Some questions
 

The following questions relate to SuSE 9.1 Pro.

1. How do I log in as root? When I go to "Logout", then "End session only", I can only see my username as a log in option.

2. My graphics display settings are maxed out on 1024x768. My graphics card and monitor can display higher settings but I am not given that option. How can I fix this problem?

3. How can I change icons such as "k start" and "show desktop"?

4. When I want to change an icon on my desktop, right click "properties", click on the icon image, "Icon Source", "Other icons", "browse" I cannot set what I see to display icons. I do have a preview window but that is pretty much useless. How can I view thumbs of the icons I have so that I can easily pick one?

5. How do I install non RPM within a GUI environment?

6. How can I automatically maximize windows? For example when I click on my "personal files" icon.

7. How can I set a default look and behaviour to all windows? Whenever I personalise them they revert to their default state.

Cheers.

You have a lot of questions so lets work with the first one first. Why do you wan to log in as root? For what purpose? Also, do you use the auto-login feature? If you use the auto-login feature then it takes you to your user account - that is why I don't use it. If you have to enter a user name and password when you log in then you are NOT using the auto-login feature. If, and only if, that is the case (not using augo login) then you would then type root and then the root password when you are loging in. I highly suspect that you are using the augo-login feature and if that is the case you will want to go to YAST and change that option. Let me know what the case is with your installation and then I can walk you through the procedure.

Mike

1. Type root in manually in the user box

2. edit your /etc/X11/XF86Config file and add the resoulution in the monitor section

3. I think you have to make a sim-link to them and then change the icon...There may be another way, but it's unknown to me.

4. It usually does that for me automatically...not sure why it won't for you :confused:

5. You'll have to re-phrase the question, as that makes no sense.

6. Not sure, but usually, it seems to restart in the same state as you last closed it in?

7. I believe it's in the control center (my linux box is down, so I can't find the exact location).

8. At times I am asked for my password. I have the "Keep password" box marked but my passwords aren't remembered. How do I stop from being asked for my password?

mrperkins

I am learning how to use SuSE. I want to lean to log in as root as some changes require that. SuSE is on a computer for testing and learning so no harm can be done.

I did have auto-login selected. I have unselected it but I am still stuck. I also want to do away with passwords completely.

When I end the session I come to a login box. There is an area for "Username" and "Password". When I type "root" in "Username" I cannot type anything into "Password". Do I need to select something under the "Menu" button? The left of the login box only shows my user image.

Should I be seeing an icom image for root in the login box?

Cheers.

diablo111

1. It won't allow me to type a password.

2. I have no idea how to use the terminal box. I can find it but that is it.

3. What is a sim-link?

4. The included icons have thumbs, but mine just have text descriptions and no obvious way to change that.

5. How do I install software without YaST? YaST will install RPM but not other types.

6. Settings always go back to default. There must be a way to set preferences.

7. I don't where it is. I am stuck with all of these areas.

Cheers.

To install non-rpm software, you'll need to use command-line. To install tar.gz files:

tar -xvzf <filename>
(cd to created directory)
./configure
make
(su to root)
make install

for tar.bz2 files, same procedure except the first line is:
tar -xjvf <filename>

You should try to become familiar with working in terminal, there are a lot of things that can be done quicker and easier than in GUI.


Here's a link I found useful on command line

1.
If you use kdm to log in root is most likely hidden go to login manager select admin and check the box for root.
2.man
3.ln -s links this file - to this file
5. http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...threadid=45094
good luck ask away

Okay, regarding issue 1. The keep password feature does not work for root access. It is for group access and permissions, etc., and is of no use or interest in what you want to do right now. It is useless for you to check it, but I do understand that it is misleading. Just be resigned to using a root password. More about using passwords latter.

I am not sure why it does not allow you to type in a password unless when you did the install you elected not to use passwords. Is that the case? If your installation does not require passwords then you should just be able to type in root for username at the login screen and continue on without using a password. So my question is: do you need to use a password for your user account or for root? By the way, I advise you NOT to do away with passwords. There are several reasons for this:

1. It creates a "nonstandard" installation that most users will be unfamiliar with and that most documentation will not take into consideration. That is why I am having some difficulty here because I have never had a machine set up that away so I do not know what it does.
2. It does not have the Unix/Linux feel that I think is important for exploring operating system alternatives to windows.
3. It really does create some security problems making your machine more vulnerable.

If your machine is currently configured not to use passwords you should just be able to type in root and proceed.

Issue 2. At the bottom of your screen there should be a panel with a line of icons and to the far right of the panel will be the date/time. This is the default arrangement for most KDE installations. Somewhere on that panel, probably to the left, will be an icon of a dark computer screen with a little bitty white prompt and a sea shell superimposed on top of it for a nice visual pun. If you have that on your panel it is the dreaded terminal for command line prompts from which all things are possible. Double-click on that and your prompt will appear.

Lets work on getting you able to log into the GUI as root, and finding the terminal before we move on.

Mike

Thanks for the replies. I've solved 3 problems by doing the following. Maybe it will help someone in a similar situation so here are the solutions.

1. If root doesn't appear as an option go back to default settings. Control panel -> system administration -> login manger. Changing everything to default solved my problem. I now understand what went wrong. Too detailed to go into here.

6 and 7. There is and arrow button top left of each window that allows allows a customized setting. Settings are remembered but it doesn't seem to be global as in XP.

Now how to get rid of k-start icon? There seems to be a group of icons that don't want to be changed. They are in "panel menu" -> "add" or you can choose "remove" -> "special button".

How can I change the icons within the group "Special Button" ?

There must be an easy way to have my icon collecton show up as "Icon Source" "system icons". I may have to copy the icons into the folders. How does that sound?

I have a cool collection of TUX icons.

For those interested:
h**p://everaldo.com/
h**p://www.sadeem.net/tux.html

Very quickly -

Speaking pedantically, the "sim-link" referred to above is a "sym link" which is short for "symbolic link" which is a filesystem directory entry that points to another directory entry. Contrast this with a "hard link", which points to an actual file.

Windows calls them "shortcuts", apparently because "symbolic" is hard to pronounce in Redmond. >;)

"shortcut" NOW I understand LOL I was thinking what on Earth is this "sim" thing. Cheers! :D

Anyway, replacing the KMenu icon is my next task. The green lizard has to go! LOL Tux is waiting for that place. Anyone know how to do this without using the terminal? :p

There are several ways to change it but the easist is to change the theme and/or icons from the KDE control center. What you have now is the default look and feel that SuSE contrived for your computing pleasure.