[TriLUG] Mandrake frustrations

[William Sutton]

Hmmm...I have learned at least one something (configuring printing) from 
this.  Thank you for enlightening me on your observations of the various 
idiosyncracies.

Since I don't have a spare Linux system running that I can do a network 
install from, I'm afraid that I don't have that option.  I do have a 
question though:  If I was able to download the iso images, mount them via 
loop, ls them, umount them, burn them to disc, and perform an install 
using them, does that imply that the images downloaded completely and 
correctly?  It would seem that if something was left out then it 
wouldn't...

Also, RE my missing CD devices, any ideas on what to do about them?  At 
the moment I am planning YAI (yet another install) for tomorrow (hey, 
practice makes perfect ;) )

Most helpful you are Mr. Tower, yes!

William

On Sun, 26 Dec 2004, Jason Tower wrote:

> mandrake does have a few slightly goofy idiosyncracies, here's a few off 
> the cuff notes of mine:
> 
> - i always do a net install via nfs, rather than use physical media.  
> obviously you need to have the ISO images and a working nfs server, but 
> since i always have at least one linux machine handy that's not an 
> issue.  eliminates bad burns as a problem source.
> 
> - at the end of the install, you have a screen where you can configure 
> various system options and settings.  if you -ever- want printing to 
> work, always click on "configure printer" even if you want to do it 
> later.  clicking that option installs cups, if you do it post-install 
> cups won't be there and you'll have to install it.  ditto for X, you 
> must click on "configure display" for the X server to be installed.  
> ditto for firewall, it will install shorewall.  goofy and a pita, but 
> that's how it works.
> 
> - urpmi will be automatically set up to use the install media for 
> installing additional packages.  if you installed via cdrom, and you 
> want to install additional packages using urpmi or the gui tools, it 
> will assume that's the media to use by default.  similarly, if you 
> install via nfs and want to install additional packages, it will mount 
> the original mount point (check /etc/fstab, it will be listed 
> as /mnt/nfs) and install tree.  that's another reason i like nfs 
> installs - it's a snap to install packages that otherwise get skipped 
> during a regular generic install (like ntp, gkrellm, and so on).
> 
> - urpmi.org has a easyurpmi utlity that will help you configure urmpi 
> sources for internet-based repositories.
> 
> i've installed mandrake many times on lots of different hardware but 
> have never experienced your mouse issue, can't shed any light on that 
> problem.  sorry.
> 
> jason
> 
> On Sunday 26 December 2004 19:36, William Sutton wrote:
> > Mandrake experts (particularly Lovelace), I started installing MDK
> > 10.1 today (downloaded from a mandrake linux mirror site, 3 CD isos,
> > all burned to 700 MB CD-R disks under Red Hat 9 via command line
> > (sorry, exact utility escapes my pea brain at the moment but it's a
> > standard CLI CD-writing tool).
> >
> > Install has been somewhat painful to this point.
> >
> > The good:
> > - MDK installation automagically recognized my video card (Matrox
> > G450) and provided a chance to configure it as such, including
> > Xinerama, as well as for my two ViewSonic E90fb monitors.  Easiest
> > time I've ever had doing that, especially compared with Gentoo where
> > I actually had to write a Gentoo FAQ on the subject...
> > - mp3 playing works (hurray)
> >
> > The bad:
> > - During installation, 3 different packages were reported as being
> > unable to install, one of which was XScreensaver (didn't make a list,
> > but the reports were the same during two separate and differently
> > customized installation processes (first one I tried deselecting
> > individual packages, when that didn't work so well, I installed a
> > second time (fresh install) by starting small and adding extra
> > packages))
> > - On initial boot and graphical login, I discovered the mouse didn't
> > work. Investigation revealed that the XF86Config file was referencing
> > /dev/mouse but the only mouse device MDK had created was /dev/mouse0.
> >  This was rectified by the simple expedient of editing the XF86Config
> > file (simple if one knows where to look, a real pita if one doesn't;
> > fortunately I do) - On logging in after setting the mouse up, I
> > discovered that there's no configuration option for the printer (!)
> > (so I didn't select office productivity...geez ya think it would
> > still be a default item!) so I tried to "install" the files from
> > CD...woops, message 'Please insert the medium named "Installation CD
> > 1" on device [/dev/sr0]'.  Unfortunately I have no /dev/sr* devices
> > in my system...(what's going on here?) - To get around the /dev/sr0
> > problem, I went to download the various dependencies from
> > rpm.pbone.net (google search for the various file names from the
> > rpmdrake gui tool)...found the ones I wanted but about every other
> > search I did crashed mozilla....
> > - once I had the various dependencies I (thought I) needed, I
> > installed CUPS...logged out of X, logged back in....still no gui
> > configuration options (!)
> >
> > frustration is beginning to mount...
> >
> > I can put the CDs up online as iso images (I think...if I can figure
> > out httpd under MDK) for inspection & verification but I don't think
> > the problem necessarily lies with the images themselves...
> >
> > I've got a lot of issues listed above and would dearly appreciate
> > some help and a sense that I'm not completely stupid here.
> >
> > William
>