It would be very unlikely the answers to all my problems aren't somewhere out there, on this forum or the net. Still, i don't find them right away, and/ or i haven't got all that time (i spent some houres searching though). Biggest problem to me seems there's a great knowledge gap between newbies & 'anciens', their explanation goes a little to fast for me
I managed to install Kubuntu with a dual boot on my laptop, with help from PartitionMagic, and the guide on
http://users.bigpond.net.au/hermanzone/p3.htm. The system was installed on a third partition, only 3,5 gigs since my hard disk isn't that big, and without a swap-partition. I hardly followed the online guide since things pointed out themselves. I only changed "/media/h3" to "/" since the online manual also did. Other partitions are called "/media/h1" (wxp) & "...h5 (files).
First boot (or mount, how you call it) after installation ended with a blank screen in stead of getting into the GUI. Restarted, there were "inodes" that got fixed, Kubuntu launched. A day later again a blank screen in stead of the expected blue GUI. Restarted, this time fixing inodes failed since the disk turned out to be write protected. I had to change this manually, which i did. Restarted, & in the blue GUI. Another day later: same problem. Not very handy.
Next problem: installing the touchpad driver properly. I managed to download & unpack ksynaptics. Then what? I can't right click and install right away. I have to type something in the command shell only i wouldn't know what. And no, the site which offers the driver is very concise about it. I was able to begin the installation of the macromedia flash plugin for "firefox-lookalike browser" (konquerer), with the command shell, unfortunately Konquerer itself isn't supported.
Another problem: when i go to the system screen, i can't acces the rootkit in "users & logons" nor in the icon before it (i'm sorry i'll specify this post when i'm in kubuntu), there seems to be a module missing. I'm told to click for more help, but clicking on it only brings me to the message the helptopic doesn't exist or should be installed
Last problem: all my ntfs-formatted partitions + my external hd can't be read in Kubuntu. Big bummer. Although the online guide (or somewhere else, i know i've read it) says ntfs can be read-only in Linux
I'm not a complete layman, I once used Dos, though the last 10 years have been misty with Windows. I recently got to know the ubuntu 'human' linux , was impressed by the live cd ... i'd very much like to switch completely, only it seems to me kubuntu isn't totally usable for the layman, there simply seems to be no clear help when problems (like mine) exist. Or am i that bad in searching?
Please help, I'm a quick learner