Hello all,
I recently installed Debian on my laptop. I can get into the black logon screen and I logon. I cant do anything except type help. Even then the screen doesn't stop for me and I can't read how to make it stop so I can read everything. I thought that Linux was more user friendly. Can't there be some desktop/windows and all that stuff? is it restricted to just something that looks like dos? Someone please help. I hate windows but nothing in linux seems newbie enough for me.

thanks
ip

Once you login, try "startx" - that SHOULD get you to a GUI, if everything's installed right
(I'm running Slackware, so I can't really speak to WHAT GUI you may see with Debian, but I imagine it would be KDE or possibly Gnome)

Linux IS user-friendly! You just didn't pick the right distribution; Try installing SUSE, Mandrake or Fedora Core. Debian requires some fluency in linuxese.

Thanks all,

Lixy, which of those 3 distributions are best?

Oh, startx didn't work for me. It says it wasn't configured correctly, which I believe, but when I try to do its autoreconfiguration then I can't get anywhere.

I figured I was missing something since I had heard and read so much good about linux.

ip

If your typing help from the console use this " | less " at the end of help,
Example:

help | less

that will make the page stop so you can read it and you can manuever up and down the page with the arrow keys. If less does not work use " | more "
You can use either one for almost any text so it stops the page.

Fedora is prob going to be the easiest one to install, the GUI will be configured for you after installation. The newst Fedora Core is 3, get that one if you are going to try it.

Fedora/Mandrake/Suse/Debian -- all those are pretty easy to install. My guess is you just missed a step during the intial installation/setup, where you configure the display. I know both Mandrake and Fedora *should* leave you with a functioning X-desktop environment after you are done installing.

you guys are great!!

Thanks, I will try fedora. I can't wait to get out of windows

ip

And the most important thing is to try a few different distros to find which one works best for you. If that's Fedora, Great! If it's Mandrake, equally Great! If it ends up being Slackware, or Gentoo, or Linux From Scratch, or whatever, equally Great!

any suggestions on how to fix my gui with debian? this way I can compare debian and fedora

I don't know Debian, but there should be some program named "xfconfig", or something similar, that will allow you to configure your display from the command line. You will probably need to know what graphics card you have, and you monitor capabilities (e.g. supported refresh rates, resolutions, etc.).

I'd definitely recommend Fedora...been using it since about last May and I just love it. Fedora will be much easier I'm sure. I would not really say Linux is more user friendly than Windows, but if you start with a relatively easy distro (Fedora, Mandrake, etc) then it won't be such a bad step.

Just remember one thing: this is a whole other operating system. So take a good chunk of what you know about MS and throw it out the window as it won't be relative to helping you learn.

Best wishes to you...it really is a trip!

Good post. I've gotta' give the thumbs up to Mandrake 10.
Go to:

ftp://fr2.rpmfind.net/linux/Mandrake...d-CD1.i586.iso

to download.

The hardware auto detect that comes with this RPMS makes it much easier to get your video configured correctly so KDE runs smoothly. Ultimately, though, I would recommend learning some basic command line as an adjunct to your graphic interface. I like "Linux in a Nutshell" from O'rielly Press.
Hope this helps.

first off did you install an xserver?? as in x-window-system if not
thats why you dont have a gui...if you did install x..try #xf86config answer the questions and you on the way..
if you need to install x...try#apt-get install x-window-system-core

wrat is somewhat right. I just went today through the Debian reinstall procedure and I faced the almost same problem. After installing (via ftp), I had the xfree86 but I didn't get a window manager so I was left "face-to-face" with the good old command line. To see if you have a window manager and to make sure it's properly configured, run "dpkg-reconfigure kdm" (for KDM, obviously). If it lets you choose between xdm and kdm but nothing happens afterwards, you might not have any desktop environment installed. Therefore: "apt-get install kde".