(1) How do I get the wheel on my mouse to work?

(2) How do I get updates for the OS and its software.

(3) How do I "uninstall" programs that do not show up in pkgtools?

(4) Is there a way to scan for "junk" files that I no longer need?

(5) When I boot, the boot screen pauses on a certain entry for a while (USB Device Driver) and was wondering how I stop from loading that driver.

I'm not sure about questions 2-4 but to get your mouse wheel to work you need this in your /etc/XF86Config file:

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "imps/2"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
Option "Buttons" "3"
EndSection



Replace that garbage with whatever your current file has for that section and you should be good to go.

Later,
Phekno

A lot of people seem to like swaret - or you could just check the Slack site and download listed updates.

Quote:

(3) How do I "uninstall" programs that do not show up in pkgtools?

If you compiled from source and still have it you can try 'make uninstall' in the same way you did 'make install' - but many tarballs don't include uninstall scripts - otherwise you'll have to pick the stuff out by hand. Swaret is hearsay but I use checkinstall religiously for source compiles.

Quote:

(4) Is there a way to scan for "junk" files that I no longer need?

Depnds on your definition of junk. If you mean you want to delete 'file.txt~'-type backups, or anything identifiable by name or regex, there's 'locate' and 'find' and various tools like that. If you mean just random stuff you don't want, I don't think so. Most 'junk' automatically ends up in /tmp anyway, though.

Quote:

(5) When I boot, the boot screen pauses on a certain entry for a while (USB Device Driver) and was wondering how I stop from loading that driver.

The startup scripts are in /etc or /etc/rc.d. Look for it there (maybe specifically in /etc/hotplug?) and see about commenting it out if it's in a file or 'chmod'ing it if it's its own file. There's also a hotplug blacklist file. Hard to say without more information and I probably wouldn't know specifically, anyway.

I tried this but now X won't start. How can I "reset" the XF86Config file from the command?

open the XF86Config file in a text editor. What does the error when you try to start x say?

I bet is says something about not being able to find the indentifier...

if it does then...

SU to root. Then open the XF86Config file with your favorite text editor. Change the line

Identifier "Mouse"

to

Identifier "Mouse1"

Save and then startx.

I think the default identifier for Slack is "mouse1" and if you didnt change the indentifier at the bottom of the file then you will get an error.

Netizen

Did you just edit your Section "InputDevice" vs adding all the above? Anyway, all you really need to add is Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5" most likely, but in your current Section "InputDevice". You can edit the from the command prompt with a command line editor like pico or vi, ie "pico /etc/X11/XF86Config".

When I did it I had to actually add the protocol as well. By default mine didn't work with out the protocol listed as it is above.

Netizen

Yes the protocol is required, but if he followed the Slackware-HOWTO, ie 6.2 Configuring the X Window System, when he installed it, then that protocol should already be in place.