[Posted by girl1984]
Just installed redhat linux. First boot. Everything is loading, many text scrools fast on screen. Some green OK's. Then everything disappears. Some logon appears, but the screen is flashing, it is hard to write something.

Then appears a grey window with this text:
"I cannot start the X server (your graphical interface). It is likely that it is not setup correctly. Would you like to view the X server output to diagnose the problem"
Two buttons: Yes and No

I pressed Yes. Then showed up something like this:
"(==) Log file: '/var/log/XFree86.0.log'
(==) Using config file: '/etc/X11/XF86Config'
(EE) No devices detected

Fatal server error:
no screens found"
and many other not so useful staff.

Button Exit. I pressed it, then showed one more message:
"Would you like me to try to run the X configuration program?"

Buttons Yes and No. I pressed Yes. I typed root password.
Something was working, on screen was something like this:
"* ddcprobe returned bogus values:
ID: None
Name: None
HorizSync: None
VertySync: None

Couldn't start X server, trying with a fresh configuration
* ddcprobe returned bogus values:
ID: None
Name: None
HorizSync: None
VertySync: None

Trying with card: VESA driver (generic)"

Then showed up a screen with nicer resolution, and there I could select a videocard type and monitor. By default there was Unknown monitor and VESA driver (generic). But I selected Ati Radeon 7000 videocard and Philips 105S, what I actually have. Pressed OK.

Showed a new message:
"Display settings changed
Configuration was written to /etc/X11/XF86Config, original configuration saved as /etc/X11/XF86Config.backup"

I pressed Ok. A new message:
"I will try to restart the X server again"

Again Ok. The screen is flashing again. And after a while showed a new message:
"I will disable this X server for now.
Restart GDM when it is configured correctly."

Pressed Ok.
And then only I could is to login as root. But only thing I can work with is command line.
What I should do to get that X server work?
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I also had a similar problem. Only now it has just got worse...
Every time I try to boot up I don't get past the first screen (ie it displays my graphics card and then goes black). Now I can't run Windows OR Red Hat 8 on my other hard drive. I suspect the BIOS could be to blame though, as it has also started displaying random colours over any text.
If you could tell me how to update BIOS with my current situation that would be highly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

I would try reseating the video card. I know, I know, I know, most people would say X's config is hosed, but I think the fact that X didn't even detect a video card tells the tale. Also, if you are saying that when you power the computer on that the first screen is the video card info and then nothing, then reseat the card or maybe borrow a friends and put in in to see if the video card is bad. I smell hardware! If you find its the video card, IMHO, if you're gonna run linux, try an NVidia board. They have been solid linux supporters since day one and I have never had an issue with NVidia's linux support.


~ Druisgod

Sorry I fogot to mention that I use an Nvidia FX5200 graphics card.
Today I have made a small amount of progress. By disconnecting the first (Win XP) hard drive but leave the second RedHat 8 hard drive connected then I make it past all the BIOS screens to the GRUB dialog. At a wild guess maybe the boot sector/MBR on the first hard drive is *bodged* by me, but then again, I don't have a clue.
As it is a first install of Linux I don't mind reinstalling it, just whether this will help I don't know either. This time I will configure the multiple boot properly.

PS I will have a look at reseating the card. I really hope this is the problem, a nice, easy 2 minute job! In fact I will try right now.

Sry I have been away for a week.
No luck with reseating the graphics card. Still the same problem - only now whenever I connect the 1st win xp hard drive I get an error stating a GRUB error. I suspect it is that I haven't configured linux properly with multiboot.

You have two seperate problems. One is the grub config which you'll have to post the /etc/grub/menu.lst here if you want help with that. The second is the video card issue. It could be the card, it could be X config, it could be you're missing the driver for the card. Need more info.

Couldn't start X server, trying with a fresh configuration
* ddcprobe returned bogus values:
ID: None
Name: None
HorizSync: None
VertySync: None
your monitor isn't reporting the H and V frequencies correctly when probed.

Does Redhat have a nVidia driver? (Fedora doesn't.) You might try going to the nVidia web site and downloading their latest driver. It's designed to be run from the command line without X11 running.

As to your GRUB issue, the problem is that physically disconnecting the Windows hd also changes the hard drive numbering, and GRUB need to know the current hard drive numbers when it boots. I'd suggest connecting the hd, booting from a rescue cd, changing root to your installation, and reinstalling GRUB on the MBR of the XP disk. (Search these forums for instructions.)

You might also consider making a GRUB boot floppy, with a menu for booting Linux from both (hd0,0) and (hd1,0), so you can switch depending on whether or not your XP drive is connected. (See this post for a brief "how-to" on building a GRUB boot floppy.)