From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Received: from smtp017.mail.yahoo.com ([216.136.174.114]) by speech.braille.uwo.ca with smtp (Exim 3.34 #1 (Debian)) id 16jVlw-0006ha-00 for ; Fri, 08 Mar 2002 20:35:44 -0500 Received: from igueths (AUTH login) at h0020780ec921.ne.mediaone.net (HELO OEMCOMPUTER) (igueths@24.62.33.0) by smtp.mail.vip.sc5.yahoo.com with SMTP; 9 Mar 2002 01:35:47 -0000 Message-ID: <000901c1c709$a2ac04a0$01213e18@OEMCOMPUTER> From: "Igor Gueths" To: References: <15497.25796.292029.81453@l-space.thewatch.net> Subject: Re: Questions about programs under Linux. Date: Fri, 8 Mar 2002 20:27:52 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: speakup-admin@braille.uwo.ca Errors-To: speakup-admin@braille.uwo.ca X-BeenThere: speakup@braille.uwo.ca X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.8 Precedence: bulk Reply-To: speakup@braille.uwo.ca List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Id: Speakup is a screen review system for Linux. List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: Hi Anna. What distribution will you be using? I am currently working on = configuring a Debian system. Most distributions come with C compilers, = something you will use if you plan on installing Speakup. Most Linux = software is sourcecode, so like Yvonne said, you can just mostly compile = programs using configure make and make install. If you need any more = help with linux, you can mail me at igueths@yahoo.com. Hope my = information was of use, and good luck with installing and configuring = linux! Igor ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Yvonne Smith To: Sent: Friday, March 08, 2002 8:26 PM Subject: Questions about programs under Linux. > Anna Schneider writes: > >=20 > > First, my understanding is that while Linux comes with some = programs under=20 > > it, many other have to be downloaded off the web. Is this correct? = =20 >=20 > Umm, I think you'll find that linux is the same as most operating > systems in that regard. In fact, most linux distributions, by default, > come with more software than, say, windows or macOS. But no matter how > much junk your distribution comes with, you'll probably have to = download > some software from other places eventually, yes. >=20 > > Regardless of whether or not this is the case, I am curious about = the=20 > > following: > >=20 > >=20 > > 1. Does any virus protection exist for Linux and if so, what = programs=20 > > would people recommend and how can I get them? > >=20 > The easy answer is, there are no linux viruses, and don't worry about > it. The slightly more complicated answer goes something like, There = are > *some* viruses for linux in theory, and I think there have been some > trojan horse programs where people have downloaded a destructive > program rather than the software they meant to download, but I've been > using linux for years now, and it's never happened to me. I don't = think > you need to worry. Certainly none of the outlook viruses and = soforth'll > get in under linux. >=20 > > 2. I want to get the Emacs editor. When I read some info on the=20 > > Emacspeak site, it sounded like there are a couple of different = Emacs=20 > > packages available depending on what sorts of things I plan to do = with=20 > > Emacs. Do I have to go find the package I want and download it? = And=20 > > then, if I want to fill out my Emacs package even more, with the = Dismal=20 > > Spreadsheet for example, do I have to go download it too? > >=20 > Ok, emacs I'm better at, since I'm running emacspeak most of the time, > not speakup. Once you've installed emacs itself, depending on what you > want to do, you might not have to go any further. If you just want to > use it as an editor, what comes with it by default will do fine. But > there are a lot of emacs packages you can download to make the editor = do > different things. Yes, you'll have to download dismal. There's a > sofisticated calculator called calc. There're two web-browsers native = to > emacs. That's only the tip of the iceberg.=20 > All the stuff above you'll have to download and install, but unless = you > need any of those things immediately, you should probably cross that > bridge when you come to it. Install emacs first, and then try to = figure > out what else you want it to do, and we can probably give you pointers > to emacs packages. Although you'll probably be best to ask on the > emacspeak list or even a general emacs list for that kind of = information. >=20 > > 3. Are there ways to open Word and Excel programs in Linux? > >=20 > Umm, that kind of depends what you mean. If someone sends you a word > document, there are a couple of programs to turn it into text or > html. Catdoc, antiword and wordview are the three that spring to mind > off the top of my head. >=20 > excel spreadsheets are a bit more of a problem. I'm pretty sure I saw > something to turn them into html or something like that on the = wordview > page, but I'd have to go do some more research, since I haven't really > looked in a while. >=20 > > 4. Will I have to be compliling things before I use them and does = Linux=20 > > usually come with these complers or do I have to go find them too? > >=20 > You might have to compile software, depending on what you're looking > for. A standard distribution usually has all that stuff in it. Using > compiling a program consists of nothing more complicated that = something > like typing configure make make install. Unless something really weird > happens, compiling most software is easy. there's usually a readme = file > in the archive for the program that tells you what to do to install = it. >=20 > > 5. What is the most recent version of Lynx? Is it considered to = be=20 > > equivalent to Internet Explorer 4.0 or better? This matters quite = a bit=20 > > actually. If I need another web browser in addition to Lynx, do = any exist=20 > > for Linux? > >=20 > Umm web browsers under linux for console users are a bit problematic. = I > don't think there's anything we can use under linux that I'd consider > equivalent to ie4 or above. The things that are impossible for us = under > linux that you're likely to encounter are javascriptand activex. >=20 > Javascript would be useable if we could use x-windows, but we > can't. Activex will probably never be useable, since it's a microsoft > scripting language. I don't know if this answers your question. Again, > you'll need to be a bit more specific about what you'll want to do. >=20 > > 6. And last I hope and this is just a point of clarification, when = you=20 > > all talk about telnetting and ftyping and all that, you are doing = from=20 > > your machines right? Do you have to dial in first to do those = things from=20 > > your machine or how does that work? > >=20 > Telnet and ftp are generally used to connect from one machine to > another. Almost certainly you'll want to be connected to the internet, > unless you've got a network at home, and need to talk to other = machines > on your own network. >=20 >=20 > >=20 > > Okay, I think that's everything for now. Have to go start reading = How To=20 > > documentation this weekend. > >=20 > > Anna > >=20 > >=20 >=20 > Hope some of this is some help. More of this will make more sense when > you have the machine in front of you, and you're actually trying to do > things. At least, it'll make slightly more sense, . >=20 >=20 > _______________________________________________ > Speakup mailing list > Speakup@braille.uwo.ca > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com