Access Linux Files From Windows

A handy tool for accessing your Linux files from Windows
Download Here

Vector Linux (my next step on the linux ladder)

After fiddling with Puppy Linux and Damn Small Linux for a few months. I decided it was time to try a bigger system.I decided to try Vector Linux Light 5.9. Supposedly, it can run fine with as little as 64MB RAM. After a few trial and errors, I finally achieved an internet connection and my browsers actually worked. I am on dial up. I know...64 MB RAM...dial up...Someday I'll have few gigs of RAM and broadband. Until then, these are a few of the problems I ran in to and how I fixed them. I really like Vector Linux...the way it looks, performs, and offers opportunities to learn more about the Linux world.
Installation
Before running your CD ...Run defrag on your Windows system...
This is for a dual boot with WinXP installed first. I have a 30G HD so I gave half to Windows and the other half goes to linux. Using GParted...2nd half of HD:
dev /hda2 primary "Extended"
dev /hda5 logical "Swap" (1200MB)
dev /hda6 logical "/root" (4000MB)at least EXT2
dev /hda7 logical "/home" (whatever's left) EXT2

now run your CD and install VL

Connecting to the Internet

After installing or while installing, Vector recognized my external modem but couldn't configue it. I down loaded and installed WvDial and configured it myself.
note* I downloaded needed materials from internet using WinXP then transferred them to VL by using my Puppy Linux CD. That is such a great tool to have around. I later realized I could use the mount commands (posted below) to transfer files from Win to VL as long as I was logged as /root.
You need wvstreams, wvdialer, and qtwvdialer. Installed in that order. Check out this site
When you first run wvdial you might get this error: "mknod /dev/ppp c 108 0"
Copy that and put it in /etc/rc.d/rc.local ...at the bottom and reboot.
After this was finished, I ran in to problems getting my browser to "realize" that we were connected. Turned out I needed to know 2 DNS numbers/addresses and put them in /etc/resolv.conf
If you don't know your DNS numbers you can pop in your Damn Small Linux CD and connect to the internet. When you connect, your DNS numbers (primary and secondary)or is it (local and remote) are shown in your dialing messages terminal. Anyway my /etc/resolve.conf file looks like this:
search peoplepc.com
nameserver 209.244.0.3
nameserver 209.244.0.4
Click here for more.

Emulate 3 button mouse in DSL

Files....xinitrc and .xserverrc are hidden files in
/Home/dsl directory. Right click any space in the folder,
then hit options -> showhidden files -> apply -> close

copy of .xinitrc:
# put X windows programs that you want started here.
# Be sure to add at the end of each command the &

KEYTABLE="$(getknoppixparam.lua KEYTABLE)"
DESKTOP="$(getoption.lua $HOME/.desktop wm)"
ICONS="$(getoption.lua $HOME/.desktop icons)"

umix -lf .umix 2>/dev/null

[ -f .mouse_config ] && sh .mouse_config "-emulate3button" &

# For non-US Keyboards
if [ ${KEYTABLE:0:2} != "us" ]; then
xmodmap -e "clear Mod4" -e "add Mod5 = Mode_switch" &
fi

[ "$ICONS" == "dfm" ] && /usr/bin/dfm &

if egrep -qv lowram /proc/cmdline 2>/dev/null; then
# dillo /usr/share/doc/dsl/getting_started.html &>/dev/null &
torsmo 2>/dev/null &
fi

[ -f ".$DESKTOP.inc" ] && ~/".$DESKTOP.inc"
exec "${DESKTOP:=jwm}" 2>/dev/null
____________________________________________________________

copy of .xserverrc:
exec /usr/bin/X11/Xvesa -2button -mouse "/dev/psaux" -screen 800x600x24
-shadow -nolisten tcp -I &>/dev/null
____________________________________________________________

after adding "-emulate3button" to .xinitrc...
and -2button to .xserverrc...run mouseconfig as root
exit to prompt,
logout then back in and you should be able to paste by pushing both mouse buttons
down at the same time.
If you see anything that would improve on this...please send post comment! Thanks

Mounting Other Partitions and USB Devices in DSL

To begin
These examples are based on my hard drive setup:

hda1 (hd0,0) WindowsXP (first original partition)
hda2 (hd0,1) Puppy Linux (added partition)
hda3 (hd0,2) Damn Small Linux (added partition)
hda4 (hd0,3) Swap (added partition)

Open the shortcut to root folder on your desktop(usually a folder icon with " / " below) Right click any emtp space and "create new folder". Name the folder Media. Now open the newly created Media folder and create 3 new folders within, one named, c_windows one named, force, and the third named force_a

To mount Windows
command: sudo mount -t file-sys-type /dev/path-of-drive /media/c_windows
example: sudo mount -t ntfs /dev/hda1 /media/c_windows
example: sudo mount -t vfat /dev/hda1 /media/c_windows (if you are using FAT file sys)

*NOTICE the spaces between words and letters, (like between hda1 and /media) This is important!
If you are using the root terminal, leave out sudo and just start with mount.
If you are using a regular terminal, you might have to type: su (hit ENTER) enter password (hit ENTER) then type the command starting with mount. Once you have typed the command and hit enter, go back and open the folder: shortcut_to_root ->media -> c_windows...the contents of your Windows should be there.

To mount Linux partition
command: sudo mount -t ext2 /dev/path-of-drive /media/force
example: sudo mount -t ext2 /dev/hda2 /media/force
Once you have typed the command and hit enter, go back and open the folder: short_to_root ->media ->force...the contents of your Linux partition should be there.


If you are using the root terminal, leave out sudo and just start with mount.
If you are using a regular terminal, you might have to type: su (hit ENTER) enter password (hit ENTER) then type the command starting with mount.

To mount USB device

command: sudo mount -t file-sys-type /dev/path-of-drive /media/force_a
example: sudo mount -t vfat /dev/sda1 /media/force_a

Once you have typed the command and hit enter, go back and open the folder: short_to_root->media ->force_a...the contents of your USB drive should be there.
note: in DSL you can open files on another partition or drive but if you drag n drop a file
from another drive/partition it will MOVE it not COPY it. See examples of copying files post.


If you are using the root terminal, leave out sudo and just start with mount.
If you are using a regular terminal, you might have to type: su (hit ENTER) enter password (hit ENTER) then type the command starting with mount.

You can create more folders in the media direcory if you need: like force_b force_c
Sometimes different USB devices claim different titles such as sdb1 instead of sda1.

To Unmount a partition or drive just add u to the mount command...
example: umount -t ntfs /dev/hda1 /media/c_windows
make sure it's umount...not unmount...this little mistake cost me alot of valuable time :)

Patch for Puppy 2.12

this fixes a minor bug ... files called missingmods*.txt are being created in /tmp
and are not being deleted
you can download the fix here:Patch for Puppy 2.12

My Grub menu.lst

# This sets the default entry to boot.
# Remember that GRUB counts from 0, so 1 is the second entry.

default 0

# This sets the length of time in seconds that grub will wait for the user to select an OS
# before it boots the default on. I reccommend at least 15 seconds.

color light-gray/blue black/light-gray

timeout 60

# Enter the entry for DSL here. Something like this.

title Windows XP
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

title Linux Puppy
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro vga=normal PMEDIA=idehd acpi=force

title Linux DSL
kernel /boot/linux24 root=/dev/hda3 quiet vga=788 PMEDIA=idehd acpi=force

Getting Started with a Live CD

Damn Small Linux 50 MB
Download Here
Click "current" then "current iso"
Download the iso, then burn it to a cd

Puppy Linux around 100+ MB
Download Here
Download 2.12 for 64 MB RAM.Current version for newer computers with 128MB and higher. Burn it to a CD

Set your computer to boot from CD Drive first: When computer first starts hold down "del" button or whichever button your computer uses to get in to the bios menu. Restart computer with the CD in the drive.

DAMN SMALL LINUX will boot automatically, so will Puppy Linux.
Puppy will save your settings to a file it creates when you shut down. It will create this file on your Windows partition without messing up any of your settings. I have never saved a session using DSL "Damn Small Linux" as I installed both DSL and Puppy to seperate partitions on my hard drive. Puppy Linux has a very nice partition tool included (G Parted). Make sure you defrag Windows before adding new partition/s. I have a 30 GB hard drive on the machine I used to install Linux. Neither one of these OS take up very much space and they both run mostly in RAM. I created 3 partitions to go alongside windows: 2 partitions at 3GB each and the third 1000MB.
So I have:
hda1 (hd0,0) WindowsXP (first original partition)
hda2 (hd0,1) Puppy Linux (added partition)
hda3 (hd0,2) Damn Small Linux (added partition)
hda4 (hd0,3) Swap (added partition)
note* swap partition is used as extra memory if you are running low on RAM.
When either Linux is installed open a terminal and type: swapon -a