Dual Boot: Linux Boot Problems with LILO on Mandrake 10.0

verity · 10-11-2006, 11:24 AM

Hi everybody...

I'm a new member in this site and also new in linux. I've heared a lot about the linux made me so much intersted to this field; so I've decided to install a mandrake 10.0 linux of a dual boot with WinXp.

The installation process was fine with the assest of a startup floppy to boot the instalation of the linux. Everything was fine and I've boot in my WinXp which was working fine. The problem is that the LILO installed with all it's options but when I enter the linux; nothing appear in the screen just loading the linux files and the Welcome sentence and then everything disappears and got a blank screen. So I didn't see the linux yet; hince I've installed it in the last partition of the single hard disk; with all the options availabe in the installation; I mean office workstation, game, Internet,KDE, GNOME.... etc except the server options and the LBA option.

So is there anyone know how to fix this problem and use the Linux and WinXp fine?.

Best Regards.

ehawk · 10-11-2006, 11:35 AM

Since you haven't begun using mandrake yet, you might want to simply attempt a reinstallation.

trickykid · 10-11-2006, 12:54 PM

Moderator Note: Edited Thread Title to be more descriptive than the "Help Me!" Original Title.

saikee · 10-11-2006, 01:56 PM

It could be a simple mismatch of the video driver.

Linux uses generic drivers and it is easy to get a mismatch after an installation.

Press ctrl+alt+backspace in such a case can drop you into terminal mode, which you can edit the Xwindows configuration file called /etc/X11/xorg.conf. Depending onthe distro you can run "xorg" in terminal mode to re-configure the video by picking one nearer to your hardware. Xorg sometimes may be called under names like "x86cfg", "XFree86" or "xf86Config", xorgcfg" et.

If you have a Bash shell (terminal mode) from ctrl+alt+backspace then editing /etc/X11/xorg.conf should get you back online soon.

verity · 10-11-2006, 11:29 PM

Thanks a lot for all of you and I'll try your suggestions.

Wish me good luck.

verity · 10-12-2006, 04:54 AM

Hello Again...

I have tried to reinstall the Mandrake Linux 10.0 but the problem becomes much worst, everything disappears, and I've got a blank screen showing this string "9A 9A 9A ..........9A".

I've tried to use the Norton Ghost to restore my windows XP but nothing work.

I've reinstalled the WinXP again, and fortunatelly it works; but I've lost my data and the partions dedicated for linux. Using the Linux Bootable Floppy Disk, I've deleted the Linux Partition and make it FAT32 for windows.

At last I've realized that this package mismatch with the NVIDIA Display Adapter as saikee said.

So what I want from all of you is to suggest for me another distribution which is much better and you see it good as you have an experience with the Linux Distributions.

Which distribution is much better than Mandrake 10.0?? Or Do I have to get a newer version of Mandrake?

Thanks in Advance.

saikee · 10-12-2006, 05:30 AM

I would say Mandriva, which supersedes Mandrake, should give you a better response. Others like Knoppix and Ubuntu etc are known to be pretty good too. Just try them according to the top 100 chart in the Distrowatch.com.

If you get one working look at its /etc/X11/xorg.conf and discover what driver it uses for your PC. From that point onward every Linux should work if you stick with that driver, including the current Mandrake.

By the way there is absolutely no need to do any re-installation. The partitions are not damaged when you can't boot them. It is far better to find out how to rescue them. All the tips are in the last link of my signature.

verity · 10-13-2006, 04:48 AM

Thanks a lot for your solutions.

That's very kind from you, and I'm so glad just to be in this group; because I know whenver I get a problem, I'll find a solution and assistance from this great group. I'm sure I'll learn more from you.

Best Regards.