I work in an IT department and we have some linare pcs. I am a Windows person and know nothing about Linux but need to learn fast. I found your site and thought maybe some of your members can help me with my questions. I would like to install Linare v1.0 over the old one to try to repair it. Is that possible. The computer stops at the select one of the 6 video options. If I select one I just get a blinking screen that I can't read what is on there. I know I just joined but can anyone help.

I would like to install Linare v1.0 over the old one to try to repair it. Is that possible.
Yes you can install the O.S. over the old one. Just make sure you make a backup or just backup /home if you don't mind setting system-wide settings again. Linare is based on Fedora Core so you should have rescue mode as option on your installer CD. Also since Linare is a commercial distro you or the company you work for may be entitled to customer support. Since Linare is based on FC you might also consider switching to Fedora Core and pocket the money...

But before reinstalling maybe you should tell us what the problem is because most software problems can be fixed by reconfiguring, updating or reinstalling.


I know I just joined but can anyone help.
Just joined or oldtimer, it doesn't matter. Help is help.

This whole problem started when the machine was booted up and the screen had purple streaks running down it. The machine boots to the Booting Linare Desktop 1.0 (2.4.20-8)screen. The timer runs and goes through some text screens and stops at "Press <Return> to see video modes available, <Space> to continue or wait 30 seconds". There are 6 choices all of which I tried. When I choose one it goes through a bunch of twxt screens of what is loading and when it's finished it comes to a blinking screen that as far as I can tell wants a password for OS2. If I reboot and at the Linare Desktop screen type the letter e another screen comes up with "Kernal /vmlinuz-2.4.20-8 ro root=LABEL=/ vga=777' Someone told me to highlight that line and type the letter e, leave a space and type the word single at the end of the line. Then I was told to reboot which left me back at the see video mode screen. I chose a number and it booted to a prompt that says "sh-2.05b#" This is as far as I got. I have the Linare cd and also the system board cd which has video drivers on it. Everything is built into the motherboard. Is there a way out of this for someone that does not know the operating system. If you answer please go easy with the terminology because like I said I am a Windows person and I am new to Linux. Thanks for any help you can give.

This whole problem started when the machine was booted up and the screen had purple streaks running down it.
If this never ocurred before and there are no other malfunctions or reconfiguration done then it could be a loose connector or a HW problem. You could boot a Live CD like KNOPPIX to test that. If it boots to desktop w/o problems then it's software and can be remedied.


[If I reboot and at the Linare Desktop screen type the letter e another screen comes up with "Kernal /vmlinuz-2.4.20-8 ro root=LABEL=/ vga=777' Someone told me to highlight that line and type the letter e, leave a space and type the word single at the end of the line. Then I was told to reboot which left me back at the see video mode screen. I chose a number and it booted to a prompt that says "sh-2.05b#" This is as far as I got.
Cool. That's how you boot to runlevel 1. (BTW, who told you? A collegue or Linare support?). Try doing the same again up to "e", but now delete the "vga=777" part and add "3" to the end of the line, then boot. This way you are in runlevel 3 (multiuser) and you can log in. Now try to start X manually typing "startx" and see if there's any on-screen or other errors.


If you however want to re-install Linare again, no problem, but choose text mode install. This way you should be able to bypass any graphics problems until you're in the post-install phase.

I found the Knoppix download and burned it to cd. I ran it on the machine and the desktop came up.I rebooted without the cd changed the "vga=777" part and add "3" to the end of the line, then booted. It came up to a login for OS2 but nobody knows the user name or password. Can you tell me why it doesn't boot right into my Linare Desktop? It did boot right past the part where it wanted me to choose 1 through 6 and the screen was not blinking.

I have the username and password for OS2. I put it in and it comes to a line that says [abc@OS2 abc]$

You've logged in. Have you tried "startx" as unSpawn mentioned above?

I went back out and tried the startxf Some things that came up on the next screen were

f===using config file /oc/X11/F86config
EE No Devices Detected
Fatal Server Error No screens found.

There was more on the screen but it was time to go home and I ran out of time to write. I'll do it again first thing Monday.

Here is what the screen shows when I type in startx
==Log file "/var/log//XFree86.0.log
==Using config file "etc/X11/XF86Config
(EE) No devices detected

Fatal server error:
No screens found

X10: fatalIO error 104 (Connection reset by peer) on X Server ":0.0 after 0 requests (0 Known processed) with 0 events remaining.

Then it goes back to the prompt where I typed the startx

You could try running "xorgconfig" to configure the server.

I am real new to Linux and need to know what this will do. Will it only affect the computer I am on or the server. Also will it do everything with just that command or will it prompt me along the way.

It will allow you to configure the X server by asking you about the graphics, monitor, keyboard, etc and from the info it will generate a new xorg.conf that you can use to test. Not sure what you mean by, "Will it only affect the computer I am on or the server" :/. Alternatively, you could post the contents of /etc/X11/xorg.conf here for us to look at and help you get working (you'll need to give us some idea of the stuff mentioned above, though).

Also please post the result from running

Sorry, I misread and thought you were using X.org. Since you're using XFree86, the config file is /etc/X11/XF86Config as given in your post above.

When I type /etc/X11/XF86Config in it says access denied.
When I type in egrep -v "^\((\*\*|II)" /var/log//XFree86.0.log I get a scrolling screen and when it stops it shows a bunch of different Radeon video cards and after that says
Fatal server error:
No screens found