Gringotts

Well as many of the people are confused of linux, this tutorial might just help you :

INTERNET

> To configure internet on your ubuntu OS, first goto your network manager and select your connection/interface.

> It would be set to automatic DHCP, to set a static IP. Right click on the network manager and edit prefrenced, now here specify your ip,gateway,netmask and DNS settings.

> Ubuntu unlike windows has an advantageous feature of Proxy settings. You can apply proxy for every application by specifying it once at System>Administration>Network Proxy

MULTIMEDIA

> Another problem that ppl face is in understanding why linux cannot play mpeg formats by default.

> To start playing your mp3,flv,wav etc files, you can either install vlc player or you can install the gstreamer plugins for default players(Totem, Audacious).

> To install VLC : goto Application>Accessories>Terminal and run this command.

$sudo apt-get install vlc

> To set up gstreamer plugins, just run the type of multimedia file and it’d install the related plugin automatically.

INSTALLING SOFTWARES

Considering ubuntu, it follows the debian color.

You have 3 ways to install any application on ubuntu :

1. Using Ubuntu repository (apt-get).

> Ubuntu has a repository and a method to fetch it on your machine, so that installation occurs without any pain.

> You can find maximum no. of softwares in the repository for installation. To check all of them goto Application>Add/Remove application and select the drop down box to All Available Applications.

> These are a list of applications that you can install without hastle.

Using binaries.

When surfing for a software and you come accross binary version, select the .deb version or the ubuntu recomended version for installation.

Binaries are another easy way of installing a software, now after downloading just double click your .deb file and it’d install it automatically

Compiling program from Source.

When Compiling from source you’d probably have a .tar.gz or other format compressed file.

extract that file to a location.. and in your terminal traverse to that path.

Now for installation from source you require 3 steps :

1. configuration
2. make install file
3. execute install file

Configuration

This process checks whether the system has everything required to install the application, the compilers and libraries to be precise.

You can configure the application by running this file.

mage@h4ck-b0x:~/software_directory$ ./configure

If this runs without error, then proceed to next step otherwise keep installing the compilers and libraries on which it is dependent upon, uptill configure file runs successfully.

MAKE

In this process we tend to make (compile) all the files to create an installation file for the application.

the command for this would be simple :

mage@h4ck-b0x:~/software_directory$ make

INSTALL

In this process we finally compile and execute the installation file,

mage@h4ck-b0x:~/software_directory$ make install

If all the process work in order… your s/w would be ready to go.

Installation :

You can easily install ubuntu on your laptop/desktop via 2 methods.

1. Installing it inside windows’ partition.

• This one is really easy.
• When working on windows, put the Ubuntu Live CD inside the CD-ROM.
• In the AutoPlay menu launch the Install inside Windows feature.
• Select the desired options and here you have you ubuntu running fine.

PS- Installing it in supposing D drive would lead all the contents of D drive inaccessible from Ubuntu.

2. Installing on a separate partition.

• Put in your Ubuntu Live CD and reboot your computer.
• Now boot from your CD-ROM and enter into the Ubuntu Live CD.
• Now select the Install feature. A installer much like windows one would pop up.
• Follow the options that occur blindly except for the partition manager.
• Make sure you select it to manually specify the partitions or else your whole HDD would get formated.
• In the partition manager, you would get the partitions on HDD, you can recognize them with there size. For eg. 106 GB partition is supposed to be my E drive… similarily.
• Select the one you want to format and install ubuntu on then click on edit partition.
• Format the partition to ext3/ext4 format, and mark, use this space as ‘/’
• Now click on Next, it would ask you to create a swap partition, if you have enough memory on your RAM click on continue, other wise create another partition atleast 256mb and use it as swap.
• Finally enter remaining details and you are good to go.

Hope this article helps you install Linux on your machine.