Newbie problems--networking
 

HI,

AM trying to install a linux machine on my home network.

The home network is on ADSL like this:

ADSL---WinXP pro---ICS---Netgear router---2 PCS--one winxp, another---this LINUX machine (dual boot to winXP)

on the dual boot to winxp--I am OK---network is seem well, ICS is fine----so I know that the network has been setup well.

Am tyring to install----linux (mandrake redhat 8.2) as a dual boot.

Problem: I need to assign a hostname---I know of no hostname that I have in the network.

I can assign a gateway fine---as I know th IP address of the gateway----can also fix the IP for this LINUX machine.

Cant resolve the hostname issue---HELP.

Also---when I get to the login part--then I get the prompt: localhost login:

Here what ever I do---I cannot get past it--have formatted it three times :confused:

Have tried to do without passwords or without a user--but no luck.

Big time help----my winXP is so stable---and easy setup--that I am getting frustrated.

Thanks

well the hostname is localhost judging by the prompt you say you get, and at the prompt type in root and use the roots password that you setup in the installation cause by the sounds of it you didn't make a user account.

This is a misundestanding of terminology - I had exactly the same problem when I started Linux. The 'hostname' has nothing to do with the rest of the network, it only refers to a name of this particular computer. What it is asking you to do is to allocate a unique name for this computer on the network - a unique name so that it will not be confused with other computers on the network. So call it anything you want: 'MyComputer', 'akmodi_box', etc. This is the equivalent of what Windows calls 'Computer name'. When Windows refers to 'Workgroup', Linux uses 'domain'. You can set these (hostname and domain) - or see how they have been set - in LinuxConf->Networking->Host name and IP network devices.

HI DRozz, Geoff_f

Got that--thanks.

Have setup a user account, local name.

Now when it starts up---I get to the login screen.

Now all that I have used is my name: akmodi.

so now I login into akmodi

i put the pasword akmodi

I end up at akmodi akmodi@akmodi


Now --where do I go?

Sorry---for asking all these silly questions---I cannot seem to get to the desktop.

Thanks in advance.

type switchdesk and then enter

you c a list of desktops

choose which you have by typing switchdesk gnome for example or switchdesk kde

and then type startx

but i can only acces the desktop in the root user so i dunno if this worx for you