Yo guys,
I installed KDE using Debian with kernel 2.4

I boot up my system, and log in as root, but still no KDE starts up

how do i "Run" KDE?

-The Pentium GUy

Heh, see if "startkde" is there, if so, type it...

Also, if there is an /etc/sysconfig/desktop file, put the string:

DESKTOP="KDE"

in the file and save it. If it doesn't exist, you can create it and populate it.

See if those will do it.

RossB

If you've installed kde using "apt-get install kde", you should have kdm (it's a gui login screen for kde) starting automatically. But it appears that this is not the case. So I suggest that you install rcconf ("apt-get install rcconf"), run it as root (first "su", then "rcconf") and enable kdm. Then reboot.

If rcconf doesn't show you kdm, then you might want to consider reinstalling kde ("apt-get --reinstall install kde"). Hope this helps.

Awesome, I'll try that tonight

however uhh, since this is my first venture into linux.. and since im using a freaking console thingy - how do i open that file . heh - sorry

edit: I was talking about the 2nd reply .
Dead Parrot - thanks, if the other thing fails, I'll try this

-pent

Read this:
Sections 9,10, and 11.
The Very Verbose Debian Installation
http://osnews.com/story.php?news_id=2016

it will show you the use of apt-get (among other things), why not to cruise the internet, or enter X as ROOT.

After you're thru, with it, if you still don't get KDM, the login dialog box from KDE that allows you to sign as user and enter your user password, come back, we'll tell you how to edit your files, so KDE starts automatically, with something like Nano, etc. Of course you can also try as root:

apt-get install kdm

You say you installed Debian, which one? did you use the sarge net-installer?

APT-HOWTO
debian.org > Documentation > Manuals > APT-HOWTO
this will give you the basics plus a lot of other stuff.

Yo guys,

I tried everything you said.. starting with the first reply:

I tried that, it says could not connect to X Server manager, and somethign about $DISPLAY is not set.

I tried that also . When I run rcconf - KDM is enabled (there's a star next to it). I rebooted, nothing happened, same thing. Next I tried unchecking xdm and gdm and rebooting, nothing happened either.

The above quote was from the website that macondo linked me to. After I download and install it - I don't get a screen at all. So I couldn't complete the rest of the instructions.

After doing that, it said I had the latest version. I even added the --reinstall flag.

I installed it from a cd, under the "Official CD images of the 'stable' releases" section, using version 3.0 rev2 and kernel 2.4.
I beleive it's woody.

Please help me out, and thank you guys for your help,
-The Pentium Guy

$DISPLAY is an environment variable that tells your PC which display to use. When I typed echo $DISPLAY in the console on my PC it returned :0.0, which apparently just means that it's displaying on its own screen. There's an explanation here.

On my box (running SuSE with KDE) the "desktop" file in /etc/sysconfig is called displaymanager. It contains the line DISPLAYMANAGER="kdm". In case you haven't found out yet, you can open this file for editing with the command vi displaymanager. The vi command launches the VIM text editor. It takes a little getting used to, but: hitting "i" puts you in insert mode (for typing) and the ESC key puts you back in "last line command" mode from which:

:q! <RETURN> exits without saving,
:x <RETURN> saves and exits, and
:w "filename" <RETURN> saves the file.

Hope this is helpful.

Rob

Doesn't sound like to me you have all of X installed. Where you ever given the choice to configure it? If not, it is not installed.

apt-get install x-window-system

"$DISPLAY is an environment variable that tells your PC which display to use. When I typed echo $DISPLAY in the console on my PC it returned :0.0, which apparently just means that it's displaying on its own screen. There's an explanation here. "

When I type in echo $DISPLAY it doesn't say anything.. meaning the string $DISPLAY doesn't exist. When i set $DISPLAY:
$DISPLAY=:0.0

It says cannot find command =:0.0

I created the display manager file in /etc/sysconfig/
(I had to create the /sysconfig/ directory with mkdir)

In the "vi" thing, i typed in DISPLAYMANAGER="kdm" and saved and rebooted.. still nothing.

-The Pentium Guy

If you are sure that you have installed the "x-window-system" package, run (as root) "dpkg-reconfigure -plow xserver-xfree86" and give the correct videocard driver and monitor refresh values when asked. Then run "dpkg-reconfigure kdm", and reboot.

If KDE still fails to start, do "more /var/log/XFree86.0.log" and see if there is some explanation in the last lines of this log file. Also keep an eye on lines that begin with (WW) or (EE).

From the link in Post #7 http://www.saao.ac.za/unix/node74.html
"The environment variable DISPLAY is of particular importance in X windows"

Now look at my Post #8

Did you install the X Window System? If you did it asked you to configure it at installation. Just because you installed KDE doesn't mean you have X installed.

Thanks all, what Dead Parrot said got it to work . Thanks for your patience with a noob lol.

-The Pentium Guy

Oh crap! When I made my previous post I tested out Gnome (I started it from the graphical login screen). I tried tiw and saw (?) - they both work.

But when I start (Default) and kde2... right when it gets to initializing peripherals (step2 I beleive), the screen flashes twice.. on the 2nd time I see a buncha gray stuff...

So I looked in the log file "more /var/log/XFree86.0.log". It said somethign along the lines of (WW) APM failed to start or something.

I went to the end of the file, it said error with my mouse... Its a simple PS2 mouse and I simply used "Generic Mouse". I know for a fact that my mouse works becuase in the graphical login screen, I can move my mouse....etc

Anyone got any tips on what to do...

btw darthux: When I installed x window system, there was no screen asking me to configure it. But yes, I did configure it at installation. It never prompted me what $Display was - I just had to type in my monitor name, and it was some old compaq CRT so I used Generic Monitor... Also for my graphics card driver, I used the first one (versa or something or vesa), since its a generic/integrated driver.

Also, when I log back into console mode, when I type in startkde, it STILL gives the errors: Cannot find $DISPLAY '' (the '' indicates that display is empty), and it says cannot find the Connect() command.. something along those lines and it says Cannot connect to X Server


Thanks for hearing me out guys, I really appreciate it.. I would have almsot given up on linux if I hadn't come to this forum.

-The Pentium Guy

"The above quote was from the website that macondo linked me to. After I download and install it - I don't get a screen at all. So I couldn't complete the rest of the instructions."

at the bottom of the screen, you have to type 'Y' and then the dialog box will come out, so you can choose 'Debconf' as your manager, you probably missed. it. You have a bad installation, that's why you are having so many problems. You have 2 choices:

Reinstall, and this time do it slowly and carefully, following the instructions to the letter. Type 'bf24' at the prompt so you get the 2.4 kernel, you will end up with Woody though. Might as well install Sarge, which you will have to upgrade to, in a few weeks anyhow.

OR

install the sarge net-installer, this site is full of info about it, type 'linux' and take the defaults, skip the the 'install packages' and at the end, install x-window-system, an easy window manager like icewm, and later on, once you're in, install kde. Afterwards, check the Debian Configuration sticky at the top of this page.

Installing Sarge http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/ would indeed save you from a lot of trouble. Sarge comes with a hardware autodetection program called "discover", which can probably automatically pick the correct graphics card driver for you. After installing Sarge, you can also install "read-edid" and "mdetect" packages. "read-edid" tries to automatically detect the refresh values (horizontal & vertical) for your monitor, although it doesn't always succeed. Mdetect tries to autodetect your mouse type (and it often succeeds). With "discover", "read-edid", and "mdetect" installed you should be able to configure X Window System by using the "dpkg-reconfigure -plow xserver-xfree86" command.

If you've got Windows installed, you can also try to check the graphics card driver, mouse type, and monitor refresh values (horizontal & vertical) from the Windows Control Center, System properties. Monitor refresh values are sometimes difficult to track down, but you can also do a google search for "<your monitor name & model> horizontal vertical refresh".

During Debian installation, you are asked to configure Debconf. Choose "Dialog" for Debconf frontend and choose "normal" or "low" for Debconf priority level. These choices should ensure that Debconf gives you the chance to configure programs when they are installed for the first time. You can later change these choices with "dpkg-reconfigure debconf".

Installing and configuring Linux can be difficult and Debian is not the easiest possible distro for a beginner. But once you've got it installed and configured to your liking (yes, it IS possible!), Debian is one of the very best Linux distros out there -- definitely worth the trouble.