be greatly appreciated! William "Justbill" Sanders williamsanders@charter.net Oh, I almost forgot, the floppy's I have are "Memorex", and say IBM formatted on them. Justbill

I need a little icon of a bald guy trying to pull his hair (that would be me at this point) ! I went to properties on the floppy drive and everything is set at read only. I tried checking the write option and it would not let me. It said I was not the owner and could not make changes! And I'm thinking "thats for sure, I quit being the owner when I installed this OS" Thats the latest Justbill

Well, that didn't work either. I'm quite sure that the real problem here is my inexperience with computers. I think I'm just going to go out and get myself Norton's Partition Magic, and see how much havoc I can reak in my system with that! Hopefully I can get Fedora 3 out and another OS in, one that is a little more sympathetic to amatures like me :-) Justbill

Soooooooooo, Here is my next problem, I've got something saved to my HD, I need to write it to a floppy disk, evidently Fedora does not recognize the floppy drive as an equal in the computer world, because it does not give me the option of write to floppy. This OS (Fedora 3) is someones idea of a joke and I fell for it! Justbill

It is a Lexmark Z515, and yes it connects to the usb. Whats the plan? :-)

that would be a Pentium II, and as painfully embarassing as this, I really don't understand what CUPS is Justbill