actually god knoes what i have done now. now i have a promt that says

grub>

I know i can type help or press TAB for commands etc

im wondering if i should go right back to the begining.

and go through it step by step (for the zillonth time)

U see its as this point i wonder why i can just whack in a win XP disc and voila it all works...

You are using the GRUB bootloader. Since you appear to have been able to reach text-mode without using the '3', forget about it. Rebooting should get rid of the prompt.
During the install, it asks you for the password for the 'root' user, which is like the Adminstratoin Win. It may have asked for you to make other accounts. You can use those too. For now:
Enter 'root' as the user
Enter the password for it

BTW, if want to just whack a cd in without headaches, try knoppix. No install, runs automatically without you configuring, doesn't touch your hd at all.

it only asks me for a single password. i cannot set users or anything like that.

Maybe u can in the graphical installation but not in the text based installation. and i can only use that because the of the orignal fault i listed in my first post.

Also i have to use somthing based on redhat because i need it for Maya use.

Just to show what im going through im gonna step by step install posting everything i do. just to show what i have.

Tho basiclly, theres some sort of hardware fault going on here to be honest.
because it works on my other computer fine, and not on the one i listed. even if i change g-cards.

so anyhows im gonna do this step by step. then ppl will be bale to keep up with me.

I might have partioning problems aswell.

Have you tried to use root for the localhost login and then whatever password you selected for root when you ran the initial setup?

The single password is the 'root' password. Type 'root' at the login prompt, and enter your password.

yes lets just say my password is 'football'

When asked for the password, thats what i chose in the install screen.

I tired my password as the localhost name, and the login password.

i tired other things i could think of too, but nothing worked.

as soon as i get home (at GF right now for a few mins) im gonna go step by step.

just out of interest. if my partioning is not correct, could this cause the x server to fail booting?

also i have noticed somthing called 'smartd' failing to start?

If your password is football, you will not enter football for your login name your login name will be "root" and then your password will be "football"

Type 'root' here:
localhost login: root
type your password here. It will appear invisble (no stars or bullets)
password:

hehe. get this. i knew that the problem in all honesty was this x-server .

So i tried the 3rd and final g-card i had available, my Geforce FX. and voila, the graphical install interface worked!

Installation from here was simple *stress released - is calm now*

Now all i have to do is install the drivers i have downloaded for the card i whish to use, put the other card back in, and i guess it should work