[plug] Problems with Redhat linx 6.0 (Pocket book edition)

[V.Natarajan]

Dear Friends

I am new to Linux and your groups. So Let me introduce myself as Natarajan (shortly "Nat") from Perth.
I recently bought this pocket book edition of Redhat Linux 6.0 and proceeded to install it. All went well. I got the Gnome control panel, played around with desktops etc. But still have not configured printer, sound card etc. and ofcourse not upto the level of playing around with kernels.

My problems are:
1) The book states to rename your machine (if networking wasn't setup during installation ) to log in as root and type the following command : hostname [your new host name]. I tried this several times but the system just hangs and I had to press the reset switch on each occasion.
2) There is an instruction to give alias for ls -la. The book states to write alias ||='ls -la -color' in the .bashrc file in the home directory under the mv alias and save it. When I did this it came up with the message 'syntax error at token |' or something to that effect. I tried to delete the line I added and while doing so I feel I may have deleted some thing else too since then I find the .bashrc file missing in (root login) home directory and the other 3 aliases alias rm='rm -I', alias cp='cp -I', alias mv='mv -I', all appear before the cursor prompt, every time I open a Gnome or xterminal. 

Has anyone else faced these problems. Any suggestions to retrieve my .bashrc file from where it is and to place it where it belongs?
Thank you.


 
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V.Natarajan
Address: 4A, Cambey Way
             Brentwood
             Perth, West Australia  6153
Phone:   (08) 93169050   
Email:     natarajv at nw.com.au
             natarajv at netscape.net
             natarajan_ven at hotmail.com