## Tips, Tricks, and Tidbits
## Michael L. Goeringer <mikegoe@ibm.net>

Q. I run KDE as my X Window manager and I would like to be able to
   use KDM for my login.  How do I set this up?

The following steps will give you the basic KDM login screen; you
can then use the KDE Desktop Manager to spice it up a bit.  The
creating of directories and links will require you to obtain root
privileges first.

1. Create the directory structure
   /usr/local/config/kdm/authdir
   Note:  /usr/local/config will already exist.  You simply need to
   add "kdm" and then "authdir"

	# mkdir /usr/local/config/kdm
	# mkdir /usr/local/config/kdm/authdir

2. Go to /usr/local/config/kdm

	# cd /usr/local/config/kdm

3. Using your favorite editor, create a file called "Xsetup"
   In it put the line  "kdmdesktop &"

4. Still in /usr/local/config/kdm, create a link file called
   "Xsession" to the one in the X Window path like this:

	# ln /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xdm/Xsession Xsession

5. Go to the /etc directory and edit or create "rc.local".
   Add the line "/usr/local/bin/kdm"

6. In your home directory create an ".xsession" file.
   In it put the line  "/usr/local/bin/startkde"

7. Restart your session and enjoy!

Q. I've read the handbook and the FAQ, and am still unable to get my
   PCI sound card to work.  Is there any hope or do I need a new sound
   card?

If all else fails, or if you've been told your card just won't work,
I suggest you take a look at Open Sound System (OSS) at
http://www.opensound.com.  A company called 4Front Technologies has
been working on a software driver that allows you to utilize your
sound card without any system modifications (most of the time).
The software is not free; you are expected to pay $20.00 after a 7
day trial use (which allows you to verify it works for your card).
I've successfully used it with two different sound cards and each
time I was up and running in a matter of minutes.  If you have the
time and can get your sound card working on your own, I would
recommend that first--however, if your only option is to buy a
more compatible sound card I suggest you give OSS a try.  With all
the good freeware, there are few things I pay for... this is one of
them.

NOTE:  For those wondering, I am not affiliated with 4Front
       Technologies in any way, except as a customer.  As was
       discussed recently on the KDE mailing list, some things are
       worth paying for.

QUICK TIP -- Displaying Files
     
To display only the first part of a text file you can use the "head"
command:

	head [-count] [file]

where "count" is the number of lines you wish to view and "file" is
the name of the file.  By default, head will display the first 10
lines.

To display the end part of a text file you can use the "tail" command:

	tail [+start] [file]
		or
	tail [-start] [file]

where "start" is the line number at which you want to start and "file
is the name of the file.  If you use the "+", tail counts from the
start of the file.  If you use the "-", tail counts from the end of
the file.  By default, tail will display the last 10 lines of the file.

Michael L. Goeringer

$Id: newbie.txt,v 1.1 2000/02/16 08:07:49 jim Exp $