hey
i am very very new to linux. i basically installed it about an hour ago.

anyway - i was having difficulties with my keyboard while installing linux.... so when it asked for username and password - i just clicked "Next"

anyway when i try to log in it wont allow me, i have hrd of logging in as "Root" what is the password for this?

It's 'root' not 'Root'
The password, well, you set the password during the installation.
If you didn't (and the system accepted this) you don't have a password for root.
Try logging in as 'root' with no password.
If it doesn't work graphically, press [ctrl]+[alt]+[F1] and log in in text mode.
When you're in, set a root password (command is simply 'passwd') and add a user with 'useradd' or 'adduser'.

thankyou i will try this now

If you didn't define a user you have to know that the user root exists always on a linux box.

If you can't find your root password anymore you can reset it by starting your box in runlevel 1 (no graphics, no optional HW, etc..., only the kernel and a few drivers).

This is don in different ways depending on your distribution:
You have to choose the correct boot parameter for your kernel.
Sometimes is:
init 1
init=1
1
simple

Try with these first.
If it runs in runlevel 1 you have to edit your /etc/shadow file and change it in something like that the line containing root:
change root:XXXfjXE0o2KLI:12294:0:10000:::: in root::0:10000::::, save the file and reboot the box...

Now you should be able to login as root with no password.

If the Kernel params won't work try to boot with your distro CD and run it in repair mode. When the console opens up do the procedure described above in the /etc/shadow file.

I hope this would help you, bye Kess...

heey
thanks everyone got the login problem sorted

do you know where i can find an online linux manual? with these commands etc in?

Here's a link to just a few commands to get you started. There isn't an online manual for linux, just lots of how-to's written by people to help others out. Google is a great search engine for linux related information.

http://www.linuxdevcenter.com/linux/cmd/

thanks

the links great.... just need to get modem sorted now

the computer company has lent me 5 to try (plus my original one) - and none of them are supported (http://www.linux-mandrake.com/en/hardware.php3)

do you have any suggestions of where i can find compatible modems?

for the documentation and HOW-TO's: look at The Linux Documentation Project. There are modem howto's there, I guess those HOWTO's give some hardware advice too, but it's a long time ago I've read those...

greetz,
.-=~ iluvatar ~=-.

EDIT: here's the index for the modem howto's

thank you

i have managed to get 2 modems to display now - though im not sure how i did it

but when i try to create an internet connection the ESS modem says "We only support kernels 2.4 and above" or something similar, and the conexant just basically says it wont work

well, maybe you're running some old kernel... do a "uname -r" to check your kernel version. If it's below 2.4, the error seems correct in that case, you'll need to compile a newer kernel...
well does it literally say that or does it give some other error? maybe someone else can make something up from the error... it could be you just need some kind of kernel module or an extra driver for something for it to work.

greetz,
.-=~ iluvatar ~=-.

Glad the link was helpful. As for the modems, I had cable for the last 4 years so I have no experience with setting up dial-up, but from what I remember when I was using dial-up, conexant chipsets were a real pain in the butt to get them working, even under windoze.

ok then I should go for the ESS. check the kernel version you are using with "uname -r" and if it's below 2.4 you will just need a newer kernel... there's much info about compiling kernels

greetz,
.-=~ iluvatar ~=-.

ok i'll check the kernel version and post back here. i can't check the Conexant error because i have returned the modem (i borrowed some modems) It didn't actually say that but it said it doesnt support Winmodems or something similar.

how difficult is it to compile a kernel?

hmmm

the kernel is....

2.6.3 - 7mdk

im guessing the "mdk" is for mandrake?

yep that's right... and it's 2.6.3, wich is definitly higher than 2.4. So recompiling the kernel shouldn't be needed. I guess the modem driver doesn't support the 2.6 kernel (too new). maybe there's a newer version of the modem driver for kernel 2.6, otherwise I cannot think of anything else than 'downgrade' the kernel to 2.4...

greetz,
.-=~ iluvatar ~=-.