Redhat 9, few newbie questions
 

Just installed Redhat 9 last night. I cannot seem to get my screen resolution above 800x600 as of now. I have a Nvidia ti4200 128mb card. I downloaded the newest drivers but the install instructions mention typing something like "sh nvidia-linux-x86-1-0-6629-pkg1.run" however since I am totally new I have no idea where to type that!

I was also trying to network my printer (installed on my windows xp) machine but the utility says I need samba installed. I downloaded samba but once again I have no idea where to get it running.

Any help (even if its a link to another website for instructions) would be greatly appreciated!

Hi klumze, welcome to lq. Redhat is very well documented. You might start here.

http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/linux/

If you still have issues or problems check these.

http://linux-newbie.sunsite.dk/index.html

http://www.tldp.org/

If all else fails we'll be here to support you.
good luck.

How to install the nvidia driver
samba guide
good luck,any questions ask away and welcome to LQ

you will want to run the nvidia installer in console - you may have to change default runlevels and kill X - the docs linked above should help you do that.

Before you run the nvidia setup program, you will need to install the kernel-source package for the kernel you are using.

You can use the command 'uname -r' to get the version. Actually, this is the same command that the installer uses.

Also, make sure that there is a link from /lib/modules/build to the source in /usr/src/<source-code directory with version number at end>

The README file explains this.

When you run the installer, you can't be running X-windows. If you are running the GUI, go to one of the virtual terminals. First logout, then Enter [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[F2] to bring up the second virtual terminal.
Then log in as root, and enter the command 'init 3' to shutdown xwindows and the windows manager.

Now to answer your first question, you will enter the command in the console, but first, CD to the location were you downloaded the driver file.

Using autocompletion will save you some typing.
enter:
sh nvidia
and press the tab key to complete the line.

Thanks for the help. I loaded to the GUI (x-windows?) hit ctrl+alt+f1 and it when to a command screen. I typed in my username then my password. Afterwards I typed sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-6626-pkg1.run hit enter then the program started to run. It halted and said ERROR: nvidia-installer must be run as root. Had to hit Ok to exit. I guess this is slightly harder to learn then I originally thought it was going to be.

You were almost there just login as root
su
password (roots password)

ok now I logged into root but when I type init 3 is says command not found. When I try to run the insatller it tell me I still have a X server running.

Try doing ctrl-alt-f1, then login as root and do "init 3" (telinit 3), and try the installation.

Before you do the init do this first cd then try init 3

Same problem as mentioned before. It does show [root@localhost klumze]# but init 3 give the message: bash: init: command not found. I might be waaay to newbie for this and Im going to go look for some kind of book to help me on this also. Any suggestions? I would consider myself very knowledgable with Windows and ok with command prompt but this is like learning how to re-ride a bike to me.

Try /sbin/init instead of just init. If you log in as root (or use "su -" instead of just su) you get root's environment which by default has the administration commands in the shell's search path.

did you try "telinit 3" instead?

If you change the default init level to 3 in your /etc/inittab file, then you don't need to use 'init 3' or 'telinit 3' to start with, because you are already in that run level, and the X server will not be running.

If you still get a message about the X server running, I'll bet there is an orphaned lock file that you need to delete. I think it would have a name similar to .Xauth-<something>.
Look in the /tmp and /var/lock direrctories. I'm not at my linux computer so I can't check the exact details.

"If you change the default init level to 3 in your /etc/inittab file, then you don't need to use 'init 3' or 'telinit 3' to start with, because you are already in that run level, and the X server will not be running."


Ok, logged in under root. Typed init 3 hit enter and got this message.

INIT: SWITCHING TO RUNLEVEL:3
INIT : SENDING PROCESSES THE TERM SIGNAL
[ROOT@LOCALHOST ROOT]# STRATING PCMCIA: [OK]
STRTAING AUTOMOUNT: NO MOUNTPOINTS DEFINED: [OK]

System stays in this window until I turn it off.

Maybe I didnt configure the OS correctly from the start?