Back again... So, I'm now on my 7th Install of SuSE and I have to say, i'm struggling. What is frustrating is that I still know very little about Linux, coming from Microsoft and Novell environments... And I keepgetting the same problem, over and over and over...

Typically, I use the default setup but I have tried custom setups too. The first CD loads up fine, it restarts the system, continues to load up the remaining 2, 3 or 4 disks (depending on my software choices), then we get to the bit where I have to choose a root password and add a user. This is fine too. Then we get onto Hardware setup and once I pass this stage, the system either hangs (if I test the video) or completes OK. Either way, upon re-starting, the PC appears to load up but with no display.

So it's my Graphics card? Not sure... If I start over and set it up again and set the user as auto login, the installation goes fine, and boots fine and logs in! Great, but I can't log out and back in as another user (trust me, I remember the password, it right!) It says password incorrect. Reboot again and It boots straight up again, no problems, but again, I can't log off and back in again. This means I can't make system changes as it won't accept the root password.

Athlon XP2000, ASUS Motherboard, nVida GForce2 onboard, oodles of Ram.

Any help would be appreciated.

Try this:
When the system boots to the lilo menu (or grub which ever u use, most likely lilo) try booting to failsafe mode.

As far as being stuck in an autologin, I'm not sure about that. Personally, I wouldn't have set an autologin for a user, for just such a problem could occur.

But, when you say "autologin" do you mean prompt? or X?
If you are autologgin into X, then I don't belive you have a display problem.
Seems as tho you have pretty common hardware, so there shouldn't be any problems with the install.

Which version of SuSE are you using?
If it is autologging into X, have you tried an ctrl+alt+F2? or other console? If you can get to the console, then you may be able to fix your problems...

Well, for the most part. I didnt choose autologin, so, when the os loads, I see the screen flash and then it goes blank. Not blank as in black, but blank like there is no video going to the monito. get a dark screen. When I do a ctrl+alt+backspace I get the following:
startKDE: Could Not start kdeinit. check installation

in the sidewinder firewall there is an Xsetup which modifies the display settings, but I haven't been able to find anything like that in this flavor.

thanks
centri

Hello there. I am a newbbie but maybe my reply helps...

I had the same problem with my laptop (dell inspiron) and the solution was to update the BIOS!
Maybe it worth a try...

thanks,
dp.

I reinstalled, and at the end instead of allowing the auto config to choose 1024x768 res for me, I changed it 800x600. I let it do its thing, and it came up. I then tried to see if it you go into 1024x768 and it wouldnt. Here is what I don't understand. Why did YaST come up in 1024x768. I didnt count the pixels or anything but, I am pretty sure thats what the res. was. I am going to still do the bios update. hope this helps someone else out.

Thanks again
the linux noob
centri