network printer

[yazdzik]

Dear Friends,
I am really curious about the Knoppix cd, insofar as it is supposed to let the curious windows user figure out how linux works.
Okay, I found out from searching that Knoppix himself hates flash, but one needs to now how, for instance, easy it is to print an envelope in Open office. In Word, it's on a pull down menu, mailings>envelopes - I have yet to find it in Open Office. Then, I would like to know if it is going to be as hard to set up a printer in a real full installation.
In knoppix, the wizard runs, but the printer does not print. Likewise, I can see in the xsm browser the workgroup, and even look at files from the other computer, but the other computer, and therefore I take it, the printer, attached to that computer, does not see the linux laptop. Is this intentional, if so, why? If not, I am doing something stupid?
Also, since I can only see the other pc's "My DOcuments" in the xsm browser, the *.doc files do not open automatically with open office or kword, an one would like to know why. Obviously, the text reader that the browser assigns will not help, since the text it prints is binaries.
These are minor things, but without a flash plugin, a broswer is useless.
Another question on the experienced folk here, why can one not highlight a text and chose "copy" from a right click context menu in Konqueror?
One last silly question: why is there no support for 1400x1050 resolution? Or is there, and I cannot make it work?
No one objects if these things are supposed to be this way, but, for a new user, the lack of knowing whether this is inherent in the system, or user error is enough to put one off linux forever, and this surely cannot be the intention of the cd.
Is Konqueror better than IE? I cannot tell, since I am viewing it in a lower resolution, and have yet to figure out if there is a word processor based e-mail, or an outlook type organiser. Sure, Korgnaiser is great, but a heaving hitter like outlook, well, how many ttf fonts would I be able to download with one click to be able to one click on the reminder to send a lettre of reference to a student, with the instructions to "print out best quality, and sign my name" so that I never have to go to the post office.
The PC is supposed to save time, and this one lack makes me wonder. My lawyer sent me a brief the other day, to open, print out lettre quality, and send by messenger to the court. If running a linux box means I have to see people, go back to using paper docs, and cannot send attachments that every person on the planet can open and print, if need be, I would like to know this.
As is, the knoppix cd is a brilliant achievement, but the curious newbie cannot judge the appropriateness of linux from it, because I do not know if KDE always is the way it is, or is the way it is because the cd lacks space for every bell and whistle.
Likewise, it would be nice to know why I cannot boot with gnome as my desktop, even thought the screen says I can. I do not know if I am doing something wrong, or the run from the dvdplayer version is just different from the one I might have downloaded, had I the patience.(I bought mine from cheapbytes, by the way.)
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Particulary on outlook replacements and at drivers for laptops at high resolutions.

Very best to all, and many, many thanks for all the info from the forums.

Martin

[aay]

Ok you raise a lot of issues but here goes.

For envelope try: Insert/Envelope

You must be surfing different sites than I do because I'd really not agree that without the flash plug in either Mozilla or Konqueror are useless. The real reason why Flash and other things are not included is because of licensing issues. I haven't looked at the license for Flash, but I expect that it doesn't allow for distribution on a CD like Knoppix. It is quite easy to install if you have linux on a hard drive. I did it yesterday in just a few seconds.

Re the highlight issue, right click, and copy in Konqueror, you can
highlight/edit/copy or better yet hilight, ctrl+c. This is not a Knoppix issue but a Konqueror. You can also try out the Mozilla browser (which I preferanyway)

Re the 1400x1050 issue, I was able to make this res work fine on my laptop. Are you using the cheat codes when you start knoppix? Try, “knoppix screen=1400x1050”

If you want an Outlook type tool you need to use Evolution. It's not on the CD however (cant' fit everything on one CD). It is freely downloadable and can be used with just about any linux distribution you install to your hard drive. I recently installed Knoppix on my HD and I easily got Evolution by: “apt-get install evolution”.A groupware (kroupware) tool is currently being developed for
KDE and will hopefully be ready soon. Maybe it will make it into Knoppix.

Re Gnome, if you check the cheat codes (press F2 when you get to the first boot up screen), you'll see instructions on how to boot into different desktops. The version of Gnome on the Knoppix CD is old and it's unlikely to be updated because of space issues and the fact that Klaus doesn't really care for Gnome. I saw on the mailing list the other day that it may be removed altogether in the upcoming release.

Re the DVD issue. The only way to play dvd's in Linux right now is to use the encryption cracking tool decss. In certain countries like the US this is illegal. This is why it's not included on the CD. It's a stinking shame that this is the way it is, but Windows has the corner on the market on a lot of things. This is another aspect of their monopoly. Nevertheless if you install linux on your hard drive it's pretty easy to set things up to watch DVD's. I actually posted instructions on the Knoppix.net site in the FAQ.

Hope this helps.

[yazdzik]

Dear KM,
Not only does it help, it helps immensely.
I cannot find the FAQ where you talk about DVDs, only the forum faq. The befuddled should probably not try living in linux, but, the pop ups "windows has encountered a problem...." are getting to me. After thousands of dollars worth of software, I expect if not flawless, at least adequate productivity. Point me, please, in my stupour to the FAQS, and accept, please, my gratitude.
Yours,
Martin

[aay]

I'm sorry. It's my fault. I referred to the FAQ when it's really under the Docs section. Here is the exact page you need to go to: http://www.knoppix.net/docs/index.php/FaqUsing

[yazdzik]

Dear aay,
You are super. Now, one last, I promise, question, which is the printer and reading XP files question, as I think they are interrelated.
The Dell desktop must remain on XPPRO, although I supposer reformatting to FAt is possible, but right now, I can see files in the xmbrowers, nut not edit or read them. Likewise, Dell does not see the laptop, nor does the printer print, even though the scan process in the printer setup correctly identifies it.
I connected to the Dell over a gateway, and the printer is on the Dell. I cannot see what is preventing me from printing, as I chose cups, it identifies, it says it sends the test doc to the printer but the printer sleeps soundly in innocence.
Any ideas what I am doing wrong?
Again, thanks and more thanks.
Martin

[boehmb]

Yazdzik,

I'm not in front of my 'Knoppix' computer right now, but I have a Windows network and a shared printer. I went through the 'configure printer' (I think) in the Knoppix menu to set up my shared printer. In my situation I had to enter the workgroup name, computer name the printer is connected to (in my case an old Dell PII-266), pick a driver, name the printer, etc., just by following the pop up screens. One thing I got wrong when browsing my network: the computer is named Dell 266, not \\Dell 266\ like in Windows. Are you following the printer set up in KDE? You may have to pick another driver if the first one doesn't work. What printer are you trying to print to?

Brad
(Also a musician)

[yazdzik]

Dear Brad,
Thanks for responding. The set up wizard works fine, scans and comes up with the right computer, and the right printer, but at the "test" pop-up, it says it sent the test successfully, but the printer prints not.
May it have to do with the NTSF file system on the Desktop XPPro pc to which the printer is attached? I should think not, as the printer driver should be handled here at the knoppix pc. or does it have to do with the same idiosyncrasy that does not give a proper file association to the desktop's files in the xsmbrowser? Why can I simply not set up a neighbourhood network, without the Lisa thing telling me I need root privileges. The Dell desktop cannot see the linux laptop, but I can see the dell desktop. I thought networking was supposed to be transparent and automatic, "I can see everyone, they can see me."
Is there a setting in the linux laptop I must change to make it visible on the network?
There is no reason the printer does not work - it is a lexmark z11, and on the list of printers in the drop-down box in the wizard.
Likewise, there is no reason why I cannot make this laptop visible n the network, unless I am missing some major part of the story, which is likely.
Obviously, if the Dell desktop does not even seen the laptop with the Knoppix, it means there is a boradcast problem, and the way to the printer is blocked somewhere. Since I can upload files from the desktop through the xsmbrowser, there is somewhere that the laptop is not binding to the desktop's printer. This seems odd, as the scan hits the printer and puts in the right info every time.
Is it possible that the permissions have to be set from the desktop, and that since it does not even see the laptop, the problem lies in the broadcast of the laptop ip?
Best,
M

[aay]

yazdzik,

I don't think i can be much help on your printing problems. Regarding ntfs, do not try to write to an NTFS drive/partition. Linux support for writing to NTFS is not very good at this time. If you try to write to an NTFS partition, you may very likely create serious errors. Feel free to read these files, as reading from NTFS is not a problem.

[boehmb]

I think aay may have a point here. My shared printer is working through a Windows98 'server' and I have no problems. But in order to print to a shared printer, Windows must write a file in the temp directory in order to spool the print job. Since Knoppix can't write to NTFS volumes, maybe the print function is being blocked by XP. Can you use another printer cable and print directly from your parallel port?

Hope this helps

[aay]

I really wasn't saying that he can't do this. I was only saying that I don't mess around with Samba so I can't give good advice. I'm not sure my statements on NTFS are related. I just thought I'd bring it up because he mentioned writing to NTFS in his earlier posts.