suggestions of something cool I could do without any GUIs
 

Hey All!

I just installed RH8 on a really old PC that only has 2MB of total HD space and speed 100mHz. I did the personal computer or personal workplace or whatever install the first one is...it never asked me if I wanted to install either of the GUIs. Now I can't use them at all and I was wondering, first of all, if it's worth it to go back and do a different install that would allow me to deselect the GUIs, keeping in mind that it took 3 hours to install all this in the first place, and my command prompt, which is the only thing I can use, runs at a nice fast speed anyway.

Also, I forgot to mention, I don't have an internet connection yet because the computer used to be in the next room from the others in our house, and they were all networked (we have Cable internet), but now they are upstairs and the one is left in the basement, and we don't want to run a huge long cord to the others, so someday hopefully we'll get a wireless network in place :) So anyway, that really limits what I can get and do on there, but I know that I don't know much at all about what I can do on the machine....

So I would like a suggestion on something cool I could do on the machine...I want to do something on it, like even program something, I don't know much C at all but I could get book from the library for that. Or maybe just some cool customization thing that would be like a project or just something to work on. I don't know if this is really making sense, but I just don't know where to start when I turn it on. I would do email and stuff but I can't with the connection.

Please do the best you can to answer my ?'s and give me suggestions!

Zeke (sorry for the long yappin about stuff and not gettin to the point)

:newbie:

I know there are lots of you out there looking at this forum, and someone's gotta have somethin...:)

i am sure there are sites out there that can teach u to program some cool things under linux, there is also a site that has a howto on just about everything u can do on linux (even write a virus!) just search for linux howto

as for gui's, try installing kde and u can do some pretty need stuff with that such as transparent desktops and such (check out mandrake.com's site it has some pretty cool newbie shots)

depends what you want to do but the following come to mind

• learn bash scripting(or any language in fact)
• play nethack
• turn it into an mp3 player
• buy a few ac relays and use it to control lights/plugs/etc in your house
• try the linux from scratch project (might need a bigger hard disk)
• sell it on ebay
• buy a tv card and make a tv out of it

the possibilities are literally endless

<edit> cant believe i forgot to mention tv

Ok, thanks, I want use just the things that are in Linux and are on my HD right now. I'm not gonna sell it on eBay or anything like that, I'm trying to have a learning experience here. Something that would allow me to learn Linux. Within RH8!

Ok, sorry, I didn't read the reply up further...I'll try searching for that how-to site.

http://www.tldp.org/

the HowTo The Linux Documentation Page

Thanks a lot, and if you think of anything else, just post it here!

So does anyone have any more specific things that I could do to learn more about Linux? Programming stuff or what not?

the only way to learn linux is to use it, so just pick something you would do with windows, and then try and do it with linux. theres no point me telling you what to do as i will most likely suggest something you have no interest in, and thus you will give up.

if you choose something, and tell me what it is i will try and point you in the right direction of how to do it.

Ok, thanks a lot for your reply, that makes a LOT of sense! I want to learn Java, and I am going to take a class on it this school year, but I want to know if there is any text-based Java developing program that comes with my RH8, preferably, because I don't have a connection to the internet yet. Also, I don't know much about Java but I do know that you need to compile like a class file and then some other file to run the program, are there any compilers that come with RH8 that will do all that? Also, on my previous version RH7, I did a little playing around with C by just making some text files with pico, and compiling and running them with GCC. I would like to know if you know what other word processors/text programs like pico and emacs and vi are in RH8, because I noticed that pico isn't in RH8, and I wondered if maybe something else is new that I don't know about.

If you see this could you please post a reply to my previous post quick before I go to bed :) !!!!!!!!!

Thanks!!

I know this is probly not right, but could someone please tell me about what I asked in the previous post up there if you see this RIGHT NOW!

Ok, all I want to know is if there are any non-GUI programs for writing Java that come with RH8, also non-GUI compilers for Java that come with RH8.

Please reply now as I'm going to bed and I'm dyin to know!

How much RAM do you have on your machine? What is the video card name? What is the vertical and horizontal refresh rates of your monitor? How much video RAM do you have?
If you do have some decent specs you can run x-windows system with a window manger - even though you may not have enough to run a Desktop like KDE or GNOME.

If you just want to do some programming - get a book from your library and start. Look at the resources others have pointed out for you.
Be patient! Try things for a week and then come back:)