Ubuntu Server - 8.04

[GhostlyPea]

Hi Guys

Ok I'm trying to set this up but I am having some problems. basically any apt-get command pints a few lines and then says "couldnt find package xyz". i am trying to set it up as a DHCP server at the moment and it has no internet conenction.

Cheers for any help

- Pea0n

 

[NicNac]

I'm not sure how you are going to use apt when its not connected to the internet, are the packages you are trying to install on your install cd/dvd?

 

[GhostlyPea]

I don't have much idea on linux at all. This is basically a learnign experience aswell as a practical use thing. I can put the files I think i need on a CD if it will help at all.

i'm also having issues even editing basic files, for example, i have worked out how to open a file in some form of editor

vi /etc/samba/smb.conf

this opens up, but I cannot edit half of it. for example I can edit the workgroup name, but then I go down a few lines to try and edit another line and it seems to have a fit, the H key tells the cursor to go left, then using the arrow keys starts to highlight stuff....meh, its probably something im doing wrong but I cant find any decent guides to even do simple thigns like viewing directory structure or creating a folder etc.

- Pea0n

 

[Cob]

Use nano instead of vi (atleast til you know what you're doing).

Can you ping your router ( ping -c 3 xx.xx.xx.xx )?


And use this as your guide. And Google and the Ubuntu forums are a wealth of information.

 

[NicNac]

Yes as the above poster has said use nano for now vi is good dont get me wrong but for someone like yourself with hardly any experience with linux in general you want to ease yourself in. its just a matter doing nano filenamehere instead of vi filenamehere.

apt is the package manager as far as I know when you issue the command apt-get install packagenamehere it checks the mirrors for the package your asking for. you can create local mirrors and its something I might try when I've finished messing around with gentoo

 

[GhostlyPea]

Thanks for the tip on nano, I'll try it when I get back on Monday. As for pinging the router, there isn't one at the moment. The basic intention is to have the server as a DHCP controller and allow file sharing on it. It's a bit of a complicated situation as it is designed to be a standalone unit off of our main network. So I guess the next stage is to learn how to create a directory, check files in them and install applications that i have written to a CD.

=/

I had a look on Google and on the Ubuntu forums, however from the guides they pretty much all assume the unit has unrestricted Internet access, which is silly. Thanks for that other link though Cob I'll check it out.

- Pea0n

 

[BillytheImpaler]

There's Get Deb (http://www.getdeb.net/) which has a great many installer packages that you can download then sneakernet to the machine in question. Depending on what you're installing this may or may not be a great solution.

Linux has what are called dependencies, where one piece of software requires other separate bits to function properly. For instance Firefox won't run without an X server, the construct that allows for GIUs. Ubuntu uses .deb packages descended from Debian. The framework for installing, removing, and maintaining these packages is called apt. Apt features automatic dependency resolution; it keeps a list of what packages require which other packages so that if you request one it can check to see that all the others are present. If not it will grab those as well so that in one fell swoop you can get any arbitrary program working. Without a net connection you will have to track down the dependencies manually which may or may not be a huge hassle.

To install a .deb from the command line use
sudo dpkg -i filename.deb

It would probably be easier to connect it to the network temporarily, set it up, then sequester it.

 

[GhostlyPea]

I had a look around with the apt-get command and manually found the .deb files the same day I was trying to get it working. I think the best idea is, as you say billy, to get it on a temporary Internet connection, not ideal but as I'm very new to this it might be the best idea. No idea how I'll do it tho Thanks for the help so far guys.

- Pea0n