I just installed Debian on a Dell Inspiron 3700 with a celeron 466 and a ATI rage mobility 8M and 64M RAM.

I did not install KDE because i don't believe the laptop is fast enough to handle it. Instead i installed X and Gnome.

My problem is that X wont load - I don't Have Kernal 2.6... i'm guessing thats because i probably deselected it when i was choosing packets... i don;t think i ment to though.

It tells me it's likely it's not set up correctly. I view the X server output and it gives me this:

fatal server error: failed to initialize core devices.

before that it says that it can not open input device and PreInit failed for input device "configured mouse"
no core pointer.

i assume that this has something to do with my mouse setup?

you tell me, i'm the noob...

look in /etc/X11/XFree86-4(or something similar). Look for the section that starts w/
Somewhere in there before you hit
put in
That shoud fix it. NOTE: You want to do the above as root

And just how would i go about doing that?

i'm sorry, i just don't know which commands/proceedures to go about finding and editing the directory (or file) which you named below,

i can find something similar to /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 or /etc/X11/X, but i can't get it to display the code or contents of either.

you might want to just explain as if you were explaining to a toddler, i'm really that incompetent. At least with Linux.

i really am a noob, i know. Not saying anything different.

first of all, you need a text editor. Most people use either vi(m) or emacs. I think debian installs vi as it's primary editor(don't quote me on that)
as root, do 'apt-get install vim'. the type 'cd /etc/X11'. The run vi XFree86-4. This will open up the text file XFree-4, which is used for the configuration of the Xfree86 server(don't worry about that right now). Once you see the text, then try the stuff I mentioned above. Also have a look at http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...hreadid=224547
it will give you some other information that I found very useful. Hope This helps!

seems like the code

Option CorePointer

is already there.

Option CorePointer is already under "configured mouse"? uuummmm.......check to see that the section before "configured mouse" has EndSection at the end. Posting your Xfree86-4 would also be helpful.

okay it's got an Endsection. And btw, the file is called XF86Config-4 i believe. also, the computer i have running debian is not networked so it would be a bit difficult to post the file. i can type up some parts however

Section "InputDevice"
Identifyer "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "keyboard"
Option "CoreKeyboard"
Option "XkbRules" "xfree86"
Option "XkbModel" "pc104"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "Input Device"
Identifyer "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "CorePointer"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option "Protocol" "ImPS/2"
Option "Emulate3buttons" "true"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

near the bottom, there is a section called ServerLayout, is configured mouse listed under there?

yes


it's listed as

InputDevice "Configured Mouse"
EndSection

can you post the exact error?

yeah

well it starts out by displaying an obviously messed up atempt at graphics, and then jumps back to text, and tries again. Then it gives me this error scree:

<I cannot start the X server (your graphical interface). It is likely that it is not seyt up correctly. Would you like to view the X server output to diagnose the problem>

<<yes>>

"XFree Version 4.3.0.1 "

Module Loader Present
OS kernal: Linux version 2.4.27-2-386
Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
(++) from command lin, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI), Not implemented, (??) Unknown.
(==) log file: "/var/log/XFree86.0.log", Time Sat OCt 1 01:21:36 2005
(==) using config file" '/etc/X11/XFConfig-4"
Skipping "/usr/X11R6/lib/modules/extensions/libGLcore.a.m_debug_cli[.o":
Skipping "/usr/X11R6/lib/modules/extensions/libGLcore.a.m_debug_norm.o"
Skipping "/usr/X11R6/lib/modules/extensions/libGLcore.a.m_debug_xform.o"
Skipping "/usr/X11R6/lib/modules/extensions/libGLcore.a.m_debug_vertex.o
Skipping "/usr/X11R6/lib/modules/fonts/libspeedo.a:spencode.o": No symb
(EE) xf86OpenSerial: Cannot open device /dev/input.mice
No such Device
(EE) Configured Mouse: connot open input device
(EE) PreInit failed for input device "Configured Mouse"
No core pointer

Fatal server error:
failed to initialize core devices

bump

check to make sure that /dev/input/mice is actually there. Then check the permissions of it. Other than that... I don't know.

no i don't believe it's there, and if it is it is a blank file. What should i put in it/do?

everything in /dev is a device file. There will be nothing in it. However, if it's not there that's your problem. check, and then get back to me.