Salix Forums

Hi everybody,
I have used Linux systems for a while now, previously it was Ubuntu - but when I upgraded to 9.10 it failed to work on my machine (Lenovo T61), and I started looking for something a little more interesting.

I found another Linux OS but could not get it working, and then found Salix. It is now installed, and I followed the instructions as best as I could - but now logging in using my chosen username and password it says that my "home directory is listed as: '/home/[username]' but it does not appear to exist." it then asks if I want to "log in with the / (root) directory as my home directory. It is unlikely that anything will work unless you use a failsafe session"

Given that during the installation it said that I should not use the root directory for my home, this message sounds confusing.

Please could you tell me what I am doing wrong? Gemma

Hi Gemma,

I posted about this yesterday. http://www.salixos.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=406

Luckily what resolved it for me was simply NOT autopartitioning. The alternative just uses cfdisk and is very simple. Just set up at least a / and swap partition and you're off and running. I always do a /usr and /home as well, but you can do whatever you want at that point. A T61 should really scream with SalixOS. Let us know what happens.

Thankyou for the lightning quick response; I would have replied faster but I was chatting with my kids.
I will have a look at what you say about auto-partitioning tomorrow morning, I hope what you say is right, or at least, more to the point, that I get it right

I will let you know how I get on tomorrow. Thanks again for your help. Gemz

Yes, this is another case of the bug stuckinoregon discovered first. Nobody really thought about checking the autoinstall feature with hard drives bigger than 15GB. Only I have made several dozens of installations with different settings, but have always used a smaller harddrive to test it, as a full installation of Salix fits comfortably in less than 3GB of space.

We have released updated iso images of the 32bit and 64bit versions, numbered 13.0.2a which fix this bug. You can find the links in the download page: http://www.salixos.org/wiki/index.php?title=Download

Once again, we feel deeply sorry for causing this trouble. If you don't want to download the new iso, or don't want to redo the whole installation, there is a fix mentioned in the announcement thread: http://www.salixos.org/forum/viewtopic. ... 02&start=0

gapan wrote:but have always used a smaller harddrive to test it, as a full installation of Salix fits comfortably in less than 3GB of space.

Probably because most test installations have been made in VirtualBox and there never are partitions with more than 15 GB. On all my installations on real hardware I never use "automatic" stuff. I really wonder how somebody could use it... just kiddding

gapan wrote:Once again, we feel deeply sorry for causing this trouble.

Yes, feeling sorry about this, too

Hi everybody,
I have spent the morning downloading the 13.0.2a file - mainly because my computer experience does not stretch to understanding the kinds of things you recommended to sort out my log-in problems with partitioning ... which is a mystery to me. In short, there are "fatal errors" on the image I burned on the disc (for some reason Ubuntu will not burn on CD-RW discs). I have no idea why, and did not know how to use the MP5 to confirm/check the quality of the file I took so long to download (it took 4 1/2 hours).

I did try to log into the root of the computer, but this only gave me access to something like "root@" and it did not understand the list of commands given. I felt quite lost and really wondered why I was bothering with all this stuff.

I am quickly coming to the opinion that Linux is for people who have a real understanding of how computers work, and not for the likes of me: I have tried several flavours of Linux, and I have had no success with any of them so far. I got Ubuntu to work, but found installing programs next to impossible, and my 3G modem would not work with it - which is my primary aim in sorting out a new OS.

I am sorry, guys. I really feel out of my depth with all the explanations that are given to sort out the problems.

May I ask HOW you set up the disc partitions non-automatically? I have not a clue as to what to do - and this is now my last chance with this OS: I generally give up on the third failed attempt; I know when I am beaten, and I usually don't waste further time on it. Given that this is now my third attempt to install Linux, it will be my last attempt at it too: it is just way too complex for the housewife with typing and word-processing skills.

Gemma

Gemma wrote:Hi everybody,
I have spent the morning downloading the 13.0.2a file - mainly because my computer experience does not stretch to understanding the kinds of things you recommended to sort out my log-in problems with partitioning ... which is a mystery to me. In short, there are "fatal errors" on the image I burned on the disc (for some reason Ubuntu will not burn on CD-RW discs). I have no idea why, and did not know how to use the MP5 to confirm/check the quality of the file I took so long to download (it took 4 1/2 hours).

If I understand what you're saying correctly, what you have is unfortunately a bad download and you'll need to download the 13.0.2a iso again if you want to use that. If you want to make sure that there will be no errors during downloading again, you can use the torrent provided in the download page instead of downloading from sourceforge.

Gemma wrote:I did try to log into the root of the computer, but this only gave me access to something like "root@" and it did not understand the list of commands given.

Just type the commands provided to you. If you don't understand what they do, you can do a google search for them, or even learn how to use man (manual) pages. For example by typing man mount you'll learn everything about what the mount command does.

Gemma wrote:I felt quite lost and really wondered why I was bothering with all this stuff.

You might feel lost, but everyone was at the exact place you are at some point. As to why you're bothering, I'm guessing you want to learn new stuff and try different things.

Gemma wrote:I am quickly coming to the opinion that Linux is for people who have a real understanding of how computers work, and not for the likes of me: I have tried several flavours of Linux, and I have had no success with any of them so far. I got Ubuntu to work, but found installing programs next to impossible, and my 3G modem would not work with it - which is my primary aim in sorting out a new OS.

Perhaps what you need to do, is realize that linux is a completely different operating system than the one you were using before. That means that it will certainly require an effort to get used to how things are done, but that doesn't necessarily mean that things are harder to do in linux, just different. You mention installing programs being impossible, but really, installing anything using a package manager in linux is far easier than installing any piece of software in windows for example. You just have to get used to it.

Gemma wrote:May I ask HOW you set up the disc partitions non-automatically?

The program that is running in the installer to setup partitions is called cfdisk. You generally use the arrow keys to navigate and select with the enter key. Left-right arrow keys navigate options and up-down arrow keys select partitions. It's really easy once you get the hang of it. If you feel intimidated by it, you can use a distribution like parted magic to create the partitions as you like them and then just install salix on them. You could probably do the same thing under ubuntu (which you're saying you have already installed) using an application called gparted, that's the one parted magic runs anyway.

gapan wrote:linux is a completely different operating system than the one you were using before. That means that it will certainly require an effort to get used to how things are done, but that doesn't necessarily mean that things are harder to do in linux, just different

My favorite quote regarding this, "The problem isn't learning linux, it's unlearning Windows!"



Gemma - Don't give up, we all understand the frustration. As gapan said, we've all gone through it at some point. It really does get MUCH easier. You might want to take a look at this video on using cfdisk for setting up a simple root/swap partitioning scheme. It would at least get you started. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JigHCDed ... re=related
It is regarding an install on Vector Linux but the basic cfdisk stuff that starts at 1:43 into the video could be very useful.

Hope that helps some

Thanks for your support, I know it is a learning curve with a different OS; but needing to learn how to set something up just once seems tough.

I tried setting up the partitions, but nothing on my disc set up (from the 13.0.2 disc I made) looked anything like the video whatsoever, so I was lost from the first moment. Not having met disc partitions before did not help either, and this is probably the last time I need to know about them ...

I am going to try to download the 13.0.2a again and try it - but I am not hopeful any longer. My enthusiasm for a sparkling new OS has now evaporated, and all I want is one that will work, and given past successes, makes me doubt if I will even get that.

I did discover the package manager in Ubuntu - but not how to install downloaded applications using it, which is where I found it getting difficult to use. I found the apt-get business laborious and uncertain.

I am really sorry about this, but this is the third time I have tried to install your OS and it is the third time I have failed for one reason or another.

I have wasted enough CDs and the like, reinstalled Ubuntu too many times.

I am sorry, but this is my last post as I am officially giving up on Salix. It is just too hard to install. Either I cannot log in or I get a corrupt image and it does not work. I am totally fed up looking for an alternativ e to Ubuntu - which was fairly good until the 9.10 version came out and all my stuff didn't work.

I have had a perfectly rotten day.