Just wondered something about Linux and Windows as when my laptop was running windows xp you could hear the hard drive everytime you clicked anything ie opening software or photos but with linux the hard drive is as smooth as butter

So is it to do with the file systems each ones uses or something else :shrug:

I am not sure eyerex.
I have noticed that with my regular pc.

you mentioned before about playing around with suse linux and it keeps running and not failing.

I have a good one to tell you.
when I installed suse linux fresh install. I disabled all my other hard drives. a Sata fat32 format.
after suse linux was installed, I shut it down and hooked up the fat32 hard drive.
Then I tried to share it.
first it was not seen, had to enable it and set a mount location for it.

I got a western digital hard drive in from newegg. 500 gig Sata.
I installed it , formated it to ntfs.
booted back into Suse linux. enabled it and set it for a mount to my directory.
rebooted and guess, what. my log in for suse linux was corrupted and unbootable.
I broke it , I broke it real good.

I forgot, and I might be wrong on this. but I think if your going to use a extra hard drive with ntfs format. there are programs to install so linux and read and understand how to work with a ntfs format.
maybe trying to mount this ntfs disc + I did some other stuff before rebooting.
maybe that broke in log ininstall.

I just poped in the Suse 11.1 install dvd disc. and booted to it. I chose the option to do a repair.
it seen right away there was serveral errors with the intall ,and seen there was new hard drives that was not set up right.
it automaticaly set them up , installed all proper programs for this and set the mount points for me.

after it was done, 100% complete with repairing intall.
I rebooted, suse linux booted right up into my log in. never lost anything. went to My Computer and there was both extra internal hard drives I installed.
I have full control ove the fat32 bit formated drive.
I am able to open up the ntfs formated drive, but can not write to it. but at least it is being seen and i am able to access it.

from past experiences I know there is another program I need to install and set up so it will give me full acces and write access to a ntfs formated drive.
my friend did this and got it working flawlessly. so I know it can be done.

after that I just need to get this net working figured out. net working is a train crash that has already happend that needs to be cleaned up fixed and put back to gether and set back on the tracks and told what to do from scratch. I had it working one time, then tried making some changes . then it broke. lol.

about the Widgets. under personal settings, General tab, (look and feel) click on Appearance.
first setting is style. there it has Widget Styles options.
I have not messed with it or changed anything from it. but thought you might be able to play with it or add something from there.
hope that helps.

I did like the Picture widget. where it shows a window that shows a slide show of all your pictures or of ones you select.

Better own up to something but i've jumped ship again lol

I'm now running Mandriva which is the dogs bollocks it's the only Linux which has setup my screen and keyboard as they should be on my Asus A4k laptop plus all the fn keys work how they should also the extra cd playing keys

Theres only one little problem which is getting MPEG-4 AAC working with videos which i need to get off a repositorie which is down tell tomorrow as don't want to install mplayer at the moment

Plus you can't use Packman with Mandriva which is a shame as that place has everything lol

No worries Eyerex.

Mandriva is a extant linux too.
I really liked that version too. and it was great.
I have not used it since it was called Mandrake. that has been a few years ago.

its been too long since I have used that version. and dont know much about it anymore.

if you ever want to change back. just remember these post. hope they come in handy when needed.

Mandriva is a good linux. it was one of my favorite versions. I might have to down load it and give it a try.

I even told a few people at work about Mandriva and they liked it.

I still like the challange of getting this net work working on Suse linux. and the ntfs figured out.

I mainly use suse linux to check emails, make music with mp3 and burn disc. and back up the kids and my DVD movies on reguler dvd disc. and I have suse linux fixed to do that flawlessly.

gues I should make a hard drive image of this suse linux and install Mandriva. if I dont like it, I can use acronis true image to put suse back on with in minutes. no data lost.

I think its great your trying out all the different kinds of linux. reminds of when I did the same thing a few years ago.

oh, remember, if you get something you kidof like. and want to keep. install a virtual machine in linux. then if you want to try a differnt linux. you can install it in the virtual machine, try it out, install a differnent one. or install mutipule linux versions to go back and forth with out reinstalling. for testing.

Think i will buy the Mandriva t-shirt as it's my last stop as it works so will with my hardware plus i find it to be the fastest of the distros i've used ie opening programs and general use

Anyway i'm a happy bunny now and i'm glad i gave linux a try

i only know this b/c of a bug in ext3 that caused ext4 filesystems to corrupt data when converted, but this was fixed prior to ubuntu 9.04 released.

ext3 will write data to the drive anywhere from 1 second to 5 minutes after a change is done (e.g. save changes to a text file)

try VLC for mpeg aac.

cant tell you anything about other players or the respositories,
but currently i am only using ubuntu right now (might try fedora 11 next week/month)

It could be to do with the filesystem, something else that just came to mind was caching, afaik Linux uses up all of your memory for cache and then swaps stuff in and out of memory when you open any new stuff. So the files you are opening could already be in memory and so not requiring HD access.

so thats what a swap partition is for.... haha I didn't know that!

Also in addition to the actual swap, the RAM itself is completely filled up with cache and then released to other apps as they need it.

Eyerex.
what version of Mandriva did you download and install.
The Free Spring 2009 DVD,
or the Mandriva Linux Powerpack 2009 1 Spring Dvd I586

I downloaded the free version and installing now.
was just wondering are you able to have full access for MP3 music and back up DVDs?
gues I am being inpatient . its been a long time since I have actually installed a different linux.

reason I switched. ? I got Suse linux installed and working perfectly just like I allways have. then I started working on setting up the net work to share drives.
that kicked my butt. and after reading threw the linux forums , it sounds like the makers of Suse linux have not made that part any better. might of made it worse if anything.
I just got tired of messing with it. started to piss me off.

so, I am going to jump on the same boat as you are on, and see how it sails.
if the net working works like it should, and I am able to do what I want with MP3's and be able to back up DVD's then, I might just stay with Mandriva.

are you still liking it ?

Yes the free spring 2009

Mp3's are playing ok it just had to download a codec for Mpeg-4 playback, use link below for extra repositories then use Grip if i wanted to rip CD's as MP3's

http://www.mandrivauser.de/smarturpmi/ (http://www.optical-edge.net/redirector.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mandrivauser.d e%2Fsmarturpmi%2F)
or
http://mandrivausers.org/easyurpmi/

Not tried any DVD backup software yet but K9copy comes up in the repositories

Also found this The Perfect Desktop - Mandriva One 2009.0 With GNOME (http://www.howtoforge.com/the-perfect-desktop-mandriva-one-2009.0-gnome)

not sure what went wrong . ?
got it installed. and went to see about drivers for video card Nvidia .
system locked up on me .
I did like how it had full access to all drives. and was able to write to a ntfs format.

after it locked up on me. I am installing Suse Enterprise edition.
I checked the programs to be installed and it seems to have all necessary files needed to install for file sharing.
this is almost done installing.
never installed the Enterprise edition. so , I thought I would see how it looks and works.

I am thinking I might have a faulty power supply. that might be why the pc crashed.
will try to get a new power supply tomorrow and see if that helps some issues I have been having.

Thanks for those links eyerex. I will definitely use them when I reinstall Mandriva.

think I will install it on a spare hard drive and just keep two linux operating systems running.

update, : linux pc just crashed on me again. after install and system was writing system files. lol.
wonder how its going to work now.

looks like I will need to replace the power supply sooner than I thought.

check the memory too

most of the linux boot have an option for memtest86

Also forgot but there's a little problem with wifi not connecting but not sure if it's been fixed now as theres been two extra updates last night which had something to do with networking

Fix if you have problem posted by Alfred2 over at Mandriva forum

1) Click "Configure your Computer", enter root password
2) Click on "Network & Internet"
3) Click " Set up a new Network Interface...."
4) Highlight "wireless" then click the "Next" button
5) Make sure the bullet is in: "Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 4965 AG or........"then click NEXT
6) "Please select your Network..click NEXT
7) fill in your Network info...key to use and click NEXT
8) Bullet in "Automatic IP .....click NEXT
9) Normally tick both boxes for: "Get DNS servers from DHCP" and Assign host name from DHCP address

10) NOW IN THE SAME WINDOW: Click the "Advanced" TAB!!!!!!
11) In the DHCP Client box, use the down arrow and chose: dhcpd

Now go from there.....
It should either ask you for your Mandriva disk..or pull it down from the Internet (Which it obviously can't at the moment). In this case, just use a Ethernet cable to hook up your PC to the Internet, so it can pull in the package.

yea, i had fun with a thumb drive when i was trying to get wireless working in ubuntu 7.04/7.10/8.04 luckally, it worked out of the box 8.10.

there is also wicd, which i like better than network manager (dont know what kde uses)

If your after a sweet dvd player give SMPlayer ago will also try out K9Copy later

vlc works for a dvd player in ubuntu great - just like it does in windows...

I had a problem with vlc with linux where it wouldn't un-mount the drive when i finished using the software

well yea, but you can right click on the desktop and tell it to eject the drive when you are done (as i would do in windows for a dvd)

sometimes it locks-out the button on the drive itself, so you might have to use the umount/eject option... kinda like a mac; though they were crazy enough to make it with a slot loading drive and throw-away the eject button and for the most part, the eject safety (the old paper clip trick)