Problems Logging in
 

Hi, I wrote another message about problems with my monitor on RH9.2 (That is still the problem). I was able to install 7.1 (RH) but when it boots up and asks for my login i type it in, then it asks me for my passwork, When I try to type that in, It just stays blank and flickers alot. then it will settle down and the process repeats. I would appreciate any help anybody can offer. Thanks!

Are you logging in as root or a regular user account that you created during the installation?

Are you typing it in from the command line, or the gui? If it's from the command line, you shouldn't be able to see your password as you type, if that's the flickering you're talking about. However, if you type your user name and password in the gui, and it's the correct one, it's likely that your video setup is wrong, in which case you'll need to figure out if you selected the right video card and monitor during installation.

In that case, it should accept your password, then flick the whole screen three or so times, then end up back at a login prompt. It's trying to load your gui, but something's wrong with the configuration.

It sounds like you have the wrong sync range set for your monitor (a common mistake). Consult the manual for your monitor to find the sync range, and change that in your XF86Config file. Or you could do it the old fashioned way, and smack your monitor until it behaves :)

Okay, I read your last post, and it's likely your configuration is the problem, like I thought. Probably the easiest way to fix it is to do a reinstall. I hate reinstalling OSs, but if you're a newbie, it's going to be easier to fix things through the gui. Some of the command prompt stuff, though faster, might confuse you. It did me.

This time, when you install, pick video card/monitor information that's more generic. For example, you might want to start out with a "generic vga" card, a "generic svga" monitor, and a resolution of 800x600 with 65000 colors. That setup should work on any reasonably new computer (1997 or better), yet still give you a fairly decent screen to work with. You can always change it later when you narrow down your problem and/or get a little more experience with Linux. If it's newer, you can probably bump that up a little as well. The main thing is to keep it generic, that way you can adjust the monitor settings, test them, and if they work, adjust the video card settings, then the driver if necessary, all from the comfort of your working system. Once you're installed, you'll be able to test each setting, and the setup program will back out of it if you don't see anything in 10 seconds or so.

Unless you're using a really old video card, there's probably no reason to bother with 7.3. You'll probably want more up to date software, as the newer stuff tends to be more user friendly. If the same problem happened on both, I'd go back to the newer version, and start from there. I hope this helps a little.

Linuxbotx, there was a time I'd agree with you on that, but not after what happened to me recently. I got one of those noisy handme downs that you normally smack when it turns green. Apparently I smacked it one too many times, or the previous owner did.

After the smoke and fumes were vented from the room, I popped the cover off. (Literally, as the monitor wasn't likely to be good, I broke the plastic clips.) If you've never looked inside a monitor, they have a screen in front of the crt that's there to protect your face from all the nasty radiation they put out.

If that screen moves, the "holes" in it don't line up right, and you end up with an expensive lightbulb. In order to prevent that from happening, they attach high tension wires (4-12 that I've seen in ten years of peeking inside dead monitors). Apparently someone in SE Asia doesn't like me, because one of these wires popped off. My luck being what it usually is, it didn't just move the screen or short out a component.

Nope, instead, from what I could make out, the suspension wire snaped, riped through the sheath of the red high-voltage wire on top, and sent a couple thousand volts through the frame of the monitor, including the weakened suspension frame. The CRT said, "bye-bye!" An instant later, it was cracked in two. One was intact, about two thirds of the glass in the back of the monitor. The rest decided to revert back to dust.

That was bad enough, but from my point of view was this: The screen turned all green, I reached up and gave it the usual smack. There was a noise and a simultaneous flash of light that lasted less than an instant, then smoke. I smelled burnt plastic, had a heart attack, kicked the UPS off, and had another heart attack.:)

From a safety point of view, it wasn't all that bad. The screen pretty much fell in on itself, and what little fell out wasn't lethal by any measure, unlike the things you see in movies. Had I expected it, it would have been an interesting sight, but as it was, it's not every day something blows up in your face.

Lucky as well, it didn't toss a charge back to the computer. It was my sister's, I gave it to her because it was free, and she doesn't use her computer enough to care. I just happened to be playing on it at the time, and I'm glad I was. She wasn't real happy I "broke" her monitor, but I'd hate to get the call from her if that had happened to her.

It's pretty cool now, in the aftermath, but I won't be "adjusting" another monitor for a long while. :D

I reinstalled Linux and now the screen does not flicker, but, I still cant login. It says "Localhost Login:" so i type in my username (th eone created at setup. adn hten the password prompt comes up. so i put in the password I setup (123456 just for the setup) then i pressed enter but nothing happens execpt for telling me that my information was incorrect. then teh login prompt will reappear. What do I do now? is there a default account i can use or something so that I can get in and setup my prefrences for the actual admin account? Thankx in Advance!

Try loging in as root. Maybe the password didn't take during setup. Try using a blank password also. But if you can login as root, then login as root, delete the user, and add a new one. But if you can't login as root, you will have to do a re-install. Because there is no way to recover the root password.

ok, I tried that and it let me in but im still in the text mode, something about X config. I dont know waht that is or how to use it so i guess Im stuck. Mabye I should try a different distro?

Do you mean you logged in as root??? Login as root
type xf86config

Make sure that you have your monitor info and video card info. The setup isn't pretty, but its easy. Make sure you know your sync range for your monitor, if you don't look in your monitors manual, or make guesstimates. This is a good guess: 30-60Khz, 50-75hz, 800x600 rez with 65000 colors (16 bit)

once you get this setup, then type startx

You can further customize X using Redhat Hardware manager, but we'll get to that later.