Help with getting flash drive to work

How do I copy and paste text and pictures for emails?
Know this: copy is listed when I right click but paste is not, so i can copy anything, but I cannot paste what I copy.
I am a new user, I'll need step by step instructions please.
Thank you all, for your help!
Superdad

What e-mail client are you using?
Thunderbird, Kmail or web based.

A Day Without M$ Windoze is a Great Day Indeed !!!
Registered as user #425372 with the Linux Counter,
http://counter.li.org.

firstly this is so simple you will miss it if you ever go back to windows, although there is windows FF plugin that does this.

to copy
highlight the piece

to paste
left click to put cursor at preferred spot
middle click to paste

now the next highlight
kde can hold lots of things on the clipboard
on the panel is klipper
it's an orange thing with a blue thing leaning on it and a red dot
click on this and you can select from the last 7 items you had highlighted. you can set this to save between reboots.

Another way to select/delete/cut/copy/paste is this.

To select some text, place your cursor at the beginning of the stuff to copy. Hold down the shift key, and move the arrow keys to highlight the stuff. To copy it, press ctrl+c. To delete it, press ctrl+x. Move to another place or another document where you want to put the deleted or copied stuff. When the cursor's in the right place, press ctrl+v. Another shortcut, if you want to select everything on a screen or document is ctrl+a, then ctrl+c to do the copy.

These keys do not ALWAYS work, but they USUALLY work in most text screens.

Jon

I'm your worst nightmare: A Geek with an Attitude!

Proud Charter Member of
Da Mepis Posse

Use kwrite, as root, to modify /etc/fstab by adding the bolded entries in the "Static Entries" section of the file:

# Static Entries
/dev/hda1 / reiserfs defaults,noatime,notail 0 0
/dev/sda1 /mnt/flash auto noauto,users,exec 0 0
/dev/sdb1 /mnt/flash1 auto noauto,users,exec 0 0
/dev/sdc1 /mnt/flash2 auto noauto,users,exec 0 0
/dev/sdd1 /mnt/flash3 auto noauto,users,exec 0 0
# Pluggable devices are handled by uDev, they are not in fstab
/dev/hda1 / reiserfs defaults,noatime,notail 0 0
/dev/hda2 swap swap sw,pri=1 0 0
none /proc proc defaults 0 0
none /proc/bus/usb usbfs devmode=0666 0 0
none /dev/pts devpts mode=0622 0 0
none /sys sysfs defaults 0 0
/dev/cdrom /media/cdrom iso9660,udf noauto,users,exec,ro 0 0
/dev/fd0 /media/floppy vfat,ext2 noauto,users,exec,rw 0 0

Using Konqueror, as root, add the following sub-directories to /mnt:

Give the flash directories show entries/write entries/enter permissions to owner/group/others.

Right-click on the desktop, select Configure Desktop --> Behaviour --> Device Icons, and check the boxes as indicated below

I've just done this on a new laptop installation, and all external, USB-connected, flash-like, media shows a device icon on the desktop when connected; and is accessible via Konqueror.

I have not attempted this with the Scandisk Cruzer Micro line of products; however, this does work with a wide variety of other SanDisk products:

as well as several types of flash-storage ogg/mp3 players.

My occupation?
Well, computer geek-stuff, mostly. I could tell you all about it; but, then I would have to delete you.

I looked , I searched, for the Root directory, I did not find it. I am not sure I am using the correct part of Konqueror. Please tell me how to get to these areas, and then I can begin to work on the mnt part.
Thanks again!

Sorry about that.

The Root directory is simply /

If you right-click on /etc in Konqueror, select actions, and "Open as Root" then you'll launch a root session of Konqueror, already inside the /etc directory. (You will need to enter your root user password to successfully open the session.)

Right-click on fstab, open with KWrite, and you'll be editing the file as root.

Simply copy-and-paste only the bold-text entries that I provided above into your fstab file in such a way that it generally appears to be similar to the example above.

When you've got that set, save the file and close it.

Next, while still in your root session of Konqueror, open up /mnt and add all of the flash sub-directories by right-clicking and selecting Create New --> Folder...

Right-clicking any folder, and selecting Properties will allow you to access the permissions tab for that folder, where you can permit reading, writing and entry for the folder in question. At minimum, you want all users to be able to enter the folder and read its contents. You want to allow yourself to write to the folder, since this will be your flash drive, when it's correctly mounted.

Now, when that's done, kill your root Konqueror session and, as a normal user, right-click on your desktop and check-off the device icons that you want shown on the desktop.

After saving those changes, you should have an icon popping-up whenever you plug-in your flash drive, and Konq should launch automatically to show you the flash drive contents.

On most systems, I haven't found this to be necessary; however, there are some systems and USB-connected media that require this approach (certain mp3 players), and I have yet to see it fail.

If it does fail on your setup, something went wrong, or there's something weird about the Cruzer Micro itself.

If that's the case, we'll do our best to help ya out.

My occupation?
Well, computer geek-stuff, mostly. I could tell you all about it; but, then I would have to delete you.

OK superdad, here's some clarification. When any of us mention "being" or "doing" something as "root", we mean that you must login or become user root. One way to do that is to open a konsole. Once you have opened the konsole, you then enter the command "su" (switch user). If this is entered with no options, then you will be prompted for root's password. Once successful, you can continue doing things as root. Once you are done, you must enter "exit" and you will be back as you.

For some applications, such as synaptic, you start it from the menu and you will be prompted for root's password. This is done via the command like "kdesu synaptic".

Keep in mind that when you are root you have absolute control of your box.

Now, do not confuse user root, from the "root partition" which is also written as "/". In other words the "root of your system, and all partitions". So when EnigmaOne mentions creating directories (such as /mnt), it must be done at the root partition. To get there you can use konqueror and keep going up until you can't go any further. To make any changes at this level, you must also be logged in, or "su"-ed as user root.

Jon

I'm your worst nightmare: A Geek with an Attitude!

Proud Charter Member of
Da Mepis Posse

OK I still have no flash drive abilities. I configured the desk top. But I do not see any screen that looks like the one enigma shows with his posting that pictures flash drive symbols on it.
SO if I don't see it, what am I doing wrong?
Also, Jon, why I have your attention, how do I change my user name? I need a better name than super Dad...and have you an suggestion for a awesome name that is!
Thanks, I mean big thanks!

Well superdad, the bad news is that you can't change your user name on the Mepis.org forum once you have created it; at least as far as I can tell. If you want to have a new name, simply go back into the forum startup page and create a new user. I know of at least one person on this site who uses two different personae

The good news is, I can give you a suggestion for a better name: How about (drum roll please):
uberpapa
(and the cymbals crash)

Sorry, my super-name-o-nator isn't working real well at the moment (sigh).

Jon

I'm your worst nightmare: A Geek with an Attitude!

Proud Charter Member of
Da Mepis Posse

Did you do the /etc/fstab additions?

The Konqueror view that I posted shows the directories that you will need to create under /mnt :
flash
flash1
flash2
flash3
which will cover you for most card readers, as well as flash drives--the point being that you only have to do the operation once.

Have you tried the Cruzer Micro in different USB port, by the way?

My occupation?
Well, computer geek-stuff, mostly. I could tell you all about it; but, then I would have to delete you.

In you posting, you say to right click on / (it is this area that no words can I see telling what to look for, it is simply white?)

please send me the missing words, and again I thank you very much for your assistance and patients with me!

Where should i look to find this { fstab} you say to click on?

Super Dad, I know you're not comfortable with the command line, but this is easier to explain using the command line, so please bear with me and see if this will work for you.

First, open a "konsole". You can do that by pressing alt+f2 keys and entering "konsole" (without quotes). A command window will open. Here are the commands to enter within that window. The first "$" is the "regular" user prompt; you do not enter it; the first "#" is the root prompt. Subsequent "#" are comments and not entered.
All these commands Are CaSe SenSiTiVe

$ su                   # enter "super user" mode
Password: (you will be prompted for root's password)
# cd /                 # move up to the top of the tree (the "root")
# mkdir /mnt/flash     # make the "mount points"
# mkdir /mnt/flash1    # that EnigmaOne suggests
# mkdir /mnt/flash2    # making.  Nothing exists in
# mkdir /mnt/flash3    # these directories yet.
# cd /etc              # go to this directory...
# cp fstab fstab.old   # to back up /etc/fstab
# kwrite fstab         # now you can edit the file as EnigmaOne stated above.
# exit                 # get out of "super user" mode
$ exit                 # close konsole

Save the changes in kwrite and then try EnigmaOne's instructions

I'm your worst nightmare: A Geek with an Attitude!

Proud Charter Member of
Da Mepis Posse

Open Konqueror
Go to the root of the filesystem
Right-click on "/etc"
Select Actions
Select open as root
Enter your root password when prompted
In your root Konqueror panel, find the file "fstab"
Right-click on fstab
Select "open with"
Select an editor you're comfortable with "Kwrite" should be fine.
Insert the text I posted earlier, in the correct place in fstab.
Save fstab.
Close kwrite
In Konqueror, navigate to the /mnt directory.
Add the directories I mentioned adding earlier.
Set permissions on the added directories in such a way as to allow you to write to the flash media. Easiest at this point would probably to make your usual username the owner of those particular directories.
Exit the root Konqueror session.

Try it.

My occupation?
Well, computer geek-stuff, mostly. I could tell you all about it; but, then I would have to delete you.

I found my flash drive! Now I want a icon on the desk top for it but how?
here is where I found it: under services then storage media. OK, what's my next steps?

Hi Superdad,
Icon on desktop enigmaone has shown you picture how to do this see above reply.
Right-click on the desktop, select Configure Desktop --> Behaviour --> Device Icons, and check the boxes as indicated

Cheers John