how do i run program?

[inktitan]

i am new to linux. windows will no longer work on my machine i cant explain it but ive tried 98 and xp os disks and bsod every time so i giv linux salix 13.1.1 a shot loaded up great but i cant run because it does not recognize any of the file types except images and pdf. is it ppossible to run windows-dependant software on salix? if so how. i can not even install the drivers i need to get my wireless network adapter working. any tips would be appreciate

[gapan]

but i cant run because it does not recognize any of the file types except images and pdf.

What file types are those?

is it ppossible to run windows-dependant software on salix? if so how.

You can run some windows software in linux through wine. Not everything will work 100% and some software may not run at all. It really depends. What software is it that you want? Aren't there any open source equivalents?

i can not even install the drivers i need to get my wireless network adapter working. any tips would be appreciate

You'll have to understand that linux is not windows. Things don't work the same way and generally windows drivers don't work in linux anyway. Support for most hardware is already included in linux and you don't need extra drivers for getting them to work anyway. That said, drivers for wireless network adapters are an exception. There is a way to use the windows drivers in linux to get the cards working (through ndiswrapper), but it's always better to use the driver already included in linux if there is one.

What you need to do is first make sure that your card is not actually working. How do you know that it doesn't? Then you need to identify which card that is exactly, in order to see if it should be supported by linux anyway. And only if it isn't, try to use the windows driver to get it going.

[gnomic]

A few questions for you to help try and get a focus on what is up here.

What sort of computer have you got? If a laptop/netbook, what maker and model number? If a desktop motherboard details could be useful, eg Gigabyte xxxx.

Do you know what the chipset is in your wireless adapter, eg a Ralink 2561 for example, one example among dozens of variations. Some work easily with Linux, others are tricky.

What sort of windows-dependent software do you want to run? Supply names of specific apps if possible.

By the way, is your computer a sick puppy perchance? Are the hard disk and memory chips OK?

[inktitan]

I am using a dell dimension with the original motherboard it is a 2006 model with Pentium d. Office is one of the programs I want to use and the open office failed to install and with out proper internet access(I'm using my blackberry) I can't get functional software. My wireless adapter is linksys ae1000 by cisco and need drivers. I almost got it to work but then the driver program froze. The hard disk is fully accessible now I don't know why windows quit working but salix gives all systems a clean bill of health. All signs point to firmware tampering but I wouldn't touch that unless I had to so I can't figure that out. I have a n nvidia video card works fine with salix. None of my games will install. I'm sure once I can gain access to the internet I can work this out. I need either a cisco equivalent driver or some way to install BlackBerry desktop manager so I can use my phone as an IP modem. All the file.exe are automatically sent through the archive manger which is unable to do anything with them and the files.inf are what the drivers program was asking for but I don't know how to get them to work. I appreciate the feed back and will try some more trouble shooting in the morning

[gapan]

Office is one of the programs I want to use and the open office failed to install

How can it fail to install? It's already there! What salix version did you use? What kind of installation did you do? Didn't you do a "full" mode installation? If so, why not?

My wireless adapter is linksys ae1000 by cisco and need drivers.

A quick google search revealed this: http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?p=1353558

I almost got it to work but then the driver program froze.

What did you do to "almost" get it to work?

None of my games will install.

Of course they won't. They are windows games.

I'm sure once I can gain access to the internet I can work this out.

Don't count on it. Some of them might work with wine, so not so much. Even the ones that will work, may only work after a lot of tweaking from your part.

All the file.exe are automatically sent through the archive manger which is unable to do anything with them

Of course they won't work. They are windows executables.

and the files.inf are what the drivers program was asking for but I don't know how to get them to work.

You generally can't get them to work. They are drivers meant for windows, not linux. Read my previous post again.

[inktitan]

I did a full install of salix 13.1.1. When It came to open office it encountered a fatal error and was unable to install. When using the drivers program it asked for a .inf I gave it to it. Th epc started to think then froze. If I am unable to run any of my previous Software I fail to see any plus side to Linux. For some reason it seems to be the only OS that is working on my PC but so far I find it to be non functional. I was excited to start using it but have to discovered it is not for the novice. All the help options want to connect to the internet which is useless if that's what you need help with.

[inktitan]

I also am unable to play MP3, MP4, 3GP and wav files. These cannot be windows only because my phone can play and create these. Any suggestion here?

[thenktor]

Your PC seems to have serious problems. Running memtest86 or other test tools may discover the problem. Go to http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/ to get a bood CD with plenty testing tools. Begin with the memtests.

[Akuna]

When It came to open office it encountered a fatal error and was unable to install.

This could possibly be caused by one of the following:
1- Salix install CD is corrupted, bad md5 or bad burn
2- Your computer hard drive has some faulty sectors
3- Or, as Thenktor pointed out, some problems with your RAM

[Akuna]

I also am unable to play MP3, MP4, 3GP and wav files. These cannot be windows only because my phone can play and create these. Any suggestion here?

menu-> multimedia -> install multimedia codecs