Help Me, Xserver not working on installation
 

I am trying to install linux Fedora Core 2, and am having issues.
I get to anaconda, probes my video card, monitor and mouse fine, just like it did when installing redhat 8. I see it trying to start X Server, and it does. But then it goes into blank screen. The display isn't off because it's got that light offish black that LCD's display as black, not the compelte dark monitor is off black. The system isn't hung up, because the num and caps still work, and if you hit enter or space bar, you hear the CD rom whirring around like somethings going on ( I am thinking I hit a button, like an "OK" or "Next" button, I just cant' see it). But the screen is blank. If you kill it, it pops back into text, and you see that X Server started successfully, then messages about you killing or shutting down X Server.

Has anybody encountered this before? I have an old dell notebook, one of the 5000's that they don't sell anymore. I have seen similar posts, but they all got it to install and then there are problems on the initial bootup. When it probes the monitor, it says unable to probe. This might be the problem but I doubt it since it tells you that X server was started successfully and I get the same exact messages when tryin to install Redhat 8 (except it actually displays the installation screens).

Please help! thanks!

When an X-Windows screen starts completely blank, it usually means that the monitor doesn't support the horizontal or vertical refresh rate of the video mode that is being used.

What's most likely to be happening is that the probing of the monitor's supported refresh rates is failing, and so the installer is reverting back to a default video mode, which the monitor isn't supporting.

You could try changing graphics mode using Ctrl+Alt++ and Ctrl+Alt+- but this is a long shot; I doubt the installer will bother to set up multiple graphics modes.

I haven't used Red Hat for a while, but I'm pretty sure that when you load the bootloader from the CD in in the first place, you have the option of either using a low resolution video mode, or a curses-based text mode, to guide you through the install process. Try using these, as they are unlikely to hit the same problem.

Thanks for reply. I actually tried installing in text mode, which worked. But then I got the same problem on initial reboot. Do you know how to pass synch rates to the kernel at boot time? Or any other ideas on how to get this working?

If you have Linux installed you can configure the X server from text mode -- type xf86config (if using XFree86) or xorgconfig (if using X.org) and input the proper horizontal and vertical frequencies for your monitor.

I can't seem to get to a command prompt. I get the blank screen.. wait for a while.. nothing. I tried Control Alt F1, but then I get the text messages with the boot details, but no prompt. Isn't there a key sequence to kill the x server and go into text mode?

Try the other F-Keys, F2 to F6


Cheers,
Tink

Oops, yes I meant I tried all the F keys.. some bring me to blank screens, others bring me to text screen I alluded to before. This is starting to get a tad bit annoying now, this should be getting easier with time, not harder.

What hardware are we looking at? I'd suggest you
try (if FC supports it) a text-based install.


CHeers,
Tink

The key sequence Ctrl+Alt+Backspace will kill the X server, but you may have to do this several times before it gives up and gives you a text console (the system will normally respond by starting up your X session again).

Alternatively, give the boot parameter “3”. This will boot up into runlevel 3 (which does not use an X server).

Tinkster, as I have said previously, I have already tried a text base install.

Ok, I got a prompt by using the rescue option when booting with the CD. I go in as root but no Xorgconfig or Xf86config commands not found!! Am I suppose to use chroot /mnt/sysimage (that is where rescue mounted system image)?

Does anybody know how to use Xorgconfig, and where it is or what the exact name of the command is? I can't seem to find it on my installation, or Xf86config.