Boot Error
 

I just installed Slackware on an old IBM computer, I booted up yesterday and was able to use the X Window just fine. This morning, I booted up, it said /dev/hda3 contains a file system error, and it does a scan check. When it's done it says an error occurred during the root file system check, and prompts me to hit ctrl-d to proced with normal startup or login as root, I hit ctrl-d and it just restarts the computer and starts the same thing. When I login as root I can't get into the X windows. Someone help?

If you just installed slack the best thing to do IMO is to reinstall. If you do reinstall make sure during the format you check for errors, you could have a hard drive failing.

Well, I got into it with no problems yesterday. It says that there's an error in my hda3 partition. I only have one HDD dual booting Windows and Slackware.

Okay, I typed in xwmconfig to check that KDE was still there and it said that there was no such file for a number of different files. Is there a way to re-install that? Or should I just re-install the whole thing?

If you reinstall, it might be an idea to uncheck the box for kde at the package selection screen. It's up to you. You are very short of disk space, and that might cause you trouble if you install more software.

If I don't install KDE, then how will I be able to install anything else? Can I only install the second CD and will that work? Or do I have to reinstall the first one also?

KDE is a desktop environment. K Desktop Environment. There are lots of alternatives. GNOME is one. XFCE is another. Both KDE and GNOME are very resource hungry, and with only 4gb or so disk space and 256mb of ram, you're better off without kde. There's also fluxbox. KDE or GNOME are easiest for newbies, but XFCE should also be good. Your hard drive is going to be chocablock before you've even started if you install kde and/or gnome.

Okay, I have confirmation that I can delete Windows off of the computer. I am reinstalling, just to be safe I want to ask this, right now I have made three new partitions (linux, extended, and linux swap) are those the only ones I need or do I need to make more? Only 8GB space.

How large are those partitions? I don't think you need the extended one. With 8gb I would do 500mb for swap and all the rest for root. You might now have room for kde as well if you want to use that. But space will still be tight. A full install including kde is about 4 or 5 gb I think. You can also do the partitioning during the install. The link I previously gave is excellent.

http://www.bitbenderforums.com/vb22/...?postid=311808

Okay, I'm in the middle of reinstalling now, should I burn and use the third CD? I am only using the first two right now.

Okay, I'm in the middle of the second CD and it says that my HDD is full. I don't thin that I did anything differently this time than the last time and I should have more disk space now than before. What could be the problem?

OK, clearly you are going to have to start over.

So- we need some more info this time. It sounds like you didn't partition your HD correctly. Slack 11 definitely does not take 8GB.

After you run cfdisk and set up your partitions, but _before_ you run setup please post the output of:

make certain you format all partitions during setup. :D and don't get fancy and try to compile/install gnome again :D

dont install KDE - you have heard from enough of us by now there are plenty of better alternatives for your computer. And it is only chewing up your disk space. and besides, you _can_ always install it later as you get more HD space & experience.

AFIK not installing KDE will not then not even require 2nd CD. (But maybe for some Xapps?)

simcox1 told you how to unselect kde in a previous thread. (something like under package selection scroll to KDE and spacebar it to unselect)

Okay, I got it up and running. It took me about three installation tries to get it to work, I think I wasn't writing the partitions to the HDD, but the third time I used the cfdisk and it worked fine. I had enough room for KDE so I went ahead and installed it. I am on it right now without any problems, thank you.

Okay, it's working fine right now and I think the reason that it had the problem that it did before was becuase I shut it down improperly. I saw on the Slackware Essentials book site that you use the command "shutdown -h now."
I logged out of X and I typed that into the command prompt. It didn't work, it said that there was no such command or something, what do I need to do? Or did I do something wrong?

You need to switch to root user to shutdown, with the 'su root' command. If you want to try booting directly into X, open /etc/inittab in a text editor, and change the default run level from 3 to 4. You'll see a line with id:3 :initdefault. Just change 3 to 4. That will give you a login screen when you next start up, and also give you a shutdown and reboot option, which you can run without being root user.