hi,

I was happily using my new installation with the window environment then when I rebooted it started booting in the text environment.

Does anyone know why this would be and how I can switch it back?

Also are there 2 window environments or just one?

Thanks

Lee

Hello,

Log with root account

vi /etc/inittab
Replace
id:3:initdefault:
with
id:5:initdefault:

Tape:
init 5

Let's go with X server

After "init 5" to go in text or X environnement.

Ctrl + Alt + F1 to F6 and Ctrl + Alt + F7 to X

id:5:initdefault:

the above line is already in this file?

Also I don't understand what your asking me to do here?
Sorry


Tape:
init 5

Let's go with X server

After "init 5" to go in text or X environnement.

Ctrl + Alt + F1 to F6 and Ctrl + Alt + F7 to X

Type: 'init 5' to switch to runlevel 5 without rebooting. Otherwise just reboot. The 'id:5:initdefault:' defines the default runlevel. Since you didn't change anything, it should have a '5' (for graphical logon). The other key combos are for switching virtual consoles. 'Ctrl'+'Alt'+'F(1-6)' switches to the text consoles tty1-tty6. 'Ctrl'+'Alt'+'F7' Switches back to the first X (graphical) screen.

thanks for your reply.

The only ctr alt keys that do anything are f1 and f2 this switches between a text new logon and my existing one ?

Lee

The number of tty's are determined by the inittab file. If there are only two, you can switch them using F1 & F2, but then F3 will be X. On my Slack there are 6, so F7 goes to X.

Isn't Slack initab:4?

Hi,

I don't know what Slack it, but I am stuck with a text interface when RedHat had previously installed a windows interface , I think it was called Gnome or something like that.

If anyone has any more ideas?

Thanks

Lee

There are many windowmanagers/desktop enviroments available in Linux. You have the XFree86 (or just X) program, which does the graphics stuff. You have a program that manages windows called a window manager (like fvwm or kwin). Without it you wouldn't have the bar that most windows have on them, and you wouldn't be able to move windows around. A window manager bundled with a bunch of other programs is called a desktop enviroment (like kde or gnome).
For your text-only problem, did you type 'init 5'? Also try 'startx', and post the errors if any.
In the Slackware Linux distrobution, the runlevel for graphical X logon is 4. In most others, such as Red Hat, it is 5.

Hey leefarrant,

Until you get the hang of setting up the Xwindows environment like you want, just log in to the text environment (aka your shell) like normal.

I.E. when the computer boots and the text login comes up put in:

<your user name>
<your password>

at the prompt. THen you will be logged into your shell and be at some prompt like:

>>

or

$

or whatever. Then, like aaa said, just type in the command "startx". THis will start the Xwindows system for you. When you set the initialization file called inittab to runlevel 5, you are telling Linux to start the OS into the Xwindows system. Run level 3 is just starting up into the text shell. On my RedHat box, run level 4 doesnot really do anything, so dont ask me why they skipped run level 4, but it may have meaning on other Linux flavors. The folks above are all correct in trying to get you to set the run level to 5, but this can be hard for a newbie(like me) to do at first. What Thimanjer was trying to get you to do was open up a text file that controls start up called "inittab" located in the directory called "/etc" and edit the file directly. This will change the runlevel for good, until you open the inittab file again and change it back.

I am replying from my Linux box . yipeee

Thanks everyone for your help.

The reason why the gnome GUI did not start automatically on boot was because there was network issues. It was already configured to do so.

The reason I has network issues was I was plugged into a duff card. Use another one.

Also the startx worked fine and I could flip between the two interfaces with the F keys.

I am getting there!

Thanks again from a very new newbie.


Lee