Freespire Linux ??

[Watcher48]

Picked up a nice Compaq computer for a Buck and some Linux OS. tried to install ubuntu but it wouldn't so I had this freespire linux and it installed and works great. Its a 2007 version. First thing I did was download Adobe reader 8.1. to desktop. When I click on It to install it asks me for a program to run it with. The file extension is rpm. So what am I looking for ??

Has anybody tried the CNR website. When I try and download from there my HD goes into eternal running and I have to shut the computer off to get it to quit.

Thanks

[backwoodsman7]

Originally Posted by Watcher48

When I click on It to install it asks me for a program to run it with. The file extension is rpm. So what am I looking for ??

With Linux, you have to be a little careful installing stuff that's not from the software repository of whatever distribution you're running. I don't know nearly enough about Freespire to help you with installing software. But I'd suggest you get hold of a PCLinuxOS disk; it's about the best of the current crop, and has everything you're likely to need or want either on the disk or in the repository, including Adobe Reader (although I prefer kpdf for a pdf viewer).

http://www.pclinuxos.com

If you want to stick with Freespire, you might want to ask this in the forums at http://www.freespire.org . They'll be able to help you a lot better than we can.

[HermitJohn]

Freespire is the "free" community version of Linspire which used to be known as Lindows. Remember the lawsuit with M$ over Lindows name?

CNR is Linspire proprietory repository. I think there is different levels, some free, some pay.

From bit of googling, apparently Freespire has had problems with software that allows access to CNR repository. These problems are supposed to have been cleared up with release late last year. I suggest you install latest release possible or look for patch on the Freespire site.

I havent messed with Freespire or Linspire, but think they are based on Debian so may have apt-get installed and you can thus set them up to use deb packages.

There is certain interchangability with packaging systems. Puppy Linux for instance has its own native packages, the dotpups and dotpets. But it also is moving in direction of using Slackware packages directly. Redhat and Mandrake/Mandriva RPMs can be un-rpmed and installed manually. These usually work. Debs can be un-debbed and used also though they probably have lowest success rate in Puppy as Puppy isnt debian based.

Oh and now Freespire/Linspire is based on Ubuntu: http://desktoplinux.com/news/NS7103672739.html

Feb. 08, 2007

[Updated 8:30AM] -- Canonical Ltd., the sponsor of Ubuntu, and Linspire Inc., the developer of Linspire and Freespire, on February 8 announced a technology partnership to integrate with each other's Linux distributions. Linspire/Freespire will be based on Ubuntu, rather than Debian, and Ubuntu will integrate with Linspire's CNR package installer/updater.
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Starting with Ubuntu's 7.04 release in April, Ubuntu users will gain access to Linspire's newly opened CNR (Click and Run) e-commerce and software delivery system. For Linspire, that will mean moving from Debian to Ubuntu as the base for its Linspire and Freespire desktop operating systems (see figure, below).

[Kung]

That's kind of odd that they'd specify that it was based on Ubuntu, rather than Debian; because Ubuntu IS based on Debian. The entire reason that Ubuntu originally came about was to try to tie together rock-solid stability (which Debian has long been known for) with ease of use (which Debian has NOT been known for).

[sparky5982]

I'm an ubuntu user with no freespire experience, so these instructions may not work for you.

The first thing you need to understand, it is not necessarily easy to understand, is that you do not install 'packages' (programs, libraries) in linux by double clicking them. Very few programs can install this way like they can in Windows. It sounds stupid and overly complicated, but there are reasons.

You may be running into two different things here. The first and most likely is that you downloaded the wrong version of Adobe Reader. If the file extension of the Reader you downloaded is .rpm, you have the wrong one. Go back to the adobe download site and download the one that ends in .deb to your desktop. Next, open a terminal. Type the following:

cd Desktop
sudo dpkg -i adobereaderfile.deb

It will ask for your password and then should do the rest.

The second problem you might be having is referred to as a dependency problem. In Windows, you probably noticed that when you install a new program, the installer wants to install a whole bunch of other stuff too. These other things are called 'dependencies' because without them, the program you are trying to install could not run. If you can't install reader because it says something like "reader depends on suchandsuch.rpm but it is not availible' you have a dependency problem.

Again, I have no experience with Freespire, but I'm assuming it came with a program called 'Synaptic.' Synaptic is a program that finds and installs software for you. In Ubuntu, it's located under Administration>Synaptic. See if you can find it. In the search bar, search for 'suchandsuch,' the file that is needed by adobe. Check the box of the file that seems closest in name and hit the Apply Changes button. Sit back and it will install. Afterwards, close Synaptic and try to install the Reader file again.

I hope all of this helped you get where you need to be. I'd suggest changing linux distros to Ubuntu, but you said that the Ubuntu installer did not work. What exactly did it do?

[Kung]

If Freespire comes with Synaptic (and I'm quite sure it does) then dependencies will not be a problem because Synaptic does handle that.

[HermitJohn]

Blind leading the blind in playing blind mans bluff since nobody including me offering advice has actually used Freespire. I tried downloading Freespire last time at library. Going to take 4 hour and I couldnt find a faster server and I didnt have 4 hour to waste. Freespire isnt hugely popular apparently. In comparison, I got Ubuntu iso in like 40 minutes. that was a fast server. Torrent of Freespire throttled down to dialup speed and was only going to take a couple days.... No idea on that unless library's system firewall is doing that.

Anyway anybody that doesnt know, Synaptic is the gui front end for apt-get. Apt-get can still be used directily via terminal. One thing apt-get/Synaptic needs to know which repositories to search for software. Some time ago when I tried Xandros, found it had apt-get/Synaptic set to only search Xandros proprietary repositories. I had to manually add the free debian repositories to its list (and no I dont off hand remember where that list is). Since Linspire/Freespire has its own proprietary repositories, it may also be set to only search those repositories. Just a heads up. By way if you can get deb pkgs on cd/dvd, you can also set apt-get/Synaptic to search the cd-dvd drive.

[sparky5982]

Originally Posted by Kung

If Freespire comes with Synaptic (and I'm quite sure it does) then dependencies will not be a problem because Synaptic does handle that.

You won't find software like Reader in the standard, free repositories and I thought that giving instruction for adding repos would be too advanced.

[backwoodsman7]

Originally Posted by sparky5982

You won't find software like Reader in the standard, free repositories and I thought that giving instruction for adding repos would be too advanced.

It's in the PCLinuxOS repository, as are a number of other PDF readers.