Ubuntu is so confusing.. help me!?

Question

Okay.. I recently installed Jaunty Jackalope on my old PC.

At first it looked just fine...
Btw I am a Windows user.
Okay... when I started to explore Ubuntu, it nearly killed me. :(

My problems:::
1. It doesn't remember the wallpaper I had last put up...
2. The only thing I could install was Picasa which came in a package with a tar.gz extension...
3. I can't do ANYTHING on it, cause it can't play my Mp3s, or any other videos.. I can't get wine to run on it so that I can get some smart Windows apps to work on it.

4. I hope I can get packages for things I need for download, cause I am not using internet on that PC.
5. I can't edit my boot menu. I want to set the default choice as XP.
6. I can't directly burn a disc from another disc(no image involved). Also, I can't make a disk image.
7. What's this--- [:o]
Open a terminal, and type 'nano ~/.gtkrc-2.0', then add a single line 'gtk-menu-popup-delay = 0'.
^^^

This is just a basic reference I want to make. There are millions of pages who ask me to do something similar. Like.. using my modem on linux, installing wine, applying tweaks.

10 points only to the person who answers ALL questions satisfactorily.

My PC config: 512 Ram, 2.4 Ghz Pentium 4, 40 GB hard drive and a DVD writer.

PS: I am using my laptop, Windows 7. Not on Ubuntu

Answer 1

1. It doesn't remember the wallpaper I had last put up...



That's weird. Did you right click on your desktop and choose "change desktop background"? Just make sure for what ever image file you choose that you don't move it around and keep it in the same location.



2. The only thing I could install was Picasa which came in a package with a tar.gz extension...



Did you go to applications -> Add/Remove -> and choose the software from there?



3. I can't do ANYTHING on it, cause it can't play my Mp3s, or any other videos.. I can't get wine to run on it so that I can get some smart Windows apps to work on it.



Look at the above step and download VLC Media Player. It will player almost ANY media format



4. I hope I can get packages for things I need for download, cause I am not using internet on that PC.



You might need to hook up to the internet to install software. Sorry. If you are looking for packages and you absolutely CAN'T use the Internet try looking for programs that come in a .deb format.



5. I can't edit my boot menu. I want to set the default choice as XP.



Open up the terminal and type this:

sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst

Then it will ask for your password. Enter it and go to line 14.

It should say:

default 0

change "0" to whatever number windows xp appears as in the boot menu and subtract 1 from it.

For example if Windows is 4th from the top then change the 0 to a 3. Also remember to save the changes.



6. I can't directly burn a disc from another disc(no image involved). Also, I can't make a disk image.



So you can't copy the contents of 1 disc to another? Sorry I can't help you with that. Your going to have to make an .iso image the the 1st disc and burn that image to the 2nd disc.



7. What's this--- [:o]

Open a terminal, and type 'nano ~/.gtkrc-2.0', then add a single line 'gtk-menu-popup-delay = 0'.



Sorry I can't help with that either.



Hope that helps.

Answer 2

Use the package manager Synaptic to install all the availabe software, not the Linux console command lines. If you don't know the commands, it is difficult to install software. The menu at the top, the right hand one, open, go to second item and open, find synaptic and click on it. It will ask for a password, this is your user pass word because Ubuntu disables the root account to keep people from messing their system up. In sysnapic type in the search box what you are looking for and check mark it. Once you have found everything, then click apply and it will install the software for you.



Sorry, but if you are not connected to the internet, using synaptic is just a waste of time. I am trying to figure out why you are trying to do everything the hard way.

Answer 3

These two links will solve all your problems:



1. The Ubuntu Forums (very friendly and helpful)

http://www.ubuntuforums.org



2. Ubuntu Beginner Tutorials

http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu

Answer 4

Seriously, I would ask at their forum...