Hey, I've got a problem, I've just installed Linux for the first time. I'm not sure whether my install is buggered or I'm just a real newbie, but when I go to boot a dialog box comes up after it's gone through all that loading devices ... OK stuff. It has two options, can't read either of them (they're in garbled text), pressing enter brings up an identical box, presssing enter again brings up a box with just one option, entering this kicks me to the command prompt. I don't know what I'm pressing enter too, so it's hard to figure out what's wrong. What I want to do is get into KDE or Gnome(?), those windows-like interfaces.
I've worked out how to log in at the prompt and browse around, because I'm fairly used to dos. But I've got no idea how to load an interface, shouldn't it be loading automatically, must be something to do with those boxes aye? What are they supposed to say.

Any help much appreciated.

sounds like your x server configuration is messed up. those dialog boxes are saying that x is having trouble starting and is trying different methods to get going, but it is indeed failing. i've seen this often on my system during a fresh install (enough to have been able to read the errors ungarbled every now-and-then). i can alleviate the problem by installing the nvidia video driver or using a vesa x server. i can help you set up either of these solutions (assuming you have an nvidia video adapter for the nvidia driver method), just let me know which route you wish to persue.

Thanks for reply. What is "X Server Configuration"? Vesa X Server?
I'm running an onboard S3 Virge.

Does Linux only support nVidia cards?

no, x (xfree86) can run on virtually all video adapters. i was just giving you an example of how i went about alleviating the issue.

here is how you set up x to use the vesa driver. login and type:

su

and enter your root password that you set up when u installed rh. edit the X config file, type:

vi /etc/X11/XF86Config

note that capitalization is important in *nix (Linux, etc.). go to the line that says driver and change it so that it reads

Driver "vesa"

instead of whatever the current setting is. note that vi is a little unintuitive. you need to press the INSERT key to edit the text and press the ESCAPE key to get back to operational mode. save the config file by typing while in operational mode:

:sav /etc/X11/XF86Config

exit vi by typing:

:q

attempt to start the x server, type:

startx

if the changes were effective, you should be in the x environment. also, make sure that your monitor can handle the resolution settings in the lower portion of the XF86Config file. if it can't, edit out some of the higher resolutions.