You do it the same way as with Ubuntu, but the repos must be for Debian and
must also be for the same level, i.e. don't mix sid (unstable) with lenny
(stable) or squeeze (testing).

A typical line might look like this: deb
ftp://sunsite.cnlab-switch.ch/mirror/debian/ stable main contrib non-free

You cut and paste lines beginning with deb like the one above into Synaptic.

https://help.ubuntu.com/6.06/ubuntu/desktopguide/C/extra-repositories.html

Well the problem is I added a link and it said it didnt work.

I went to install openoffice into mepis 8.5 antix and it failed to
complete saying packages were missing... I had updated synaptic before
doing this via the reload button, I then clicked on some more
package adresses but these didnt help either. I went to this link:-


mepislovers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=21224

and wrote this into my mepis antix installatin in synaptic;-

Main repo : deb http://main.mepis-deb.org/mepiscr/repo/

Yet it says that address couldnt be resolved.

I went to Debian site to see where there repository link is because i guess
since this mepis is a few months old it might be out of date, but I failed to
find the required info.

Are you saying then Antix is a bad Os to have because I can no longer install
anything?

No the back port for that repository is no long supported.

I don't understand what this means, what I want to do is have an easy way of
installing software via synaptic or apt-get, can I not do this anymore? If I can
please can you explain in step by step fashion how to or direct me to an
appropriate instruction set on the web?

Many thanks in advance, its been a nightmare to get a decent Linux os work on my
laptop, now I have one I'd like to be able to install software to it!

What you are trying to do is install a robust application on an OS that is
meant to be lightweight. It is a contradiction that is obvious to most
experienced Linux users. You installed antiX because you had little choice
due to old hardware and now want to install something that many users
consider to be bloated on it. Most people in your position would not
consider adding OOO.

I am not saying that it can't be done, but it may not be as easy as you make
it sound. Even in Windows applications expand in size through time. MSOffice
2002 is not the same as the current version which could not run on Windows
98.

AntiX is not an Ubuntu derivative. You might find more help on another forum
such as Mepislovers.org. I have MEPIS installed, but the full version (8.5)
and have OpenOffice is installed in it without a problem. I don't want to
sound like I am passing the buck, but you will find Ubuntu users here in
great numbers and I suspect not much else.

Installing OOO is necessary for me because Abiword isnt as functional and I
interact with MS docs a lot. I am just trying to make it useful, it is up to me
whether I use a bloadted softwre or not, this is besides the point of my thread
however, I want to install software and at the moment I can't install anything
bloated or not.

Also I thought if the same kernel is being run then I still should be able to
install anything as long as the packages are available, is this true or not?

I was aware of Mepis lovers.org alhough I try not to have ten thousand
memberships...

Debian is what Ubuntu derived from and Ubuntu can add Debian repositories afaik
so thus I asked here.

Debian is upstream for both Ubuntu and MEPIS, but Ubuntu and MEPIS are
independently developed, meaning what MEPIS chooses to include and what
Ubuntu chooses to include are radically different. You cannot expect Ubuntu
to fix AntiX or vice versa just because they share the same package
management system. MEPIS is based on squeeze (Debian testing) and Ubuntu is
based on sid (unstable). You can't even mix the two on Debian itself without
problems, nor can you use Debian packages on Ubuntu or MEPIS without
destabilizing or wrecking your system.

Linux is different from Windows because of the way shares dependencies and
has no registry. This means for your system to work that everything that
shares those dependencies must be from the same source. Mixing sources is a
recipe for disaster. Do it at your peril.

My opinion for what it is worth is to replace antiX with a lightweight
Ubuntu derivative such as Lubuntu and then you can use Ubuntu's huge
repositories. I have nothing against antiX, it is just a simple solution to
your problem. Ubuntu has the biggest repositories. MEPIS as good as it is is
limited by comparison.

I boot Lubuntu with acpi=off and vga=ask and choose option 4.
When booted up in Lubuntu I cannot get it to reconfigue the screensize so that
the whole of my monitor is
used and not just halve of it, this is why I needed the above commands kernel
boot, because only halve of my monitor is used to show linux, when I used puppy
for example, I booted up as above, then run the monitor settings program.
However when I go to
preferences for my monitor in Lubuntu, it only changes the resolution and not
actually change the screen size used on the monitor.


When I type into the CLI ctrl+alt+F1 (what is that called again?) "sudo
dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg" it merely moves to the next line, it doesnt do
anything or throw any error messages. And when I go to main window ctl+F7 it is
still smaller than screen
monitor.

Xubuntu is another popular lightweight choice... see if it works
better for you. Linux is not a "one size fits all solution" (not that
Windows really is either!)

What graphics card or chipset? It sounds like it is using a plain vanilla
driver. Have you tried System, Administration, Hardware Drivers to find a
proprietary one?

Laptops particularly older ones are hardest to configure because of the
amount of proprietary hardware in them and the lack of cooperation from OEMS
in days gone by. They are better now, but we still have a way to go.
Depending on the graphics card you should be able to find a graphics driver
to work.

Sorry that you are having so much trouble. It looks like you are trying your
best under trying circumstances. This might be one of those situations where
you will have to try several things before you get a fit. Sorry if I cannot
be more encouraging.

Other distros to try might be MiniMe from PCLinuxOS (know to work on much
hard to install hardware), Vector Linux, Zenwalk Linux and Arch (which is
very fast but do it yourself).

re: antiX

Have you seen this: http://antix.freeforums.org/post13987.html

They advise that you enable unstable in the sources then installing from
aptitude. This person seems to share your problem. There is some comfort in
knowing that you are not alone.

I have been trying for the past 12 days to run a distro of linux on my old
laptop, its a Sony VAIO FX101 with 600mhx proc and 512 ram. I have found many
pitfalls in trying to do this, because for one reason or another the OS is not
satisfatory. For example,

DSL = no wifi drivers present
TinyMe = same
Crunchbang = same
PC Linux = slow - 2 minute boot up time but it is what I have settled on for
now,

Puppy linux = no open office and apparantly no way to install it.
Puppy Lighthouse = has open office, but the OS wont install, it goes sraight to
grub install and hasnt really installed it to the HD.

Ubuntu way too sow plus cannot utilise full screen of monitor (I've had to use
vga=ask and acpi=off on other distros but this doesnt work on Ubuntu)

Dream linux boots to black window
Lubuntu cannot get it to use full screen
Mepis = too slow


I wondered about DSL and TinyMe, TinyMe was a good install no problems, but, it
doesnt come with native drivers for wifi management, can I easily copy to a usb
stick such a program from my Ubuntu machine and not have the hastle of ferying
the usb back and forth doezens of times to meet varying upcoming dependancies?
The laptop has no cable network port and I only connect via usb wifi (which it
cant install). The issue I have is that even if I could get ndiswrapper to
utilise windows drivers fo the usb device, this means in future if I am
presented with another usb stick, I won't be able to use it without first
messing around finding windows drivers."

Well as you can see i've tried very hard with this, spent many many hours more
than i would have done with windows, although i did read one guy on the ubuntu
forums had my laptop and he used an old copy of ubuntu, I sent him a message to
ask him if he was still using that or a more modern copy, he hasnt responded.

I have been told that Sony Vaio do not play well with Linux. Sorry that it
did not work out for you. We can't say that you did not try!

Well i might go give tinyme linux another try, even if it means i have to use
ndiswrapper to use the usb networking device and import windows drivers which i
have on its cd, I'm not worse off than windows in doing that since windows needs
drivers too. Is there a possibility the drivers package you get in ubuntu can be
transported over some how?