don't understand all IP stuff

[csodabogar]

Hi! I am a newbie in Linux world. I burned the dvd and managed to boot, but there are some basical things that I cannot understand.
1. after booting, Knoppix asks me something about VGA. It offers around 9 modes (I do not remember well because at this moment I use Win XP to write to forum). Things like 80*25, 80*40 etc. What are these and how can I use them. I just chose a mode but I don't know anything about it.
2. Network configuration. This is the hard stuff. I know what subnet mask is. I suppose that the first IP asked was the IP address of my PC. But further I don't get it. It asks something about Broadcast, and something bout nameserver. Can you pls tell me what are the conversions from Windows IP related terms to Knoppix? Without my network card configured, I cannot access the internet, and this is a ajor obstacle in using the OS.
3. Another big problem is that for major changes it asks for some root password or what. How can I know that?
Thank you!

[Harry Kuhman]

1. after booting, Knoppix asks me something about VGA. It offers around 9 modes (I do not remember well because at this moment I use Win XP to write to forum). Things like 80*25, 80*40 etc. What are these...
these refer to ascii character display dimensions, 80 characters across a line and 25 lines of characters vertically fitting on the screen for the first case and so on. But I don't know what you did to get this question, as most of us start Knoppix in a Graphical User Interface that deals with the screen size in pixels (I usually run in 1024x768 mode). And although there are "cheat codes" to force a particular resolution, most of us with reasonably new hardware don't need to use them, Knoppix starts in a mode that is at least acceptable, if not optimal. If this doesn't answer your question it would help to know how you are booting and why you are booting that way to get this question.


2. Network configuration. This is the hard stuff. I know what subnet mask is. I suppose that the first IP asked was the IP address of my PC. But further I don't get it. It asks something about Broadcast,
I'm not clear how you can know what a subnet mask is and not know what a broadcast address is. The two are tightly linked. What do you think a sub-net mask is?

It would help a lot for us to give you good advice in this if we knew your network layout and/or just wn=hat you are connecting to. If you are using a router you shouldn't have to mess with this at all, the router should set up the network automatically by DHCP. But to try to answer your question based on the little info we have: You say you understand the IP address and the mask. The brooadcast address is an address that all NICs on the network agree on to send broadcast type messages to. For example, as a computer shuts down and gives up it's DHCP lease on an IP address it annonces this to the broadcast address so that all other computers on the LAN will know and can update their routing tables appropriately. And they must all listen to the broadcast address for the same reason. It is always the highest IPaddress available based on the IP address and the sub-net mask. The name server is the Domain Name Server or DNS or DNS server (although that is redundant). It may be set to a DNS that your ISP specifies, or if using a router it is often just set to the router address (the router is going to repackage and resend that packet anyway and knows where the DNS servers are).


3. Another big problem is that for major changes it asks for some root password or what. How can I know that?
This is documented many places, including a "sticky post" in the general forum.

[csodabogar]

I checked out again, what do I see when starting Knoppix.
It sais "you passed an undefined mode number. press <return> to see video modes or press <space> to continue or wait 30 seconds" I waited 30 seconds since I had to write down on paper the message. It started to load Knoppix and went fine.
But the IP issue is still unclear.
In Windows XP I have to type in these addresses:
1. my IP address
2. subnet mask
3. default gateway
4. Preferred DNS server
5. Alternate DNS server.

Knoppix asks me these things:
0. if I use DHCP. No I don't use.
1. "IP address for eth0"
2. "network mask for eth0"
3. "default gateway"
4. "nameserver(s)"

That would it be for now. I gues I should try to type 2 addresses in the nameserver field, right?
Now as I made this table, seems to me that I understand, but please inform me if those above are the same, I mean, what at XP is Preferred DNS server, in liux it is nameserver.
Thank you!
(sorry , I'nm a bit confused by tyhis new world)

[csodabogar]

Oh. A few minutes after my last post I managed to set up the network card. In my last post I forgot to ask what should I write as Broadcast address, but I wrote the same address as my IP address. :oops:
Now, the next question is, what is the password used for administrative privileges?
Some other questions.
1. How can I protect the system from viruses? What choices/ programs do I have? How does firewalling work in this system?
2. When I download a plugin, where will it be stored? What is the root directory? Where is it?
3. How can Knoppix remember the addresses I typed last time?

Please forgive me for bombing you with questions, but my time is quite limited and I cannot afford to read everything on the forum.
In the future I will need your assistance for setting up a server. Thank you for your patience!

[Harry Kuhman]

Oh. A few minutes after my last post I managed to set up the network card. In my last post I forgot to ask what should I write as Broadcast address, but I wrote the same address as my IP address.
This is wrong, and could lead to some bad and unexpected results as the broadcast system fails. I can't tell you what broadcst address to use because you have not told me what your IP adress and mask are, and you have not told me what you are connected to either. How people expect to get this detailed information when they don't post the information needed to give it amazes me (not just you, but I welcome you to that group). Perhaps it would help you to read the wikipedia article on broadcast addresses (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadcast_address).


Now, the next question is, what is the password used for administrative privileges?
I told you, this is covered in a "sticky post" in the General forum. I'm not going to retype that information just so you don't have to go read it there, look at the top posts in that forum and you will find it.


Some other questions.
1. How can I protect the system from viruses? What choices/ programs do I have? How does firewalling work in this system?
2. When I download a plugin, where will it be stored? What is the root directory? Where is it?
3. How can Knoppix remember the addresses I typed last time?

Please forgive me for bombing you with questions, but my time is quite limited and I cannot afford to read everything on the forum.
In the future I will need your assistance for setting up a server. Thank you for your patience!

I have a few observations to make here. The second is that you are asking many questions on different topics all in the networking forum, as your first post did, These are really "off-topic" here. If you are going to post these questions at all you should at least find the proper forums for them, and should post them seperately in those forums. But the first observation is that if you don't have the time to read some basic information that is already posted in these forums, then why do you expect that I have the time to re-write it just for you? I don't mind giving my time freely to help people with networking questions, but it was a little annoying when you asked the root password question that has been well covered in many places, even more annoying when you asked it a second time after I told you were to find the answer, and insulting when you wrote that you didn't have time to read this yourself. There is a link near the top of the page for "documentation", I suggest that you follow it and look over what is available. I don't expect you to read it all now, but you should know where to find the answers. And there is are two search features in this forum that will let you search the forums for key words and find pervious discussions of topics. And, of course, there is always Google, which you could have used to look up things like "broadcast address" to get a better understanding. If you don't want to read any of this yourself I really will not lose any sleep over it, but my time is limited too (I suspect that I get the same number of minutes every day that you do) and I don't pan on spending most of them retyping information that is already posted or tracking down links for you. Please don't expect my help in setting up your server, try reading the documentation. I'm done in this thread