[vox-tech] installfest qwestians

[Peter Jay Salzman]

begin Richard Burkhart <richard@khanfusion.net> 
> I've got a few various headaches in store with my current machine ...
> was hoping to solve a few at the installfest ...
> 
> a) I've currently got mandrake 8.1, which i thooopidly let Red Carpet
> have its way with.   I don't have make, gcc, or any of the other tools -
> and when I tried to use RCarpet to install them, I got into dependency
> hell that refuses to resolve.  --Would running the mandrake 8.2 update
> install possibly clear this?  -- will someone have the full package
> there?
 
i think we'll have the latest mandrake there.  i have no idea about
mandrake update.  i use debian, so i don't get those kinds of problems.
;-)

> b) Sound only works 1/2 time -- when playing MP3s and wavs, but not for
> system events (system claims to not have permission to access /dev/mixer
> -- dev/dsp ... stuff like that)  -- will anyone be there that might have
> an idea on this?
 
hookay.  off the wall idea:

something is trying to generate system sounds.  could be your desktop
manager (gnome, kde) or your window manager.  whatever.

the point is, these processes run with some group.   make sure that
group has access to the group owner of /dev/dsp.

lastly, kill any and all sound daemons like esd or ksd.

> c) plan C of course, is to brillo-pad Mandrake off my system & replace
> with debian woody (it's also what I'd originally planned to do when
> exploring linux -- try several distros) -- Will a full copy of it & a
> big buncha deb's (open office, evolution (or otherwise usable emailer)
> abiword, gaim, etc.) be there?

there will be woody disks there.  that's what i use.

>    -- of course, if I loose my fight with laziness, I'll sleep till 2
> and this will all be moot.
 
of course, this is the best way -- you learn the most.  i hate to say
it, but i don't think i'd be where i am without agonizing over my own
install way back when...

of course, it always helps to have friends to figure out the extra hard
stuff, but DYI is always the best teacher...

pete