I don't know what I'm doing
 

:smash:

I'm getting frusterated with Mandrake, I have had it a week and I cannot get it configured correctly. I know RTFM, but it makes no sense, it says to stop Xserver to install video drivers, but doesn't say how to do it, arrgh. I have tried to reinstall twice so far, the installs go fine, but.

Harddrake won't run, it just crashes the system, cursor flashing on black screen, is that how Linux crashes usually? It's crashing more on me now than Windows 95 did.

I Can't get it to recognise my video card, so I am stuck in 800x600x16. I have download the newst Nvidia drivers, but in the 'read me' i says I am to make sure I have Xfree 4.xx, but if I try to change to 4.1 from 3.36 it crashes. It also says I will have to stop Xserver to install, but says to refer to the manual, while the manual also says I would have to disable Xserver, it does not say how to do it.

If I click the internet icon it runs a wizard, everything appears to run ok, but when it says it is going to restart the connection it hangs, I used Xkill to kill it and then have no internet connction, howver after a reboot if I just type in a URL I will go there, but the configuration panel says I have no connection. If I click the Internet icon it will run the wizard again (same thing happens) and I lose the connection I had that it did not recognise.

During the installation it recognises my printer correctly and appears to configure it correctly until it prints a test page at which time it goes half way through and stops while the printer lights start flashing. If I take the page out 1 minute later it tries again, it did this until the second installation when it still wouldn't work I just disabled it for now.

Basically what I really want to know,

1. Am I using the best distribution of Linux for my hardware and for my sanity?
2. How do I stop Xserver? And what is it in english?
3. Where do I go to get easier to understand explantions than the manual gives for nOOb's.

I have been using Windows for years and I have no problems getting around on it, but I need to try Linux to see what all the fuss it about. What I have been able to do on it so far is impressive, but I just wish I could get it configured correctly though, it would be a lot easier to learn.

I am also running Windows XP Pro without a hitch, so I know there are no hardware problems.

to boot into a text mode, edit /etc/inittab
there will be a first line like:

id:5:initdefault: change the 5 to a 3. Reboot.

what is Xserver in english
 

fun that u asked what exactly the Xserver is.
so it's time for a nice bedtime story, and why it's called a server and what Xserver was meant to be for.

history of Xserver goes back 30years ago, when systems werent fast not enough memory and very xpensive. in those days, not every computer could run a GUI. so the Idea of Xserver was to put a Gui on a very fast system (those days) and let the clients use that gui. (30years ago the name wasnt Xserver but something else. Xfree is some aquisition between a few companies. X11 is the standard)

now about the architecture.
the Xserver is the lowest layer in the Gui. above that we have windowmanagers and actual gui's like KDE. the Xserver shows the windows, mouse and stuff, the windowmanager does other things like where to put that windows and how big, and the Gui does more the interface. the Xserver is connected (sorry bout my english) to various libs,drivers, mods for the hardware. (under /side by side the xserver architecture)

so know u know a little more about X.