FC6 installation text mode - don't try this at home
 

this isn't intended to be a rant, but it may feel like one. I apologize for that. It's definitly mainly an attempt to get some helping hints.

I've got used to linux installations working mostly fine, getting better over the years. However, I also got used to the slick update screens and the wizzard-like behavior of many of the installation tools and system modification tools. If they work they are great.

Now I tried a new installation of FC6 on a Dell Inspiron 4000, after an attempt to update from FC5 failed with a crash. Since any of the graphic installation methods didn't work, I finally tried the text mode installation and ended in the deep doodoo without a paddle, just like in the stone age of linux: A barren desktop, no window manager, and nothing is set up. No windows, no sound, no clue.
Something's wirring in the background the whole time: A mounstrous search is on for some beagle - anyone lost a dog?;)

In those days, stoneage, one would then be able to find information somewhere of how to make things work. Now this is basically a question of running all kinds of funny named configuration programs. However, most of these assume already the existence of a viable X11. For instance, if I run system-config-display, from my stoneage desktop (big white letters on black background), it will come up with a a completly garbled up blue but otherwise pretty graphic screen on which I can't see what to enter or modify. If I type system-config-soundcard, it will do "something" - who knows what, and then exit. startx brings up a garbled screen as well.
I suspect the text mode installation assumes the user needs to acting member of the Fedora project. Unfortunatly I'm not. Is it just that I'm getting old?

The thing that bothers me is not that the text mode installation would be more difficult, but that there is basically no mentioning of the following issues:


:confused: What do you do after you have made an installation by text method?

:confused: How do I get the system to bring up automatically X11 and
the login screen after boot up?

:confused: How do I go about fixing the sound driver problem?

:confused: More to the point: What are all the kernel options that are possible in the install boot up? That also isn't documented anywhere, to my knowledge.

I just finished installing FC6 in text mode myself with very few problems. I suspect that you need to update your video driver. After that it should work fine. Once you have the correct video driver a simple startx should be all you need. In addition, the configuration utilities should work as well.

Hi Windchaser, thanks, that is encouraging. Did you get it start up with a normal login screen, and if how?

Of course, I don't have a clue what to do about the video driver either.

My video card (nVidia GE7300LE) worked in a basic mode with the video driver that came with the distribution. However, not well enough to do the graphical install. Once I completed the text based installed I did run startx and the system was then running in graphical mode. To get it to boot that way I edited the init setting in /etc/inittab to be init 5. However, once I got the right video driver I installed that from command more and was not running graphically.

For the video driver if you are using a nVidia or an ATI I would suggest looking a livna.org for the appropriate driver. Otherwise you might want to check with the manufacturer to see if they have a linux driver.

great,

i think i'm making a little progress now: At least i have a viable video mode now, with startx.
Basically I used the graphical method without really seeing what I was doing because the display had a wrapped around appearance. I specified dell 1600x1200 screen and specified the resolution to 1400x1050 and surprisingly this worked. So the screen looks good now.

Currently after reboot, it doesn't go into graphics mode, and I have to type startx.
You're saying that I need to modify /etc/inittab. This isn't clear exactly how. The last 2 lines
of my /etc/inittab looks as if it should go to x11:

# Run xdm in runlevel 5
x:5:once:/etc/X11/prefdm -nodaemon

but it doesn't automatically go to runlevel 5. Any idea ?

R

Of course, it made a smily out of a colon: The last line of my inittab again:

"x:once:/etc/X11/prefdm -nodaemon"

that is x colon once colon /etc/X11/prefdm -nodaemon

forget about the smilies. It is
x colon 5 colon once colon /etc/X11/prefdm -nodaemon

(I feel like Alice in wonderland... smily smily no smily grrrr)

hah!

Oh I get it: I suspect I need to change this

id:3:initdefault:

(id colon 3 colon initdefault colon)

to this

id:5:initdefault:


(id colon 5 colon initdefault colon)

will try.

Until then, it's updating now - oh dear - 158 security updates. That'll probably take
until tomorrow!! (too much pork in a "modern" linux I guess).


thanks for now, windchaser.

find the line that looks like this:

and change the 3 to a 5:

gottit!

thanks. I have to wait first for the update to finish but I guess I'm looking forward to a working FC6 soon.

I have almost completely forgotten why I got so mad about all this: I was
talking to my laptop as if it was a dog. (still wonder if they found that beagle)