FAQ

This document is Public Domain

Foresight Linux Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Version 2.5.0

This FAQ version should reflect the state of the upcoming 2.5.x release series

Foresight

Why the name Foresight Linux?

Because in Foresight you always get software you otherwise will have to wait for in other distributions.

What is so special about Foresight?

1. It gives you the latest in GNOME software
2. It uses the modern Conary package manager.
3. Our community is cool
4. It is easier to build packages on your own than in any other distribution.
5. Foresight uses "rolling releases".
6. It's green

I would like to try Foresight Linux on a live CD/DVD, is there one available?

No, we do not provide a live CD/DVD anymore.

However, there are a number of ways to try out Foresight Linux, including VMware image and others.

• Visit our Downloads page for more information.

How do I verify that the iso image that I downloaded is good.

We provide a cryptographic checksum (using SHA-1 – Secure Hash Algorithm 1) for each downloadable iso image. It is always a good idea to verify the download against this checksum to avoid burning a disc that won't work.

You can check that the checksum of the image you downloaded matches the checksum provided for that image on the download page. In addition to the iso image you downloaded, you will need to download the file called SHA1SUM and save it to the same folder as your downloaded image.

On Linux:

If you downloaded the iso image to your ~/Download folder, open a terminal and check the SHA-1 checksum like this:

cd Download/
sha1sum -c SHA1SUM

If the iso image is not corrupt, you should see something similar to the following output:

# insert example here

On Windows:

Download the windows version of the sha1sum tool and save it to the folder where you saved the iso image and the SHA1SUM file. Then open windows explorer and navigate to the folder where you saved the iso image, the SHA1SUM file and the sha1sum.exe tool and hold down the SHIFT key while right-clicking on a blank area inside the folder.

This should bring up a context menu with the option "Open command window here" as shown in the screenshot below:

In the command window, you can verify the iso image SHA-1 sum as shown below:

How long should I expect a Foresight install to take?

This depends highly on your system. We recommend at least 256 MB of RAM - better more.

• Intel Core Duo T2300 with 1GB RAM, x86 2.0.6 DVD: 15 minutes from start of install to logged in and running applications.

Where can I check if the software I need is packaged for Foresight?

You can search and browse for packages built for Foresight using the Repository Browser at rBuilder Online. Even though the package you are looking for isn't packaged specifically for Foresight, chances are that it will still work. If it doesn't, you can always use the Conary package manager roll back feature to reset your system to its prior state.

How is security handled in Foresight?

Because of its rolling update nature, security updates can quickly be rolled onto installed systems. At present we have no dedicated security team, but fixes are usually applied and rolled out from day-to-day.

Package Management

Foresight uses the Conary Package manager. To interact you can use PackageKit (http://www.packagekit.org/).

• Add/Remove Software from the System->Administration menu
• If updates are available you will see notifications of PackageKit through the notification area.

see also How do I use PackageKit?

or you can use the conary command line tool:

• man conary

PackageKit.

What is the Conary Package Manager?

From the Conary wiki:  Conary replaces existing software package management solutions (such as RPM and dpkg) with one designed to enable loose collaboration across the Internet. Unlike traditional packages, Conary packages are defined by components and files stored in networked repositories.

Conary is written primarily in Python, and a little C.  Conary is the package manager behind rPath Linux, the base of Foresight Linux.  To learn more about Conary, visit the Conary wiki.

Is Conary really better than RPM?

Take a look for yourself at the OpenSSH package recipe for Conary vs. the RPM package.

How do I add additional packages in Foresight?

1. sudo conary update packagename
2. Look at rBuilder to find further packages. There you can click on the name of the results and from that trove you see a Version string like : /reponame.rpath.org@rpl:devel/5.1-1-1. To install this package you would then make a conary command: "conary update packagename=reponame.rpath.org@rpl:devel". This will fetch the package from the given repository. (Please be aware that not all package may be a good choice and do have the same quality. So also take a look at the Project where the trove belongs. If unsure ask in IRC, mailing list or forum which trove you could use in Foresight).

See also HOWTO add package X!

Solutions to Update Problems

Localization

How do I change the localisation of OpenOffice.org 2 ?

Use the "Add/Remove Software from the System->Administration" and search for "openoffice.org-locale". In the list, select the package corresponding to your country and install it.

Once installed, you can find this in all the OpenOffice.org applications in "Tools -> Options" under the Language settings line.

My desktop is in English. How can I switch?

Before you log in press "F10" at login screen. "Select Language" and choose your local language.

We are working on a new theme that shows a button for this switch

Audio & Sound

You have no sound ?

This is a rare issue but check the following:

1. Check if other applications can produce sound. If yes its not a general desktop problem but a problem of only one application.
2. Did you disable sound somehow (maybe via notebook button, please also check cabling and power)
3. Right click on the loudspeaker symbol (standard location in the upper right corner) and select to Open Sound Mixer. Then play with the controlers, disable and reenable one volume control by clicking on the small loudspeaker symbols (like for master, PCM) and test after each step if sound is working again. Often this helps.

If you still don't get sound in JIRA (see HOWTO file an issue in JIRA[].

I get "Win32 LoadLibrary failed to load: avisynth.dll"

You do NOT really need avisynth.dll! Just place "-playlist" between the mplayer command and the URL.

How do I get Banshee to play MP3 files?

You must install the package: gst-plugins-ugly.

Administering Foresight

Miscellaneous questions

I think I have found a bug. Where should I report it?

If you are unsure if this is a bug come to the IRC irc://chat.freenode.org/foresight and describe your problem. Please be prepared to paste some stuff in the Pastebin. Or you can file a bug report in JIRA issue tracker.

Is my kernel 2.6.x or 3.x? Why does conary q disagree with uname?

In order not to break some older software that makes some bad assumptions that the Linux kernel would never use a major version higher than 2, we use a patch that has also been used by Fedora and is used by Oracle to report the version as if Linus Torvalds had kept using 2.6.x versions instead of moving to 3.x versions. (We expect to quit using this in Foresight Linux 3.)

How do I disable unwanted services?

In Foresight we use similar stuff as Red Hat/Fedora. So you can use chkconfig to do that.

sudo service exampleservice stop
sudo chkconfig --del exampleservice

This will stop exampleservice and then remove autostart from init scripts.

How do I use proprietary (accelerated) video drivers with Foresight Linux ?

Read this HOWTO.

Why does Compiz not work after I installed the ATI propietary 3D drivers?

ATI's binary drivers do not work with Compiz due to not supporting the texture_from_pixmap OpenGL extension.  Use the open source ATI driver, "radeon" to enable Compiz. 

Kernel ( I need ntfs support, suspend,...)

Our kernel has most of the stuff anyone might need built in. So in 99.9 % cases there should be no need to recompile. If you need the Kernel sources add the trove kernel:build-tree via commmand line:

sudo conary update kernel:build-tree

I see labels in /etc/fstab. How are they set?

See "man e2label" (Change the label on an ext2/ext3 filesystem). Read the label of a partition with "e2label partition" or set it with "e2label partition label". The nice thing about labels is that if something changes in the naming of partitions (like /dev/hda ->/dev/sda recently) the kernel still can work with the partition as it can recognize the label name.

Other questions

• Minimum Requirements
• XEN
• Rescuing a Foresight Linux installation

Where do I find more information on how to use Foresight?

You should read the "Foresight User Guide":

• Applications > Foresight > Foresight User Guide

The person or persons who have associated work with this document (the "Dedicator" or "Certifier") hereby either (a) certifies that, to the best of his knowledge, the work of authorship identified is in the public domain of the country from which the work is published, or (b) hereby dedicates whatever copyright the dedicators holds in the work of authorship identified below (the "Work") to the public domain. A certifier, moreover, dedicates any copyright interest he may have in the associated work, and for these purposes, is described as a "dedicator" below.

A certifier has taken reasonable steps to verify the copyright status of this work. Certifier recognizes that his good faith efforts may not shield him from liability if in fact the work certified is not in the public domain.

Dedicator makes this dedication for the benefit of the public at large and to the detriment of the Dedicator's heirs and successors. Dedicator intends this dedication to be an overt act of relinquishment in perpetuity of all present and future rights under copyright law, whether vested or contingent, in the Work. Dedicator understands that such relinquishment of all rights includes the relinquishment of all rights to enforce (by lawsuit or otherwise) those copyrights in the Work.

Dedicator recognizes that, once placed in the public domain, the Work may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, used, modified, built upon, or otherwise exploited by anyone for any purpose, commercial or non-commercial, and in any way, including by methods that have not yet been invented or conceived.