X86 startup problems
 

Hi ppl,

:Pengy:I just reinstalled my entire pc by downloading the 3 ISO's of Mandrake Linux 9.1 and deleting all partitions, creating a new one and installing Linux on it. By deleting all partitions EVERYTHING is deleted right? So, linux should be a clean install.

But now, booting linux for the first time after installation, I see the black cursor for one sec and then linux textmode asking me for a login. So i login and type startx to start the GUI again, but then i see the black cursor for a sec again and then textmode again saying with some logfile blabla and:"waiting for X server to shut down".

Problem is i had this problem too with my previous installation, but i thought i screwed something up in my configuration last time so i deleted all partitions in the hope i'd delete the problems as well, but i guess the problems r just part of the mandrake 9.1 installation. Fact is however, when i installed mandrake for the very first time it DID work...

PC-information
==============
Pentium 4 1,7 Ghz
256 MB RDRAM
nVidia Geforce 2 Ti 200 64 MB
60 GB Western Digital
17 inch monitor

Plz help! I'm a total
:newbie: at linux

As root, try running xf86config (i think, I don't use Mandrake). You should be able to verify your monitor and graphics card settings. It sounds like that is what's holding you up.

Oh yeah, while you're at it you could d/l and install the full Nvidia drivers. I did it once using Lynx (the console internet client), since you're not in X, now is the perfect time! As long as your net connection is set up of course.

tanx for the help but when it asks me to save, i want to save it to usr/blabla/XF86Config-4, cause that's the file my pc uses (i get that out of the error messages), it says i don't have the permissions to overwrite this file. Do i need to use chmod? how does this work? Tanx for the help! Really appreciate it

No, at the login prompt login as root - you will then have full permissions. If needs be (because the 'puter may have part of X running) type "runlevel 3" minus the quotes (I think, I'm not in Linux at the moment) that should shut down the bits that are running.

the command to change to runlevel 3 is not runlevel 3, it is
telinit 3

Or "init 3".

oooops - memory failing....system shutting down...going for reboot.

Thanks for correcting me guys - I got the command and the outcome mixed up