Hi, hope this helps.

1) For your sizes, i assume you mean text and icons. To make these larger, click on the K icon on the bottom left of your screen. Go to configuration and then go down and click on "configure your desktop". You are now in the KDE control centre. On the left hand side click on "look and feel" Everything you need to adjust should be in there.

2) For setting the time it takes before booting into the default image, get into the mandrake control centre. Click on boot, Then click Drakboot, Then click configure. A box will come up with a line in it saying "delay before booting default image" . Change this to the desired time.

Be careful what you do in the Mandrake control centre, because you are in there as root. Don`t play with anything you are unsure of. KDE control centre is fine, can`t do any damage in there really (unless it asks for your root password)

cheers

this means that on linux and unix, the only way for a a piece of software to affect your system files is if root installs or runs it...

a regular linux/unix user should never have to worry about infecting or damaging the system files... he can run any program he wants, and the linux/unix system will remain intact... unless of course the user or the malicious software finds a SECURITY HOLE or something, obviously...

Quote:

Is it possible to do this for Windows machines?

NO... the windows operating system does not have any serious security methods, therefore any user can and will affect the operating system... they can do this intentionally or by accident, and it's not limited to users, also software... this is what you see everyday on windows with viruses and spyware...

regular windows user "joe" opens an email in outlook and then suddenly the system is infected with some virus named after a hot tennis player... or user "jane" spends the night surfing adult websites, and in the morning user mary, mike, amanda, charlie, and brian start complaining to the system's administrator that the computer is acting kinda funny and slow...

on linux/unix, what "jane" does on the machine doesn't affect anybody else...

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The reason I want to switch to Linux is that its Virus proof and hacker proof 100%%%%!!!!!! Thats the only reason for switching, to be honest. Im fed up with this bulls**t about all these spyware virus nonsense for Windows.

virus-resistant, not virus-proof... remember that it's still possible for non-privileged users or software to affect the system if they take advantage of a SECURITY HOLE that hasn't been patched by root, or if root unknowingly installs or runs a program with malicious code in it (an unchecked binary)...

"In theory you can write a virus for any OS if the owner is dumb enough to install unchecked binaries as root."

-Alan Cox (Linux Kernel Developer)

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How come when booting into Mandrake it does not ask me for my User and Root Password? Which I had created for both during install.

i believe during install mandrake asks you if you want to do auto-login, and the checkbox might be checked by default... look for an option to deactivate auto-login in the mandrake control center... probably under something like "user administration" or something...

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If I decide to configure the Internet connection in Mandrake does that mean my Internet connection will not work on Windows or vice versa??? meaning, if my I set my internet configs in Mandrake does that mean I will loose the current Internet connection settings in Windows????? Thats my concern.

NO. the configuration changes you make to your linux system don't affect your windows system, and vice-versa... they are totally separate systems, on separate partitions...

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When I decide to boot into Linux, does it always take for ever to boot into Linux??? It took for ever checking files and stuff like that. I wonder it will be faster upon booting nextime.

what do you mean by "checking files"??

i believe linux (with a graphical interface) takes more time to boot than windows, but still, it shouldn't be that bad...

also, rememeber that by default your network card might be configured to look for a dhcp server, i think... so if you don't have one (like if you use a static ip) make sure you configure your network card accordingly (in the mandrake control center) or you'll have to wait several seconds as mandrake unsuccessfully tries to locate a dhcp server...

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everytime I boot my PC it ask me what to boot (Windows or Linux) but the counter is too short. Its like 10 seconds that I need to decide. How could I extend the time counter?

this is in your bootloader's configuration... i don't know if you installed lilo or grub, but in either case, you can adjust this timeout from the mandrake control center...

by the way, once you get more comfortable with linux, you'll start configuring things without using the mandrake control center (or any other graphical tool)... instead, you'll start to configure your system the natural way: by editing text files...

but for now, you're on the right path...

=)

Linux is a whole different computing world.

1. Ok, I did some settings as far as the sizes. I managed to get the Icon and icon Texts bigger, but the rest like the windows I open up and the taskbar, system tray and all that are still small in size.

2. Next, I located on where to adjust the time on the boot loader images before you decide which operating system you want to boot. I put down (900) seconds and I clicked Ok. It said to put in the CD-1 Installation Disk. Im using LILO. So what do I do from there once the CD is put in? I hope it wont re-install?????

3. Next, as for the booting up slowly, heres what I mean. When I press Linux as the boot OS, it was checking for some files to load and something like that. Example. (which is the slowest of all for checking was: "Bringing up interface eth0" Now this part is the slowest. It also had like Loading keymap [OK}, Checking for new Hardware [OK}, Loading Keymap [OK}, Checking Loopback [OK} and things like that. But it takes for ever for this part of boot to load. Is there a way to bypass this somehow. But, I have to admit, the one that says "Bringing up interface eth0" takes for ever.
I have a Graphical interface setup checked under LILO Boot Loader Configs.

4. Next, I managed to uncheck the Do not Autologin.

The theory on Windows security, On my Windows setup, Im not running as System Admin (root for Linux). Im running on Restricted or Standard User. Will that make any difference?

YOU GUYS ROCK!!!! I MEAN SERIOUSLY. I archived your installation examples on a CD-R. It was better wriiten then the original manuals.

it's probably looking for a dhcp server to configure your network settings and it can't find one...

perhaps you need to configure a static ip address, etc...

Quote:

It also had like Loading keymap [OK}, Checking for new Hardware [OK}, Loading Keymap [OK}, Checking Loopback [OK} and things like that. But it takes for ever for this part of boot to load. Is there a way to bypass this somehow.

you want to bypass the boot process???

=)

Quote:

On my Windows setup, Im not running as System Admin (root for Linux). Im running on Restricted or Standard User. Will that make any difference?

if it made a real difference, then you wouldn't need an antivirus for your windows system...

the concept of "root" doesn't even exist in microsoft windows operating systems...

microsoft has the money and manpower to make something even more secure than solaris... but they don't... there's several reasons for this... i can give you ONE:

windows anti-viruses are a multi-billion dollar industry...

remember, with microsoft it's all about MONEY... they couldn't care less about you or your security...

=)

I located on where to adjust the time on the boot loader images before you decide which operating system you want to boot. I put down (900) seconds and I clicked Ok. It said to put in the CD-1 Installation Disk. Im using LILO. So what do I do from there once the CD is put in? I hope it wont re-install?????


So is there a way to "speed up" this boot process? If yes will you please explain the proper steps?

And also, I managed to get the Icons bigger but the rest of the contents still is way too small. I went to the Controller and could not seem to find the location.

if i remember correctly from back in my mandrake days, it asks you for the cd if you changed the bootloader... like, say for example that grub was installed and then you went into the configuration thing and selected to use lilo... it would ask you for the cd cuz it needs to install lilo...

Quote:

So is there a way to "speed up" this boot process? If yes will you please explain the proper steps?

did you fix the network card issue?? that will knock-off a few seconds right there...

how about you post the time it's taking for your desktop to come-up from the time you hit enter in your bootloader??

we'll compare and see... i can't really recommend anything to speed-up your boot process as i'm not sure wheather it's actually slow... it might be normal but you're expecting it to be faster for some reason... i'm not sure yet...

=)

So how could I fix the network card issue??

And when I entered 900 seconds it did infact ask me to put in the CD Installation disk. I hope It does not re-install itself.

And still cant make the size bigger. My Icons are OK but the pop-up windows and all that is still too small.

depends... does your network connection work?? do you use it?? if so, what kind is it??

if you're posting from mandrake right now, you RULE...

=)

Quote:

And when I entered 900 seconds it did infact ask me to put in the CD Installation disk. I hope It does not re-install itself.

why are you so scared of the bootloader getting re-installed?? it not a big deal, really... and it's a set-it-and-forget-it sorta thing anyway...

Quote:

And still cant make the size bigger. My Icons are OK but the pop-up windows and all that is still too small.

okay i lost you there... i'll read the previous posts to see what icons and popup windows you're talking about...

just curious, why 900 seconds???

Ok. it took me 2 minutes to get into my desktop.

I have not configured my network setting s yet in Mandrake.

But, The Bringing up the eth0 is the problem. That takes a while. And then it had like probing or retreiving some IP address.

Ok??? If I want No Timer then its "0"???

So, how could I do this when I enter the CD? Should I let just take its course?

The sizes. Ok, the system tray by the clock and the start menu "K" is too small. And whenever I click on the Look and Feel that configuration window (or all) is way too small. How could I change the sizes?

Its so small that I cant even see the"K" icon below on the taskbar

assign the network card (eth0) an ip address and it should stop stalling during startup...

you can configure your network in the mandrake control panel...

usually people set the boot prompt to time-out and boot windows between 3 to 10 seconds...

as for your problem with the sizes, i feel that perhaps your resolution is set too high...

check in the display section of you know what and make sure the resolution is set to what it's set in your windows... you really shouldn't need to be adjusting everything's size if your resolution is right...

(usually people set the boot prompt to time-out and boot windows between 3 to 10 seconds...)

Yes, but you see, when I turned on my PC, I walked away for a drink and noticed it booted into Linux when I wanted it to boot into Windows. Because I was doing something in Windows.

As far as assigning an IP.

What IP should i assign it to? Do I have to call up my ISP and have them give it a Static or Dynamic IP to solve the problem?

In th Manfdrake Control Configs, I have not noticed Resolution in the left hand pane, but i will try to locate it.

ummm... okay...

=)

Quote:

What IP should i assign it to? Do I have to call up my ISP and have them give it a Static or Dynamic IP to solve the problem?

well, if you had your ethernet cable hooked-up all this time i dont think you use a dynamic ip address, but i'm not sure, you need to check the configuration...

if the connection is working in windows, you don't need to call your ISP... just check your working network configuration in windows and you'll know what you need to set in mandrake...

if it's static, you'll need these things:

IP, NETMASK, BROADCAST, GATEWAY, DNS1, and DNS2...

possibly also the hostname...

Ok here you go:

Im using a 56K dial-up fax modem.

My current Internet Windows setup is as follows:

1. I want to setup my Internet Connection manually, or using LAN.

2.I connect through a phone line

3. I use a dynamic IP address (as with all dial-ups I suppose)

So what should I do in Mandrake to solve the slowness of this eth0 or whatever? I dont think I have an ethernet card.

just go into the network settings in the mcc and disable the network card...