User name/password for irc.freenode.net and other misc. questions

IRC requires an irc client such as GAIM, XChat or Xchat-gnome. You wont need a password initially, just pick a "nickname".

What is the game? Many games that are compiled (built) have an installer which you run via sudo, for example "sudo make install". If you tell us what the game is we may be able to help.

I would strongly recommend you don't monkey around with the permissions of files under /usr. Things can get seriously messed up if you do it incorrectly.

Thanks for your question.

>1) I am quite new to linux and am looking for help. I don't have internet >connection in Ubuntu (Dapper, v. 6.06). I am using Microsoft's virtual pc, >and Ubuntu is up and running! :) But I don't really know how to use linux >and am still learning. I don't know how to log on to irc.freenode.net - >what is the password/user name? Or can't I use internet explorer?

To use irc.freenode.net you can use gaim see this link to configure gaim:

http://sernaonubuntu.wikidot.com/gaim

>There is an old program (a game) I want to run. I need to "build" it. It >appears that I need to allow the program to have access to the /usr >directory. But I can't grant permission to the root directory. I can't even >create a directory there. I tried sudo chmod, but I can't do that for the >root directory. Can I become the "owner" of a file? I am confused about >the difference between numerical (777) permissions for files and >the "gwo+rwk" from chmod. Sometimes it says "gwo+rwk" is invalid. >Apparently I need to modify fstab to use umask, but I couldn't follow the >help file for that.

In linux the normal users have not access to all file. To do it you must use sudo (in ubuntu). Example.: if you want change the /etc/fstab file you must do in a shell:

$: sudo gedit /etc/fstab

this command open the gedit editor with root access. But it is abed idea put all with 777 permissions (in this case all pepople can modify all in your root dir). Let me know what do you want to do. Thanks