New BootSplash

bootscreen.jpg

I have created a new boot splash for PCLinuxOS. Here are some basic instructions, with thumbnails on how to use it.

1. Click on the ‘bootscreen1.jpg’ file above and save it to your desktop (you will be using it later)
2. Open the Control Center
3. Choose Boot and select a graphical theme to display during boot (see fig. 1.0)
4. Choose Create New Theme (see fig. 1.1)
5. Create a name for the theme at the top and choose your settings for both verbose and silent (see fig. 1.2 and 1.3)
6. Save both verbose and silent
7. Close
8. Select a graphical theme to display during boot again
9. Choose your new theme and hit OK

That’s it. Now, I have discovered that Silent does not work but if you know what your doing you may be able to get it all to work just fine.

Since the time of creating the bootsplash file, some adjustments have been made. So, just tinker around with the dimensions of the verbose box and you should be fine.

Java and all it’s problems with PCLinuxOS

I’ll make this short and sweet. There are two different versions of Java runtime in the repositories. Java-1.5 and Java-1.6. By default Java-1.5 is installed, I think. So, if you do not see a need to upgrade to Java-1.6, don’t. I have had a few problems with Java-1.6 in some websites. Just play around and see which one works best for you. If you start experiencing Firefox not responding then switch your Java.

Dual Booting Windows XP and PCLinuxOS

This particular blog will consist of dual booting Windows XP and PCLinuxOS. Once I have completed this blog, I will include instructions on how to dual boot Windows Vista and PCLinuxOS. Notice Vista is in bold. This is because the instructions are different for each scenario. DO NOT USE THESE INSTRUCTIONS IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON DUAL BOOTING WINDOWS VISTA AND PCLINUXOS.  Read the entire instructions before proceeding!!!!

1. Print these instructions first.
2. If you already have Windows XP on your computer skip to step #6
3. Install Windows XP
4. Install all your stuff (I mean everything)
5. Uninstall all the other crap that the manufacturer thought you wanted (You know all those free trials)
6. Defrag your hard drive – This step is very important. Here is why. Through out time, while using Windows XP, your hard drive becomes fragged. This means files are thrown all over the place. Part of a program could be at the beginning and the other part somewhere in the middle. When you go to resize your Windows XP partition, if you have files at the very end or somewhere in the middle of the hard drive, that data will be lost. Does that make sense? If not then DO NOT CONTINUE. Please post a question here if you do not.
7. Make note of how much free space you have and much is used (write it down)
8. Reboot with your PCLinuxOS LiveCD
9. Begin your PCLinuxOS install
10. Choose existing partitions
11. Resize the Windows XP partition to desired size – refer to how much space was used by xp first
12. Make sure you leave room for more software in Windows XP (Just in case you need more software)
13. Now you are left with an empty partition
14. You will create 3 seperate partitions, click on the empty partition and choose create
15. Create the root partition (this should be /)
16. Create the swap partition in the same manner by clicking on the empty partition and choosing create
17. Create the home partition (this should be /home)
18. Size of each partition is up to you but the swap should be double your amount of RAM (i.e. 1 GB RAM = 2 GB Swap)
19. Continue to install operation by formating the new partitions – this is done automatically, you do not need to format manually
20. Install the bootloader on the first partition – NOT the root partition (the partition Windows XP is on)
21. Accept the defaults for the bootloader (make sure it is installed on the FIRST partition not root
22. Create your user account and assign a root password
23. Reboot and remove the LiveCD
24. Note: When you choose the Windows XP boot, Windows XP will check the disk for errors. This is because the partition size was changed. This is normal. Do not escape from this procedure.
25. Check to make sure everything operates properly in Windows XP
26. Reboot
27. Choose PCLinuxOS
28. Done!

If you follow these instructions you should be fine.  The first thing to remember is use caution when you resize the window partition and when you are creating the other 3 partitions.  You should have 4 partitions when you are done.  1=Windows  2=Root (/)  3=Swap  4=Home (/home)  Filetype for all 3 linux partitions should be EXT3.

Help! PCLinuxOS Won’t Load!

What’s this? grub is the bootloader from the GNU project. If setup correctly, will display a list of available Operating Systems and allow the user to boot from the selected OS. In this case, as shown above, no parameters have been set and you must initiate the commands manually. Hopefully you read this before all this occurred or were smart enough to boot from the LiveCD and come here first.

I could try and explain what to do when this happens or just tell you how to fix it the easy way.

1. Boot from your Live CD
2. Open a terminal
3. As root, type: redo-mbr
4. Reboot

That’s it. Now one more thing. redo-mbr may open kwrite and may give you the option of adding parameters or removing certain parameters. If everything looks alright or you are not sure, save the bootloader and close kwrite. You will then be asked if you wish to re-write the bootloader. Choose yes. Now you can reboot.

After doing all this, it would not be a bad idea to create a LiveCD of your current system. Just refer to the tutorial earlier in this blog.

Installing Software in PCLinuxOS

Installing Software in PCLinuxOS using Synaptic

wiki – Synaptic is a computer program which is a GTK+ graphical user interface and front-end to the Advanced Packaging Tool for the Debian package management system. Synaptic is usually used on systems based on deb packages but can also be used on systems based on RPM packages. It can be used to install, remove and upgrade software packages and to add repositories. Installing software, using Synaptic, requires root permission. If you do not have access to root, please consult your systems administrator.

Software is stored on several PCLinuxOS repositories. A repository is a place where data is stored and maintained. There are several repositories for PCLinuxOS. An example of a repository would be the Indiana University.

The software available is divided into statuses; All, Installed, Installed (local or obsolete), New In Repository, and Not Installed. These statuses are divided into sections which may include; main, extra, kde, nonfree, and testing. Finally these statuses are then divided or separated by categories such as; accounting, database, development, games etc.

When you open Synaptic, you will be asked for the root password. Again, if you do not have access to root, consult your systems administrator. Once you have access to Synaptic, synaptic will download all the latest software available from the selected repository. It will then divide or separate it categories, statuses and sections. By selecting all you can view all the software available regardless of status or category. See figure 1.1

(figure 1.1)

The items marked in full color such as the items shown in figure 1.1 are already installed. To install a particular program or file, right click the desired program or file and select install. Once you have selected the item to be installed the “box” next to the item will have an arrow through it. See figure 1.2 for legend.

(figure 1.2)

Once you have the desired programs or files that you wish to install, click the button that reads “apply”.

Synaptic will now show you what it will install, just click OK and let Synaptic do the rest.