Pfff...i got a lot to learn...
 

Hi everyone im a freshmeat :newbie: and i need some help. Just got my Mandrake 7.2 up & running yesterday, and everything seemed fine. This morning I was running X and i had some processes running. Trying to set up my TV card with kwintv Linux completely flips and hangs. I quickly push ctrl-alt-<- and shutdown -r now with xmmr playing and running and kwintv open (and hanging). Im as yet very unfamiliar with kill commands, so i couldnt kill the processes. I start back up, login as root, and x remains blue background with nuthing but the mouse cursor. It should have started my WM a long time ago. So I ctr-alt-F1 and login as root and startx. Hmmm, it seems i have to remove "/tmp/.X0-lock"... ok done. again i type startx and the server still wont start. I told my coworker about htis and he said "you screwed up your graphical display and have to reinstall linux..." . This is probably a load of bull so i hope a more experienced linux user may be able to help me by saying which files i have to modify or reinstall to get back into X. Also some help with how to kill processes would be helpful. Sorry for my long post im just trying to be clear. (sorry, dont have the exact error messages). Thanx in advance.

Welcome to Linux
 

Like yourself I an new to it, but I have toyed around with it for awhile and have my own problems.

Anyhow the cure for all that stuff is to backup anything that you are going to change and if it goes wrong simply overwrite the problem files with your backups.

I was using Mandrake two weeks ago and if you think that is hard to get going try booting SuSE.

Anyhow, more power to you for learning the hard way. At least the install system is FAST. Could you imagine trying to install Win2K six times a day?

Dude, but worry. Mess around with it, but make sure that you keep backups and learn basic UNIX commands like LS, |more, CAT, CD and CP. That way you can restore your backups from the prompt.

I don't really know how to solve your problem because anything that happens to the XF86 files or the Xconfig is usually a call for a re-install.

Peace out and by the way.

This is the most powerful domestic OS you will ever use once you get to know it.

More luck 2 ya.

I started out with RedHat, then switched to SuSe, (way back versions 6.xx) and Im always trying new stuff so hence now i have mandrake. Thanx for the tip about backups, ive never been a big fan of making backups but i guess ill have to start learning to actually do them. So i guess my coworker was right about reinstalling linux then, but thats okay, i wanna make a dual boot winblows anywayz, i miss my good old music programs...

thanks for the reply

I dual boot Windows2000 and SuSE. As you say there are some things on Windows which you are used too and still like. Just make sure that when you DB that LILO does detect Windows. I had a couple of funny installs where LILO did not detect it. I boot Linux for Disk now because of it and that way windows uses its own boot programme and not LILO. I have never really needed to backup much on Linux bar some things that needed updating like - Free86 or the XF86Config. Everything else is fairly cool once you get past those two DEMONS!!!!!!

Enjoy your DB dude.

first, the kill command:

you need to know the process number of the program you want to kill. at the command line, run

ps -ef

and the console will print out all the running processes, and, most importantly, the process id numbers.

kill <process id number>

that's pretty much it, without getting into other obscureish options.

as for your co-worker, he probably doesn't know too much about linux, or he just didn't want to bother with the time to help you out. the linux graphical display, X Free86, runs completely on top of linux. linux is just the kernel, and X can be completely crashed without destabilizing the linux kernel. it's hardly ever neccesary to re-install completely, but sometimes it's the easiest path to go.

what error messages are you getting when you try to start up x?

sorry for the late reply
 

I email from work, no net@home...
This weekend i got my my DB sys running. I figured out what the problem was. When X was hanging, I ctrl-alt-F1 to a term. All i had to do was ctr-alt back to X. I just didnt realize this because i had reboot the system twice before. it didnt seem logical. but now i know i guess. we all have to learn through trial and error. thanx for the help guys! oh yeah , i got a unix book and started learning about the kill commands. thanx for that too!!!
Great messageboard...:D :D :D