I've decided to start posting a log of some of the modifications I make after doing a frugal install of DSL.
My hopes are that this will help new users to get started or others avoid my mistakes.
Remember, what I post here is just my attempt to get things working. I could be totally wrong. Search the Forums at this website to get real help.
Here we go... It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...
I've decided to use an old computer for this install of DSL. It's DSL version 1.2.0 The machine is a pieced together Pentium I - 133mhz with about 80megs of ram.
It also has 3 hard drives and a slow cdrw
hda 4 gig
1 - 750meg windows 98
2 - 2 gig linux
3 - 700 meg linux
4 - 650 meg linux
hdb cd/rw
hdc 4 gig
1 - 1 gig linux
2 - 1 gig linux
3 - 128 meg linux swap
4 - Extended
5 - 1 gig linux
6 - 1 gig linux
hdd 1.5 gig
1 - 1.5 gig dos
I'll create a separate document about the trials and tribulations of the install and some notes on adding Grub. I'm becoming a Grub convert, it's much easier to recover from a mistake then LILO
Grub boot lines are listed below for reference:
title DSL 1.2 Frugal
kernel (hd0,3)/boot/isolinux/linux24 root=/dev/hda4 dsl nomce nodma quiet frugal restore=hdc6 host=dsl120 home=hda2 mydsl=hda2 opt=hda2 fromhd=/dev/hda4
initrd (hd0,3)/boot/isolinux/minirt24.gz
makeactive
boot
## end of grub stuff
Once DSL is booting up here's what I change....
1) The default file editor is Beaver. It's nice, does a good job. I like to keep a backup of files that I change in Beaver because sometimes I don't get the changes right. Start up Beaver. In Beaver click Settings...Preferences.....Save tab. In the Backup area make sure "Write backup files" is turned on (little button to the left of the words is in, not out). Enter an extension name for your backups. I like to use .bak Make you change, click APPLY, click OK. Close Beaver.
2) I have a mouse with a scroll wheel. If the mouse pointer is on the desktop and I move the scroll wheel it switches me from one virtual desktop to the next. I don't care for the option so I turn it off. Right click the desktop put the mouse over DESKTOP....CONFIGURATION....DESKTOP MOUSEWHEEL SWITCHING and click on it to turn it off.
3) A lot of people like to use Tabs on their windows manager. Those are the tabs that show up at the outside top left of each window. Once again I don't care for them so I turn them off. Right click an empty desktop area mouse over DESKTOP...CONFIGURATION....USE TABS and click to turn them off.
4) I like to see the toolbar at the bottom of the screen even when a window is maximized. To do this you need to turn off Full Maximization. Right click a blank area of the desktop, mouse over DESKTOP...CONFIGURATION...FULL MAXIMAZATION, left click to turn it off.
5) Customize Emelfm. I can't say that I liked Emelfm the first time I tried it. I had some experience using Midnight Commander. I thought I'd just stay with that. After reading the forums I learned more and more about Emelfm, now I very seldom use MC. I like to change a few things. It's pretty straight forward. Start emelfm.
Click on the button in the center labeled Configure. Select Toolbar Buttons, under Configuration. This entry lets us modify the buttons in emelfm that appear at the bottom right. The "df" button when clicked will display the amount of space free on each mounted device. It's fine the way it is but if we add a parameter it will make it much easier to read. Left click on the "df" entry to highlight it. Now click the EDIT button. Down where it says "Command" there should currently be a df. Add a space dash h. so now it looks like "df -h". Click OK to return to the Configuration dialog box.
Click on Buttons under Configuration. I like to add a "Copy As..." and "Find..." button. Click the ADD button at the bottom of the dialog box. In the Label area type "Copy As...". Click the selector next to System and from the dropdown box select COPY_AS. Now click OK. Repeat the process to create a "Find..." button. When done keep clicking the OK button till all the dialog boxes have closed and your back at emelfm's main screen. You should see the changes you've made.
That's enough for now.... I'll post more unless I hear from the Powers That Be to stop.
Good luck, keep sharing.