This must be about my fourth try to switch to Linux and I think this is the closest I've ever come to doing it but once again I can't connect to the internet. When everything was looking good and it seemed that I was finally going to be able to get online, my microcode and other stuff was installed and seemed to be fine. The only proble or should I say error I got was that I didn't have gcc. Now I hope you don't think I'm stupped or anything but I have no idea what that is. Now I've looked over the internet and to tell you the thruth I still don't know what it is. A compiler a binarie or something. If someone could tell me where I could go and get this gcc and how to install it if you can't just use the cp command in the shell in Mandrake. Just one more thing I'm new to Linux and have very limited knowlege of it. I'm actually surpriced I know what the cp command is and how to use it. Sorry for making this so long but just wanted to explain to you that i've tried several times to switch to Linux before but end up going back to windows. The last two or three times for the same reason I can't connect to the internet even though it seems that Mandrake recognices my modem. Just incase you need the information I'm using Mandrake 10.1 and my modem is a SpeedTouch USB. I would really appreciate help in this matter and remember my knowledge is very limite so you might have to explain step by step how to find it and get it and install it if it can't just be installed using the cp (copy) command.

Thank you in advanced

I'm not using Mandrake, but GCC (GNU Compiler Collection) should be on one of your CDs. You need to find Mandrake's control centre, where there should be a utility for installing software (possibly similar to Windows' Add/Remove programs). You'll need your root password for that. If there are different "areas" of software you can install (eg. Server, Office, etc), you'll be looking for Development Tools or something similar. Not sure about your modem. You wouldn't use cp to install things anyway, as as you said, it's for copying.

Thanks a lot for the help on that part, installed the gcc. I still can't connect to the internet, this is everything I get:

"No further user interaction is required.
Configuring SpeedTouch Driver...
Software Configuration - SUCCESS
Building SpeedTouch Driver...
Software Build - SUCCESS
Installing SpeedTouch Driver...
Software Installation - SUCCESS
Creating ppp files in //etc/ppp
Please ignore any 'FAILED' messages here...

*** Configuration finished. Starting the connection ***

Sun Jul 24 16:02:23 VET 2005
The modem lights should start flashing for approx. 60 seconds...
Sun Jul 24 16:02:23 VET 2005
The modem_run command failed (code 240)
modem_run results:
Unable to locate firmware
If you have a silver modem, make sure you're using rev4fw.zip
http://speedtouchconf.sourceforge.net/rev4fw.zip
FAILED because of modem_run error 240
[root@localhost speedtouchconf-06-03-2005]#"

I'm not sure where to go from here. I know it says "Unable to locate firmware" but I checked and it's there. In what directory is the firmware suppose to be?
This is becoming very complicated again and I'm wondering if I should just go back to that auful Windows.

Is this a SpeedTouch USB DSL modem? If so, does it have an Ethernet port you can use (and does your comp have an Ethernet interface)? I've heard of various problems getting USB DSL modems to work, but I've never had any trouble with using Ethernet.

It is a SpeedTouch USB DSL modem. It doesn't have an Ethernet port and my computer doesn't have an Ethernet interface. I've read that Ethernet modems are much easier to set up but I already had this modem before I decided to try switching to Linux.