Hey all.
I got asked a question this weekend, and couldn't really answer it in simple terms for the "new user" of a linux box.

Basically, he wanted to know if there was a way to see a list of EVERYTHING that has been installed on the system.

I'm not quite sure how to explain this to him as he is fairly new, and I don't normally use any proggies to tell me what I've installed and what I haven't.

Q: Is there a Proggie simple enough for a new user that will display a nice eye friendly chart of what has been installed? All the way down to libs, proggies, rpms,... etc.?
(General Linux; He's using SuSE8)
T.I.A.

L8rz

For really everything browse the filesystem;-)

If looking for every executable file do
find / -perm +111

Right. Like I said tho, this is for a "newer" type user, and him browsing the whole drive via Konq or something really wouldn't prove fruitful.

Tnx anyway.

L8rz

You can open up package manager, and it will show packages installed. Also, if you open up SaX2, and (I'm not there right now, so this is vague) click on the package tool, it will also show you all packages installed.

Cool

Ok. So here is one for you:

Started SaX2. Actually, tried to start it, and it probed my video, flaked my screens, then foobared my mouse.
Now I can't see the mouse cursor, when I move the mouse, it pulls up misc crap (i.e. menus, this that and the other) can't see much on the screen cuz the SAX completely screwed my settings.

Any idea on how to easily revert what happened?

L8rz

g'day MasterC ...

That's yast2, not sax ;) ... Sax does X11-configuration...

Cheers,
Tink

Doh! Thanks for clearing that one up, see what happens when I try to do things from bad memory



Thanks again...

As for your problem... Damn! I'd see about killing your X and seeing if it resolves itself. Kill it with CTRL ALT BACKSPACE.

Now open up Yast2 and try again

I should be beaten for that one...

Thanks Tinkster

Cool

Negative. I can kill the X, but them I'm left with a terminal screen that is 1/4 off the screen that CAN'T be adjusted via manual controls. The damnedest thing I ever saw.

So now, I can attempt yast2 and sax again, but still no joy. cant see enough to try to navigate, but without the mouse in the X it's useless anyway.

When running yast, i tried to re-configure the mouse modal, and the vga/monitor. Mouse modal reconfiged, but still no workey!
Vga/monitor reconfig ok, but it will not save it. Says Error writing config.
Nothing like a verbose statement eh?

So, if a linux genie in a can is handy, I'd like to use it cuz I gotta get this box bak up asap.

L8rz

Now I feel like a complete jerk...

Ok, so I can picture where you are, but I really don't know how to get you back to where you were.

Error writing config sounds lame, especially if you are root! Might need to boot into rescue mode and see if you can get things back in there...

Stupid me and my typos, sorry man.

Can you logout and back in with a different user and have things work? Or is the whole thing like that?

You might be able to plop in your install disc, install like 1 small package, and from there reconfigure your system back to normal.

Good Luck, and again, I am truly sorry.

Cool

Ahh.. I shoulda known better with SaX. Never had good luck with it. Never actually used it.
I'll figure something out...

L8rz

Can you manually edit your XF86Config-4 file to suit your system, or does it just revert back to "crap"?

Reverts back to crap.
Actually, I got yast to finally write the config... only now it wont start X... go figure. FU*&%N monday man.

Anyway, I didn't want to screw with it much more. I could spend 1 to 5 hours trying to fix it, so I just decided to nuke the box.
As pissed off as I am it doesn't really matter one way or the other right now.

L8rz