Linux and free software

[Blackcat]

Ipod nano and Linux

Anyone could please tell me what programs I need to use the Ipod nano on Linux? And no, Im not going to buy a Mac, they are really expensive here!.

[Threaux]

Don't use an I-Pod!

But if you must...
http://www.cavecanen.org/linux/ipod/

Thats the most in depth artice I've seen on the subject.  There are several programs listed within the article.
http://www.gtkpod.org/about.html has a GUI and everything and claims to work with Nano as well.

[Blackcat]

Thanks, I will almost anything to avoid using Windows XP in one of my PCs.

[Alistair Erie]

I really don't understand compiling. Can any of you help me out.
There's really no point to Linux if you can't compile anything.

[Daisensei]

I really don't understand compiling. Can any of you help me out.
There's really no point to Linux if you can't compile anything.

It depends on what you want to compile, but in general you must enter the main directory of the source code (cd [directory]), perform some configuration (may be a shell script, make configure command, or manually editing a Makefile), and finally compile the program (with cc or gcc command, make [target] command or a shell script). Most of the source code have a README file that explains how to do the proper compilation.

For example, I use the following steps to compile the mplayer program.

• 1) cd [root directory] (changes to source root directory)
• 2) export DEB_BUILD_OPTIONS="options" (configures the compiling options)
• 3) fakeroot debian/rules binary (compiles the program)
• 4) dpkg -i ../mplayer_1.0cvs_i386.deb (install the program compiled as .DEB - Debian package file)

In the example above, it was supposed that all the programs and libraries necessaries to perform the compilation are properly installed in your computer.

If you understood nothing that was said here, ask me a more specific question (what program? what Linux distro?) and I'll try to help.

[Alistair Erie]

Actually what always gets me is that I'll do the steps in the README correctly (or at least what I think is correct), but the computer always says that I have files missing. Why do you think that happens?
I'll try to get you an example some time.

(I'm sorry that I wasn't more specific with my question.)

[Daisensei]

I can think in the following reasons which cause the compile failure of that kind.

• The source code you have is broken, or missing some files. You must ask politely to the programmers or the publishers for a fixed source code; or wait for a new release of the program.
• Your system lacks some necessary program for compiling, like the compiler iteself, preprocessors, linkers, assemblers, make and so on. In such case you must install all the required files.
• The program which will be copiled uses some library that is absent. A library is a peace of code shared by many programs, so there is no need to repeat it inside all programs and this saves memory and programming labour. The command ldd <executable binary> shows all the libraries the executable are linked to. For example, libc6 is a library which almost all programs are linked to. When the program you are trying to compile requires some library, you must install it. However some distributions (e.g. Debian) split the library in two parts, one required for only running programs (e.g. libc6 package), and other to make programs that use it (e.g. libc6-dev package); both must be installed.
• Some file isn't being distributed with the source code, owing to legal issues, and must be got somewhere else. This is common in emulators, where ROM are required but which cannot be distributed by the programmers/publishers.

To figure out what is happening, it's useful to have the output of the shell recorded in a text file. This is possible with the command script <text file name>; after the end of all compilation process, typing logout will close the command and the text file remain in the HD.
When you have more specific question, you may ask back here or in private. Glad to help you.

[Alistair Erie]

Thanks a lot! 

[Blackcat]

I need a sequential image viewer (like infaview, I mean...a program that lets you see the next image just pressing a key) for Linux, any suggestions please?.

[Threaux]

http://www.xnview.com/
xnView lets you do that and it can view over 400 different image file formats as well.

[Blackcat]

Thanks, so you know any video conversion utility for Linux?

[Threaux]

http://www.thugsatbay.com/tab/?q=tab-video-converter-encoder
The T@b software people make a good one for free, their free video editor for linux is also pretty good.

[Blackcat]

Thanks, so any program to use Rar format on Linux? My Ubuntu doesn’t support it, since is not free.

[Threaux]

That's tricky, but you have a few options, 1st you can use RAR for linux
http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/1053350629/2
It's shareware and should work for you.  Just use the unrar command.
 
or try the Xarchiver frontend if you want to go the GTK+2 route once you have command line rar support.
http://xarchiver.xfce.org/

or try the 7zip for linux and see if that does it.
http://www.7-zip.org/download.html

[Blackcat]

So I tried a linux live CD for dreamcast and got bored after 20 minutes of my dreamcast tryng to boot it,  know one that works?

[Alistair Erie]

Where'd you get the keyboard, hard drive, etc. for that?
I had been looking.

So I tried a linux live CD for dreamcast and got bored after 20 minutes of my dreamcast tryng to boot it,  know one that works?

Well if you really want a unix dreamcast (which would rock by the way), you could try installing NetBSD.
It's not live, but I think it'd work.

[Threaux]

Try DSL (D*mn Small Linux) and see if that works. It has a live cd and is so small the whole OS can run within system RAM.
http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/ 

[adam808]

Does DSL have an X server installed and I just forgot to start it?

[Threaux]

Yeah, DSL should have X server support built right in.

[adam808]

Yeah, the VMware image just didn't automatically load the GUI. The real boot CD does.
For people new to Unix-like OSes, I'd have to recommend PC-BSD (it's based off of FreeBSD) since it has some features that make it easier at first. It has something like the install shield, which uses PBI files you double-click on. It's a good learning OS for Unix I think. I'm not sure about drivers yet, I only tried it in a virtual machine not on real hardware. I'm thinking of trying it on an extra hard drive soon.