New Users, your input needed

Booting, installing, newbie
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nduanetesh
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New Users, your input needed

#1 Post by nduanetesh »

Hi,

I'm starting this thread to ask those of you who are new to linux what you feel can be done to improve the user friendliness of puppy. Many of us have been playing with the pup for quite a while now, and what seems second nature to us might not be so much to folks who are seeing puppy for the first time. So, what do you think can be done to make the transition to puppy easier?

I'll start:

If the modem wizard successfully sets up your modem, it should immediately take you to a dialogue to set up your dial-up connection, and then should place an icon on the desktop that you can click to connect to the net.

Descriptive popups or more descriptive names for apps on the start menu.

Fewer redundant apps in the start menu.

Single click button to print "Barry Kauler for president!" poster.

ND

Mwphoto

comments on day 1 of using puppy

#2 Post by Mwphoto »

Ok,

first off, I came to puppy as I saw it as an easy way to start playing with linux without having to mess with dual boot etc. It means my windows machine can be kept operational without the risk of me doing serious damage. Also I can use puppy on a work machine where I wouldn't be allowed to mess with dual boot anyway.

The first thing I've noticed is that I'd really like a 'first time setup' list that essentially goes through all the items one by one and gives a start, and also links to the hardcore documentation. For example:

1) boot first time - setting the keyboard

2) testing/configuring the monitor resolution

3) testing/setting up ethernet

4) testing/setting up sound drivers (my problem)

I was thinking it should be something like an installation checklist, with some pointers for where to go for help if it doesn't work :)

I'll post more if I think of it.

Malcolm

newuser

#3 Post by newuser »

not sure if there are kb shortcuts for puppy, such as CTRL-ESC to open the startup menu, CTRL-E to open windows explorer, as similar shortcuts.

and i dont like the mouse icon flipping over in the GUI. it's distracting.

ability to change refresh rate of monitor.

gaming supported?

GuestToo
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#4 Post by GuestToo »

Icewm has tons of keyboard shortcuts ... if you don't like the way it's setup, it's easy to edit the config files and configure your own shortcuts

Rich
Posts: 278
Joined: Wed 04 May 2005, 19:00
Location: Middlesbrough - UK

#5 Post by Rich »

GuestToo wrote:Icewm has tons of keyboard shortcuts ... if you don't like the way it's setup, it's easy to edit the config files and configure your own shortcuts
make sure to backup any files you intend to change though....I've just spent the last hour trying to remember which file I just altered. After a reboot it wouldn't let me into the GUI at all. 8)
( what an amateur ) :(

GolpyPenguin

Removing Icons from start menu-> Ice WM

#6 Post by GolpyPenguin »

I need to customise my start menu.

I was unable to do this under the default windows manager.
I thought iceWM looked good, so I tried to download a dotpup.

I had to log in/register, so I registered.

I still can't log in.

SO the only way I could remove icons from the desktop is by cutting chunks of my monitor out with a hacksaw.


GolpyPenguin

GuestToo
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#7 Post by GuestToo »

you should be able to download dotpups without registering

just click Setup, Dotpup Roxapp Packages in the start menu

or click here to go to the web page:

http://www.goosee.com/puppy/wikka/DotPups

the Icewm package is in the Window Managers section

GuestToo
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#8 Post by GuestToo »

i just tried the DotPups page on the wiki

you can download dotpups that are on goosee, but if you try to download a dotpup that was uploaded to this forum, it tells you it is not authorized

http://tinypic.com/5531jl

and you can't see attachments on the forum if you are not logged in

mskaarupj

#9 Post by mskaarupj »

I am not new to Linux, but have just used Puppy for the first time. I agree with Mwphoto - it would be good to have the setup wizard started up initially, so that one at least has an internet connection. I too miss a wizard for setting up sound, or at least a FAQ or wiki page with a howto.

Morten

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Lobster
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Add to Sound to Howl To

#10 Post by Lobster »

This is the page for setting up Pup - which I am about to update to 1.0.2
No sound config as yet . . .

http://www.goosee.com/puppy/wikka/ConfiguringPuppy
Puppy Raspup 8.2Final 8)
Puppy Links Page http://www.smokey01.com/bruceb/puppy.html :D

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dvw86
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Desktop Folder

#11 Post by dvw86 »

How about a "Desktop" directory? Any files in that folder would show up as icons on your desktop.

GuestToo
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#12 Post by GuestToo »

it would be tricky to change desktop icons from a program

you need to edit /root/Choices/ROX-Filer/PuppyPin and /root/Choices/ROX-Filer/globicons ... and make sure the icons don't overlap each other

if you have programs and shortcuts to programs in a folder, you can click the icon in the folder to run the program ... in other words, use the folder like a menu ... if you middle-click the icon, the rox window will automatically close

if the shortcuts in the folder are roxapps ... then they can have icons built into the shortcut

so all you have to do is drag it to the desktop, if you want a desktop shortcut

of course, the Puppy default desktop could have shortcuts to roxapps as easily as any other program

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dvw86
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#13 Post by dvw86 »

I was just thinking of making things easy for new users. For instance, you download a program from the internment and it is placed in the "Desktop" directory by default. when it is done downloading it shows up on the desktop as an icon. You then click the icon and the program is ran.

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BarryK
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#14 Post by BarryK »

dvw86 wrote:I was just thinking of making things easy for new users. For instance, you download a program from the internment and it is placed in the "Desktop" directory by default. when it is done downloading it shows up on the desktop as an icon. You then click the icon and the program is ran.
Yes, that has been in the back of my mind as a logical next step for the PupGet package manager. In /root/.packages/ there are various files for an installed package, so why not a file for a desktop shortcut?
I haven't thought it through yet, this is just a vague idea, that it would be a good thing.

GuestToo
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#15 Post by GuestToo »

i made a Thunderbird installer that put an icon on the desktop

you have to edit 2 files in Choices ... trickiest part is that icons can be anywhere, and you have to set the x and y coordinates, so to do it properly, you really need to be able to read the coordinates from the confiig file and put your icon somewhere where it won't be put over existing icons (if there actually is space on the desktop) ... to do this properly really needs a more complicated program than a bash script (bash does have some limited arithmetic capabilities)

nmwinow
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#16 Post by nmwinow »

I'm new to Puppy and new to Linux. I installed Suse 8.0 to a laptop and never warmed up to it. In order for Puppy to be useful to me, I have to be able to boot it from USB key from many different computers. Bare minimum is the two I own. It boots fine from my laptop but not at all from my desktop. Desktop bios won't allow it and I can't get the floppy boot to work. If I booted from CD but read/saved from/to USB key, that would be just as good.

If I can get Pup to do that, then it will be way better for me than Suse or any version of windows. If I can't get it to do that then its just another cool idea.

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Flash
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#17 Post by Flash »

nmwinow wrote:I'm new to Puppy and new to Linux. I installed Suse 8.0 to a laptop and never warmed up to it. In order for Puppy to be useful to me, I have to be able to boot it from USB key from many different computers. Bare minimum is the two I own. It boots fine from my laptop but not at all from my desktop. Desktop bios won't allow it and I can't get the floppy boot to work. If I booted from CD but read/saved from/to USB key, that would be just as good.

If I can get Pup to do that, then it will be way better for me than Suse or any version of windows. If I can't get it to do that then its just another cool idea.
Here's something in the Wiki that looks like a possible answer to your question. It may be a bit out of date though. Keep in mind that Puppy is a work in Progress; Barry is working on the next version now. Which version of Puppy do you have?

nmwinow
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#18 Post by nmwinow »

Thanks Flash, that looks real close to what I'm looking for. I think the problem pc has a FAT partition and already has pup001 on it, but that shouldn't hurt. I'm using Puppy 0.9.9 now. Maybe I'll delete pup001 from the hd, delete everything from the usb key, and start over with the newest pup.

So that will get pup to boot from cd and read/write to usb on the desk pc, but will I also be able to boot from usb AND use the pup001 that's there from the desk pc? I'll try, this sounds promising.

tim
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Suggestions for Puppy

#19 Post by tim »

I think Puppy is great! I found it on the current Linux Format magazine DVD along with some others (DSL) and after trying them all, found it to be the best ! - I now run the Firefox version which also gives me sound. I think printing is the next improvement needed, with the ability to print from the Abiword print button.
A sound config wizard would be nice and perhaps a splashscreen to hide all the scrolling info on bootup? I did check to see if the installed version of Grub supported that but no luck.
I had no problems conncting to the internet via dialup and an external modem and now have the ability to breath life into old pc's, once destined for the scrap!
keep up the good work.....
Thanks
Tim

Rich
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#20 Post by Rich »

Glad you like Puppy so far Tim,
What version are you using?? the reason I ask is because, after reading your post, I tried the Print Button in Abiword ( puppy 1.0.1 ) and it worked for me .

Printing is defined as a 'work in progress' at the moment, and improvements/enhancements to it are on the to-do list as far as I know.

Even so, Abiword should print out for you .

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