Re: Linux help please?

[Phil Holmes]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Graham Percival" <address@hidden>
To: "Phil Holmes" <address@hidden>
Cc: "Federico Bruni" <address@hidden>; <address@hidden>
Sent: Sunday, March 13, 2011 3:35 PM
Subject: Re: Linux help please?


> On 3/13/11, Phil Holmes <address@hidden> wrote:
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > Dahdi.  This failed on an include, and so I was trying to edit the 
> > > > source
> > > > file.
>
> For the record, the proper solution here is to install the development
> library(ies) that it wanted.

I was following instructions on how to install Asterisk, and they told me to 
go get and make.  So I did...

> > > >  It's owned by root and so logged in as phil, it was read-only.  I
> > > > thought that rather than learn the syntax of chmod, I'd just briefly 
> > > > log
> > > > in
> > > > as root.
>
> For the record, never never do this, and especially not in ubuntu.
> You get extra permissions by running "sudo".  Also, I wouldn't try
> modifying source code as root -- copy the source into your user
> directory (is this from a tarball?), do the ./configure and compile
> there, and only at the last step do sudo make install.

Problem was I'm a Windows-orientated person, and so was double-clicking to 
edit, and you can't (?) sudo that way.  FWIW I had copied the file over, but 
it retained root ownership.

> But in addition, I really don't recommend compiling software unless
> you're absolutely certain that you need to.  I don't think you need
> to:
> http://packages.ubuntu.com/lucid/dahdi
>
> * oh, if the problem was the kernel thing, then you should use an
> automatic tool for dealing with the kernel interface.  I forget what
> it's called... module-assist or something like that?
>
> > Thanks for your suggestion - it's not a terminal, though, it's a desktop,
> > but with no start bars, places, applications or anything like that.  I 
> > can't
> > find a way to run anything...
>
> You could try right-clicking, which might allow you to create a
> launcher, and then make a terminal.  Alternately, hit ctrl-alt-F2 to
> get a terminal.  (ctrl-alt-F7 to go back).  From there, you can try
> rescue commands that you find (hopefully you have another computer or
> laptop handy)?

Aha.  The ctrl-alt-F2 looks promising.  I've found some stuff about how to 
get the desktop back, so hopefully I can do this from the terminal now. 
It's only a VM, so if the worst came I'd nuke it and start again.  It would 
have cost me a number of hours, though.

> My first guess is that some of the files in /home/phil/.foo  (note the
> . )  are now owned by root and non-readable, so your user can't read
> them and inialize stuff.  Check out .xinit and stuff like that.
>
> Cheers,
> - Graham

Thanks.

--
Phil Holmes