x window problem
 

I just got debian yesterday and put it on a machine all by itself so i can learn it.
When linux boots up it tries to start x.The screen flashes back and forth between horizontal lines and the bash shell then it says I was unable to start x.
Then it asks me if I want to view the x server output. x server output error messages: PEXExtensionInit:Couldnt open default PEX font file Roman_M
Confirgured mouse:Protocol:"IMps/2"
Configured mouse:Core pointer
xf860 openserial:cannot open device/dev/input/mice
no such device
configured mouse:cannot open input device
PreInit failed for input device"configured mouse"
No corepointer registered
couldnt load XKB Keymap,falling back to pre-XKB Keymap
No corepointer
Fatal server error:
failed to initialize core devices
then it says : Would you like me to run the x configuration program?you will need the root password for this.
of course i say yes
then it starts a graphic screen of xf86cfg w/ a diagram of the puter,screen,video card,keyboard,and mouse.I tried using this several times but it wont work for me.If (using the numerical keypad as a mouse)I click configure mouse it closes the window and Im left w/ an X pointer on the screen by itself.If I use the keypad I can open main menu,debian,games,tools..all that stuff and use them that way strangely enough but the same thing happens over agin when you reboot.I have a 6 pin p/s2 mouse and I think that /dev/input/mice may be wrong?If so..I need to know every single key to push to go and fix it.I have never used anything but windows but am eager to learn this.I dont know how to do anything hardly at all in linux so please be very specific if you can thank you!

Run through the X config (this is a Debian-specific debconf frontend) that comes up at boot when X fails. When you get the ugly-ass TWM window-manager (that crappy thing with the menu and the sh!tty blank background) type: ctrl-alt-F2 and go to a new console. Login as root.

cp /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 ~

Now, you've copied the X configuration file to root's home directory (symbolized by ~).

/dev/input/mice is used for a USB mouse usually. When you get TWM up, does the mouse move around?

At some point during installation YOU chose to install some X packages. Did you use dselect or tasksel? Did you choose x-window-system?

In the future its recommended you let us know your hardware and version of Debian (I guess it's 3.0r2).

Good luck.

yes Im running 3.0r2,I have it on an old dell computer,pentium 2- 350 mhz,level 2 cache:512kb integrated,system memory:64MB SDRAM,Video memory:4MB SGRAM,parellell port-378h,paralell node:ps/2
when i get twm up no the mouse wont move
I used taskel I believe and yes i selected x window im almost positive
I did what you said and when I reboot it says the same exact thing..its not changing the /dev/input/mice to /dev/mouse.Its like it didnt ever change the settings also ive tried running x486 config or whatever its called (the nix machine is upstairs and ive run up and down about 30x now looking at things)and that didnt change anything either.??????/ thank you

ok quick question...if it keeps configuring like i have a usb mouse and since i dont it wont start..what if i got a usb mouse and popped it in?would it recognize it and start x in the normal fashion?

fixed it....ran rescue floppy and deleted linux then reinstalled it choosing the correct mouse port this time.Woooo-Hooo...linux is pretty cool once I got it working..now its time to learn!!!!!!!