Blank screen after trying to load 9.2
 

After installing Mandrake 9.2 with the following settings:

An eMachine 366 running on Win98 (sort of old, but not older than '98), 64MB ram, having two drives one windows (3.2GB tot.) and another empty drive (42GB). None of the install has to do with the windows drive, and i might add that windows will load fine but mandrake will not.

Partitions (out of 42GB)-
10GB to /
~1GB to swap
and about 20GB to the /home (can't remember exactly)

Graphical Interface-
monitor- 1024x768 @ 70Hz
ATI Mach64 3D Rage IIC
XFree 4.3
Resolution- 800x600 at 24 bits

Bootloader-
First sector of drive (MBR), LILO at /dev/hda (hda is the first drive i *think*, hdd is the second i know for sure)

The installation went fine and i used most of the default settings that automatically showed up when installing. I searched for updates after installation and i'm pretty sure it found at least one, and downloaded them. That went fine, but when i came to the remove install disk (CD) and reboot by pressing the reboot button, it froze up. I waited for a while and then noticed that the mouse cursor wouldn't move. I held the power button for ~10 seconds and preceeded to re-boot my computer w/o the install disk. The BIOS loaded no differently than it normally would, and the LILO loaded perfectly. The only problem is that after choosing what OS i wanted to load (either linux, linux-nonfb, failsafe or windows, i chose linux) the status bar below the window preceeded to complete istelf (the white bar went from left to right ). After that, the screen just goes blank, the computer shows no sign of activity and i am very mad (or is it my fault for choosing open software :P ). This is the second time i've installed 9.2 and with no avail i am getting very curious to why my linux wont load. Does it have to do with how i configured my partitions, bootloader?

Thanks in advance,

Max

Linux is loaded.

Do you set up the vidio when you had the chance on the install?

Have you tried loggin in to the command line?

after logging in try typing in the command startx then tell us if you got any errors and what they are.

The more details you give us the better we can help.

Umm, is there a way you could tell me how to do that. :)

After you think it's booted up, press Ctrl-Alt-F1. You should get a text login prompt. Ctrl-Alt-F7 will take you back to the default screen.

What do you see on the screen?


try typing in the user name you gave it during your install. Then the password when asked.


after that try typing in the command startx

this should start your default GUI screen unless you didn't install one or you didn't test the vidio setup when asked during the install. (no need to reload to fix this)


Remember that no matter how it looks or feels. In linux the GUI fancy graphics way of the point and click is really just a 'front end' for the command line apps. No matter what you can fix it from the command line. You just have to know the commands. I like the great desktops though. Don't need to much command line if the vidio is running good.

choose the linux-nonfb function, i was told that means the VGA card doesn't support framebuffer.

blank screen also....
 

I'm having the same issue after I installed 9.2. I did a test during the installation and it came up fine showing colors, assuming that's what's desired. The other video settings I tried showed a blank screen.

What are the command line commands to change the video card or display settings? What's a good resource get this information? Here or is there a doc on it? Thanks for your help.

:newbie: