Hi all!
I'm quite new to linux so here is a list of various questions and curiosities that came into my mind during the process of installation - setup (I'm using Debian - sarge with 2.4.25 kernel, icewm, wmaker and blackbox WMs, going to try xfce soon, and maybe install kde sooner or later)
p.s.: I'd like to learn as much as possible, (to avoid asking more stuff next time and maybe helping someone by myself when possible ) so I wouldn't mind manually editing text files rather then using gui interfaces so feel free to suggest the longest, hardest, more perilous way to solve the problem that comes into your mind (ok, I'm joking on this one :P)

here we go:
1) first and most important : what's the secret ninja technique to remove the speaker *beep*s from terminal? I've succeeded in remove them from terminal in X environment uncommenting a line in .inputrc byt it still beeps on emacs windows and outside x environment (I hope I don't have to unplug the speaker..)

2) is it worth, performance-wise, to recompile the kernel removing all the unnecessary hardware (and other stuff) support or is it basically irrelevant? if I'm right the default image is compiled for 386-486 architecture, what about enabling 686 optimizations?

3) where can I find a "master" volume setting or something like it? installing xmms I've noticed that the default volume is halfway to the top, in fact every other sound was really quiet

4) where can I find a mouse speed/acceleration setting?

5) how do I change keyboard layout outside the X environment? (I have the wrong one in the shell)

6) how can I have linux completely shutdown the pc when I choose to halt it?

7) is it common to allow normal users on a desktop system to shutdown/reboot the system? if so how can I do it (it seems the permission flags would allow it but it still complains if I'm not root)?

8) I see xmms has some problems browsing mounted fat32 partitions. there's no hope to play files from there (I've no file managers atm, just in case it's needed, where can I find a good one that works with the wm I'm using?)?

9) is there some standard way to bind the execution of a program to a key? (let's say for example a terminal) or do I have to search for some plugin-addon-something?

p.s.: if you know some good FAQ that can answere parto of all of these questions Iìd be really interested

thanks in advance

2) H3ll yeah !
slackware-10 comes with a 2.4.26 i486 kernel.
i compiled a 2.6.7 kernel. Removed support for everything i dont use or need, like bluetooth, USB speakers. ISA, SCSI drives.... the kernel was configured perfectly for my needs. Ohh, and i set it to optimise for my AMD athlon-Thunderbird. bu boot time went from 1 minute to 40 seconds, and i got an extra 250 frames per second in 'glxgears'

then i re-wrote my boot scripts , and got boot time down to 30 seconds !

3) if you are still using OSS (the old linux sound system) then use aumix to change the volume, then save the new volume. if the new volume doesnt survive a re-boot, then put the aumix command to load sound volumes into a boot script... possible /etc/rc.d/rc.local

if you are using ALSA (advanced linux sound architechture) (if not why not !) then use alsamixer to change volume. then 'alsactl store' to save the new volume.

4) usually, your window manager does this.. (well, kde does. look in kde's controll center)

5) use the 'loadkeys' command. add it to your boot scripts. again, rc.local will do.

6) linux does shutdown the machine completely.... you must have configured somthing incorrectly...
i on my system, (slackware 10) the power management driver does not automatically load... 'modprobe apm' fixes that.. add it to the boot scripts... again, rc.local will do, but its not the ideal place.

7) on some systems, like servers. users should NOT be able to shutdown the machine.
but on desktops... yeah, why not. this is a function of your desktop environment... without knowing why windows manager you use, i dont know what to tell you... but in KDE.. its in the controll center.

8)xmms should work fine... maybe you are using it wrong ? the window manager does not effect the way programs work.. they just add pretty boarders around them for dragging etc etc.

9)eh ?

I am using fluxbox now, and couldn't seem to shutdown the machine maually, so I looked up a terminal command

poweroff

halts the system and cuts power...works nicely...I haven't tried running it from GNOME or KDE, as they have graphical means to do this...but I suppose you could open up a terminal and try it...

Quij, he didn't ask whether a move from 2.4
to 2.6 makes a big difference ... ;)

But to answer HIS question: you can gain a few seconds
by taking out hardware you don't have ... it's more efficient
to strip out services you don't need, though.



Cheers,
Tink

first of all, I' have to add a new question: xfce4 ate my icewm how an I make it spit it out? :P
I mean, I've installed xfce and now it's the default WM, I would like to set back iceWM as the default without removing it but basically I don't know where to go setting it. I've read in many places I have to edit a .xinitrc file but it doesn't seem to contain anything related to start a particular wm.. where can I find the right setting?

2) ok thanks I'll give it a try asap (of course I'll check the processes too)

3) tnx, I'll try it as soon as I get back to icewm

4) mmmh.. nothing like it in icewm.. I'll search around

5) worked, thanks

6) mmmmh don't know, anyway I've found this
apm power_off=1
tob e added to /etc/modules
it should solve the problem

7) I'll search

8) I mean, I've no file managers to start the mp3 from, and xmms "open" does see the fat partions but it is unable to enter the directories, so I cannot browse from there

9) example: I press F5 and a new terminal windows pops out, then I press alt+t and xmms starts etc

1) As root, open up /etc/inputrc. Change the line that says "set bell-style audible" to "set bell-style none"

updates

0) fixed: it was enough to update-alternatives --config x-session-manager and set icewm as default

1) it's already that way but I still hear beeps :|

3) I've tried it, ti gives me an error about snd_ctl_open failed for default: no such device

ok I've found out both 4 and 9
4) xset m <accel> <threshold>
now, where is a standard place to put something like this? I mean a Xserver startup script or similar

9) in icewm there's a keys setting file that allows this sort of bindings, don't know about other wms

ehawk....
i know he didnt ask about migrating.
and i DID answer HIS question... "H3ll Yeah !!!!"
(that means yes)
when i described what I DID, which involved a migration to 2.6, but he didnt necceserily have to do exactly the same as me

ok.... i didnt make it painfully obviouse.. maybe i should. anyways...
to clarify... a re-compile with proper optimisations, and a custom configureation will add a noticable boost to performance.

check the posts again....you're responding to the wrong guy....

oops.... sorry, that should have been addressed to tinkster

anyways.... oops.