Name: 4MLinux Series: 45 Beta release: 4MLinux 45.0 Core BETA (December 2023) Beta release: 4MLinux 45.0 BETA (January 2024) Stable release: 4MLinux 45.0 STABLE (March 2024) End of life: November 2024 NOTE: A special attention has been paid to describe how to use 4MLinux in the console shell (because X Window System is much more intuitive, and thus easier to learn). HINT: There is a script called 'udev' in 4MLinux. You can use this script to (re)try to detect and configure devices (or services) that were not handled properly during the system startup. **** ACPI **** Q: Does 4MLinux offer ACPI support? A: Yes, it does, but 4MLinux uses ACPI daemon to control the power-off button (and your laptop lid) only. Q: What is the default behavior? A: The 'poweroff' command is executed when the power-off button is pressed (or your laptop lid is closed). Q: Is it possible to change the default behavior? A: Yes, it is. You must edit the /etc/acpi/acpid.cfg file. ******* BLU-RAY ******* Q: Is it possible to use Blu-ray devices in 4MLinux? A: Yes, it is. Q: What about encrypted discs? A: You will need additional drivers. Q: Where can I get them? A: Visit www.4mlinux.com/download.html. ********* BLUETOOTH ********* Q: Are bluetooth devices supported by 4MLinux? A: Yes, they are. Q: How can I connect to my mobile? A: Run the 'bluetoothctl' utility in, for example, the following steps: - scan on (to find out the MAC of your mobile), - agent on (to enable PIN support), - pair MAC (to pair 4MLinux with your mobile). Q: What is MAC? A: The MAC address of your mobile, e.g. 00:0D:92:9E:87:00 Q: How can I transfer my files? A: Try obexfs. Here is an example: mkdir /bluetooth obexfs -b 00:OD:92:9E:87:00 /bluetooth ********* CDROM/DVD ********* Q: How can I mount my CDROM? A: Execute 'mount /dev/cdrom'. This will mount your optical disc under /media/cdrom. Q: Can be a CD/DVD disk automounted during the boot time? A: Yes, it can. Edit the '/etc/automount.conf' file to enable this option. Q: I have a netbook without a built-in CDROM drive. Will an external USB drive work under 4MLinux? A: Yes, it should work. I personally use an external DVD drive. Q: Will I be able to play audio CDs and video DVDs under 4MLinux? A: Yes, you will, but please refer to our HELP with all the software related questions. *** CPU *** Q: What architecture is 4MLinux optimised for? A: x86_64 Q: Can I run 4MLinux on my 32-bit machine? A: No, you can't. You need a 64-bit processor. Q: My laptop has 2 processors. Is this OK for 4MLinux? A: Yes, it is (because SMP is enabled in the Linux kernel). ************** DIGITAL CAMERA ************** Q: Are digital cameras supported by 4MLinux? A: Yes, they are. Q: How to import my images? A: You can use the gtkam program. Additionally, GIMP in 4MLinux is also able to import images from your camera. ******* DISPLAY ******* Q: How to enable console framebuffer in 4MLinux? A: Set GPU to 'yes' in the /etc/gpu/gpu.config file, and reboot your computer afterwards. Q: GPU? What is this? A: Your Graphics Processing Unit. Q: I am running 4MLinux LiveCD, so I cannot reboot my PC. A: Execute the 'restart' command to apply changes without needing to reboot your computer. Q: Is it possible to display the penguin logo during boot? A: You are asking about the VESA framebuffer, which can be enabled by editing the /etc/lilo.conf file (replace 'vga=normal' with, for example, 'vga=ask'). Execute 'lilo' to apply changes. Q: Is it possible to run X Window System in 4MLinux? A: Yes, it is. Run 'startx' to open JWM (Joe's Window Manager). Q: Is there any 3D support in 4MLinux? A: 4MLinux includes full 3D support (via Xorg and Mesa) for many Intel, NVIDIA and AMD/ATI video cards. Q: How to enable these drivers? A: Execute the '3d' command. Q: How to disable 3D drivers? A: In the exact same way: run the '3d' command. Q: What about proprietary drivers? A: You can download them here: http://4mlinux.com/download.html ******** ETHERNET ******** Q: How can I start the Internet connection? A: This should be done automatically during the boot time. You can run the 'connect' command to (re)connect using a DHCP client for the eth0 interface. Q: The problem is that my card does not use eth0. What should I do? A: Run the 'netconfig' script to configure your ethernet connection, and execute the 'connect' command again. Q: What if I need a static IP? A: 4MLinux uses DHCP by default, but you can change this with the help of the 'netconfig' script, too. ****** FLOPPY ****** Q: How can I mount my FDD? A: Execute 'mount /dev/floppy'. This will mount your floppy disk drive under /media/floppy. Q: I have followed the above instruction, but I cannot mount my external USB floppy. Why? A: This is because such USB devices are recognized by the Linux kernel as removable disks. Q: So? A: So please refer to the 'Removable Disk' section of this FAQ. ********* HARD DISK ********* Q: I have Ubuntu installed to a reiserfs partition. Will I be able to access it from 4MLinux? A: Yes, you will. The supported filesystems are: btrfs, ext2, ext3, ext4, f2fs, fat16, fat32, hfs, hfs+, jfs, nilfs2, ntfs, reiser4, reiserfs, and xfs. Q: How can I mount my Ubuntu? A: All HDD partitions are mounted automatically during the boot time. You can find them in the /mnt directory. Q: I would like to enable read-write support for the NTFS partition, on which my Windows is installed. What should I do? A: Nothing. RW support is enabled automatically during the startup. Q: How can I disable this automounting? A: Edit the '/etc/automount.conf' file. Q: Is it possible to install 4MLinux to a hard disk drive? A: Yes, it is. Please refer to the point 3.6 of our HELP. ******** JOYSTICK ******** Q: Does 4MLinux include joystick support? A: Yes, it does (e.g. you can play the Koules game, using your joystick as an input device). Q: How to calibrate my joystick? A: Koules has such an option in its menu. Q: And what about other games? A: You can use the jscalibrator tool. Q: jscalibrator: command not found A: Ececute '4mlinuX getjscalibrator' to install this program. ******** KEYBOARD ******** Q: What is the default keyboard layout in 4MLinux? A: English (the US variant). Q: Is it possible to change that? A: You can do this by editing the following files: /etc/kbd.conf (for CLI) /etc/lang/lang.conf (for X) Q: CLI??? A: CLI = command-line interface Q: /etc/kbd.conf does not work! A: Reboot (or run the "restart" script) to apply changes. ***************** MEMORY (RAM/SWAP) ***************** Q: 4MLinux is a mini Linux distribution, so this is a good choice for old PCs. Am I right? A: This system is designed for modern PCs. 4MLinux is small because this is a feature-oriented distro, meaning that you will find only well selected programs there. Q: No chance for my old computer? A: You can try so called "Legacy Installer" (included in the 4MLinux installation CD), but your machine has to have at least 128 MB of RAM. Q: 4MLinux LiveCD installs itself to RAM. What for? A: Any system, which is installed to RAM, is extremely fast. Additionally, you can eject 4MLinux CD after the boot time so that you could use your CDROM drive for any other purposes. Q: Can I use a swap partition under 4MLinux? A: Yes, you can. This option is controlled (enabled/disabled) by means of the /etc/swap.conf file, and it is enabled by default, meaning that swapping is started automatically during the boot time. ***** MODEM ***** Q: What should I use to dial? My mobile phone or my USB modem? A: Both the devices are supported by 4MLinux. Q: How to configure my modem? A: That will be done automatically by 4MLinux. Q: Where can I edit the data required by my ISP (phone number, username, password)? A: Run 'netconfig' script to configure your dial-up connection. Q: How can I start dialing? A: Attach your modem, wait a few seconds (this step is important if you have an USB modem), and execute the 'modem' command. Q: Is it possible to initialize my modem during the boot time? A: Yes, it is (provided that your 4MLinux is installed to HDD). ***** MOUSE ***** Q: My Logitech mouse does not work in the console shell. Why? A: The mouse daemon (GPM) is set to use the PS2 protocol by default. If you have a different type of mouse, you should edit /etc/gpm/gpm.conf. Q: How do I know what is the symbol of my mouse? I need to know this to edit gpm.conf. A: Run the 'gpmlist' command, which will list all available mouse types (with their symbols). Q: How to apply changes in gpm.conf? A: Execute the 'mouse' command to (re)start GPM. ****** PCMCIA ****** Q: Are PCMCIA devices supported by 4MLinux? A: Yes, they are. Q: How to configure them? A: This should be done automatically (by the udev daemon). You can also edit the /etc/pcmcia/config.opts file. ***** PPPOE ***** Q: Can I use my PPPoE device to connect to the Internet? A: Yes, PPP over Ethernet is supported by 4MLinux. Q: How to start my device? A: The procedure is very similar to the one described in the MODEM section above. ******* PRINTER ******* Q: How to configure my printer in 4MLinux? A: Via CUPS web interface. Q: ??? A: Open http://localhost:631 in your web browser. Q: Nothing has been opened :-( A: Install printing drivers and try again. Visit www.4mlinux.com/download.html (drivers). Q: How to connect to a Windows printer? A: Install Samba. Once again: visit www.4mlinux.com/download.html (drivers). ************** REMOVABLE DISK ************** Q: My Pen Drive is NTFS formatted. Will I be able to access it from 4MLinux? A: Yes, you will. The supported filesystems have been listed in the HARD DISK section above. Q: How can I mount my Pen Drive? A: 4MLinux should mount your removable disk automatically during the boot time, and you should be able to find it in the /media/disk directory. Q: How can I disable this automounting? A: Edit the '/etc/automount.conf' file. Q: Automounting is enabled, but I can see nothing under /media/disk. Why?! A: I guess that, in a sense, 4MLinux boots too fast as for your USB flash drive. Some USB devices need more time to 'report themselves' to the system. Q: What can I do? A: Run the 'mountall' command to retry to mount your disk(s). ******* SCANNER ******* Q: Can I use my scanner in 4MLinux? A: Yes, but you must have printing drivers installed (see: the PRINTER section above). Q: How to start scanning? A: You can try either scanimage (commandline) or xsane (GUI). LibreOffice and GIMP should be also able to import images from your scanner. ***** SOUND ***** Q: How can I control sound? A: You can use one of the two sound mixers: 'aumix' (based on OSS) or 'alsamixer' (based on ALSA). Q: Is there any convenient way to find out if the sound volumes suit my needs? A: You can run the 'sample' command (which will play a sample mp3 for you). Q: What must I do to save my sound settings before shutting down the system? A: Nothing. That will be done automatically. Q: Is it possible to disable PulseAudio in 4MLinux? A: Set 'PULSE=no' in the /etc/pulse/pulse.cfg file and reboot. ****** TABLET ****** Q: Can I run 4MLinux in my TabletPC? A: Give it a try. Tablets are supported by 4MLinux. Q: How can I calibrate my touchscreen? A: See the TOUCHSCREEN section below. *********** TOUCHSCREEN *********** Q: Are touchscreens supported by 4MLinux? A: Yes, they are. Q: How can I calibrate my touchscreen? A: You can do it with the 'xinput_calibrator' program. **** UEFI **** Q: Can I boot the 4MLinux live CD in the UEFI mode? A: Yes, you can. Q: Is the 32 bit firmware required by 4MLinux? A: Both the versions (32 bit and 64 bit) are supported. Q: And is it also possible to install 4MLinux to a hard disk drive in the UEFI mode? A: Yes. You can use either BIOS or UEFI. ****** WEBCAM ****** Q: Will my webcam work in 4MLinux? A: UVC and gspca devices are supported out of the box. Q: UVC and gspca. What are these? A: See: www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/Webcam_Devices Q: How can test my webcam? A: You can try the 'webcam' script. **** WIFI **** Q: How can I start the Internet connection? A: This shoud be done automatically during the boot time. You can run the 'connect' command to (re)connect using a DHCP client for the eth0 interface. Q: The problem is that my card does not use eth0. What should I do? A: Run the 'netconfig' script to configure your wifi connection, and execute the 'connect' command again. Q: What if I need a static IP? A: 4MLinux uses DHCP by default, but you can change this with the help of the 'netconfig' script, too. Q: I am from London, but I am in Tokyo now. How can I find available WiFi networks? A: Run the 'wifiscan' command. Q: My Wi-Fi card is not supported by the Linux kernel :-( A: You may try to use ndiswrapper to install a Windows driver. Visit www.4mlinux.com/download.html (drivers)