so i was messin around in XF86Config to keep my screen from going blank...

so i added the blanktime line and removed the option "dmps" line...

well...i guess that was a bad i dea...because now i get the error
"I cannot start the X server (your gtraphical interface). It is likely that it is not set up correctly. would you like to view the X server output to diagnose the problem?

<yes> <no>"


well from here on out my keyboard doesnt respond...even thogh before hand it does.


is there anything i can do???

please please please help!


im runnin whitbox..

i change the blanktime and dmps and added network mounts to fstab and made it so xmms can play mp3s...

thats what has changed since it was bone stock...

thanks again

-matt

You must know that if you *mess around* with the XF86Config file, you MUST back it up first (maybe even multiple times) for situations such as this.. All I could recommend is try seeing if you can use the XF86Config.old file (I never tried this). Otherwise try creating a new file with to create another.

I will add: post your XF86Config file (use the [ code ][/ code ] tags --capitalized and without the spaces-- to do so (looks better ). Maybe some more informed (than me) linux user will be able to help, because I probably won't be able to see it (still post it though ).

this all happens at startup...i get the error, and i have no use of my keyboard...i cant get into the os at all...i think...

have you tried booting into the failsafe mode (single user)? (init 1 for me)

If you can't go single user, try a rescue disk, Slack10 CD 2, Knoppix and edit it that way

If you can't go single user, try a rescue disk, Slack10 CD 2, Knoppix and edit it that way, that is if its not root only edit. I can't remember

Edit: Doesn't look like thats gonna work, just checked it, its root only
Edit Edit: Sorry about the double post...

Yes, it is possible with knoppix. su gets you root in knoppix, so you can just change /etc/inittab to start the computer in single user mode. is the line you want to look at. Change that 5 to whatever your inittab file says is single-user mode, and reboot. Just DON'T put 0 or 6.

once i start it i get prompted for either:

'enter' boot to white box
'e' edit commands before booting
'a' mondify kernel arguments
'c' command line


should i 'c' and enter "id:5:initdefault:"

ok now i get Kernel panic: No init found. Try passing init= option to kernel.


how do i do this? i tried "init 1" and i believe that is what gave me the kernel panic error...

any ideas??

Yes, go to command line, and edit /etc/inittab and add


where X is whatever your single user mode is

i can hit tab and get possible commands...and i dont see anything about even changing directories...much less edititing a file...



also. im at a "grub>" promt...when i use the 'c' option

If you have another computer, download knoppix, burn it, boot your *broken* computer with it, open a console, type su, and edit /etc/inittab with vi for example, and change that number.

I don't use grub, but see if you can get a normal command prompt somehow. Look at the documentation of grub for information http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual/grub.html .

Not exactly sure about Slack but other distro's of linux will automatically save back up of .txt files when you make changes. Once you get to command prompt as root go to etc/X11 there should be a file XF86Config-4~. That is the backup file, copy " # cp XF86Config-4~ XF86Config-4 ". Restart this should restore orginal copy.

i dont have slack. i have whitebox. which is like redhat...not sure if rdhat and slack are the same...pretty sure they arent...first i need to get to the command line. that actually works...and i'll give it a try...would a kernel panic error come up because of xf86config file?

Burn a copy of MEPIS live CD 2004.04. Boot from CD (esc, F1, F2, F11, etc...) read BIOS boot screen for "boot options", or change in BIOS (remember to change back to HD when done).
Log-In as root
password: root

The live CD will let you view your files on the HD, you can change them back from here.

Save
Reboot

This is Linux not Windows