Ok installing mandrake went great but theres problems. First, my parents are bitchen at me cuase there old and cant get to the keyboard in time. Lilo automaticly boots to linux and they get pissed.... how do i change it to windows default?

2nd, According to windows I have a S3 ProSavage installed. In Linux its set to a S3 Savage4 and the ProSavage isnt listed. The ProSavage4 setting makes these little vertical lines accross the screen when it loades something. Its very annoying.... Now my question is what setting do I use for my ProSavage and how do I change it?

Thx for any help you give and remember. Dont flame me

1) Just a matter of changing the /etc/lilo.conf file and then re-running lilo. The top of it should have something like:

append="hdd=ide-scsi"
boot = /dev/hda
message = /boot/boot_message.txt
default = Linux
prompt
timeout = 1200

Changing default to the exact phrase that is at the end after the word label = whatever, it'll probably be labelled Windows, capitalization matters.

timeout is measured in tenths of seconds, so mine up there is 2 minutes, 1200 tenths=120 seconds, 2 minutes.

When you're done editting lilo.conf, re-run lilo as root from a command line with:

/sbin/lilo

That one was from slackware, so yours may look a little different, but it will work the same, you will almost definately be adding the default = line entirely.

2) Those vertical lines mean that there is a bit of a probe problem from that pre-gen'd XF86Config file. You may want to save your current /etc/X11/XF86Config file somewhere else, like /home/whoever, and then try messing about with the utility: /usr/X11/bin/xf86config.

Luck,

Finegan

Mandrake also has a GUI config. tool in their Control Center that you can use to change the settings in Lilo.

Ok problem with both of the solutions. It wont let me edit
lilo.conf saying access denied. I know what this means but
when linux starts up it only flashes a simple text login screen
and just signs me in as jesse. My simple idea waz to type really
fast while the screens up but when im under root my mouse wont
work for some reason...

I dont know what your talking about with the other solution but i
did it anyways. When i click on xf86config it dosnt do anything.
Sooo anyways my problem with the monitor seems to be getting
worse somehow and any help would be appreciated. Remember
that im completly new to the linux OS though....

You have to be root to edit lilo.conf, as well as xf86config. You can use the su tool from the command prompt to edit lilo, and you need to run xf86config from the console.

Don't know what to tell you about the mouse not working as root.

In order to modify lilo, you have to be root. Use "su" from a terminal to become root and do it from there.



Now... X-windows.



Hit CTRL+ALT+F1, that'll take you out of X and to a tty, a terminal. Log in as root.



cp /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 /home/someuser (this will make a backup of your configuration file)

cd /usr/X11/bin

./xf86config (follow the steps)



Hit CTRL+ALT+F7, that'll get you back to your X session. Log out and let X restart (no need to restart the whole machine), and the changes will have taken effect. If you don't like it, or it crashes, or goes kazoo, just hit CTRL+ALT+F1 and copy the old XF86Config file back into /etc/X11 with:



cp /home/someuser/XF86Config /etc/X11/



Or of course you can try to configure it again and again a couple of times before you go back to the old one.



Luck,



Finegan

Blerghh... P.S. Before you start to mess with X you're going to have to know:

the exact RAM amount of your video card and its precise name.
The Vertical and Horizontal refresh rates of your monitor.
Both of these can almost definately be found at the manufacturers website, and when in doubt you can get the monitor's serial number info off of the back.

Umm shit my mosue isnt working now..... before it was just when I was logged in as root but i changed the settings from a autologin to a box that popes up asking you who u want to login as. When linux starts theres just a pointer in the middle of the screen.... what did I do and how can i fix it..... this post is really old and i mihgt have to start a new one to get anyones attention....

i think mandrake has a thing for this(monitor setings) in the control center, possibly under harddrake-monitor. with no mouse you will have to navigate by keyboard-i never got that down and haven't seen it anywhere outlined but the tab key, up and down arrows, enter and space seemed important,if i remember. you may get your mouse back by going in as root (ctrl+alt+f2 after your graphical comes up and log in as root) and doing a xf86config-mouse configuration is the first item on that agenda. get the mouse back first,you can do it logged in on f2 text-do the simplest option for your mouse(ps2,serial,2button or exact model) and let xf86config write that using your existing video entries(same ones you already put in) then reboot and see if you've got a mouse(you can do the mouse too from the control center i believe, but again,keyboard navigation). then work on the monitor.

I am completely lost with the mouse thing...

I think you are talking about after lilo, not during right? If so, I am now assuming you are talking about kdm (the window where you would click to select which user) am I right? Hope so...

Now, just as Fin said, type CTRL+ALT+F1

Then follow his directions:
To login as root as he said, type ROOT and your ROOT PASSWORD

Then type exactly as Fin said.

You do not need your mouse in a Console, so don't worry about it not working. You will probably fix it in the part where Fin said to run ./XF86Config

Your mouse should be up and working when you restart X at the end of Fin's great explanation.

Tincat has a good idea too, but you will definitely need to get into Console to do anything first.

Cool