Linux - 2008.0 - Out Now...

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So..

ftp://ftp.esat.net/mirrors/.1/carrol...ial/iso/2008.0

has the ISO for the Download (free) edition of Mandrive 2008.0.. Its falkey, and here is why:

* It defaults to a bullshit odd kernel on install, a aptop"or esktop"varient of the kernel - and there is NO SOURCE AVAILABLE IN THE PACKAGE MANAGER for them. This means you are forced to use the in-built staggery ghay nVidia or ATi video drivers that come with it - FAIL FAIL FAIL. You can tru a ¨urpmi kernel-source¨ in a terminal as root to get a list of available sauce, but its all USELESS. I have sofar managed to use PackageManager to add a few kernel varients, but they wont tolerate any nVidia installs, failing on Diff GCC or whatnot used to make driver or some bullshit..

Some explination here:

http://wiki.mandriva.com/en/Releases.../2008.0/Errata


Anyways, have just Torrented the Full version of it, and it installs about twice as fast as the download editon for starters, have forced a Other/VESA driver in during the install, but the kernel is still a poxy laptop one.. Now to try again with the custom driver..

BE WARNED!! DO NOT INSTALL THIS AS AN UPGRADE TO AN EXISTING MANDRIVA SYSTEM UNLESS YOU WANT A VERY SORE BUTT.

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According to the notes in the Package manager: if you want to build drivers, install the ¨devel¨ package to match your running kernel, so, here goes with that.. (sticking with the default Laptop kernel, as it claims to be faster then the desktop varient)

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Yeah, that works.. Just change the Video Driver to Other / Vesa during the last stage of the install, then on 1st boot, install the -devel to match your kernel (search for kernel, then the one next to the one in the list you already have - with a green blob on it - should be the one, check name etc..) - go on the web to www.nvidia.com get the right driver (you can check what vid card you have in the configure your computer on the toolbar - feel around for it, go HARDWARE and look at the entry for vid card) put the driver in your /home, end the session. Then in the login, from the menu below select CONSOLE LOGIN - log in as root, cd / , cd /home, cd /[your username] , ls to see the /NVIDIA-100-???blah.run, CHMOD 777 * to make it exable, ./NVIDIA[thefilename of the driver] and yes all the way..

then you can exit, restart the puter and go back to package manager when you login if you arent sure, install the OPENGL screensavers, and have a go on them to prove it all worked.. If it didnt work, you have failed. That is all.

Of coarse, you can just LEAVE the video driver as it is in the install and have horrible staggery crap 3d, but thats up to you.

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About the package manager: you should follow the nonsense about setting up the Sources for updates when you first launch it to get the kernel source (you need it to make drivers? remember? the previous post?...), but afterwards, change them (options/media manager in the package manager thing) to nice online sauces.. untick the 2 or 4 entrys for cd/dvd, and add nice hot update and distro sauces instead.. just do the ADD thing twice, changing the choice on the first popup on the second time..

Then you can get nice things like [WHY] online and bang up to date..

[as4]

Making Space for it...

Hmmm. Fedora devs gave out loads after wasting a lot of time trying to resolve problems reported to them from nVidia users.

It appeared that everyone was doing the right thing and using the installers from the official nVidia site and installing them (as u do, as u will). Since about 2005, we've had to install either the kernel-source or kernel-devel packages so the nVidia installer can compile the kernel module for us. In RedHat land, they found that installing the nVidia official driver removes/replaces important system files shipped with the OS, then things like DRI are gone for good. Hahahahahaaaa! Muppets!

I've just spent the last 2 days trying to get Gentoo 2007.0 to play ball here and it fails beyoned belief.
Consequently, I've room for another distro again. So I might well make it Mandriva 2008, except I'm back once again in the grip of the MS new OS theory - "Wait until the first service pack before you install it"

If I get bored too soon I'll torrent da bitch and chuck it on here. And if there's any guff, I'll install it GUIless over fkn telnet.

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UPDATE ON nVIDIA

So, alot of issues making the 3d work with any speed previously have seemingly been doneaway with on the 2008 Mandriva Install!!!

During the install, near the end, you get to check your video driver, it asks you THERE IS A PROPRIOTORY RIVER FOR YOUR CARD, USE IT? - say YES, and the installer inserts the Source for the Kernel in the background AND compiles the latest driver from nVidia for you IN THE BACKGROUND!! it also installs a kernel watch and nvidia (or ATI) watcher that will re-compile the driver if either the driver or kernel gets updated!!!!!!!

It DOES work as well as doing it by hand! try it! i have an MX-440 geforce 4, and a load of geforce 7 and 8 cards all flying like f*ck here, and no worries about changing stuff and loosing the driver!

one problem: be very carefull if you install fonts from your windows partition to use in Linux, if you use one on the DESKTOP or menus, you WILL BORK YOUR INSTALL AND HAVE TO WIPE IT. not a major prob as you keep /home, but still.

other problem: install Lincity-ng (either on commandline as root - ctrl+alt+F1, log in as root - issue ¨urpmi lincity-ng¨) or in the Control Centre - add packages.. Run it and play a bit, then exit and you will freeze X! This happens with ALL decent 3d Open-GL games - like Unreal Tournament or Doom3 when run in full-screen with Compiz enabled

Bawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

Some people say it the driver, some say its Compiz. eitherway, if you are a heavy gamer, then avoid Compiz.

BTW, the Freeze is hard, so to get out safely, you cannot even Ctrl+alt+backspace!! nor will switching to a terminal Ctrl+alt+F1 / F2 etc. work. you need to hit the power button to cause a shutdown this will safely shut you down..

But, there are loads of new Compiz packages in the Backports (see MEDIA MANAGER in the software management bit of the control centre, ADD sources, and choose a DISTRIBUTION SOURCES target) that claim to be way ahead and much more solid..

i LOVE Compiz, just put the mouse pointer in a top corner for instant affirmation.

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Also: using the Nvidia Config thingy and SAVE SETTINGS will kill your X server, meanign you get dumpted to a terminal next time you try and log in..

You need then to type xorgconfig and during the questions, select the safe generic VESA driver, then you can startx , and use the control panel hardware thing to alter x-server settings, and reselect the propritory nVidia driver.. A logout/in and you will be back to working again..

There are a few ways to change the screen resolution, but the only safe way is thru the Control Centre xserver settings, anyhting else either doesnt work, or fags up the xorg.conf (in etc/X11 ).

Also: if the name of your monitor contains the " symbol - like for example if it reports itself as a >>generic 19" Flat-Panel<<, the including of this name in the xorg.conf will crash X - due to the " symbol bieng in the name, and also bieng used as an indicator in the file! What a mess! you can edit the xorg.conf and just change the name where you see it, but seriously, is it worth it? just use the Control Centre..

Also: Some utilitys for messing with the screen settings (like the nVidia one) add bollocks entrys to the xorg.conf about your *non-used* outputs on the card! messing up stuff even more..

Whatever, if you get into bother, you can just cd /etc/X11 and launch mc, and do some editing - might as well go for the full-on timewasting session - after all it IS linux

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Just an UPDATE on this. 2008.0 was released as a final DVD and CD etc., the best bieng the highly-torrented POWERPACK edition DVD - and it's been 100% solid since..

They are currently in the middle of a massive package upgrade to make the switch to 2008.1 happen, but still, no issues whatsoever when making a clean install.

All of the funny driver issues are fixed - just trust the ninstaller, and if it offers you a wierd driver for Display during the install, TAKE IT - it will update itself and the kernel and source as it needs to!

I have to say, this IS the most perfect Linux ever. 3d works , games work, WINE works, no driver issues!! even the bogie wireless in my friends cheapo DELL laptop was doable after extracting some .bin files from the windows drivers and putting them in etc/firmware WHAT A WIN!

I am now approaching 1 year of 100% no windows. April 21 2007 was the last time i used windows, and that was only to dump some addresses out of OUTLOOK.. but, to be true to the cause, that date was the last time i even logged in to windows.

Having already paid for Linux 3 times over the last 7 years, i now an thinking about actually paying for the latest mandriva. yes, i know. shocking.