Setting up Mandriva
This assumes you know how to do basic Linux tasks and have used a Linux for some time. Mandriva Linux is a good OS (I'm loving 2007) and these tweaks will make it even better. First, you'll want to set up urpmi to download software from some Mandriva package servers. EasyUrpmi is the defacto site for finding urpmi servers.
Once you select your servers EasyUrpmi will give you commands to execute as root to set up your urpmi install sources. (General rule of thumb, pick servers close to you that use HTTP, which IMO is faster than FTP). If a server isn't close to you use something with a cool sounding name.
Okay, your urpmi is now happy. In a terminal run the command:
urpmi firefox
Which will download and install the latest version of Firefox. Simple, huh? This is a list of programs that I suggest you install: kuake, nano, xmms, fluxbox, links, lynx, xchat, ethereal, etherape, gaim. I use these all the time and it definitely makes life simpler.
Another cool feature of urpmi is that it can update single programs. Or all programs at once. If you want these programs to update daily (especially useful if you are running a server) create the following script:
#!/bin/bash
urpmi.update updates
urpmi --auto --update --auto-select
and put it in:
/etc/cron.daily
Call the file whatever you want, chmod it to 755 so it can be executed.
Congratulations, you now have a Linux that will keep itself up to date. If you ever find a program on the net that you like and don't want to bother extracting, making, compiling, and installing said program, chances are you can just do an urpmi program-name and it will install (assuming it is a popular program).
