OK- I gave up on windows, but am completely lost as far as linux goes. I tried red hat 9 long ago, and didn't have time to learn all I needed to know to use my PC in ways I use it. So I install Fedora core 3 today, and first step is to make my screen resolution the right size. I go to nvidia, get the driver, and begin to follow the instructions here to install it. Firsts I went to /etc/X11/xorg config, made the changes. Well, after about 2 minutes of waiting to get a usable command line after exiting X windows (init 3), I decided nothing was working, so I had to do a hard shutdown(mistake, I know). On restart now, it hangs at "configuring kernel parameteres"(5 miuntes). So, now I''m back in windows so I can get here and hopefully get help. As you can see, first I need to figure out how to get back into fedora, then, once I do, where did I go wrong on exiting x-windows.???

When booting (If you use GRUB) you have to edit the boot options. When you highlight the kernel version you normally boot to, press the e key to edit the boot options at the end of this line add init 3.
Then boot the kernel.
This will boot up without X running.
Also note that these options aren't permenant, so when you reboot it will reboot with X.

Only editing the file was not enough. Normally you have to run a script from nvidia.
Good luck lars

Thanks for the help guys. Seems to have gotten me back up and running. The nvidia driver thing will just wait a while, as I only needed it to change my resolution, but I can live with what I have til I get more familiar with things.

Which instructions were you using? I have a post in the Fedora Forum called "Instructions for Installing Nvidia driver in FC3". They worked for me on my Nvidia GeForce 4 MX440 and on my GeForce FX 5200.

I had this problem, once the driver has been installed and the xorg.conf file changed, run these commands as root in runlevel 3

modprobe nvidia - (loads nvidia module)

then

cp -a /dev/nvidia* /etc/udev/devices - (copies dev files to the new udev system)

then reboot and everything works beautifully