Bad installation of Mandrake, help please!!
 

EDIT: Scroll down for new problem.

Hey I'm on Knoppix right now and everything is fine so I wanna install Mandrake and also keep Windows XP on the same PC. That means I need to make a Linux partition right? Because I'm just starting to use Linux I don't wanna give it a large piece of all my space that's why I need to do a custom partition. There is an option to do that on the Mandrake CD but I've never seen screenshots so I'm not sure if I will know how it works. That's why I wanna use Partition Magic. I've heard it's easy to use but ofcourse... it costs money and I don't wanna buy it. So I was wondering if the trial is fully working and just has a time limit. Anybody can tell me? Thanks! :)

:newbie:

don't mess with windows partitioning tools. use the partitioning tool included with linux. why? no matter if you are a n00b or a exp3rt with linux, you should use the included tools with linux. partition magic doesn't know to create all three of the partitions needed by linux... in some cases, five partitions, depending on your distro.

just remember to defrag winxp before you run the install/partition on your hdd.


hope that i helped!!!!!!


:Pengy:

NO, the partition magic Demo will not make partitions that are usable........

Well I am proud to say... the installation was NOT a success!! Yay!! Knew it was gonna happen.:D It was just too good to be true.... OK here goes (don't forget we're talking about Mandrake 10):

1. I probably didn't give Linux enough space. Only about 1 GB in total... that's probably the reason why I got the problems.

2. I couldn't test my graphical interface (or whatever) coz "nfs" wasn't running.

3. Linux didn't ask for another CD.

4. When everything was done and I restarted there were 4 (windows, linux and 2 others...) options in the boot menu, is that suppose to be like that?

5. After that I got some green OKs and one red FAILED. I didn't see what was failed but if u want to know I'll look for it again.

6. Even though I got a FAILED I was allowed to pass. Then I had to type the login for Vigor12 or whatever and I didn't know it. After that I did something that made it restart. End of story.

O and I didn't lose any files in Windows....

So.... can anyone help me to get this right again? Please!!!!:(

1) Mandrake minimal install will run on 65 mb of space
2) *shrug*
3) You prolly just didnt need packages off that cd. The first cd is all you REALLY need, the rest is extra packages
4) yes: Windows, Linux, FLoppy, Failsafe
- Windows = windows
- linux = linux
- floppy = boot from floppy
- failsafe - single-user mode
5) the red failed was probably eth0, this is normal and OK
6) need more info

Hope this at least answered a few questions

What do u mean with *shrug*? Well than the only problem is the Vigor12 thing..... So u need more info? Well I have no idea how to give it to you..... Should I reinstall? It's the only thing keeping me from starting up Linux.

I got more info on the Vigor12 thing. It turned into Vigor11. I was thinking it's my router coz that's a Draytec Vigor2200e (or somethin like that). So when I needed to type the login I typed the login to my router and then I needed to type the pass but the letters and numbers didn't work anymore. So I can't even type a pass......

Sorry that I didn't edit my last post. I did this to get my post up in the forum so someone replys. I'm not really in a hurry (since windows works and all) but it would be cool if I can get to Linux today. And for me it's 15 minutes till it's tomorrow.;)

*shrug* means i dont know
is Vigor12 your login? do you get a prompt like this:
or do u get a graphical login screen? Can you successfully log in? If so, what do you do when you start having the Vigor* trouble?

EDIT: If Vigor12 IS your username, then it should be something like this:

lkejwkljglkjdslkfjdkljflkjflkd

Then yes, the Vigor thing would be your router.
If the keyboard doesnt work, how are you accessing it? thru a browser? an addon program? telnet? GUI or console based? This is what I meant by more information is needed...

What brand of ethernet card do you have? Is it by chance Vigor...?

<edit>
a quick search on google revealed this:
this was pulled from http://www.fedoraforum.org/forum/arc...p/t-18994.html

maybe this will provide some guidance?

You still don't understand?

My keyboard fully works.

1. I restart my pc.
2. I get a boot screen thingy.
3. I choose Linux.
4. Get the green OKs and one red FAILED.
5. Have to login.
6. I type "admin" my router login and then enter.
7. Now I need to type a pass.
8. The number and letter keys (and some others) don't work so I can't.
9. I do Ctrl + Alt + Del to restart.
10. I'm here givin you info:D

oohhh...
this is the login for you linux system...
type 'valentino' for the username
press enter for the password
the reason no text is displayed is because the password doesnt echo

klaewlkrjlkadsjflkajdlkfjsaf

yes... this is linux
Vigor11 is the name of your computer... I see where that came form now lol
yes, this si your comand prompt
try this:
this will get you into the GUI (X-Windows)

Does that have anything to do with me choosing not to automatically start X? Probably did huh... Well I'm gonna try it out right now and if everything works OK I'll edit this post and say it works in X-Windows.:D

Awww.. not again... Too bad that im editing this message from Windows XP.... OK here's some of the last stuff. There was a whole screen with words and I didn't wanna write it all down.

If I try startx again I get the same stuff. It also said about lookin on http://www.xfree86.org/. Couldn't find anything there.... I don't see any other option than reinstalling it. What about u?

Try running :
You'll need your video card/driver info, and moniters vertical/horizontal sync rates, and the higheswt resolution it can use. This can all be found in the user's guides for the moniter.

Ugh... Well at least this really CAN be the problem coz I messed up a lot. But I also couldn't test the GUI coz "xfs" wasn't running. O well....

Monitor: E773p
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200
Highest Resolution: 1280x1024

This was all I could get without a guide. I don't have any! They just gave me 2 guides: one for my PC and the other is some product info guide (doesn't say anything about monitors). Can I find the vertical/horizontal sync rates somewhere here in Windows XP just like the other info?

What is the make (manufacturer) / Model # for your moniter?
if you can use console, 60Hz H-sync works.. this is what im running for X
google for a user's manual

Model #? 60Hz H-sync? I think I'm gonna give up on Linux.... I can't find anything.... I tried the xf86config and everything was going well (I think) till I needed to say how much video memory I had and stuff.... Then it said I gave the wrong number and it stopped. I don't know all this info they didn't gave me anything with the info. The only thing I MAYBE can find on google is the video memory and whatever I need to know about it. I'm getiing sick of this..... Why does it have to be so hard to install Linux...

If you wish to give up, I certainly can't stop you. But, I will tell you that when you do get it working, the knowledge you've gained far surpasses the pain that it was to get that knowledge.
Now:
You video card's memory is always listed with it's documentation and should be printed on the card itself. You can also find this by going to Display Properties (Control Panel) -> Settings (Tab) -> Advanced (Button) -> Adapter (Tab) in Windows. The 60Hz H-sync is a 60 Hz Horizontal-sync refresh rate. You can find your specific one by going to Display Properties -> Settings -> Advanced -> Moniter in Windows, under 'Refresh Frequency'
Hope this helps some :)

Stay the course. It's fun, don't you think? :)

Yeah it's fun.:D Ok I think I'm allmost there now. Well I sure hope I'm allmost there....

Video Memory: 128MB
Refresh Rate: 60-240

So I tried to do the config again till I came somewhere and I didn't know what to do. But u probably do so.... here goes:

And then it stopped. I'm thinking I HAVE to overwrite the previous data right? Since that wrong and all...... O well hope ya can help me out.:D

When installing Mandrake I didn't select my DELL monitor (coz I didn't know the name) as THE monitor. I clicked normal 1024x768 monitor (or something like that) in General. That IS the kind of monitor I have but can that cause problems?

Thanks for helping me so far! If I ever meet u one day... I'm gonna give u money.:p

Just making another post to get it up in the forum. Maybe if u didn't see the post anymore u think I gave up. Since I can't PM you I made a post....

you have to be root to do this...

and as for the money thing... *coughafferocough*

Ummm.... How can I be a root? Instead of typing "valentino" typing "root"? O and I just registered at affero.:D

O well if u don't say anything I'll just try it. And yes it works! And again I tought this time it's REALLY gonna happen.... But NO!

See the last line? That's where u come in coz I don't know why it FAILED!!!!

I'll just wait for u to reply. If u don't, I'll go to a diffirent site and just ask it there...

Sorry bout the wait: I was at work, now I'm home.
you should be typing just 'y' or 'n'

/usr/X11R6/etc/X11/XF86Config does not exist, on mandrake the config file is /etc/X11/XF86Config-4
try that

Hey it's me again I had to go to sleep so...:)

I've tried writing the config to:

/etc/X11/XF86Config - still the same error

/usr/X11R6/etc/X11/XF86Config - still the same error

/etc/X11/XF86Config-4 - still the same error

And with still the same error I mean the one when I type "startx".

are your referring to this error:
???

there has to be more to that error message, some text before it... what is it?

<EDIT>
Also: They typing these and tell me what happens. Probably the same thing, but it will negate the possibility of a problem with the Desktop enviroment versus the X server:
</EDIT>

Why did ya make me write all this down? O well everything for Linux..:cool:

I'll try the stuff in the EDIT part of ur post right now.

EDIT:

Both commands are invalid. If ur gonna ask me to use "drakxconf" now.... that command is invalid too.

Pay special attention to this line
This simply means the config is off.
Now: Looking I see you have this in a previous post:
Tell me, what did you set your resolution, Horizontal sync and vertical sync ratings to? You said Dell moniter right? What size? I bought a Dell computer too - that's what I'm sendng this from and my values might work for you.

<EDIT>
Also: i just seen this
Paste the Entire "Monitor" & "Display" sections of XF86-Config-4 here please
I had this very same problem, but cannot for the life of me remember how I resolved it. It was a very simple edit, but I cannot remember what I took out.

Reso: 1280x1024 60Hz
Sync: 60-240
Size: 1024x768

Paste the Entire "Monitor" & "Display" sections of XF86-Config-4 here please
I had this very same problem, but cannot for the life of me remember how I resolved it. It was a very simple edit, but I cannot remember what I took out.

Also: issue this command at your prompt, it will save the XF86Config-4 file to your windows partition so we can examine it and you dont have to reboot

then look in C:\ there should be a text file called XF86Config.txt

You didn't really need to post it again I've read ur EDIT. But anyway how do I paste that here?

I edited my last post... do this:

It had to happen again....

Damn forgot - WinXP - NTFS, your linux system cant write to it
ok
youll have to write everything down in those sctions and paste them here

Umm.... wich sections?

monitor and display

Where? U mean the xf86config? Why? U know what's there....

No, I don't. Look, I need to see what you have in those sections to help you.

Ok, but I don't not wich sections ur talking about.

There is a section marked Moniter and a section marked Display... give me 2 minutes to reboot to linux, I'll post mine

ok, we may not need the 'Monitor' section, but just for reference, here is mine:
BTW: Your HorizSync and VertRefresh should roughly be equivalent to mine
If they're not, make them that way

Now, the "Display. They're actually Subsections, and we need to delete one
One should read like this:
Yuo'll need to delete that one. Then try 'startx' again and post your results

Huh? Look I don't even know what that is and how to get there... U just asked for the conf file and suddenly ur talking about this.

This is part of my XF86Config-4 file
access it by typing this
btw: Vi is a text editor that has 2 modes. Edit and Command mode
Press your insert key to access edit mode edit the document appropriately, as noted above,
then press esc to get into command mode.
then enter :wq (that's a colon, then wq) to write the file
then retry startx

Ok just 1 more time.

1. type: cd /etc/X11 then: Vi XF86Config-4

2. If the H and V sync rates aren't the same as u I edit them with insert.

3. I completely delete

Subsection "Display"
Depth 24
Virtual 1024 768
EndSubsection

4. Then I go back to the command mode with esc.

5. I type startx and write down (and post here later) what I see.

Right?

yes: well, close
first: do this as root, not as valentino
type this to open the file in the vi editor:
notice the lowercase v in vi and the uppercase in XF86Congif-4... this is important
press the Insert key to go to edit mode
edit the hsync and vrefresh rates to look like mine
delete the section previously specified, make sure of this:
-your will look slightly different, but make sure to delete ONLY THE ONE THAT HAS DEPTH 24
- NONE of the lower ones (Depth 16, 8, etc)
Press your Esc key to get to command MODE (in the editor)
type :wq (thats a colon, then wq) to save the file and quit the editor
youll be back at a normal command prompt
then logout, log back in as valentino, and try startx

So I type wq: and then enter and then type wq (wrong isn't it?:) )? O well... I have 3 H-sync rates and one of them has 2 (first, second). Do I have to change them all?

change whatever hsync rates you have to look like mine
and we're simply trying to save the file and quit
after yur thru editing,
Press Esc (thats your Escape key)
then type
:wq
thats a colon, then wq
not the other way around

Well it didn't work. I changed everything then I did :wq and then wq but it said it was an invalid command.

are you doing it as root?