A series of questions
 

Hey guys, I'm new to linux. Currently i have fedora core 3 installed on my laptop. I would like to ask the following questions.

1) How to install a program? Every time i click on a rpm, it will automatically install and i couldn't find where have the program installed into or how to start it.

2) I have my sound card detected but there is no sound and i couldn't play any music file. What happen?

3) Is there a way to make my screen resolution become 1024 x 768? I have done it but the screen is not correctly displayed. Any other way to do it?

4) Every time i try to do some system setting, i have to input the root password. Is there any way to disable this?

5) If i forget my username and password during boot, what can i do?

6) Is there any way to browse through my audio cd instead of starting the cd player?

7) When i click the scroll button on my mouse, why is it directing the browser to my homepage?

Well, I onl;y know how to answer questions 1, 5 and 6. For question 1, an alternative to installing rpm files is through the command line. Type to install the rpm in a terminal. For question 5, you can type when lilo propmts you with the boot: prompt. At the next prompt, type . Then type the new root password and reboot. The next time you reboot, the changes take effect. For question 6, just go to /mnt/cdrom but make sure your cdrom is mounted. If you can play the cd with the cdplayer, it is mounted.

For question 3, how did you do it? You can click on the start button on the panel, System Settings->Display. Then under the resolution drop down selection box, select your preffered resolution. Also, how is the screen not displayed correctly?

Also, for question 1, run the newly installed program by clicking on the start button->run program, followed by the program's name. (without version numbers).

1) sorta like windows from microsucks, ain't it? To find where it installs takes a bit of work. after installing, run this command from a terminal window: rpm --rebuildb - it will rebuild the rpm database. then run updatedb. both will require root privilege (open a term window and 'su' to root [supply the root password]).updatedb rebuilds the database used by the locate command; locate <some filename>. then use the 'which' command: as in; which <comand>.
example: suppose I want to know where tar is located. If I give the command 'which tar', I get the reply '/bin/tar'. Now I know how to call tar.
rpm is directed by a spec file in the rpm package, which tells rpm where,how,when to install files. extract an rpm, and you get the traditional Unix tarball, and an rpm spec file. There are other packaging options: debian, slackware, encap.
To learn more about rpm's, go to the RedHat website, and follow the Documentation links to Max-rpm (a 700+ page tome which will tell you everything there is to know about rpm).
2) don't know. what sound card are you using? How did you configure it? What sound system did you select: oss or alsa? Need input!
3)Fedora supplies both gnome and kde. Which did you select as your default window system? In kde, open the Control Center and follow the Desktop links to set resolution.
4) Don't be a fool. The reason for the user/root dicotomy is system security. If you want to give it up, then stick with microsucks windo$e.
If you want to learn how to use a Linux system, then accept that root has all the authority to thoroughly trash a system; user can only trash his/her own directory. Log in as user for everyday purposes: login as root only when ABSOLUTELY necessary.
5) write them down somewhere when you create them, so that you don't forget them. If you're stupid enough to not keep a record somewhere, then login as root (you did at least keep that record, didn't you) and create a new user name/password.
6) there are several cd player apps. juk and k3b both allow you to browse the cd. explore, lad. learn.
7) Don't have a clue. what kind of mouse? which browser? Give us info; maybe we can help.