I'm a complete newbie to Linux, and have frustratingly tried to install a boxed Mandrake 9.2 onto two machines. No partitions for Windows have been allowed - I was hoping for a complete Mandrake install.

On machine 1 i have at least managed to get to the desktop. However, fonts on message boxes/icons etc are MINUTE, they are as small/smaller than a full stop. Any ideas where I've gone wrong and can I easily put this right ?

On machine 2 after disc installation it goes into reboot and just hangs up.; I've tried Ctrl - C but it only reboots for a short while and hangs up completely, therefore not allowing me to get to the desktop environment at all.

I'm used to point and click windows, so at this stage, the less techy solutions will be preffered - my main prority is to get a working Mandrake system, so that I can get used to the Linux environment and then learn through trial and error using command lines etc.

Any help/advice will be very much appreciated.

Cheers.

Chris.

Give us some specifics on your 2 systems, i.e. processor, memory, hard drive sizes, partitions, etc.
I have run XP and Mandrake 9.2 on the same hard drive without problems as well as on different drives in the same system.

I've some info re the most pressing machine as I've just sat down and copied a whole bunch of text by hand. It has an Intel Celeron 500 MHz processor; a 40GB Hard drive and has a PS2 wheel mouse. Win 98 was deleted from the HDD and I decided to Erase entire disk during installlation as I did not want Windows present. I clicked 'next' and asume that an auto partition (?) to install Mandrake was set up.

The install appeared to run very smoothly. However, at the requst for a reboot at the end (with cd removed form drive) the machine has not been able to reboot and load the graphical interface desktop.

The reboot starts with a lot of script quickly filling the screen. he following script follows (note, italicised text are my explanations of the process):

Mounting proc filesystem [OK]
Setting default font (lat0-16) [OK]
Welcome to Mandrake Linux 9.2
Press ‘I’ to enter interactive startup
Running DevFs daemon [OK]
Unmounting initrd: [OK]
Configuring kernel parameters: [OK]
***Hangs up so Here I press CTRL-C***
INIT: Entering runlevel: 5
/etc/rc.d/rc: line 73: /var/run/runlevel.dir: Read-only file system
Starting iptables: [OK]
Checking for new hardware [OK]
Touch: cannot touch ‘var/lock/subsys/harddrake’: Read-only file system
Setting network parameters: [OK]
Bringing up loopback interface: [OK]
Bringing up interface eth0: [OK]
Touch: cannot touch ‘var/lock subsys/network’: Read-only file system
Starting partmapper: [OK]
Touch: cannot touch ‘var/lock/subsys/partmap’: Readonly file system
Starting system logger
***Here, a few seconds later, it hangs up again, CTRL-C is no use. If Left alone, approx 5 minutes later then the follwing prompt on a fresh black screen follows***

(none) login:

***here, user name is entered and a request for a password is then made. which is followed by the following text (a lot of text suudenly appears and I'm certain this is the first two lines***

Authentication failed – cannot start X server.
Perhaps you do not have console ownership?

*** A whole bunch of text appears and using root brings about similar results (the screen has just blanked so I cannot copy the text) Is there enough info here to show why I cannot get to the graphical interface? If so, is there an easy way to resolve this? I'm barnd new to Linux/Mandrake and have only had the misfortune of using MS Windows. I'll post details of other machine later, but in the meantime if any assistance can be offered in order to let me get to the desktop, I'll be forever grateful***

How did you set up the partitions,what type of file system,and what are there size.david

I followed (as far as I can tell) the Mandrake auto installation setup process when installing disc 1: I followed the disk instruction whilst following the Startger Guide.

Basically, I'm not used to working with linux and formatting in this manner, and so I followed the auto selection/default settings as suggested by Mandrake - though I did make the option to 'erase entire disk' - to erase data/partitions and replace with Mandrake. The partition that was formatted again was the auto choice (hda5)? How can I tell what the size is?

Will I ever get to see Mandrake on the desk top, I hope that I don't have to revert back to dirty windoz.

Sorry

I misprinted a line when giving details of the script run. when checking hardware it reads:

Checking for new hardware [FAILED]

For me it looks like a graphical/video problem. It's quite hard for a newbie to fix it.
You can try starting with the install cd.
Choose uprgrade. It will pass throught install just checking. Normaly at the end you've got resumé. There, go to graphical config you'll have to choose a video card (yours?) and than a screen définition with a possible test (use that).

Good luck. Marc A

Could certainly be a graphics card problem - I've not had any probs with Mandrake on desktop machines but I've found laptops with cheap cards or integrated graphics can be a real problem (I'm no XFree86 guru, so fiddling with drivers isn't my idea of fun!).

Let us know what card/chipset you've got and maybe that will help...

Hey all

thanks for all the help and advise. Finally, after almost 3 weeks, I managed to get mdk9.2 installed and it went like a dream. The problem was the motherboard/BIOS, which was resolved with a flash upgrade. Only took a few minutes, and then Linux Mandrake installed like a dream - no hitches, no hangups. So, girlfriend has mdk 9.2 and I'm still stuck with dirty M$ ME until I learn how to install the dreaded Speedtouch 330 modem...