How do I boot into text mode to fix video problem?
 

Hi all,

I'm a UNIX user for many years. I started out with SCO Xenix. Once I can log onto a working system, I can get to work.

I recently got a good deal on an HP Pavillion 524W computer. I decided to install Red hat Linux 9 on it. The installation went okay I guess, but upon completion, I found I can't see anything on the monitor. Obviously the video is screwed up. When I do the installation from the Linux CDs, is it safe to assume that the installation is running under a smaller Linux kernel? I ask because I could see decent video during the installation.

I now need to edit something to fix the video. Trouble is I can't see where I am when I first start Linux up. My boot loader is Grub. Can someone give me some step by step instructions to help me fix my video problem? I tried booting from the boot floppy and typing "linux lowres" at its lilo prompt, but the problem still came up - unintelligible video.

Thanks.

Welcome to LQ.

You can try booting then press "Ctrl + Alt + F1" to get to a console or this to get to runlevel 3:
1) Reboot your computer.
2) When the grub bootloader appears on the screen select the entry for your linux system - it may be the only one.
3) Press the "e" key to edit the entry.
4) Select the line beggining with "kernel".
5) Press the "e" key again
6) Type " 3" no quotes (space 3)
7) Press enter
8) Press "b" to boot

That should take you to where you can login as root edit your config file or run "redhat-config-xfree86".

You will need to boot in Single-User Mode. Take a look at this doc.
http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/l...ng-single.html

In RedHat 9, you can use the XFree86 command to configure your X server.

The Linux XFree86 HOWTO
http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/XFree86-HOWTO/