This is Slax Live
mini-CD with E-Minima
(EM) scripts released by
LittleCandle.Net

Support for using this mini-CD may be requested from the Littlecandle Support Center - visit littlecandle.net/partners to find support personnel (partners) near you, or SMS/text "ebarangay (message)" to 2960. Register as partner so you can get personalized tutorial and become the official service provider in your area.

Starting from the Mini-CD1

Using a Pentium PC, make sure it is configured to use the CD-ROM as the first boot device (If not, do this: enter CMOS setup at startup, change the Boot option to use CD-ROM/ATAPI device as the first boot device, and Save).

While the computer is starting, open the CD-ROM drive and insert the mini-CD. If the computer has started to read from the hard disk before you have closed the CD-ROM drive, try pressing CTRL-ALT-DEL at the same time, or wait and then command Restart.

While the mini-CD is being read by the computer, you will see the Linux boot prompt. Immediately command slax server or, if you are using a floppy, slax server floppy - make sure that there is a floppy diskette in the floppy drive. If you were unable to enter these commands, do another set of commands indicated in the second paragraph after "Start of Common Routine" below.

    Note: Disks can be seen in the /mnt directory. A floppy will be seen as /mnt/floppy.

    Command mc while in the black screen to navigate and work with files.
[START OF COMMON ROUTINE]

In the login (black) screen, enter root for username and toor for password.

If you were unable to command slax server (or linux server if starting from hard disk) earlier, command this now: apachectl start (it contains the small letter L).

Command gui or, if this was unsuccessful, guisafe. The gui option will work for newer computers and monitors, while the guisafe option will work with older ones. Should there be problems, press these keys together: CTRL-ALT-BACKSPACE. You will be returned to the black screen.

This black screen will always appear whenever you exit/quit the desktop. You can then command halt to end your session. To restart the computer, command reboot.
    Note: The black screen is also called console.
[END OF COMMON ROUTINE]

Remove the mini-CD immediately at startup/reboot if you are returning to your favorite programs.

Starting from the mini-CD has these advantages for you:
  • You can save files directly to your hard disk (look at /mnt/disc0part1 - this should be your hard disk 0, partition 1). However, hard disks formatted with NTFS would not allow you to write on it using this system. The current mini-CD can write only on FAT-formatted hard disks (i.e., those formatted using DOS, not Linux). Anyway, you have other device options like floppy disk (/mnt/floppy) or pen drive (you can see this as /mnt/disc1part1 [or higher numbers] - pen drive should be inserted before you start your PC).

  • Bring along the mini-CD anywhere and continue working as long as there is a Pentium-class PC around. (To use its graphical user interface, the memory of your PC should be at least 64 MB.)

    • Note: While in the console, you can work with files via the command mc.

Starting EM3

While on the desktop, click on the globe icon to start the Firefox browser. Type localhost in the address space under the menu and press ENTER.
    Note: Use localhost if the PC stands alone or is being used as a server. In a local network, its address is 192.168.0.100 - only one instance of the mini-CD should be deployed in a network.

Starting from the Hard Disk

Using the hard disk to start EM allows you to use updated Web pages quickly (i.e., will not require you to burn a new CD).

Many hard disks are formatted using Windows®2. Using the hard disk for starting the system requires that you have a FAT-formatted disk (example, Windows98 or earlier). You should also be able to use a DOS screen (you can go to DOS by pressing F8 during Windows startup and choosing DOS prompt, or by exiting to MS-DOS when you are inside Windows).

Preparing the Hard Disk - Start Windows normally and create a subdirectory LC in the hard disk (drive C). Insert the mini-CD to the CD-ROM drive and copy all its contents to the LC directory. (You will need 155 MB or more free space in the hard disk for this.)

Booting the System:

Exit to MS-DOS (using the Windows shutdown sequence).

Go to \LC\DOS (Command cd \LC\dos).

While in \LC\DOS, command linux server, or if you are using a floppy disk, command linux server floppy.

Refer to the COMMON ROUTINE above for the next steps.
    Note: You can actually program DOS to start this system automatically by placing the commands above in the autoexec.bat file.

    From inside the new system, the LC subdirectory can be seen as /mnt/disc0part1/Lc.

Saving and Propagating Your Creations

Saving your Web pages - Every time you finish editing a page in EM, you can view the files and right-click on the arrow beside it to Save Link (or Save Page) so you can save it locally to floppy or pen drive. Keep these saved pages together with your image files.

When all your pages are ready, upload all the files to the server using FTP (ftp://localhost or ftp://192.168.0.100).
    Note: Commanding gftp in a console window will bring up FTP. (You can also use Internet Explorer in Windows for FTP.)
Then at the server, use the console and mc to transfer the new folder and files to /root/public/www. Test-browse the pages and make last-minute revisions as necessary.
    Note: You should have commanded slax server (when booting from CD) or linux server (when booting from hard disk) for FTP to work in the server.

    The new Web pages can be browsed at http://localhost/newfolder or http://192.168.0.100/newfolder.
Making the www.img file - Open a console window (Clicking on the black screen icon on the desktop will open a console window). Command makeimg. You will find the www.img (a file of all your Web creations) in /tmp. Copy this to the modules subdirectory inside LC in your hard disk.
    Note: You can copy files to the hard disk if it is FAT-formatted and you did not start the program from the hard disk. If you did, copy the file to a pen drive (/mnt/disc1part1) if it is large or to a floppy (/mnt/floppy) if it is under 1.4 MB, then restart the system with the mini-CD and transfer the www.img file to the LC folder (and modules subfolder) in the hard disk. You can do file management once the black screen is up and you have logged in as root.

Updating the Mini-CD - The www.img file in the modules folder is the collection of all Web pages put online during startup. You can burn a new mini-CD containing the new Web pages, but first, you should have an updated LC directory (see the procedure above).

If the new www.img is ready in the hard disk, begin the creation of new mini-CD. Make sure you start the system with the old mini-CD. Open a console and go to your LC subdirectory (command: cd /mnt/disc0part1/lc and then ls to check your location and the presence of files). Next, command ./create_bootiso /mnt/target_drive/filename.iso. The target_drive (probably your hard disk) should be writeable (FAT-formatted) and have more than 155 MB of free space.

Note: In Windows you can use Magic ISO to replace the old www.img file in the original ISO. Ask your LittleCandle partner for help.


Working with Pictures

Use of pictures simplifies not only your communication with clients but also your file storage, as the new formats, especially .png, can preserve image quality using small files. These commands at the console window will bring up image programs:
  • gqview - displays image files, much like a presentation

  • xpaint - easy image editor

  • xv - image editor (shareware - see the license)

  • inkscape - new software for vector graphics composing; can export .png images

If you have images in Microsoft Word, copy the image and paste in Paint, then Save As .png image file. If you have presentations, view the slide in just the right size then press the Alt-PrintScreen keys together and Paste then crop the new picture in Paint. Again Save As .png image file. You can then open and edit these new images using xpaint in the new system. Or if the images are ready for publishing, upload them to your server for use in Web pages (see "Starting EM" above).

    Note: To use text from Microsoft Word, copy then paste in Notepad and Save As .txt file. Or while in a console in the new system, command antiword name_of_file.doc > new_file.txt to save the text in a new file. (Allow space before and after >).

1 Mini-CD as used here refers to the LittleCandle.Net release of Slax Live mini-CD.

2 Windows, Windows98, Word and Paint as used here refer to software of Microsoft Corporation.

3 EM as used here refers to the E-Minima scripts released by LittleCandle.Net.


License (See the full text here): 
April 1, 2005

If not otherwise specified, the software on this CD falls under the GNU
GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE (gnu.org). The source codes of all binaries and
libraries on the CD are available from their original
providers and for example at ftp.slackware.com.

Warranty:

This software is distributed with NO WARRANTY, use it at your own risk.

Authors:

Live CD -   Tomas Matejicek     http://slax.linux-live.org
                                http://www.linux-live.org

EM Scripts - Raffy Mananghaya   http://littlecandle.net
                                http://geocities.com/idmguplb
                                IDMG, CPAf, U.P. Los Banos, Laguna
                                Philippines, Tel/Fax (63 49) 536 3382

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