Missing Programs?
 

When i type some commands in like mkbootdisk or chkconfig it says the command not be found but I know they are there. This also happens when i try and shutdown my system from the command line.

[root@localhost lehumphr]# mkbootdisk
bash: mkbootdisk: command not found
[root@localhost lehumphr]# locate mkbootdisk
/usr/share/man/man8/mkbootdisk.8.gz
/sbin/mkbootdisk


I am trying to make a boot disk so I can format a laptop hard drive.

Did you su too root? if you did the paths are not reset. you have to add a dash after su.
If not then roots path is missing /sbin. The simplest way to get you over this hump for now is to call the command with path i.e.

/sbin/mkbootdisk