can't get to a text console

egodestruct · 05-17-2005, 12:57 AM

I am trying to install the NVIDIA drivers for my geforce 4 440 go, in order to do that I need to exit X first. Whenever I try to exit X, my screen goes nuts. I'm guessing I need the proper Modeline for my screen, at the resolution that the text console runs at (which I am not sure of). I've tried using the gtf command, and added a couple of generic 640x480 and 800x600 modelines into my xorg.conf file (Im running FC3), but nothing has worked. Can anyone help me out with this?

edit: this is with the 1280x800 brightview screen

andygo · 05-17-2005, 01:14 AM

change your default run level from 5 to 3 it is in /etc/inittab or switch it with #init 3 command

egodestruct · 05-17-2005, 01:25 AM

I did. The problem is that once I exit X, by whatever means (including running the init 3 command), the screen gets wacky, probably because I don't have the proper modeline in my config file for my screen setup. Any more ideas?

andygo · 05-18-2005, 01:16 AM

what config file are you talking about? /etc/X11/xorg.conf?? it has nothing to with console. Just edit /etc/inittab and boot into the PURE console

mcgrew · 05-18-2005, 01:36 AM

Sounds like possibly a framebuffer problem...

when you boot, use the kernel argument vga=normal and see if this helps.

In lilo, use the arrow keys so that the selection for linux shows up at the prompt and just type vga=normal after it.

in grub, press the key to modify command line args ('a' I think) and append vga=normal (remove any other "vga=" arguments if there are any)

if this helps you may want to make this permanent by putting this in lilo.conf or grub.conf