Quick Intro + Request for Install/Update/Config Help

[ghoultek]

Hello all,

I'm a long time Windows user (advanced) and IT professional, currently using Windows 7 64bit so that the full 8GB of RAM in my PC could be used. However, I don't like Windows 8 and I don't want to wait for M$ to break Win 7 and force an upgrade upon me. So, I'm returning back to Linux in an attempt to get off the Windows upgrade path. Back in 2003-2004 I started trying out Mandrake and liked it, but had to stay Windows compatible for work reasons. A little Google searching and reading help me find my way to Mageia. My middle school aged son will be learning about Linux from me as well.

So, I downloaded the Live-CD and DVD ISOs. I used Unetbootin to create a USB key setup to install Mageia KDE 64bit but the installer got stuck at the cup icon with the bubbles. The USB key works fine and I verified the ISO files with the MD5SUM tool. I was able to later get Mageia KDE 64bit installed into a VirtualBox (v4.1.2.2) VM, but I can't get the VBox Guess Additions installed into the VM. My Win 7 host is a clean install with Windows updates and a minimal number of applications installed. I would like to put Mageia on a 30GB partition on a second hard drive and run it natively. My PC hardware is working correctly, is a custom built rig that I put together with my son, and I already have Linux Mint 13 Cinnamon 64 bit installed on the secondary hard drive.

For the VBox VM:
When using kdesu to run the VBoxLinuxAdditions.run, I encounter an authorization dialog, the correct password is entered, the dialog disappears but nothing happens after that point. If I attempt to run VBoxLinuxAdditions.run without kdesu it says that I need to run it with root or admin privileges. The KDE 64bit CD ISO file was used to build the VBox VM. I have another Linux distro. installed into a VBox VM (guest additions included) without any trouble. What am I doing wrong with the Guest Additions install and how do I go about correcting the problem? Firefox 10 is currently installed, but I want to upgrade it to version 15. How do I go about upgrading the browser since the Software Management tool only has version 10 available?

For the USB Key install:
There are no error messages and the installer never goes beyond the cup icon with the bubbles. I noticed that there is a large block of time between the appearance of each bubble. I'm not sure if bubbles indicate installer progress. I used the KDE 64bit CD ISO file to prep. the USB Key with Unetbootin. How should I go about correcting this issue so that I can complete the install?

Lastly, I would like to contribute to the Mageia project by applying my IT skills. I can write documentation, maybe do some testing, and do some software development. My programming skills are a little rusty, but the rust can be shaken off with a little guidance, good advice, and some practice. I don't mind reading and devoting time at the keyboard to get up to speed.

Thanks in advance.

[tom_]

Mageia and virtaulbox 64 bit are not good friends,
you should try the 32 bit version

https://bugs.mageia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=44

Create an USB Key from windows 7 is not easy,
here some notes (i think Unetbootin isn't supported at all)

https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Installation_Media#Dump_Mageia_ISOs_on_a_USB_stick.3F

Lastly, I would like to contribute to the Mageia project by applying my IT skills.

that's great
read the section 'contribute' on the top of this page,
expecially this part:

https://wiki.mageia.org/en/QA_Team

[djennings]

Virtual Box guest additions is available as a package to be installed on your guest VM.

First of all use your Mageia Control Centre>Software>media sources GUI to ensure you have the core/updates repository enabled and to enable the tainted and non-free repositories if you wish. (Tainted contains packages covered by software patents in some countries, and non-free contains proprietary drivers and such like)
Then run the updates GUI to ensure you are on the latest version of everything.

To install virtualbox guest additions, on your guest VM open a terminal and

Code: Select all

su
urpmi vboxadditions-kernel-desktop-latest x11-driver-video-vboxvideo  kernel-desktop-latest

Some of those packages may already be installed.
x11-driver-video-vboxvideo is the video driver for a vbox guest. Run through the video setup GUI in Mageia Control Centre after a reboot and it should get automatically configured
kernel-desktop-latest ensures you are using the latest and greatest kernel After a reboot you will come up in the new kernel
vboxadditions-kernel-desktop-latest is the virtual box guest additions kernel module. There is a different module for each kernel version. This package ensures you have the latest and greatest.

[doktor5000]

As a general hint and golden rule: Please only one problem per thread

[ghoultek]

Thank you guys... I apologize for the long delay in replying. I've been quite busy with the start of the new school year for my son... and note taken Dok5000.

@Djennings:
The "Core Release" medium has "Enabled" checked and "Updates" unchecked.
The "Core Updates" medium has "Enabled" checked and "Updates" checked with a grey check mark.

When I attempt to update my install with the "Update your system" icon, it says that there are no updates available. When I attempt to use the "Install & Remove Software" icon, the only Firefox item available is version 10.0. So what am I suppose to do?

[doktor5000]

Please post the outputs of

Code: Select all

urpmq --list-media active

and

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urpmq --list-url

[doktor5000]

"urpmq --list-media active" gives:

Code: Select all

Core Release
Core Updates

"urpmq --list-url" gives:

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Core Release rsync://distro.ibiblio.org/mageia/distrib/2/i586/media/core/release
Core Release Debug
Core Updates rsync://distro.ibiblio.org/mageia/distrib/2/i586/media/core/updates
Core Updates Debug
Core Updates Testing
Core Updates Testing Debug
Core Backports
Core Backports Debug
Core Backports Testing
Core Backports Testing Debug
Nonfree Release
Nonfree Release Debug
Nonfree Updates
Nonfree Updates Debug
Nonfree Updates Testing
Nonfree Updates Testing Debug
Nonfree Backports
Nonfree Backports Debug
Nonfree Backports Testing
Nonfree Backports Testing Debug
Tainted Release
Tainted Release Debug
Tainted Updates
Tainted Updates Debug
Tainted Updates Testing
Tainted Updates Testing Debug
Tainted Backports
Tainted Backports Debug
Tainted Backports Testing
Tainted Backports Testing Debug

[doktor5000]

"urpmq --list-media active" gives:

Code: Select all

Core Release
Core Updates

So you only have core release and core updates repos, and you are currently accessing them via rsync.
Just do the following in MCC -> Software Management -> Configure media sources for install and update
remove them all, and then readd them via File -> Add a specific media mirror -> Full set of sources -> Yes
and then select an FTP mirror near you.

[ghoultek]

Thanks. Will do and will reply shortly. Is the above steps necessary for a fresh install of Mageia?

[doktor5000]

Yes, you may want to read up on https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Software_management
But you could also choose to not add any repositories, so you can only install software from the CD/DVD
but then many packages, (security) updates and bugfixes would not be available.

[ghoultek]

After following your instructions I ran what I believed to be a system update via the "Update your system" option of the MCC. I was instructed to reboot because of d-bus. After rebooting the Firefox browser is still at version 10.0.7. I opened the MCC and selected the "Install and Remove Software" option to try to install Firefox version 15.0 or 15.0.1. However, only version 10.0.7 is available. In the media sources I have an ibiblio FTP source selected for the US, and the "Core Release" and "Core Updates" are the only items checked. It isn't clear how to get Firefox upgraded to version 15.

[doktor5000]

After following your instructions I ran what I believed to be a system update via the "Update your system" option of the MCC. I was instructed to reboot because of d-bus. After rebooting the Firefox browser is still at version 10.0.7. [...] It isn't clear how to get Firefox upgraded to version 15.

Not at all, at least not via Mageia packages, as we are using the Firefox 10 ESR version.
You may want to read up on that at https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Mageia_2_Release_Notes#Web_Browsers_and_email_clients
Firefox 10.0.7, regarding security fixes is at the same level as 15.0.1. Just FWIW, Firefox 16.0 would be the most recent one

Is there any particular reason why you want Firefox 15, i.e. do you really need any of the newer features?

[ghoultek]

When I installed Mageia, Firefox version 15 was the current version I have on Windows 7 so I figured that I would put that version in Mageia as well. Out of habit I try to keep my software up to date (the latest stable release or close to the latest version) to avoid security vulnerabilities and get the latest features.

You are correct in that I should have hit the release notes. However, all of the other Linux Distros I've sampled have a version of Firefox closer to the latest version within their ISOs. They also provide the latest version of Firefox via updates from repositories as they become available or a short time after that. I understand the decision for not following the crowd and I apologize for any confusion I may have caused.

Can you point me to where I can read up on how to get the latest version of Firefox installed?

[filip]

Can you point me to where I can read up on how to get the latest version of Firefox installed?

Mageia use Extended Support Release of Firefox also called Firefox ESR. In the updates there already is latest release (10.0.8) with all the security updates.

[doktor5000]

Can you point me to where I can read up on how to get the latest version of Firefox installed?

Mageia use Extended Support Release of Firefox also called Firefox ESR.

That was already mentioned, he is asking for the latest version (16.0.1 as of today).

@ghoultek: Just download it from mozilla.com, extract it into your home directory, and put a launcher for that on your desktop. And remove the Mageia firefox packages, then you should be good to go.

FWIW, if you want the latest 64bit Firefox, that is only available via direct download from Mozilla's FTP, f.ex. for en-US:
http://releases.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/16.0.1/linux-x86_64/en-US/firefox-16.0.1.tar.bz2