[SOLVED] Newbie to Linux

**lorjack** · 04-21-2009, 10:06 AM

Hi,

I just installed Ubuntu on my laptop and it seems to be working fine. I wanted to try and install some programs using the synaptic package manager but when i do some of them don't seem to work. I will tell them to install but they don't show up in the menu

Does anybody have any suggestions. Please be very clear as i am just starting to learn how to use it.

**wmorri** · 04-21-2009, 10:59 AM

Hi,

You will need to go to the applications menu, then right click on it. Next click on Edit Menus. From there you will be able to pick an choose what programs you want to see, from what is installed on your computer. This should help you out.

Cheers!

**Bartender** · 04-21-2009, 12:46 PM

lorjack, what apps did you install?
Unlike Windows, downloaded apps don't place an icon on the desktop. Generally speaking, you'll find them somewhere under the Applications header. For instance, if you install VLC Player, it'll show up in Applications>Sound and Video.
Thunderbird shows up in Apps>Internet.
Etc. etc.

Some things go elsewhere. For instance, Start-up Manager and hptools showed up in Administration.

**lorjack** · 04-21-2009, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wmorri

Hi,

You will need to go to the applications menu, then right click on it. Next click on Edit Menus. From there you will be able to pick an choose what programs you want to see, from what is installed on your computer. This should help you out.
Cheers!

I tried what you suggested but i don't see the program in the list. It is called kismet by the way. So i tried to add a new item and i browsed to the kismet folder under etc, and tried to select a file (i did not know which one to pick) and i get an access denied error. I browsed to that folder and looked at the permissions and it is all greyed out saying that I'm not the owner so i can't do nothing. Root is the owner. I thought that i was the root user besides the root account itself. So i guess i need to elevate my privileges somehow.

Quote:

lorjack, what apps did you install?
Unlike Windows, downloaded apps don't place an icon on the desktop. Generally speaking, you'll find them somewhere under the Applications header. For instance, if you install VLC Player, it'll show up in Applications>Sound and Video.
Thunderbird shows up in Apps>Internet.
Etc. etc.

Right now i'm trying to install kismet. It is interesting i successfully installed Wine and some other random science program while i'm trying to figure this out. It seems that if the program creates its own section under applications, like the science program created an education folder and wine created its own folder called wine then it works fine. But for any program that would go under an existing folder then it doesn't work ( i have tried multiple ones).

**Bartender** · 04-21-2009, 02:54 PM

Hmmm, what you describe doesn't ring any bells. Close Synaptic. Use the Add/Remove function (at the bottom when you click on Applications) and scroll thru there for something you want to add. You can't run Synaptic and Add/Remove at the same time. If you're not sure what to pick out, try adding something harmless, like GnomePPP from the Internet group. If GnomePPP doesn't show up in Applications>Internet when you're done then there is definitely something screwy going on.

Take a look at this webpage
http://blog.surfwerks.com/?p=100
Recent instructions for kismet. It looks a little geeky for a newbie. For example, if you don't have the exact same wi-fi card as the author how would you know what to enter??

Plus there's the Kismet home page
http://www.kismetwireless.net/

Good luck

**lorjack** · 04-21-2009, 04:46 PM

Well the Add/Remove function seems to work without error. And your right about those instructions. They seemed to have installed kismet but i don't know what card it is i'm using. It is integrated in the laptop. So i'll have to try and figure it out

**lorjack** · 04-21-2009, 06:08 PM

Sweet i figured it out. The program works now. I had a little trouble with it setting my wireless card to monitor mode and then i didn't know how to get it back. Thank god for MAN pages. Anyways i only have one question now. Before i could change the mode that my card was in i had to disable the wireless via the mouse. I couldn't figure out how to due this in the terminal and there has to be a way to do it.

Thanks

shuuhen · 04-23-2009, 10:46 AM

For disabling the network interface:

sudo ifconfig interface down

where interface is something like eth0, eth1, wlan0, wlan1, etc. (whichever corresponds to the specific device). You can enable the device by replacing down with up.

**lorjack** · 04-25-2009, 08:15 AM

Oh ok i was trying to do it with iwconfig. I'm going to go ahead and mark this thread as solved since i got the program i wanted working.

billconner · 04-26-2009, 03:05 PM

While you're at, install Wireshark, it has a GUI. Also install wicd, it has a GUI, wicd-client that shows wireless networks nearby.

Bill

**lorjack** · 04-26-2009, 04:23 PM

I actually use wireshark on my Windows OS and i'll try out the other programs in time

04-21-2009, 10:06 AM	#1 (permalink)
lorjack TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Planet Earth Posts: 2,205 OS: Windows 2K, XP Pro sp3, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Ubuntu	[SOLVED] Newbie to Linux Hi, I just installed Ubuntu on my laptop and it seems to be working fine. I wanted to try and install some programs using the synaptic package manager but when i do some of them don't seem to work. I will tell them to install but they don't show up in the menu Does anybody have any suggestions. Please be very clear as i am just starting to learn how to use it.

04-21-2009, 10:59 AM	#2 (permalink)
wmorri Moderator/Fedora Amb. Join Date: May 2008 Location: /pm/etc Posts: 2,814 OS: Window 7/Fedora 10 My System	Re: Newbie to Linux Hi, You will need to go to the applications menu, then right click on it. Next click on Edit Menus. From there you will be able to pick an choose what programs you want to see, from what is installed on your computer. This should help you out. Cheers! __________________ Linux Forever!

04-21-2009, 12:46 PM	#3 (permalink)
Bartender Mentally divergent Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Chehalis, WA, USA Posts: 1,285 OS: W2K, Ubuntu 8.04	Re: Newbie to Linux lorjack, what apps did you install? Unlike Windows, downloaded apps don't place an icon on the desktop. Generally speaking, you'll find them somewhere under the Applications header. For instance, if you install VLC Player, it'll show up in Applications>Sound and Video. Thunderbird shows up in Apps>Internet. Etc. etc. Some things go elsewhere. For instance, Start-up Manager and hptools showed up in Administration.

04-21-2009, 02:54 PM	#5 (permalink)
Bartender Mentally divergent Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Chehalis, WA, USA Posts: 1,285 OS: W2K, Ubuntu 8.04	Re: Newbie to Linux Hmmm, what you describe doesn't ring any bells. Close Synaptic. Use the Add/Remove function (at the bottom when you click on Applications) and scroll thru there for something you want to add. You can't run Synaptic and Add/Remove at the same time. If you're not sure what to pick out, try adding something harmless, like GnomePPP from the Internet group. If GnomePPP doesn't show up in Applications>Internet when you're done then there is definitely something screwy going on. Take a look at this webpage http://blog.surfwerks.com/?p=100 Recent instructions for kismet. It looks a little geeky for a newbie. For example, if you don't have the exact same wi-fi card as the author how would you know what to enter?? Plus there's the Kismet home page http://www.kismetwireless.net/ Good luck

04-21-2009, 04:46 PM	#6 (permalink)
lorjack TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Planet Earth Posts: 2,205 OS: Windows 2K, XP Pro sp3, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Ubuntu	Re: Newbie to Linux Well the Add/Remove function seems to work without error. And your right about those instructions. They seemed to have installed kismet but i don't know what card it is i'm using. It is integrated in the laptop. So i'll have to try and figure it out __________________ Those who can't write, write manuals. Don't trouble trouble until trouble troubles you...

04-21-2009, 06:08 PM	#7 (permalink)
lorjack TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Planet Earth Posts: 2,205 OS: Windows 2K, XP Pro sp3, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Ubuntu	Re: Newbie to Linux Sweet i figured it out. The program works now. I had a little trouble with it setting my wireless card to monitor mode and then i didn't know how to get it back. Thank god for MAN pages. Anyways i only have one question now. Before i could change the mode that my card was in i had to disable the wireless via the mouse. I couldn't figure out how to due this in the terminal and there has to be a way to do it. Thanks __________________ Those who can't write, write manuals. Don't trouble trouble until trouble troubles you...

04-23-2009, 10:46 AM	#8 (permalink)
shuuhen Manager Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Colorado Posts: 986 OS: Mac OS 9.1, Mac OS X 10.5.8, WinXP Pro, FreeBSD 6.0, Gentoo Linux My System	Re: Newbie to Linux For disabling the network interface: *sudo ifconfig interface* down** where interface is something like eth0, eth1, wlan0, wlan1, etc. (whichever corresponds to the specific device). You can enable the device by replacing down with up. __________________ Has it been a few days since I replied to your thread? Don't panic! I'm a busy college student and may forget a post if I'm extra busy (or it might just take me a while to be able to do a decent reply). If you still need help and are awaiting my reply after a few days, PM me about it. When posting what errors you get, please give the full message. It makes helping you much easier.

04-25-2009, 08:15 AM	#9 (permalink)
lorjack TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Planet Earth Posts: 2,205 OS: Windows 2K, XP Pro sp3, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Ubuntu	Re: Newbie to Linux Oh ok i was trying to do it with iwconfig. I'm going to go ahead and mark this thread as solved since i got the program i wanted working. __________________ Those who can't write, write manuals. Don't trouble trouble until trouble troubles you...

04-26-2009, 03:05 PM	#10 (permalink)
billconner Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 10 OS: vista, Fedora	Re: [SOLVED] Newbie to Linux While you're at, install Wireshark, it has a GUI. Also install wicd, it has a GUI, wicd-client that shows wireless networks nearby. Bill

04-26-2009, 04:23 PM	#11 (permalink)
lorjack TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Planet Earth Posts: 2,205 OS: Windows 2K, XP Pro sp3, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Ubuntu	Re: [SOLVED] Newbie to Linux I actually use wireshark on my Windows OS and i'll try out the other programs in time __________________ Those who can't write, write manuals. Don't trouble trouble until trouble troubles you...