Ubuntually challanged

[Slacker G]

Thanks guys,

But are you actually checking out the link I previously posted? That link has nothing to do with the Ubuntu OS.

It is a set of software DVD's with about 27 gigs of apps for the Ubuntu os. Here it is again.

http://www.osdisc.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi/ ... /repo.html

[Pablo]

Slacker G wrote:I just can't install modules without Internet access. I am trying to install vlc player. The DVD set in my last post link presumably contains everything Ubuntu / Linux that is written for those systems, compiled from the Internet along with a means of extraction and auto loading through the DVD player. That frees a user from having to hunt and search the Internet for adding packages. I hope so.

Sounds like the DVD image from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/9.10/release/ to me - however, I just checked, and this DVD doesn't contain VLC either, so you'd be looking for an even more complete package.

If you find it and it's too much for you to download and burn at home, perhaps it can be done at an internet cafe or public library?

The problem here is that vlc package depends in lots of other packages, so you need to use some apt program and the right repos enabled to solve the dependencies, not just try blindly downloading individual packages from the ubuntu mirrors. That is a huge task and users are not supposed to do it!

From what I understand from the link provided by Slacker (product description) yes, the "Ubuntu 9.10 Software Repository" has all the ubuntu repositories' "sections", main, universe multiverse and restricted, so it should contain vlc. I think it is a good idea. You just should enable the DVD repo in synaptic or in software origins, then reload and then install vlc. (software center, "sudo apt-get install vlc" in a terminal, synaptic...). Just make sure that the DVD's you purchase correspond to your version of ubuntu!!!
Honestly, I am not sure how apt behaves if a dependency of a package in DVD number 1 is in DVD number 2. But I suppose it does well.

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DevelopmentCodeNames
In your case, I think:
ubuntu name by "awesome animal": karmic koala
short name and key word for the repositories' lists: karmic
ubuntu name by version/date of release: ubuntu 9.10 (2009, october)

You can check in a terminal with:
cat /etc/issue

Another workaround I can think of, instead of getting those DVD repos:

You have the ubuntu installation CD, right? You have another computer that you can connect to the internet, right?. Go there and start the computer with the ubuntu CD, as a "Live CD", without installing. Hopefully, you will have internet conection. Go to synaptic, check that you have the main, universe, multiverse and restricted repos enabled, reload, and go to archive, generate a download script (or something of the sort, the exact words I can't tell you as I don't use an English version of synaptic). Save that script in the Desktop for example (user Desktop, not root Desktop!), and name it vlc-dload, for example.

Now, you have a USB stick. Insert it and look for it in places. It could be mounted in /media/disk. Open a terminal (#my comments) (you can do graphically some of these actions but it is easier for me to write it down in these terms)

cd /media
ls # Is "disk" there? Let's suppose so.
cd disk
ls #empty or whatever you have there. OK, you are in /media/disk
mkdir vlc #make a directory
sudo cp /home/user/Desktop/vlc-dload /media/disk/vlc #copy the script to the usb stick, vlc folder.
cd vlc #locate in /media/disk/vlc
./vlc-dload #this executes the script. You get all the needed packages!!

Then go to the ubuntu computer, insert the usb stick, open a terminal and do:

cd /media/disk #anyway, look for the mount point of you stick. It could be another one, Use ls and/or TAB to autocomplete if in doubt
cd vlc
sudo dpkg -i *.deb #install all the packages in the vlc folder

HTH, Pablo

[Slacker G]

I don't own a laptop and I'm on a 44Kbps line modem. I thought those were just packages to run programs. If I went on line just to get vlc, without my system, I doubt that I would end up with all I needed when I got home. No Internet caf that I know of around here. Might be though.

I have Ubuntu 9.10 on my other computer.

I wrote to those guys to see exactly what was on that DVD set. I am going to explain my situation to them. Some people say it's too expensive for stuff that's free anyway. But if I could solve all the problems with a couple DVD's it would be worth more then the 36 hours I already wasted trying to get this to work. I just want this finding files thing behind me. I want it loaded and I want to not look at it again and play my axe for a while. I need the practice.

[transmogrifox]

I may end up doing what I did years ago when Linux was first coming into it's own. Disappear for a number of years and come back again to see if it is user friendly yet. The programmers should realize that there are many like myself that would use this if it were possible to load apps packages onto the desktop and install them from there. That's where windows really out shines Linux.

Actually, you can do this with Linux. The thing that makes this less successful for those new to the Linux way of doing things is installing packages from compatible releases. If you want this kind of experience, you can't just go download any Ubuntu package. You need to download packages for the release you're using. Your problem with installing an Ubuntu Dapper package on a more recent Ubuntu release is about like trying to install Win 95 software on Windows 7.

The second deal is dependencies. Almost all programs depend on other programs (library functions) to do the things they do. If you don't have the libraries installed, or other programs, then the package management system will tell you there is a problem. If you don't have packages with these dependencies, then you'll have a problem. Maybe a courtesy for people with non-internet computers would be to generate a meta-package that contains the program and all of its dependencies. This is possible, but I don't know of anybody who does this.

Windows "packages" (installers) include everything including the kitchen sink in case it is needed during the installation. This is very inefficient distribution, but a necessity for the way Windows programs are distributed.

Linux does not need to depend on this sub-standard paradigm because everything is free, and freely available. You get what you need from a repository, and the package manager does the work of finding out what is needed and getting it for you.

So this is a really really slick way to do things if your computer is connected to a network that has access to a repository, but what does a guy in your shoes do? When you download a package and try to install, even if it is compatible with the release you're using you have to keep going back to download more packages when you find out what is a missing dependency...whereas a network-connection computer does this automagically.

To have this ease of installation, you have to obtain a stack of DVD's that contain practically the whole distribution. Then, apt-cdrom add for each disk will get the package lists updated on your machine. This has the convenience of not having to download anything, but installing a program sometimes requires something from a few different disks. And yes, you can buy these...available from many sources.

Because of the paradigm of package management common to most Linux distributions, I doubt anybody will pursue the "one zip file does it all" method from the Windows world. I personally hate this. Windows has a "registry" that gets horribly corrupted and ugly...and this is partly due to the way they install and remove software. The software management in Windows, to me, is a very clumsy kludge. Once you learn how to deal with software installation & removal in Linux, I think you will find, like I have, that it is very clean and easy.

In many forums and such that I have read, it seems a common advice:
Learning how to use Linux is not terribly difficult. Un-learning Windows is what causes so much grief for the new Linux user.

It's difficult for all of us when we have learned to do something using one system or way of approaching things. When we try to learn something new, we use our past experiences to draw connections to the new thing we are learning. As a result we try to cause the new concepts to fit the framework that is already established in our minds. Sometimes we just need to compartmentalize prior knowledge to another area of our brain and approach something new with a clean slate. This can be very hard to do.

[Pablo]

As raboof suggested, at this point I would wait for lucid (lucid lynx or 10.04, to be released on April 29th) and then I bought the lucid repo DVD's and the installer CD. I am sure music related apps will be more recent and better packaged in the oficial repos!

In the meantime, you can try the lots of variants of the solitaire

I agree 100% with transmogrifox.

By the way, I am not sure but I think lucid will include rakarrack (karmic does not), a wonderful guitar FX rack which you might want to try. Look for transmogrifox's presets!!

Cheers! Pablo

[Slacker G]

Yup,

Solitaire it is.

I am trying to see if all the packages are on one DVD for 1 application. But those guys don't answer their mail. It may be that the DVD set is outdated somewhat? Won't know until I get in touch with them.
My main goal is to get the player to play multiple formats. Then it won't just be used for solitaire. Ubuntu 9.10 seems stable enough. And I like a lot of it. I don't think I am going to give up yet. I only have a few questions to ask them. Those being ...

Can I just tell my machine to go get vlc and will it do that from just one DVD.

Will it work that way with any other package I need.

How up to date is the set and will they work with the new release.

I have made several guitar videos. Not the greatest, but I think videos are a constructive tool for learning. I am hoping Ubuntu will have apps for editing the various camcorder formats. The commercial windows based programs pretty much suck from what I find in the user reviews. Just getting the player to play the standard formats would be the carrot that would make me follow Ubuntu and stick with it long enough to learn about how to use it.

Right now I need to get away from it for a while and let my hair grow back. Is it possible extract the apps from a machine that already has them? Just curious. If I can get what I want from a desktop, I would try to replace Vista on a laptop. Just thinking with my fingers.

One quirky thing. No where to set the AM / PM function of the clock. Ubuntu always gets it wrong. Several installs on a couple systems, and every time it reads PM instead of AM. BIOS clock is OK. The time zone is OK. The desk time is OK. Go figure

[qharley]

@Slacker G:

GIGO

[Chipfryer]

We've all been there Slacker, all of us.
The biggest headache you have is not having a good connection. It's literally minutes installing stuff via Synaptic with one, whatever you need really?

Yes there are some pretty amazing video apps out there but you are really stuck in the doggy muck unless you are able to get online and download packages. I don't think its possible to retrieve files from one pc to another with a lot of difficulty, not least knowing where they are?

Right now I need to get away from it for a while and let my hair grow back. Is it possible extract the apps from a machine that already has them? Just curious.

[Slacker G]

Chip,

"We've all been there Slacker, all of us."

So you're telling me all you guys are masochists? Cool! Then I guess I'm in the right place after all. But when Ubuntu doesn't have a user friendly way to set AM / PM on the clock, it just ain't ready for prime time. How hard would it have been to put an AM / PM button on it anyway? I can understand some things being difficult for a new user, but making a major task out of setting the time is just friggin ridiculous. I think I like it.

I'm going to enjoy working with Linux / Debian based systems. I'll keep it on a machine so whenever I need a dose of frustration I'll know where to get it. I do not give up easily. I'm here to stay. Whatever it takes.

Thanks for trying to help out. I'm learning a lot from all the input.

[Chipfryer]

Can't remember Ubuntu but on Mint.
1. Click the date.
2. click locations.
3. Click edit.
4. Click general.
5. time settings.

Could have a battery problem no?

[autostatic]

Come on guys, just right click on the clock, select Preferences and then set the Clock Format on 12 hour format. And I've posted a link before, I'll post it again: Linux is not Windows
Please don't judge a whole OS just for a simple clock setting, it's not fair, even more because it's a Gnome thing, not an Ubuntu thing.

Sorry for being a bit rude but using Ubuntu or Linux in general needs a different mindset. Transmogrifox already pointed that out too. If you're unwilling or unable to do so then you really have to ask yourself if Ubuntu/Linux is the right OS for you.

[Slacker G]

Chip,

Thanks. It wasn't the battery, but I figured out that is takes the AM /PM from BIOS. And BIOS has a 24 hour setting below the date time setting. The 24 hour setting was wrong. Now it reads AM like it should. Within a small time frame of 6-12 years I should be able to get this system to do whatever I need it to do.

One small step for Ubuntu user, one giant step for clock setting.

[Chipfryer]

Glad you got it sorted.

@ Auto. There's a lot to learn. Rome wasn't built in a day neither will my knowledge of Linux. Chill mate.

[autostatic]

Chip, don't worry, I will, I will
Almost weekend....

[Chipfryer]

Have a nice one Auto.

Chip, don't worry, I will, I will
Almost weekend....