[Nottingham] feel like a newbie all over again

[Godfrey Nix]

On Tuesday, May 15, 2012 08:31:45 AM david at gbenet.com wrote:
> On 14/05/12 21:51, Godfrey Nix wrote:
> > Hi,
> > 
> > This move I have made to openSUSE has left me feeling like an absolute
> > beginner. I seem unable to do even the simplest of things with YAST2
> > (what packages are installed, what packages are available and not
> > installed, what files are in a package, what are its dependancies)
> > 
> > I feel at the moment to be going round in circles with the
> > documentation.
> > 
> > I am putting myself through this as a company I know is thinking of
> > moving its Solaris servers to SUSE and I wanted a first look-see.
> > 
> > Basically, I now have a working machine, but without any printer
> > (turboprint is not installed, AFAIK, but see above) and unable to get
> > either Oracle virtualBox or vpnc-nortel compiled. I keep getting errors
> > relating to pkg- config-path not being defined and unable to locate
> > gnutls.pc
> > 
> > Sadly until all this is sorted I am having to revert to a Win****
> > machine to make connection with the office.
> > 
> > Any suggestions to help this old-timer?
> > 
> > Regards,
> > Godfrey
> > 
> > "The best-beloved of all things in My sight is Justice"
> > 
> > _______________________________________________
> > Nottingham mailing list
> > Nottingham at mailman.lug.org.uk
> > https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/nottingham
> 
> Hello and Welcome Godfrey,
> 
> The thing about opensuse is to do things in steps. The first step is to open
> Yast and do a repository update - and choose refresh. Next do an update -
> which may take some time. Then do your package searches - if you can't find
> your package - open you web browser which loads the suse home page - click
> on "get it" - then in the search bar type in the name of what you are
> looking for. In so far as your printer is concerned - go to the
> manufacturers web site - append Linux on  the name of your printer and see
> if they offer Linux support.
> 
> In the good old days "apt" got installed -- apt's good at installing
> programmes you would type sudo (be root user) apt-get install then your
> file name. Now you have to install the package apt separately I could send
> you a lot of How to's on suse and a learn Linux :
> 
> Perhaps you will be at the meet this evening? Also open a Terminal - much
> like a Dos prompt and type gpg2 -k - have fun! And Welcome!
> 
> David

Thanks for the suggestions, David. Sorry I will not be at the meet this 
evening - daughter's final performance for her drama/theatre studies degree, 
so I will be in Lincoln. Anyway I seldom go to pubs as several members can 
relate (my Methodist upbringing I guess and other experiences all negative 
about suffering at hands of drinkers. It is three years now since the accident 
that put me in hospital - the car driver escaped any punishment.)

I did put myself rather badly, but I was rather frustrated when I wrote it. I 
have been using Linux in various flavours for over 20 years! First with Red 
Hat and then Fedora and building RPM packages, but in the last three years I 
went Ubuntu and Mepis.
I am familiar with all command line stuff (and have been known to teach Linux, 
Apache, MySQL, Perl, PHP as well as creating automated build scripts for a 
local hosing company). It is just that I am struggling with YaST2.

My reliable printer is Epson Stylus D92  and has been working with Mepis for 
ages. I just seem to get nothing out now that I have moved to SUSE. And the 
only support site I can find is all in Japanese!
I have also been using Oracle virtual Box, but with their 'extensions'. Alas, 
that too I cannot get working.

So I will spend a bit of time getting familiar with SUSE.

Regards,
Godfrey