For the past 3 weeks, I have been struggling with Red Hat 9.0. This is my first time on linux and I don't know anyone else who runs it, so it has been a major mission for me.

All of my problems rotate around my screen display. I have an 'ipex' monitor and a Diamond Viper V770 graphics card (NVIDIA TNT2 chipset). I had RH9 installed and running, but when I tried to add the graphics card to get beyond 800x600 resolution, I got nowhere. I tried to install the drivers, but it would not install without the latest kernel-source, so I installed the latest kernel-source, but it still would not budge. I could not work with 800x600 on a 17" monitor.

So I was really fed up, and re-installed RH9, but now I can't even access my system. I don't even get asked to set a login and password, it just won't let me in - there is no login and password for me to use. I've reinstalled it twice now, and I still get the same result. Plus, I am still getting nowhere with my resolution, it is still not going beyond 800x600 and it does not like my graphics card - it keeps on setting it back to VESA generic.

Does anyone suggest a different version of Linux for me to try? Or should I stick with RH9?

If I should go for another version of linux, should I format my whole HDD first?

Please Help.



David

Hi,

I'm new to Linux as well and I also had the problem of getting the default 800x600 setting when I installed RedHat 9. I also installed several times and then I read somewhere on this forum about configuring the vertical and horizontal settings during the install.

I accepted the Generic monitor and it recognized Neomagic driver but I set the rates to 28-96 and 50-75 and that seemed to take care of the problem. (I think its horizontal first then vertical but I may have that backwards).

I now have 1024x768 resolution. Now I just have to figure out how to get it talking to my XP machine.

Good luck and hope this helps.

As I said, I'm new to Linux so you may want to search for more info before taking my advice.

xtec2

I can really recommend Mandrake - I've also had screen problems with RH9, but it's all sorted with Mandrake. You won't need to format your hdd again, although cleaning out your old installation is probably better and can be done through the installer.

As far as fixing your RH box goes - what EXACTLY happens when you boot up? You say it does not ask you for a login / password, so what does it do? As xtec2 suggested, probably the best way to go about it is to launch redhat-config-xfree86 as root, choose a generic monitor and set the horizontal and vertical sync rates to whatever it says on the back of your monitor / manual. Then try switching to higher resolution again.

Check the /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 file for your configuration of your display

You will have to use the command line a little, but don't let that scare you off. In that file you can set the refresh rates and screen mode. Check it BUT BE CAREFUL setting the refresh rates (check your monitor manual or search the internet for the values it supports) Specialy look for vertical and horizontal rates. In your XF86Config-4 file you should find lines saying

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
HorizSync 30-96
VertRefresh 50-160
Option "DPMS"
End Section

Subsection "Screen"
Depth 24 (which means you are using 24 bit colors, it might be different in yours)
Modes "800x600" (your resolution)
ViewPort 0 0 (if your you set the mode to low)
End Subsection

You can then set this to your settings and restart the X-server. Before editing this file, copy the XF86Config-4 to XF86Config.old if you mess up then you can revert to the old file.

If you restart your computer, how far do you get? Have you already installed RH9, or did you stop at the istallation?

If you have it installed and don't have the root password you can try running in single mode and taking care of that.

Thanks everyone for the replies!

Ok, to answer your questions:

andredude - When I start linux, it starts up normally and goes to the login screen, but I can't log in. I can't login with the login and password I had before I re-installed RH9 and when I re-installed it (on both occassions) I was never prompted with setting a login and password, as I was when I first installed RH9. So, no matter what I type in, I can't get into the system.

marghorp - Thanks for the tips, if I can log into my machine, I will give it a go.

Mandrake is looking good so far...

this describes how to enter single-user mode to change the root password, then you should be able to log in as root and the system will be yours once more: http://www.linuxforum.com/redhat/s1-...ux-single.html

my rh9 installation used grub so yours probably does too. good luck!

Yes, You don't need to login to change the root password, except if you have GRUB password protected, which you don't unless you explicitly chose to password protect it.

Fedora on the other hand prompts to set password for GRUB by default.

Once you login as single user (at grub dual boot selection press "a" and type in " single", yes with a space in it).
This gives the kernel an option, that you want to login as single user and do stuff. You will then be left at a command prompt, from where you type in

passwd root (and then change the root password)

and then reboot to login as root and make new users, which you use for work. (don't work as root all the time, you could mess things up quickly).

andredude, Mandrake is for n00bs, Redhat 9 is a littlle more advanced than Mandrake, if you want a good Distrobution i would go with Debian. I have Redhat 9 but my friend has Debian and i liked his better than mine, but its all a matter of preferance. I would definately try Debian,

oh yeah, and marghorp, get rid of WinXP and stick with Linux

I will get rid of Win XP when I have WineX configured that all applications I need for school work in Linux. I use Fedora Core 1 at the time and must say I love it. It's not very easy, but it's not very hard also. I like it and intend to stick toit for some time. At least a year or so. I am done installing Linux or Win XP over and over (did 10 installations this month due to some bigger stupidities. I have enough)

I will test the Linux stability by not reinstalling it for a year, it will be my record after Win XP (3 months).

i'm not planning on getting into a mandrake vs rh discussion, that's been done a billion times. i've used rh for years and recently switched to mandrake, for me it's an all-round improvement. if you used gentoo you'd be saying that every other distro is for 'n00bs' (by comparison it is), lets face it redhat is one of the friendliest ones out there which is why most people try it first. in the end it's about what you do with it.

yea ok mandrake is almost good... but redhat/fedora isnt much better... you guys smell like trout