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Tronman - Jan 08, 2007 - 05:18
Post subject: LInux n00b questions: How do I set up the root account?

Hi all

I just downloaded the Ubuntu Edgy DVD image, and installed it on my Pegasos II, smartfirmware version 1.2. I have a Radeon 9250 graphics card and a generic USB 2.0 card, as well as a LiteOn 16x dual layer DVD burner, and a 40GB hard drive.

I guess I missed the part of the install where it set up a root user, so if there is one, it'd be the default name and password.. It isn't 'root/root' Sad

I have just the normal usage (non admin?) account it sets you up with, but I need to run the fix which is elsewhere on this site, to get X started. Of course, I don't have permissions to write the /etc/apt/sources.list file with the proper information, so I'm stuck. I miss MorphOS already.

How do I go about setting up a root account? I tried rebooting from the installer CD, it doesn't have a helpful 'set root user' option or even an 'upgrade' option Sad

Should I just reinstall? I mean, the account they give you for average use can't even shut down the machine!

Thanks in advance for helping the Linux n00b!

Trizt - Jan 08, 2007 - 14:33
Post subject: Re: LInux n00b questions: How do I set up the root account?

Ubuntu don't use root as other distros, you need to use sudo.

1. login as normal user
1b. if in a graphical environment, start xTerm/Konsol/Terminal
2. enter the 'sudo' word infront of commands you want to run as root

example:
sudo vi /etc/apt/sources.list

SMF - Jan 08, 2007 - 18:23
Post subject: Re: LInux n00b questions: How do I set up the root account?

You can set a password for the root user with sudo passwd

Tronman - Jan 09, 2007 - 05:25
Post subject: Sudo worked, now apt get works but it can't connect

Because networking is completely b0rken!

The last time I had issues with Linux and networking was in 2001 and there was a program called ethconfig, I think, but that was then :-/

What program do I run to configure ethernet from a shell? I know the network is fine, all the other Macs, Windows and MorphOS computers just find it and DHCP their way to glory with no problem. Not this linux box tho.

What do I run from the command line to get ethernet configured?

I'm using a Zoom adsl modem. It serves DHCP in the 10.0.0.x range, if that helps.

Subway - Jan 09, 2007 - 05:47
Post subject: Re: Sudo worked, now apt get works but it can

It depends on what dhcp-client you have. For static IP you could try these steps:

# ifconfig eth0 up
# ifconfig eth0 10.0.0.123/24
# route add default gw 10.0.0.1
# echo "nameserver 10.0.0.1" >> /etc/resolv.conf

I don't run Ubuntu myself but you probably need to "sudo" every command.

dholm - Jan 09, 2007 - 07:31
Post subject: Re: Sudo worked, now apt get works but it can

Sadly you can't sudo an echo with output redirection so I recommend simply running sudo su - before executing those commands.

lisardman - Jan 09, 2007 - 13:07
Post subject: Re: Sudo worked, now apt get works but it can

or just sudo -s

kozz - Jan 10, 2007 - 19:44
Post subject: Re: Sudo worked, now apt get works but it can

Your network is configured in the file /etc/network/interfaces, I'm not aware of any command line tool that configures it but there is an application in Gnome for that.

To edit it by hand the combination

Code:

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp

sets up an interface to use dhcp.

To enable the configuration restart the network with

Code:

sudo /etc/init.d/networking restart

If you on the other hand want static addresses it looks something like

Code:

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet static
address 192.168.1.5
netmask 255.255.255.0
network 192.168.1.0
broadcast 192.168.1.255
gateway 192.168.1.1

It is of course also possible to run the DHCP client yourself for temporary use of DHCP, and at the same time get more information about what happens.

Code:

sudo dhclient

Btw, sudo requires your password, not the root user password.

Tronman - Jan 15, 2007 - 02:43
Post subject: Well, that didn't quite work out..

Thank you all for your replies! Nothing seemed to work, so I tried a Debian install instead. Interestingly, the first parts of it called themselves Ubuntu, then a bit later on in the install, it talked about Debian. I thought I had mis-labeled the CD at first..

Anyway I now have a Debian install, whose networking works just fine. It is kernel version 2.6.8. It's X server doesn't work either. I added the pegasos.org file repository to the /etc/apt/sources.list file and then ran the apt-get update && apt-get upgrade command, it hit pegasos.org, downloaded the file and updated it. Then I ran the /etc/init.d/gdm restart command, but there is no such file. I surfed over to /etc/init.d folder and there's a reboot command. I ran it, and sure enough: that's what it does!

Even after reboot, still no X server glory. It still says the display card isn't initialized. I'm running an ATI 9200 video card, 128MB RAM, it works with MorphOS including the 3D part, so the card's OK.

Now what?

Trizt - Jan 15, 2007 - 18:26
Post subject: Re: Well, that didn

Have a look at your /etc/X11/xorg.conf, you could compare gunnes config with yours.

Of course you need to have radeon driver installed on your machine (don't know if debian has a package for each driver or not).

kozz - Jan 15, 2007 - 19:09
Post subject: Re: Well, that didn

I don't think you need the repository in Debian, sounds more like a misconfiguration as Trizt just noted. You will probably just get more problems if you use Ubuntu packages in Debian.

And it doesn't seems like you have gdm installed on your machine if the file /etc/init.d/gdm do not exist, did you choose to install a desktop environment in the installer? Otherwise install gdm with

Code:

apt-get install gdm

as root.

You can also configure Xorg with

Code:

dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

gunne - Jan 15, 2007 - 21:34
Post subject: Re: Well, that didn

Hi,

Here's some suggestions from me as well.

- The problem with no networking in Ubuntu on the Pegasos II -

The Pegasos II have three networking devices. One can never know in beforehand which one of them that becomes eth0, eth1 and eth2. The solution to this is to edit the file /etc/network/interfaces as kozz suggest to contain:

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp

auto eth1
iface eth1 inet dhcp

auto eth2
iface eth2 inet dhcp

During startup them that are connected will become configured and them not connected will be left not configured.

(Note, normally the Ubuntu installer will put it this way as default if I don't remember wrong, and if dhcp is choosed during the installation, so dont know why it didn't ?) And also if You have networking card in any PCI connector as well, You will get more networking devices, so then more devices to add to the configuration file.

(Second note, there is no root user account configured during the installation of Ubuntu, and there is a reason for it isn't Smile

)

- Graphical environment in Debian -

A simple way to install a desktop environment is to run tasksel and choose Desktop Environment.

It's needed to be root in Debian, then run:

# tasksel

If tasksel not is installed, then run:

# apt-get install tasksel

and after that:

# tasksel

Choose Desktop Environment and Apply, and wait while everything will become installed.