Using Linux

[phazeman]

Hi All
I've installed a Mandrake 8.0 Power Pack
on my box (Celeron 466 + 192 MB RAM +
Voodoo 3000 + 20 Gb HD + S&F X4 X4 X24 CDR)
Everything is fine except one thing :
Each time i need to something not usual
(like using my USB Digital camera or CDR, or
configure the PPP for callback, or RIP a CD )
i need to work few howrs to undrestand how
it works, and then work few howrs for make
it work, then brake some part of Linux, then
recompile some kernel, and few million other
things, then try to run the application, and
then it tells you that in one of the
compilations, you used a wrong header file
or something like that.
Lets get to my questions :
1.I know that linux is the future of the OSes
in the world becouse it's free, and realy
fast, and realy good, but is someone working
on simplifying the User experience problems ?
2.I'm not really newbie, but there is a few
tonns of things i don't know about the OS,
so can anyone suggest some GOOD book to buy ?
3.Does anyone know some good RPM for working
with MP3 (RIP/CDR/Encode) ?
4.I Installed the Xine, but it plays my DVD
realy strange - you need to load the files
one buy one, and not like in Windoze - you
put the DVD into the ROM, and it plays the
whole movie right away....

Sorry for too many questions, but i'll realy
appreciate if anyone will answers this, and
dry my tears... :)

[CMonster]

A. they tell me that Debian Linux will allow you to "aptget" new apps in an easy and inteligible manner -not being a Debian user I could not swear to that.

1. Pretty much you see Mandrake in front of you, and that is about as "easy" as Linux gets. Mandrake and SuSE are leaders in the ease-of-use catagory of Linux - and as you can see it has a ways to go before things are totally "point-n-click" mouse potato like Windows.

2. A "good book" depends on your relative skill level - start with the simple and move to the complex - read everything you can get your hands on.

3. Not being the mp3 guy all I can say is give "Grip" a try. If you plan on burning CD I suggest you read www.mandrakeforum.com/article.php?sid=941&lang=en (http://www.mandrakeforum.com/article.php?sid=941&lang=en) then download and install the appropriate cooker rpms mandrake_desk-8.0-10mdk
mkisofs-1.13-7mdk.i586.rpm
cdrecord-1.10-1mdk.i586.rpm
cdrecord-cdda2wav-1.10-1mdk.i586.rpm
xcdroast-0.98-8mdk.i586.rpm so that you can use xcdroast.
4. www.linuxvideo.org (http://www.linuxvideo.org) check out the OMS player (note that installation is a 4-step compile process and must be done in the proper order) -not for the feint hearted but plays DVDs okay.

[ 21 June 2001: Message edited by: CMonster ]

[CMonster]

Oh, I forgot to mention that there are some books included with your "Power Pack," one of them is "Teach Yourself LINUX in 24 hours." On a scale of 1-10 I would rate this book a 5, not comprehensive but some very good essentials.

[phazeman]

Hi and thanx for answering.

The only books i recieved with the PowerPack were - 'User's Guide' and the 'Reference Guide', so i don't have the book you've mentioned. About the GRip - ive tried it,
and it don't work so good - the RIP works fine, but the encoding doesn't, so i need
to run the encoder manualy for each song i've encoded. I've tried to install the XCDRoast, but it didn't work, it just don't run without any visible errors. I've tried another programs as gtoaster, and it sometimes do the job, and sometimes i brake the cd to 2 pieces, and throw it to the garbage....