[CS-FSLUG] re-install/partitioning problem solved -email & multifunction scanner?

[Ruth Marlene Friesen]

Hi everyone.
Time I get back with thanks for your help on my re-install of Mandrake 
9.1 on my 2nd computer. I had a very busy week last week, but planned to 
get to it on Friday night. Then I was reminded that our church was 
having a missions conference over the weekend. I managed to do it after 
we got back at 9:30 on Friday.

I did find the rescue disk I'd made with an earlier install in my stash 
of Win original disks, where I hadn't thought to look before. However, 
it didn't do me any good. Once I changed the bios setting to make the HP 
CD-W drive the first bootable media, I was off on a full install with 
the CDs.

I was careful to do the custom partitioning as close as possible to the 
advice Fred and Don gave me. But when the install got to the summary 
stage, everything froze up. Nothing moved. My eyes were swelling shut, I 
had to turn off the computer and go to bed.

I did try again on Sat. afternoon. This time, just before the 
partitioning stage, when I was offered 3 options, I chose reformat the 
hard drive, thinking I would get to do the partition in the next screen. 
However, it went into auto install, and did it without my help. - I 
decided to give Mandrake it's head, and see how it had done it 
afterwards. Sure enough when it was complete I was able to get into 
Mandrake Control Center, and have a look at the partitioning.

It had it thus;
/  hda1 Journalized FS ext3 5.8GB
/swap hda5 Linux swap 494mb
/home hda6 Journalized FS. ext.3 3.7 GB

Remember, it has only 10 GB hard drive. But that's very close to what 
Don Parris advised
when he recommended to make;
/   5.5 GB
/swap  500 MB
/home  4GB

Fred suggested;
/   3 GB
/swap  1 GB
/usr  2GB
/home  4GB

At this point I'm willing to accept the autoinstalled partitions. When I 
went to go online though, I couldn't get connected. KPPP kept saying the 
modem does not respond.

It was only on Sunday night when I changed the cables back to my 1st 
computer that I saw that I hadn't switched the phone line over to the 
2nd. So it should be okay, but I've been having another busy work week.

Some days I've had time to skim through the group emails, but never got 
fully caught up.
I have jotted down the email clients that have been recommended though, 
as I'm hoping to set up my emails this Sat. so I can start dealing with 
those from in Mandrake. I've seen Kmail and Evolution there, but will 
have to hunt for these others.

Mainly I'm looking for a quick efficient way to file both my outgoing 
and incoming emails, the way I can in Pegasus. (Presently in Win98 I'm 
also using Thunderbird, but find some aspects frustrating. Like right 
now I can't type as fast as I'd like because the cursor seems slow, and 
the folder system is cumbersome.

Thanks too, Stephen and others, for the helpful  tips on backing up with 
CDs. Got to try all that yet.

You know, sometimes I wonder if I'm making any progress because I have 
so many other commitments and have to juggle a full schedule. But then 
the Lord suddenly sends showers of blessings, and I'm ashamed of myself 
for chaffing. For example, two days ago, an elderly woman/pen pal sent 
me a parcel with some lovely clothes and some expensive supplements that 
I could not afford on my own.  This week I had to push hard to get the 
missions' newsletter completed and ready to take to the printers in the 
city yesterday. I made it with some minor miracles with the last feature 
in on Tuesday night. I stayed in the city for our Board meeting in the 
evening, which went well in several ways. Then right in the midst of it
 one of the Board members made a motion that they pay for me to get a 
scanner. Someone else seconded it, and within moments, it was carried. 
Before I left, the secretary handed me a signed blank cheque!

Dave said he knew I would shop very carefully and frugally, and I was 
touched that they would know that about me. :)

It happens that tomorrow (Friday) I need to go back into the city for my 
brother's birthday. I'd be thrilled if I could go pick up a 
scanner/copier/printer on the same trip. But I'm wondering if anyone can 
say what model  would work well with my Mandrake/Linux and which would not.

Blessings & Thanks,
Ruth