Several newbie questions

[edward]

Hi.

Just installed Vector for the first time (5.9 Light) and have some questions.  Couldn't find the answers.

* How is a desktop shortcut created?  I install SeaMonkey inside my /home directory (have always done it this way) and in order to launch it, I have to go into the file manager and migrate to the directory.

* I installed NTP.  How is this configured to sync with a local time server?  (Other distros I've used, did this automatically.)

* Looking for "dig" and/or "nslookup".  nslookup is included in a common Linux package known as "bind-utils" and did not see it in the Vector repository.

Lastly...

* How to play a music CD.  No default program launched when a CD was placed in the drive.

Thank you for any assistance.

[hata_ph]

* How is a desktop shortcut created?  I install SeaMonkey inside my /home directory (have always done it this way) and in order to launch it, I have to go into the file manager and migrate to the directory.

You can try to copy the xx.desktop to your desktop...this is how i do it on my VL59 Light

* How to play a music CD.  No default program launched when a CD was placed in the drive.

I think XMMS come default with VL59 Light. You cab try to use it.

[edward]

I have no idea what "xx.desktop" is.

XMMS came with the distro, but I launched everything that looked like it would play a CD, none of them would do it.

[hata_ph]

I have no idea what "xx.desktop" is.

Think of xxx.desktop is equal to shortcut or icon file on the windows desktop. You can find it at /usr/share/applications

XMMS came with the distro, but I launched everything that looked like it would play a CD, none of them would do it.

First of all, can you open the CD-ROM and see it content in your VL? I presume you are using VL59 Light version, right?

[stretchedthin]

I install SeaMonkey inside my /home directory (have always done it this way) and in order to launch it, I have to go into the file manager and migrate to the directory.

There are a couple ways to get a launcher going for you.

First of all since you installed Seamonkey to your /home directory you will have nothing in /usr/share/applications as suggested above.

I did a similar install and searched for the .desktop extension and did not find any.

So the best thing to probably do is make one.
Open the Adie editor in 
  Menu--->Accessories-->Adie

enter the following as written except where all caps.  There you will use your own username and the name of the file you have Seamonkey in.

[Desktop Entry]
Categories=Application;Network;
Comment=Web browser
Encoding=UTF-8
Exec=/home/YOURUSERNAME/NAME.OF.FILE.SEAMONKEY.IS.IN/seamonkey                       
GenericName=Internet suite
Icon=/home/ken/NAME.OF.FILE.SEAMONKEY.IS.IN/chrome/icons/default/seamonkey.png     
Name=SeaMonkey Browser
StartupNotify=true
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Version=1.0

Change the directory to Desktop
Click File --->Save As   and save using the name "seamonkey.desktop

[stretchedthin]

Here is a little more info

If you were successful you know have the xx.desktop everyone was talking about. 

So lets put a copy of it where it belongs.
Click and open the filemanager. (By the My Documents icon on the desktop or the file icon on the panel.)

Click on Tool-->Open Current Folder as Root--> then enter your root password.
in the navigation bar type in           /usr/share/applications             and then enter.

It should open a folder full of Named Icons of applications. 
Right click and copy the seamonkey.desktop we just made and past it into this file.

Wait a couple of minutes and check your menu.  Under Network you should now have a launcher for your seamonkey.

[hata_ph]

If you install seamonkey via gslapt or slapt-get the icon should be at the start menu....

[stretchedthin]

There are some other advantages to doing as hata_ph has suggested.  By downloading the seamonkey version in GSlapt you will have an easier time all around.  Not only will the icons be there but your plugins will work right out of the gate as well.  This is really preferable on a older machine as Flash 9.0 (the current one) has proven very poor on systems with older hardware.

The newest version 1.1.11 is available through GSlapt.

[edward]

Please don't get me started on Flash.  It doesn't work with Windows either...   

The desktop instructions worked perfectly, looked rather simple.     I found it easier to simply install it in /home, because when a new version is released, I will download and install immediately.  Some distros I've seen, take their time to update something like that when a new version is released. 

I might add that what is in /home, stayed intact through the Vector installation process.  That I like, I used one distro in the past that kept formatting /home each time a new version was released and despite being told there was an option in that distro not to format /home, I could not find it.

I also discovered that NTP is also working perfectly, so I can cross that one off as well.  Just had to change the server names in /etc/ntp.conf to use U.S. servers.

The other two are...where I can obtain bind-utils and how to play a music CD.

I also have a Gslapt issue, but will post in another forum.

[bigpaws]

http://www.slacky.eu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7761&Itemid=46

You can get bind there.

You can get dig from a Slackware repository. It is these tools and mote that
keep me with Slack.

Bigpaws

[stretchedthin]

I'm a big fan of the separate /home partition myself. 
I can help you with the cd problem.

Open xine
right click anywhere on xine and click the show controls box (if it's not showing already)
click the button under cd on the control.
and thats it.  Give it a second to play, however, it's not instant, not on my laptop anyway.

If it does not work, try reloading from gslapt.  I can't be sure but I remember reloading xine or upgrading xine after my install.