I just finished installing Mandrake 9.2, for thesecond time actually as I was trying to learn some things. Once the install is complete and the first boot starts, I'm presented with a boot screen with Linux-Secure, Linux, and Failsafe as the boot options.

First question, what exactly is Linux-Secure compared to Linux. Second, whenever I choose Linux-Secure, the startup goes normally, and all looks good until X starts. After that, it just goes to a blank screen. The hard drive spins for a few more seconds, but the X Login window never appears. On my first install, when I chose to remove the graphical startup, Linux-Secure worked and I would get to a text login prompt. From there I could start X normally.

Finally, a newbie question. When I opt for not starting X at boot, and am presented with the login prompt, I cannot login as root. I can however log in as my user and then use su - to get to root. Is this normal operation?

Whether or not you can login as root will depend on the security level you've chosen. It's not such a bad idea not to be able to login as root and be forced to use su.

With the Linux secure option, can you switch to a text console by pressing ctrl-alt-f1 or is the machine completely dead? If you can switch to a text console, the problem might be that some of the settings for linux secure do not allow you to start X.

I'll check the ctrl-alt-f1 option when I get home tonight. I did notice that if I disabled the graphical login option, I could get to a text login prompt successfully. Last night I tried to start X from there to the same blank screen result.

If this is a security setting, where would one look for that to change? I have Mandrake's option set to "Higher" right now as this box will eventually be in the DMZ and visible, so I'd like to be able to run X without lowering that any.

Now back to trying to understand how ProFTPd works with regards to user permissions and setting directory permissions.... Man I hate being a newbie again.

did you get this problem fixed Moebius01 ??

exact same problem here.
just installed MDK9.2 on my server.

i chose paranoid for the security settings.

Upon first reboot after installation i select linux-secure in the lilo screen. it goes through the verbose boot up messages as you would expect but then the blank screen you get from completion of the messages and the login screen, appears to stay forever.

i havent had time to check the other choices in the lilo screen.

solution ??
is it indeed a security thing ?? (never ran anything above standard for security settings so far in my short Linux career )

I've not had a chance to look at the security settings (or learn them for that matter) too deeply yet, so no. Right now I'm working on rebuilding the Apache/PHP/PEAR install to work the way I need. Some features apparently don't get built using the RPM install, or when selecting them during the initial OS install. Once I get that handled, I'm going to get back onto the security settings.

Though any advice from those in the know would be greatly appreciated.