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Old 08-04-2004, 07:22 PM   #1
Levitate
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Some general linux newb questions


hey, i've been getting into linux and am really trying to learn it inside-out...i'm running debian sarge right now on my laptop with the 2.6.7 kernel from the sarge dist.

i realllllly want to make a nice, clean, efficient system without a lot of extra crap on it and that is where my questions come in...

i originally tried to install woody but ran into some problems getting my network card to work because of the older kernel version (didn't have my driver and so i couldn't set up the network in the install and created some issues down the road i wasn't quite prepared to deal with, though i think i could get it now) so i went and tried sarge instead, though the first time i tried it didn't work for some reason. well, got it working this time...real basic install, just installed X with apt-get and all that, installed synaptic also...

but my issue is that when i had woody installed and going, the list of running modules was always very small (well i didn't have the sound set up or anything i don't think either so it's no surprise) with sarge though, it autodeteced a LOT and my lsmod list is over 2 pages long now, and i swear like 10+ of them have to do with sound of some sort. i'm wondering if going through and compiling the kernel myself will cut down on all that excess? (well i assume it's excess, it seems like a LOT of modules) i just want to have the basic drivers going that i need to work...

also noticed that it seemed like ran X some stuff during the boot up and likely loaded up more modules including the video driver it uses...can i keep X from running any of that until i am ready to actually use it?

and last one...is there a way to easily check what packages are installed? I'm left kind of leary from years of windows usage that when you uninstall something, you likely still have a bunch of crap from it on your system...just kind of wondering how linux handles that. is apt-get remove the best way to remove packages/programs?

sorry for perhaps silly questions...

Last edited by Levitate; 08-04-2004 at 07:27 PM.
 
Old 08-04-2004, 10:30 PM   #2
foo_bar_foo
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all those sound modules are the ALSA sound
Advanced Linux Sound
if you want you can use plain old OSS Open Sound System
and cut down on alot of that bloat
it will involve some edits in /etc/modprobe.conf
(or whatever it is in debian)
it's been a while since i used debian but i can't imagine this has changed
dpkg -l (that's a little L)
gets a list of all installed packages.
dpkg -L <package>
shows the files in a package
yes apt-get remove is the best way to remove packages
if you need to make sure all the configuration files go as well (like when upgrading kde)
apt-get --purge remove
apt keeps downloaded packages in
/var/cache/apt/archives
in case you want to reinstall something
apt-get clean
whipes that clean if you want
apt-get autoclean
removes only old packages that have been upgraded
to learn more there is a file called
dwarfs-debian-guide
i bet you can apt-get it
or just google and get it
sometimes when apt gets hung you have to learn to use dpkg commands to get things straight again
 
Old 08-05-2004, 09:11 AM   #3
Levitate
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thanks a lot...i noticed that windowmaker seemed to leave some stuff behind after i removed it...i was following a guide on installing X and stuff and installed that, then decided i wanted KDE instead, so i uninstalled wmaker and installed KDE...but noticed some files in my /home/user directory that seem related to wmaker...i guess i could delete those now maybe?
 
Old 08-05-2004, 10:40 AM   #4
foo_bar_foo
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yea lots of thing after they run create hidden files or folders with configure info in your home directory.
if you are not going to use it anymore just delete that stuff...
even if you want to use something again it will just recreate...
good thing to do if the configuration gets corrupted or if you upgrade an app too
so the config files always corespond to the current version.
 
  


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