Slackware won't boot to the kde interface

prademaker · 12-22-2003, 01:44 AM

I have tried installing Slackware more than 5 times and it seems to install all right but every time I try to boot the install I get:
Boot from Atapi CD-ROM:
Disk boot failure, Insert system disk and press enter
Then I when put in a Floppy system disk I get :
Boot:
Nothing works until I reinsert the floppy system disk and then I get:
Darkstar login:
So I enter root and get:
Password:
So I enter my password and get
Root@darkstar:~#
And that’s it.
I tried researching the book about Slackware at Slackware.com and couldn’t find out anything. I tried googling and got nothing about the above problems.
So how do I install Slackware so that it boots to the KDE 3.1 screen or fix the install ?

Y0jiMb0 · 12-22-2003, 01:57 AM

Hi!
you can do "startx" or "kdm" in order to enter in graphical mode,
but if you want to enter automatically every time you boot, then you should change the file "/etc/inittab"
In "/etc/inittab" you have to select "4" as the default runlevel, something like

Code:

# Default runlevel. (Do not set to 0 or 6)
id:4:initdefault:

If, when you do that, your system boots into gnome, and you like kde, what you have to do is change "/etc/rc.d/rc.4" to

Code:

...
# Tell the viewers what's going to happen...
echo "Starting up X11 session manager..."

# FIRST  KDE:
if [ -x /opt/kde/bin/kdm ]; then
  exec /opt/kde/bin/kdm -nodaemon
fi

# THEN GNOME's gdm session manager:
if [ -x /usr/bin/gdm ]; then
  exec /usr/bin/gdm -nodaemon
fi

# If all you have is XDM, I guess it will have to do:
if [ -x /usr/X11R6/bin/xdm ]; then
  exec /usr/X11R6/bin/xdm -nodaemon
fi

# error

Regards

gnashley · 12-22-2003, 07:46 AM

Sounds like you need to run liloconfig first in oreder to automate your boot-up. Try installing it to a floppy first, especially if you are dual-booting with some other OS. later when you learn a little more about it, you might install lilo to the MBR so it will boot from the hard disk and give you a choice of which OS to boot. Before you run X you need to configure it by running xf86config, so you can make all the necessary adjustments. If you have problems such as your mouse not working, press CTRL+ALT+BACKSPACE to kill X and then run xf86config again. When you're satisfied that X is working perfectly, then from within an xterm or from the Cammand Line Interface type: init 4
This will start the display manager which provides the graphical login that you are looking for. Then if it is indeed running the kdm (KDE display manager) that you want you can then edit /etc/inittab so that it defaults to run-level 4 as the post above explains. I should warn you though that if you ever have problems with X this can leave your system in a 'loop'- trying to start X, failing, trying to start X.... If this happens you'll have to crash your system by turning off the power switch, then use a rescue disk to go in and change /etc/inittab back to default run-level 3 so you can boot again and fix whatever went wrong. This is not pretty when it happens. At least for a while you should leave your system booting to run level 3 and typing startx at the prompt. Not as elegant but much safer. Course you do learn a lot by installing, crashing beyond repair, reinstalling.....