Fedora redhat linux, no gui at start up
 

I installed fedora12 redhat linux on my desktop with install DVD. When the install was complete I clicked ok to reboot. When it rebooted it came up with a black screen asking for a localhost login and password. The only thing the install asked for during the set up was a root password. I typed in root for the localhost login and root password and takes me to the command line as root. Will not start the GUI at start up. Am I missing something? please help!


P.S. I tried startx in the command line and it says bad command.

You were never asked for a hostname, a username, a user password? Did you get a gui installer?
Did you check the disk for defects?
Where did you get the DVD (off a magazine? download iso and burn it? what?)

Sounds broken to me. No startx means that the gui is not installed.
At the terminal

rpm -qa | grep -i xorg-x11

If you only asked for the 'Server' install, then this would be normal I believe, a real server wouldn't normally have X-Win/GUI.

You can try
https://access.redhat.com/kb/docs/DOC-2531
There should be a group to install the desktop SW eg
FYI, F12 is dead, current is F15. A new Fedora comes out about once a yr or so.
If you want long term updates, consider Centos (free RHEL).

The DVD came with the fedora redhat linux book I got from school. I have used this before with no problems but used it to install on a virtual machine never a computer as an OS.

When I boot up my computer it looks like this.

Fedora release 12 (Constantine)
Kernel 2.6.31.5-127.fc12.i686.PAE on an i686 (tty1)

localhost login: _

During install it did not give me an option to make a localhost login or password.

DJF
you are aware that fedora 12 is DEAD and has been for 8 months
it hit it's End Of Life in Dec.2010

there will NEVER be any updates to it .

please stay current . Install fedora 15

also the fedora installed is VERY good at detecting your hardware
if it installed in TEXT ONLY mode then your hardware dose NOT meat the Min. system specs
see the fedora install guide
http://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/...ide/index.html
and to see if your hardware dose meat the requirements
see the release notes
http://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/...dware_Overview

I appologize for the noobness. I am aware of the constant upgrades of fedora. My issue is that I just recently installed this on a virtual machine on another computer with no problems at all. I need to install this on my desktop for my linux admin class. This did work on our machines at school with lower machine capabilities as mine. Now that I have installed this on my machine I have a usless machine that starts up on the localhost. Will the above links help me with installing a better version onto my machine?

only if your equipment meets the min. requirements

fedora 12 is a bit lower
http://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/...e_Requirements

but do not expect to use firefox 4 or the newesr firefox 3

you are stuck with what was on the install dvd from Dec. 2009
and MANUALLY configure yum to use the archived historical repo
for the one and only update ( updated to it's EOL date)
about 3 gigs of it
see the fedora forum thread on "EOL (End Of Life) Versions"
http://forums.fedoraforum.org/forumdisplay.php?f=75

Thanx John, you have been most helpful! Problem fixed.