text vs. graphical boot menu
 

upon booting, after the lilo menu and before the login screen, linux shows you the processes that are being loaded/started.
i found the method that controls how the lilo menu appears (graphical, text, etc.) AND when the login screen comes up, it comes up in graphical mode (X has started) which is fine........BUT.....inbetween those steps I want a text based menu with the Green "OK's" and the Red "Failed" to show me whats currently being loaded; not the graphical version......where its next to impossible to oversee whats being loaded......the font is too small and goes too fast, not allowing me to troubleshoot other problems i might be having with my system.

Am I starting X too early?
Is this even configurable?

very confusing... erm... i'd guess you're using mandrake, cos if not i've no idea what you're on about, unless redhat 7.2 does a similar thing now too...

if it's mandrake, then you're loading a program called Aurora, which is purple and bloody horrible. go to the mandrake control center and remove it from loading under the boot menu

RedHat 7.2 still runs through the OK's and a text based startup. I don't know why you wouldn't see it with any distro, unless what's happening is what a_kewpie said.

Yep, acid got it thats Aurora. The best way to bannish it from your system is uninstall it with rpmdrake.

On a side note, I wanted to say that you have the coolest screen name i've seen for a while. Darned if I don't wanna go rent fletch now! Fletch F Fletch, that makes my day every time I see it. :)