[YLUG] new Linux box

[Zoe Stephenson]

On Sat, Nov 03, 2007 at 08:48:28AM +0000, Nigel wrote:
> Thank you, Zoe and Nick, for your suggestions. I have had a look at 
> the web page and had a go. Just concentrating on the graphics card 
> thing, here's what happens -
> 
> System > Administration > Restricted Drivers Manager shows
> "Nvidia graphics driver (latest cards)" status = "not in use"
> 
> I put a tick in the box "enabled" and I get a dialogue box saying
> "enable the driver?". Feeling hopeful, I click this.
> 
> Another box pops up, "the software source for the package 
> nvidia-gls-new is not enabled"
> There are no further options. Seems like a dead end.
> 
> What am I missing?

Repositories are the different places from which you have told your
computer it is allowed to install software.  By default, your OS only
enables those that contain free (unrestricted) software.  GNU/Linux
systems are very careful about giving you control over the places that
software is installed from, so that you're confident that nothing
unwanted is sneaking onto your computer.  It's easy to manage
repositories, there's some information on my slightly older Ubuntu
system under System->Help and Support->Adding and Removing Software.
Hopefully there's something similar on yours.

> I am sure the solution is in your email, Nick, but I cannot 
> understand it yet (am a raving newbie). You say "enable the 
> restricted repository". This sounds useful, but how?

System->Administration->Software Sources

Make sure you have enabled "Proprietary drivers for devices".  You
may also find it useful to enable other options here.  It should
fetch an updated list of available software when you make changes
here - if not, you may need to use the "sudo apt-get update" command
in the terminal (Applications->Accessories->Terminal).

What would be really handy, of course, would be an option in the
restricted drivers manager to enable the restricted drivers source
directly.

> I am running Ubuntu 7.10. I am at the stage when a lot of the 
> explanations in community docs don't yet make sense to me. For 
> example, a lot of community docs are about earlier versions of 
> Ubuntu, or about Kubuntu. Is the advice good for Ubuntu 7.10?
> 
> I am hoping to come along to the install day and learn some basic 
> approaches that you all got used to ages ago.

Let me know if you're having trouble working out how to get to the
venue.  Would be great to have you along for the Friday evening, if you
can make it, but I appreciate the distance may make it difficult.

-- 
 -- zoe