[Solved] considering switching to arch

I am considering switching to arch as i have heard good things about this distro. however before i do I'd like to ask a few questions. firstly how does one install software on Arch. secondly what actually makes arch so great? and thirdly will WMs like KDE run faster on Arches bare-bones design?

dante19992 wrote:from the looks of it i wont be switching after all. tht thread seemes like just a bunch of fanboys saying "arch rules" over and over and over.
Unless you know someone in person that uses Arch, and that person knows how prolific you are when it comes to Linux, and he recommends you to switch, I wouldn't switch. The biggest fanboys are the ones that were on Ubuntu a week ago. They may be really enthusiast, but they barely know how to handle their system, which makes them totally unfit to tell you whether you yourself should switch or not.
No flame intended towards Ubuntu, by the way.

Similar Messages

Switching to Arch: Outstanding issue w/ printing

I've spent the last six months or so switching to Arch and intel (from OS X/Debian and ppc). I did think I was getting there but I've got stuck on some issues which seem small in some ways but are really problematic given the kind of work I need to do. Part of the problem is that I don't know where to start trying to diagnose or solve them.
I currently have three such issues. One has to do with getting my internal mic to work in usable fashion. The second is to do with the use of external monitors (e.g. for LCD projection). The third is the one which is really, really problematic. When it really matters, I can use one of the university's windows boxes for the mic. And the external monitor is manageable because it works and only causes issues on disconnect. But the third I have no work around for and I'm getting kind of desperate.
Generally speaking, printing works fine. My machine is set up to use a number of different printers: a Dell networked printer on my home LAN, an HP in my office via USB and another HP via USB in another office I work in. Printing is generally fast and good quality.
There are two problems. First, printing periodically gets "stuck" and the only way to get it unstuck is to kill all jobs in the queue, disconnect the printer, switch the printer off and then restart, reconnect and reprint everything. Even this is not impossible. I can get everything printed - it is just a question of figuring out what hasn't printed and remembering to recheck everything each time the printer stalls.
Second, certain documents print so slowly that it is, in practice, impossible to actually print them. I'm not sure what is special about these documents. Usually this happens with PDF files but it is certainly not all PDF files. It affects any which contain graphics but it also affects a lot which do not. Other PDFs print extremely fast.
For example, I am currently trying to print a PDF version of a paper. The job was sent at 18:42:37 BST. It is now 19:16 BST and it has so far managed to print 6 sides (3 pages). I'm printing it from acroread because it refused to print at all from Okular or the command line. This particular PDF is an older JSTOR file and these often seem to be affected. Recent stuff from JSTOR prints fine but older archives do not.
pdfinfo for the file gives:
Producer: iText 2.0.1 (by lowagie.com)
CreationDate: Tue Dec 4 07:13:41 2007
ModDate: Tue Dec 4 07:13:41 2007
Tagged: yes
Pages: 16
Encrypted: no
Page size: 595 x 842 pts (A4)
File size: 339426 bytes
Optimized: no
PDF version: 1.4
pdffonts:
name type emb sub uni object ID
Helvetica Type 1 no no no 134 0
DRRZGT+Code2000 CID TrueType yes yes yes 135 0
Times-Roman Type 1 no no no 140 0
Times-Italic Type 1 no no no 141 0
Times-Bold Type 1 no no no 6 0
acroread's properties for the document suggests that the non-embedded fonts are being substituted. For example, Arial MT is being used in place of Helvetica and Times New Roman PS MT is being substituted for Times.
Here's the command being run from ps:
hp-LaserJet-1320-series 410 <username> A9ROojFUrV 1 Duplex=DuplexNoTumble finishings=3 noHPBookletBackCover noHPBookletFilter HPBookletPageOrder=Normal HPBookletPageSize=A4 HPBookletScaling=Proportional HPEconoMode=PrinterDefault HPOption_PaperPolicy=PromptUser HPOption_Tray2 noHPOption_Tray3 noHPStraightPaperPath InputSlot=Auto InstalledMemory=16_31MB noManualFeed media=A4 MediaType=Unspecified number-up=1 PageRegion=A4 PageSize=A4 Resolution=1200dpi sides=two-sided-long-edge Smoothing=PrinterDefault job-uuid=urn:uuid:18b2396b-4dca-38bc-561d-a85b5fc4d85d job-originating-host-name=localhost time-at-creation=1336758157 time-at-processing=1336758157 /var/spool/cups/d00410-001
Any sort of insight or suggestion will be gratefully received and I am more than happy to post further information if somebody tells me what is relevant. I've enabled debugging info in CUPS but I'm not sure what might be of interest and there is a lot of output.
I'm looking for, ideally, a solution which will allow me to just print (preferably solving both problems but at least the second). A second best outcome would be some sort of work around which would allow me to convert these files or something and then print them. (But convert to what?) Failing either of those, I am definitely interested in knowing what I might read, inspect or experiment with.
Given that printing other files works just fine, there must be something about how CUPS is handling files with some particular characteristics, mustn't there? I just have no idea which characteristics of the files are relevant or what it is doing. "I didn't manage to read the/your paper because Linux doesn't like older PDFs" just doesn't sound like a good excuse...
Last edited by cfr (2012-05-11 18:34:07)

ewaller wrote:@cfr: Which interface are you using?
Do you mean am I using cups or something else or do you mean to configure the printers or something else?
I usually use the web interface to configure the printers for cups. I'm using the "recommended" HP drivers for the HP printers (and I think I'm using a proprietary ppd for the Dell printer from Dell but I use that printer much less than the others and not for printing these sorts of files).
I see the same problem with an HP LaserJet 1320 and a P3010 series (I think it is a 3015).
I discovered that if I switch to a gutenprint driver things are better for at least some JSTOR files on the 1320 but I still have issues. For some reason, it doesn't then want to print the last page (no matter how many pages there are) and this driver can only print at 600dpi and has fewer options. The printer is waiting for more data but cups thinks everything has been sent successfully. If I resend the last page to the printer, I then get two copies but one prints much later than the other. I assume this is another way in which something to do with the spooling or the way that cups sends data to the printer is going wrong and maybe connected with why printers get "stuck". Aside from the slowness issue there is definitely something not quite right about the communication between computer and printer. It is as though cups has two speeds: super quick (spools so fast the printer can't keep up); and super slow.
I've tried printing problematic PDFs from at least Okular, acroread and using lp on the command line.
I don't understand how the suggestion concerning converting them to png is supposed to work. Do you convert each page to a separate png file? I guess you could script it but it still seems like a convoluted process. (And I assume it rules out double-sided printing.)

Considering switching to Mac

Hello everyone, i have been a PC/Windows user all of my life, and am now very seriously considering switching over to mac. However, i have some questions first that i cant seem to find a direct answer to, and apologize in advance for asking things that might seem like a stupid question... so, here goes:
1. If i were to switch over to the mac version of Microsoft Office, could i swap documents i created in Word with PC's and vice versa(all of the rest of my families computers are PCs as are my schools)without any problems? Would whatever that answer is be the same for any other Office apps like PowerPoint?
2. Am I correct that Safari is an internet browser?
3. Does iChat come with the Macs, or is it a seperate program you have to buy?
4. In iChat, can i still instant message all of my friends who use AIM on a PC and still use my old screen-name if i wanted to? What if i wanted to create a new AIM screen-name? do i just go to AIM.com, make a new one, and use it in iChat without actually downloading the AIM program?
5. I currently have AOL on my PC but, of course, it *****, and i hear it is even worse on a Mac, so i would just use Safari, but can i still keep my old @aol.com e-mail address and access my e-mail through aol.com? and if i wanted to, could i create a new @aol.com e-mail address using this same method?
6. Will i still be able to watch all the online videos that run using quicktime/real player/windows media player, on my mac?
7. Am i right in assuming that i can network my new mac and my old PC in order to move my iTunes library (in AAC format)
from the PC to the Mac? Just for the record, none of the music that i purchased from the iTunes store is "Protected" anymore because i burnt it to a cd and re-imported it, however the videos and tv shows that i bought from them im assuming are still protected, so how could i move THOSE to a my new mac?
Once again, i apologize that I have so many questions that probably seem pretty stupid, but i havent been able to find direct answers to these specific questions
I also want to say thank you in advance for any help anyone can give me, sorry im such a clueless PC user, but, hopefully, with these questions answered, i will be able to happily switch to mac.
Sony Windows XP
Sony Windows XP
Sony Windows XP

Hello,
switching over to mac. However, i have some
questions first that i cant seem to find a direct
I'll answer them as we go below:
1. If i were to switch over to the mac version of
Microsoft Office, could i swap documents i created in
Word with PC's and vice versa(all of the rest of my
families computers are PCs as are my schools)without
any problems? Would whatever that answer is be the
same for any other Office apps like PowerPoint?
Yes, all the documents will open and exchange between Microsoft Office for the Mac and Microsoft Office for the PC without trouble.
You can send and exchange them in either direction, and it will work fine.
My wife does just that with her computer. She uses Office for Windows at work and Office for Mac at home.
Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents move either direction without any trouble.
There is no Mac version of Access though.
Personally, I use the free NeoOffice program on my system:
http://www.neooffice.org/
It is also compatible with Microsoft Office. Everything exchanges back and forth in either direction without trouble.
I've exchanged a lot of documents with Office users who have PC's, and they've never had any trouble opening anything I've sent them, and I've never had any problems with anything they've sent me.
NeoOffice can also work with PowerPoint files as well. They've played just fine for me.
It exchanges / works with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files.
2. Am I correct that Safari is an internet browser?
Yes. It is the standard browser on the Mac. I personally prefer it. And, it works with every page I've tried it with. I use it full-time.
But, there are also versions of Opera, FireFox, Netscape, and many others, for the Mac if you want to use something different.
3. Does iChat come with the Macs, or is it a seperate
program you have to buy?
It comes standard on all Macs. It's part of OS X.
4. In iChat, can i still instant message all of my
friends who use AIM on a PC and still use my old
screen-name if i wanted to?
Yes. You just enter your AIM screen-name when you setup iChat. And, it works as expected from there.
iChat has been designed to work just fine with AIM accounts, and will allow you to talk to other AIM users without any hassle.
What if i wanted to
create a new AIM screen-name? do i just go to
AIM.com, make a new one, and use it in iChat without
actually downloading the AIM program?
Yes. Just do it at their website. That's how I did it.
5. I currently have AOL on my PC but, of course, it
*****, and i hear it is even worse on a Mac, so i
would just use Safari, but can i still keep my old
@aol.com e-mail address and access my e-mail through
aol.com? and if i wanted to, could i create a new
@aol.com e-mail address using this same method?
If you're talking about using Safari to go to the AOL site and use their webmail interface to check your e-mail, then yes that should work just fine.
6. Will i still be able to watch all the online
videos that run using quicktime/real player/windows
media player, on my mac?
Yes.
There are Mac versions of all of those programs. Quicktime comes with all Macs. But, you can download the others.
Windows Media Player has been discontinued, but it still works and can be downloaded from Microsoft's website.
There is also a plug-in to play Windows Media Players in Apple's Quicktime Player.
7. Am i right in assuming that i can network my new
mac and my old PC in order to move my iTunes library
(in AAC format)
from the PC to the Mac? Just for the record, none of
the music that i purchased from the iTunes store is
"Protected" anymore because i burnt it to a cd and
re-imported it, however the videos and tv shows that
i bought from them im assuming are still protected,
so how could i move THOSE to a my new mac?
You should be able to find all you need on that here:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=300173
Those directions explain how to move them using your iPod. But, you could use the same basic method to move them over the network. Just substitute copying through the network for the part that addresses copying them into and from the iPod.
The rest should be about the same.
I also want to say thank you in advance for any help
anyone can give me,
You're quite welcome. Glad to help
Let us know if you have other questions.
P.S., if you'd like, go ahead and click the "Helpful" or "Solved" buttons on mine or any of the other posts / replies if you feel they were helpful or adequately answered your question.

[SOLVED] Unable to boot Arch installer

Hello everyone.
I am no experienced Linux user (I'm just about one year and a half), but I think that dealing with things is the way to learn about them. I'm using Debian and want to switch to Arch.
I have an USB drive, and would like to put the installer (sorry? I'm not sure if that's the correct name. Please excuse me if I am not too concise) on it, without using a CD. I also have an Internet connection through ethernet, and I guess the "installer" will be able to use it to download any needed files.
So, as explained in the wiki and some external guides, I have copied the ISO I downloaded to the USB drive (with dd), just after formatting it as FAT32 with MBR.
I rebooted, with the USB plugged in, entered the BIOS menu and set the USB floppy as the first boot device. Then I exited from BIOS. I saw the LED of my pendrive flicking but no more, the BIOS stayed there (Press ESC to enter BIOS setup menu) and the light always flicking. (I waited about half an hour and nothing happened.)
I have tried it many times, and nothing has changed. I'm now a bit scared: is there anything wrong with my motherboard? Maybe with the filesystem on the external drive? I was wondering if there were any other choices to install Arch from within another Linux distro (Debian "Squeeze" in this case). I know nothing about chroot and other advanced techniques, but (if this helps) I don't want to save anything from my hard drive, i.e., I want a clean install.
Thank you, and, as I said, sorry if this question is very weird, or if I'm missing something important. I'm sure I've looked through many places in the web -too many, I guess; my eyes now hurt me. I'm also not very good at English so, sorry again.
P.S.: I have just tried with a CD-R burning the ISO with Brasero, and it didn't work. The same: freezing. I have UEFI disabled in my BIOS. I'm now wondering what's happening with my computer. It has about five years, and it looks like packed rubbish, but ...
Last edited by Kalrish (2013-03-02 18:46:23)

It sounds like you're mixing up the methods for creating the USB install media. You mention formatting with FAT32, that's from the Without overwriting the USB drive method. But you also mention copying the iso with dd, which is from the Overwrite the USB drive method.
You should follow one method or the other from the wiki only, and pay attention to the output for any errors. Then, if things go wrong again, you will be able to provide better detail.

I am considering switching from MIE to Firefox. But I need to use an outdated version (7.3.1) of QuickTime, and I do not want Firefox to update it. If I installed Firefox, how would I prevent this?

I am considering switching from MIE to Firefox. But I need to use an outdated version (7.3.1) of QuickTime, and I do not want Firefox to update it. If I installed Firefox, how would I prevent this?

Firefox doesn't update plugins like that. The worst you might see is a "nag" from Firefox after an update, about that plugin being outdated; and you can dismiss that "nag" by just closing it.

Considering switching to PC, can I import my itunes library?

I am considering switching to a windows PC from a Mac, it is time for a new laptop and I can get a decent windows PC for less than half of a comparable Mac. My one concern is my Itunes library, which is on my Ibook. Can I transfer this to a new windows laptop and what would I have to do? I have a pretty extensive collection, (1000+ songs), so transferring them one by one would be a huge pain, is there an easy way to transfer them "en mass"? Thanks!

You can move the files with an external hard drive or with an iPod, provided the disk is formatted for use with a PC so that it can be read by both the PC and the Mac. (A Mac can read a disk formatted for both, however, a PC can only read a disk formatted for Windows).
This document explains using the iPod:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1329
You can use the same steps if substituting a flash drive or a hard drive for the iPod, minus those that require seeing the drive in iTunes.
You can also use the built-in iTunes backup and restore disks, if it makes it easier. On your iBook, launch iTunes and choose File > Back Up to Disc. It will estimate how many CDs or DVDs are needed (depending on your computer's burning capabilities) and then you can decide whether this is a viable option for you. Once the first disc is burned, you'd want to insert it to your new PC with iTunes open and choose the same File > Back Up to Disc. You'll then be prompted to restore your library from the backup disc in your drive (which is what you'd want to do).
Hope this is helpful
CG

[Solved] Cannot ping my Arch linux pc from other devices

My newly installed arch linux pc is connected to my home network via wifi. I can successfully connect to the Internet. Also, I can successfully ping other devices on my network. However, I am unable to connect to my Arch linux pc from any other device on the network. As I said, I cannot even ping it from these other devices.
Does anyone have an idea as to what would cause this?
Last edited by mc33 (2015-05-12 20:29:06)

ewaller wrote:I have a hunch that the router does not know how to find your machine. Routers need to know to find which each IP address that is attached. Yours might not be smart enough to remember that an address that it did not assign talked to it over the wireless. When other computers try to talk to your address, it is clueless that you are on the wireless segment of the network, cannot find it on any wired ports, and (if it is not smart enough to figure out that it is not routable) will send it up stream or (if it is smart) will drop the packet. Try DHCP, or, ensure that the router itself knows that the static address has been assigned to your MAC. To do that, you will need to go into the router setup.
I switched my Arch box to Dhcp. I thought the problem had resolved, but the issue has come back even with Dhcp enabled. I have isolated the problem to the wireless router. If I refresh Dhcp on the router, I can then ping my Arch box from other devices again. Is there anything I can do to the router to resolve this? Again, the wireless router is an Asus RT-N66U.

Serious question - Is anyone considering switching editing software

I can't believe the demise of FCP7. Is anyone considering switching to Avid or Premiere Pro? I already have the latter, but never used it...
Is it worth learning one of these new pieces of software!?
Cheers & Happy New Year all.

eric_herts wrote:
I can't believe the demise of FCP7. Is anyone considering switching to Avid or Premiere Pro? I already have the latter, but never used it...
Is it worth learning one of these new pieces of software!?
You might get a different answer if you asked outside the Apple forum, where there are a lot of recent blog posts about "how I switched from FCP to ___, here are my tips"
like this one
http://www.biscardicreative.com/blog/2011/09/transitioning-fcp-to-premiere-pro-g otchas-part-1/
Just read it and it has this interesting quote
As I’ve noted in my blogs, for the Final Cut Pro editor migrating over to Adobe Premiere Pro CS 5.5, the transition really could not be much easier. I often refer to PPro as “Final Cut Pro 8″ because it feels like the natural progression from FCP 7.
Wow.
I wouldn't expect it to be that easy all the time, but still, that's a dangerous quote for Apple.

HT3406 The instructions are not clear. I am still using the iPhone 3GS. I am considering switching to a different carrier. How will I use it as an iPod touch then?

The instructions are not clear. I am still using the iPhone 3GS. I am considering switching to a different carrier with a different phone. Can I continue to use my iPhone 3GS as an iPod touch?

Once you have activated your new phone, you old phone won't have cellular data.
Then restore your old phone using itunes, then sync your music to it.

[SOLVED] Fail to boot Arch x86_64 live CD on a HP laptop

Hey, guys, what's up?
Well, here's the thing: I bought a new laptop a couple days ago and I'm kind of having some trouble. Its a HP Pavilion dm4-1063cl (this model: http://www.notebookcheck.info/HP-Pavili … 579.0.html, just in case).
I ran some tests in Windows 7 about the architecture of the processor and it clearly seems that it can support arch x86_64 bits. However, I tried to boot Arch x86_64 by a Net Installation CD and it doesn't work. The process fail in the "Loadin UDEV events" phase, something like that. PS: the i686 image boots perfectly.
Then, I thought that was the CD I burned the reason for trouble - I did not check md5sum and stuff like that. So, I burned another dual image (with boths i686 and x86_64) and tried to run again the 64bits kernel. It did not work in the same phase.
The only response I get is a dark screen that never seems to go away. It was a panic I've never seen before with Arch Linux.
The only alternative I can think right now is trying an older version of the live image CD and see what happens, but it doesn't seem like a very good option. Any ideas?
Hope someone of you can help me. Here in Brazil, most of computers we buy come with Windows installed and we don't have quite a chance of not getting - or paying for - it. I'm sure I'll have such a trouble installing dual boot with Arch Linux, but I really miss my Arch Linux...
And, damn, I worked too hard to get a new processor. I really dont wanna use Arch i686 on a pc with x86_64 architecture, it seems like an option, but a dumb one. =p
Cheers,
Wilson.
EDIT: It turns out that tt was not a kernel panic as I thought. The kernel changed the resolution of the display during this fase, and somehow it doesent work.
The trick I used to solve this was adding "nomodeset" to the kernel line in the Live CD booting. Btw, you can do it by selecting the booting option you want in the live CD and pressing TAB. Then, you can edit the kernel line. (:
Last edited by wilsaooo (2010-12-28 06:17:41)

lamegaptop wrote:
Resurrecting this post because I may help you or someone else.
HP DM4-1265, Intel Corei5, Intel Graphics. (Two days old, windoze wiped, Arch installed)
At boot the brightness is, for some unexplained reason, set all the way down to 0 on these intel based DM4 laptops. A few simple <Fn>+<F3> turns the brightness back up.
To solve this I had to put this in rc.local -
echo 6 > /sys/class/backlight/acpi_video0/brightness
you can enter it manually to test first (as root). Try to turn your brightness up and down with it to make sure it works.
My fan ran like crazy too. HP chose to default a BIOS setting that keeps the fan running constantly. I disabled that and all is well. Fan only comes on when needed and lm_sensors shows my temps, right now, at 43C. Ambient is at 77F right now (I'm in Florida) and this kick butt Arch laptop is, in fact, on my lap.....
Don't give up man.
First of all: thanks for replying.
I installed manually the "coretemp" kernel modules and lm-sensors now give some different response. The script "sensors-detect" does not find any answer.
Looks like the temperature run in a regular level (50º-60º), which I consider a good sign. However, sometimes when I use arch for 24h+, it shuts down suddenly and does not let me boot my computer again - I believe it is a overheating problem. Happened a couple times, big no big deal.
On the other hand, in Windows 7 I have no trouble at all. The temperature goes around 40º with some daily activities. It worries me out because I used - and I do use - largely and successfully Arch i686 version in crappy notebooks with no heating at all.
I tried some tweaks in the rc.local, but none of them seemed to really work. With cpufreq, I could slow down the processors and maintain a regular temperature. Looks like I can list some of the fans speed in the /sys/ files, but much of them do not seem to have any change at all. Some of them looks like to have some "max_state" set to low values like 1, but most do have a limit like 10.
I will keep trying. If there's anything new, I'll post here
Cheers,
Wilson

[Solved] Netcfg switches between interfaces

Hello,
I switched to netcfg, to get a pure systemd install.
How ever, sometimes the netcfg can't bring up the interface even though it used that interface before.
It's like netcfg are switching between what interface it can use. Sometimes it's eth0 other times eth1.
So when I boot and don't have any network connection, I change the config files to use the other interface (ex. eth1) and netcfg can connect.
How can this be?
configs:
/etc/network.d/mynetwork
CONNECTION='ethernet'
DESCRIPTION='A basic static ethernet connection using iproute'
INTERFACE='eth1'
IP='static'
ADDR='192.168.1.3'
#ROUTES=('192.168.0.0/24 via 192.168.1.2')
GATEWAY='192.168.1.1'
DNS=('dns1', 'dns2)
## For IPv6 autoconfiguration
#IP6=stateless
## For IPv6 static address configuration
#IP6='static'
#ADDR6=('1234:5678:9abc:def::1/64' '1234:3456::123/96')
#ROUTES6=('abcd::1234')
#GATEWAY6='1234:0:123::abcd'
/etc/conf.d/netcfg
# Enable these netcfg profiles at boot time.
# - prefix an entry with a '@' to background its startup
# - set to 'last' to restore the profiles running at the last shutdown
# - set to 'menu' to present a menu (requires the dialog package)
# Network profiles are found in /etc/network.d
NETWORKS=(mynetwork)
# Specify the name of your wired interface for net-auto-wired
WIRED_INTERFACE="eth1"
# Specify the name of your wireless interface for net-auto-wireless
#WIRELESS_INTERFACE="wlan0"
# Array of profiles that may be started by net-auto-wireless.
# When not specified, all wireless profiles are considered.
#AUTO_PROFILES=("profile1" "profile2")
Last edited by KLIM (2012-12-06 14:22:23)

Did you checked for netcfg.service is enabled (systemd) ?
BTW, I see a missing single quote on DNS line : DNS=('dns1', 'dns2)
You may check these forum posts :
"[SOLVED] Netcfg.service always failing." @ https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=148079
"Systemd and Netcfg" @ https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=151662
"netcfg/systemd not bringing up eth0 (static profile)" @ https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=147300
"[SOLVED] netcfg fails at boot" @ https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?pid=1200518
And this wiki entry about netcfg @ https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Netcfg

[SOLVED] Replacing an existing Arch drive with a new one

I want to swap out my SATA drive with a new one, without reloading anything, nor borking anything..... The original drive is 1TB, and the new HDD is also 1TB, albeit from different manufacturers.
I have WIn 7 in a 256Gb partition, and Arch in the extended partitions worth 750Gb. The drive is a 1 TB drive. (Hitachi)
Arch is my primary OS where I do all my design/cad work and office related stuff. Windows is only used as a gaming platform.
I have been given a NIB 1Tb Seagate Constellation enterprise class drive. It is significantly faster than my existing drive. I wish to switch the drives out.
I am really wanting to avoid a complete reload of both OS's.
My son tells me to use "dd" which I am familiar with, but warns that upon reboot Windows will likely have issues and be very slow.
I have a heavy workload at the moment, and just don't have a day to spend reloading both OS's from scratch.
Is there a better way to image a drive, partition scheme, boot sector, the whole smash (I have a 2TB drive to hold the image) .......R&R the old drive, install the new drive, then have the software then copy back over to the new drive the image with the partitioning scheme and boot sector (syslinux) without borking anything up in either OS?
Assistance is greatly appreciated. I have not needed to do this before...and I'm nervous.
Thank You!
Sincerely and respectfully,
Dave
Last edited by dcbdbis (2013-03-02 04:48:08)

FWIW, check if your new drive is one meant for the newer 4K sectors. If so, you should only blindly dd it if the old drive was also set up this way. If not, then you may need to align the copied data to the 4K sectors, or set up the partitions on the new drive appropriately. (Western Digital, for example, has an align tool that buzzes through the drive edging everything over to align properly. If you don't do this and your drive is copied out of alignment, then you can get some slowdown.)
Quite possibly not an issue for you, and there's more to it than I've typed. It's not hard to do right if needed. GParted can partition on the correct boundaries, and clonezilla quite possibly is aware as well (I haven't looked). You just need to see if your drives are set up as advanced format (or whatever it's called) and copy accordingly if needed.
I only mention this because there are currently mixed drive types out there and a surprising number of people don't know anything about this and might be taken by surprise.

Considering switching to Apple Pro from Windows PC, but have questions.

Repost from the MacbookPro forums (erroneously posted it there first).
Hi all,
I'm currently a Vista PC user who has a long time history in PC usage. I'm an old timer who even used the very first PCs, among which were Tandy TRS80, Commodore, Synclair, PCM, etc. I'm very familiar with lots of different OSs due to my IT background (was a system's admin and a programmer for quite some years), so I know my way around in different systems (IBM, HP-Unix, Linux, etc.).
Needless to say, I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty when needed and am one of those computer users who likes to do things himself, just because I rarely trust the tech guy from the store, who I usually end up explaining how systems work instead of the other way around.
Now I know nothing about Macs. Only dealt with them in one company where I didn't have to work with them at all. So I'm completely new to this matter.
I'm considering a Mac mainly because I'm tired of the whole Windows scene and because Linux is not mature enough yet and lacks Windows compatibility. So a Mac would be a logical next step. Plus I refuse to pay another $500 for an operating system that never left its beta stage. Anyway....
Here are the things that I am wondering about but haven't been able to find clear information about:
1) If I were to buy a Mac Pro, can I upgrade/change it to my hearts content? Or am I limited to Mac hardware only? Let's say I want to upgrade the processor and maybe I want to put a different (read better) cooling fan and body in there, can I do that?
2) Is PC hardware compatible with the Mac? With that I don't just mean printers and monitors, but also HDDs, video cards, sound cards, etc.
3) For those of you who made the switch recently, is it an improvement in your experience over Vista/XP? And why?
4) How well does Windows software run on a Mac? Can I just run any type of Windows software on the Mac if I want to?
5) I'm a big MMO fan, so play one at any given time as a hobby. Do these kind of games run well in a Windows emulated environment on a Mac (provided a Mac version doesn't exist)?
6) I'm reading in the forums that new models might be announced soon. Is there any place where I can find information on that?
That is about what I had in mind after having browsed a bit and read the forums here.
Thanks in advance for any replies. I have to admit that the costs of a Mac system are what are holding me back still. But my current system is going to need replacement in the next 6 months or so, and building a new one from scratch is probably going to cost me almost as much as a brand new medium range Mac Pro. Hence the reason I'm considering making the switch.
I'm looking forward to your ideas and experiences.
Marc

1) If I were to buy a Mac Pro, can I upgrade/change it to my hearts content? Or am I limited to Mac hardware only? Let's say I want to upgrade the processor and maybe I want to put a different (read better) cooling fan and body in there, can I do that?
You are able to change RAM, HDDs and PCI Hardware (must be Apple Versions most the time (eg. graphics) afaik). Everything else will propably void your warrenty (don't know about optical devices...
But you will propably not not want to change the fans oder body as the Mac Pro is extremly well engineered. You will notice that after changing the harddrives and compare that to a standard PC procedure.
2) Is PC hardware compatible with the Mac? With that I don't just mean printers and monitors, but also HDDs, video cards, sound cards, etc.
As stated above, all the internal stuff will not be so easy (as Video cards, sound cards ...) (except RAM and HDDs). External Hardware like Printers, Monitors, etc. will propably work ootb without even thinking about installing drivers. Some though need some (e.g. Logitech mice) for full functionality.
3) For those of you who made the switch recently, is it an improvement in your experience over Vista/XP? And why?
I switched about a year ago to a Mac Pro having quite a similar background (IT) as you. And I didn't regret it. The OS is just like it should be and in 99% of times the slogan "it just works" really is true. (My "wow" moment was syncing my mobile with iSync and Bluetooth wich took me (alone for the bluetooth installation) about 2 days in Windows))
I think Mac OS is - especially if you have an IT background - the better choice over Windows because of its rock solid unix foundation and well-thought-through-ness . At first it was a little bit as if I was in a cage as I didn't know how to do some things but knew how I would do it on Windows but after a (very litte) while I just relaxed and everything now works for me. It sometimes even a bit boring as things just work out as they should and you don't spend hours of setting up the system.
4) How well does Windows software run on a Mac? Can I just run any type of Windows software on the Mac if I want to?
In Boot Camp yes. It makes your Mac an ordinary Windows PC. There is also virtualization software that make you able to run windows and mac apps side by side but there will be much slower performance and no usage of all 8 cores the mac pro has and 3d wont run well too. But nice if you lets say have one piece of software that has no mac equivalent and you just want do use it quickly without rebooting (wich is needed for Boot Camp).
5) I'm a big MMO fan, so play one at any given time as a hobby. Do these kind of games run well in a Windows emulated environment on a Mac (provided a Mac version doesn't exist)?
Emulated they wont work well I guess but in Boot Camp no problem. I myself played Wow for quite some time (in mac os with great performance) and now play Warhammer in Boot Camp with all settings maxed out 1920x1200 even on 2 gb of ram no problem at all.
6) I'm reading in the forums that new models might be announced soon. Is there any place where I can find information on that?
No. If Apple didn't announce them its all rumors. Macrumors.com though has a "buyers guide" where you can see how long the hardware has been without updates which is a good indicator for updates.
hth, scurra

[SOLVED] Can I install Arch on the same PC, without a CD/USB/Netboot

Hello
I'm kinda bored, and then I like to reinstall Arch over and over.. but I lack a CD/USB stick and/or another PC to do a PXE install, therefor..
Can I set up my current installation to boot into a new arch install when I reboot somehow?
Thanks.
Last edited by valvet (2010-11-08 14:50:16)

hokasch wrote:Sure.. two examples:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fa … nux_System (use swap for the iso and convert it back later)
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/In … ting_Linux
or extract kernel & initrd from archboot image, save it somewhere and create a grub entry - works fine for net installs
Ok I thought it was solved, but I was wrong.. here's what I did, hopefully you or someone else can help.
Downloaded the netinst image (160mb), copied:
/mnt/iso/boot/archiso.img > /boot/archiso.img
/mnt/iso/boot/vmlinuz26 > /boot/vmlinuz26-test
Edited /boot/grub/menu.lst according to /mnt/iso/boot/isolinux.cfg
# test
title Arch test install
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz26-test
initrd /archiso.img archisolabel=ARCH_201005 tmpfs_size=75% locale=en_US.UTF-8
Now, whenever I boot this.. it says "Waiting 30 seconds for device /disk-by/uid.. lots of dots here.
Ideas? I'd like to avoid making a new partition as suggested in the wiki, as it requires me to load a live cd of sorts anyway, so I can shrink one of my partitions.
Thanks :-)!
Last edited by valvet (2010-10-31 19:48:05)

[SOLVED] Network restart before Arch can access internet via IPCop?

The Leopard machines on our LAN have working internet on boot, my Arch box does not?
Even though I have the IPCop server's IP in the Arch /etc/resolv.conf.head file, I still have to do a sudo /etc/rc.d/network restart before I can use the internet.
Does anyone know how I can solve this one?
Thanks for your time.
Last edited by handy (2008-12-13 13:41:04)

tomk wrote:Post your /etc/rc.conf. If '/etc/rc.d/network start' works but network-at-boot-time doesn't, that's where the error is.
As a workaround I've put /etc/rc.d/network start in my /etc/rc.local & now I don't have to type it manually.
tomk wrote:Incidentally, dhcpcd messages don't show up in dmesg - you should be looking in messages.log or everything.log.
I looked in all the logs that had been changed after a boot.
Here is my rc.conf:
# /etc/rc.conf - Main Configuration for Arch Linux
# LOCALIZATION
# LOCALE: available languages can be listed with the 'locale -a' command
# HARDWARECLOCK: set to "UTC" or "localtime"
# TIMEZONE: timezones are found in /usr/share/zoneinfo
# KEYMAP: keymaps are found in /usr/share/kbd/keymaps
# CONSOLEFONT: found in /usr/share/kbd/consolefonts (only needed for non-US)
# CONSOLEMAP: found in /usr/share/kbd/consoletrans
# USECOLOR: use ANSI color sequences in startup messages
LOCALE="en_AU.utf8"
HARDWARECLOCK="UTC"
TIMEZONE="Australia/Sydney"
KEYMAP="us"
CONSOLEFONT=
CONSOLEMAP=
USECOLOR="yes"
# HARDWARE
# Scan hardware and load required modules at bootup
MOD_AUTOLOAD="yes"
# Module Blacklist - modules in this list will never be loaded by udev
MOD_BLACKLIST=(net-pf-10 pcspkr) ## turns off ipv6 & pc speaker
# Modules to load at boot-up (in this order)
# - prefix a module with a ! to blacklist it
MODULES=(sky2 snd-mixer-oss snd-pcm-oss snd-hwdep snd-page-alloc snd-pcm snd-timer snd snd-hda-intel soundcore fglrx)
# Scan for LVM volume groups at startup, required if you use LVM
USELVM="no"
# NETWORKING
HOSTNAME="archtypical"
# Use 'ifconfig -a' or 'ls /sys/class/net/' to see all available
# interfaces.
# Interfaces to start at boot-up (in this order)
# Declare each interface then list in INTERFACES
# - prefix an entry in INTERFACES with a ! to disable it
# - no hyphens in your interface names - Bash doesn't like it
# Note: to use DHCP, set your interface to be "dhcp" (eth0="dhcp")
###lo="lo 127.0.0.1"
# eth0="eth0 192.168.0.2 netmask 255.255.255.0 broadcast 192.168.0.255"
eth0="dhcp"
###INTERFACES=(lo eth0)
INTERFACES=(eth0)
# Routes to start at boot-up (in this order)
# Declare each route then list in ROUTES
# - prefix an entry in ROUTES with a ! to disable it
# gateway="default gw 192.168.0.1"
ROUTES=(!gateway)
# Enable these network profiles at boot-up. These are only useful
# if you happen to need multiple network configurations (ie, laptop users)
# - set to 'menu' to present a menu during boot-up (dialog package required)
# - prefix an entry with a ! to disable it
# Network profiles are found in /etc/network-profiles
#NET_PROFILES=(main)
# DAEMONS
# Daemons to start at boot-up (in this order)
# - prefix a daemon with a ! to disable it
# - prefix a daemon with a @ to start it up in the background
DAEMONS=(syslog-ng @iptables @network @netfs @crond @alsa @portmap @sshd @transmission-daemon @stb-admin @fam @gpm)# @tor @privoxy # @hal - hal's out on account of worker
# End of file
Last edited by handy (2008-12-13 12:30:42)

[Solved] considering switching to arch

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