Hello, it's my first time installing and using Linux (Ubuntu Server), I make a dual boot with Windows Vista and successfully installed both os, but I can't start ubuntu. When my computer start, I have a List of operating system, I choose the default first one which is Ubuntu server, then after loading, I was asked for login, so I typed in my login name and password, and succeed, but I was show a line something like,

myusername@hostname:$

then I am stuck at there, I tried the available command like help, but not clue, tried to use sudo but don't know what command to put.
When Installing,
I make boot flag on
Mounting for the partition on "/"
and also root file system for the partition
I also sure that I have swap partition.

I am using vista right now for asking this help, Thanks if you can help me out.

You're running X-less, which may be normal considering you are using the server edition. Try typing sudo startx on the command line; if that doesn't cut it, you may need to edit xorg.conf (it's possible that your video card is not supported out of the box).
sudo vi /etc/X11/xorg.conf
Look for the "Device" section and check which driver is being used. You can substitute it with vesa, which is a universal driver that should be (almost) failsafe
press i to enter editing mode
replace driver "(driver)" with "vesa"
press esc to leave editing mode
type wq: to save (+enter)
You should be back at the command line; retry startx or type reboot.

If it was a driver issue, you can install the proper driver once you have a GUI.

Thanks a lot, I am going to restart my comp now. See you in Ubuntu (hopefully) lol, never saw it before.

Hello, I am back to Vista, it failed
When I type "sudo startx" it prompt me a password then I enter it correctly,
but it prompted "sudo startx: startx: command not found" and I tried again "sudo startx", this time it does not prompt password by say the same thing of command not found.
First time I typed wrongly as
sudo vi /etc/xll/xorg.conf
Then I got a screen with negation sign "~" (blue color) listing down, then I can't shut my comp, I just plug off the power

and tried again with the correct one,
sudo vi /etc/x11/xorg.conf

but I got notice on
E 325: ATTENTION
Found a saw file by the name "/var/tmp/xorg.conf.swp"
owned by : " /etc/x11/xorg.conf
modified : YES
user name : root host name: qwerq
process ID: 3583
While opening the file "/etc/x11/xorg.conf"
(1) Another program maybe editing this file
..................
..................
(2) Edit session for this file crashed

Opps I just noticed that does the capital X matter ? cause I used small x
sudo vi /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Still not working even I tried the correct capital X.
Just to make sure, do I have to use the root username or the one I created ?
root@qwerq
or...
william@qwerq:$

how can I switch from one to the other ?
What I used is typing "sudo -i" is this true ?
I am still looking for solutions, not give up yet. lol

Hmm, let's see. First of all, getting all the letters and numbers exactly right is absolutely vital. All of them together refer to a file on the Ubuntu system; if you do as much as introduce the slightest varition, the system is not going to find it or it is simply going to create a new file by that name because it assumes that this is what you actually want to do.

Ubuntu leaves the root account disabled because they feel it makes for more security. This is not strictly true for more experienced users but it does generally make sense when the user is a beginner. As an alternative, they use the sudo word before each command, which has the same effect for most purposes. So you can simply use your regular user account (william rather than root) but you have to make sure that you use sudo in order to give william root permissions.

Right, let's begin by checking whether xorg.conf exists at all. Just do this:

ls /etc/X11 (this will list the contents of the X11 directory that is inside etc - it is l as in list, not 1 or i).
If you see an xorg.conf, things should be OK.

Next, let's check the contents of xorg.conf.
cd /etc/X11 (you are now moving down the directory tree into the X11 folder, like going into a folder that is under C: in windows - only you do it graphically in that case)
cat xorg.conf | pager (will show the contents in non-editable mode)
Use the arrows on your keyboard to scroll and look for the "device" section so you can check which driver is being used.
Press q (=quit) to leave the pager again and return to the command line.

If you need to switch drivers, try vi sudo /etc/X11/xorg.conf again - the temporary file that was getting in the way will have been cleared after a reboot.
If you make a typo, press ESC and then :q! This will close xorg.conf without saving any changes; then start over again with sudo vi.

Why did you use sudo -i? Just plain sudo will do. By the way, the sudo password is your user password, not the root password.

Ok, When I typed
ls /etc/X11
The xorg.conf is not on the list, what I have is
rgb.txt
xkb
Xresources
Xsession
Xsession.d
Xsession.options
Xwrapper.config

Maybe something wrong with my installation ?
I have even tried, suggested by someone
sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg
it gives "server-org is not installed and not info is available"

When I tried
sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg

Reading package list...Done
Building dependency tree
Reading sate information...Done
Package xserver-xorg is not avilable, but is referred to by another package
This means that the package is missing, has been obsoleted or is only available from other source
E: package xserver.xorg has not installation candidate.

When I tried the link from http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=187177
Boot in Recovery mode
dpkg --configure -a
dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

When I reach this line I got
dpkg: conflicting actions -e (--control) and -r (--remove)

Or is other way ? lol
I won't give up yet. Thanks for helping a lot, really appreciate that.

Is there a specific reason that you fetched the server version instead of the regular one? For all I know, it may be perfectly normal that the server edition comes without an X server (a graphical user interface isn't really required for most server purposes even though it can be convenient).

Anyway, try this:
apt-get install xorg

or

aptitude install xorg (aptitude does largely the same thing as apt-get)

(xserver is part of xorg so this is bound to work)

I have tried the
sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg

but I got

Reading package list...Done
Building dependency tree
Reading sate information...Done
Package xserver-xorg is not avilable, but is referred to by another package
This means that the package is missing, has been obsoleted or is only available from other source
E: package xserver.xorg has not installation candidate.

Haven't tried aptitude.

I like the Ubuntu Server only they have Apache, MySQL and PHP which is installed, I am not sure if the desktop edition have, I know how to install those Apache, MySQL and PHP in Windows. But In addition, I want to get familiar directly with the server edition as I am going to setup and maintain a small server maybe some time in future. Do you know is there any specific difference between the server and desktop edition ? Because the image file(iso) for server edition is only around 500 MB but the desktop is 700MB.

Apache and the whole lot are available for regular Ubuntu as well. Anything is available, the only difference is probably that they are already installed in the server edition and that you may need to do it yourself on Ubuntu desktop edition.I think that the absence of xorg accounts to a large degree for the cd being smaller (xorg takes up quite a few MBs).

As for the xserver thingy, please read my previous post again:

apt-get intall xorg

Ohh GOD and jay73, thanks a lot, I got to have shower and then my dinner, it's already 23.59 pm. Just found that, you are true, server edition doesn't come with GUI
from this http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=463053

Our house router is in factory for reparation, I got to disconnect and allow my friend to use now. Thanks. Nice to meet you.