Installing linux for use with a virtual pc.

[calumc]

Firestarter is only a gui for iptables which is built into the kernel and as far as I can tell it only has some of the common ports opened by default but firestarter will allow you to make rules a lot more easily

[luciusad2004]

alright, i got it running. One question i had is. I have DSL, should i have told the firewall to start on dial or no? I checked the box but wasn't sure if i should have.

thanks

Edit: Does anybody around here have a good tutorial or know were i could get a good tutorial for firewalls. I'm looking for something geared towards n00bs. I really don't know anything about them and just run them at their default settings.

Edit2: I did have the firewall going but whatever i did i blocked like, all internet traffic so i had to reboot and disable the firewall. (I couldn't get back in to firestarter for some reason)

It was going well then i clicked "lock firewall", thinking it would lock my settings in, and then i lost all connection. I'm assuming that lock means block everything?

[.Maleficus.]

Lock means lock internet traffic, ie, nothing goes in or out. Don't lock it; it'll save that stuff itself.

If you want to to start on startup, just add it to the startup programs. I can't remember how to right now, but search around in the Settings for Logon or Startup. Then add Firestarter.

[luciusad2004]

Ok thanks. Does this have to be open to be running or will it run if i close the window / terminal window. I noticed when it was open there was a little icon in the taskbar for it, as soon as i closed it, the icon disapeared. I wasn't sure if it was staying on or not.

[luciusad2004]

Installed Gnome and surprisingly, its running pretty well. I thought that it seemed sluggish last time i had gnome on here but this time its not bad. Its running at least as well as xfce w/ compositing turned on. Seeing as this isn't running bad i thought i would ask...

How powerful of a computer does one need to use the fancy desktop effects that Ubuntu has available? Is this more ram intensive or does it stress the video card?

Also, how would i get them?

Thanks guys

[calumc]

RAM wise mine is using 50MB as we speak and you do need to have your graphics drivers in good order.
If you're on the newest Ubuntu the 3D stuff is incorporated into it but if you're on anything older you can install beryl of compiz-fusion

[luciusad2004]

Your whole system is using 50MB or just the effects? Here i was thinking i would need gigabytes upon gigabytes of ram to get decent performance... i guess i need to ditch the windoze perspective. I suppose i will give it a try after i purchase a dedicated graphics card. I'm assuming Nvidia is the way to go if i want to use it with Linux?

I'm not sure what version of Ubuntu I'm using as i installed via wubi. Im not sure if they are up to date. Ill find out and edit in a little bit. Also, Im assuming the desktop effects aren't installed with xubuntu are they? I was under the impression that was a gnome thing.

I already have gnome installed, do you think it would be possible to install the effects that normally come with ubuntu or would i need to use something like compiz-fusion. If It's easier to just install compiz-fusion, I'm more inclined to take that route i guess.

Thanks for the reply

[calumc]

I'd say you have the older 7.04 ubuntu which iirc has beryl preinstalled but not activated, try opening up the terminal and type in beryl-manager.
Be prepared for a black screen if your drivers arent correctly installed.

And about compiz: 7.09 uses the backend of compiz fusion but just has it integrated into the desktop.
I actually prefer the default compiz config frontend but thats the way it goes!

If you have any questions PM me for my MSN

[luciusad2004]

Alright Thanks,

I'm not gonna try this just yet because I'm running dedicated graphics and i probably couldn't run it. It also never occurred to me to look for video drivers for my system. Once i get a job and have some spare change I will be all over this. (ive been using the once i get a job excuse for months now. Maybe now that school is almost out for Christmas break I will actually find one.)

[luciusad2004]

Just a couple quick questions. First and foremost, as i mentioned i recently installed gnome. I like a clean desktop and thus, I findit irksome that mounted volumes show up as icons on my desktop. Is there a way to turn this off? Or better yet, is there a way to entirely disable desktop icons?

Second question:
Now i know that the finder is one of the most hated things of OS X, but it has one feature that i have always liked. Is there any linux file managers that can browse files with the layout shown below.

Directories are show in a panel and then, as you access a directory the directory you are moving in to is show in the next panel to the right and so on. This makes it very easy to visually see the path you have taken to a file. I find it really easy to browse this way and i can usually do it without touching the mouse. (I find that that if you are used to the keyboard touching that little bugger tends to slow everything down.) I'm not to worried about all the fluff on the side, thats just commonly used directories wich i find the few file managers ive used thus far seem to have and the stuff towards the top is mostly worthless, it just lets you change views and gives you a few weak commands. I'm only interested in trying to find a file manager that uses a navigational method similar to the three panels seen in the bulk of the window. I don't know if anybody would be able to help me with this but i thought i would ask anyway.

Another thing, were can i go to scope out linux programs? I know i could sift through synaptic but that doesn't give me any real information on what the programs are without actually trying them out. Are there any good web resources were i can check out cool programs and stuff? Nothing specific just a website that looks at all different types of programs just so that readers know whats out there. I guess what im kinda thinking is something like Distrowatch but for applications. I don't know how good of an example that is, i don't really browse distrowatch.

Thanks guys.