hi being new to linux and not much idea about the os i've installed mandriva 8.it installed no problem but when i get past the startup phase i get this following message
localhost......
passsword......

[......@localhost ~]$ _ no idea what to type next so could do with some help please,cheers paul

Paul,

it's prompting you for a login (username and password). When you get to "[......@localhost ~]$" that's the shell prompt. Sometimes it takes X (the graphical part) a while to start up, so you might try just letting it sit for a while. You could also try typing "startx" (no quotes) at the shell prompt.

If nothing different, you probably don't have X installed, so a text-based interface is all you'll get.

Can I ask why you chose Mandriva? It doesn't seem to be the most popular beginner's distribution these days, so you might try looking into something a bit easier to setup. Ubuntu seems to be the default beginner's distro right now, though I don't personally like it.

hi jantman i was just browsing the linux magazines and i just picked a couple which one of them is a ubuntu 7.10 full version .if i try the ubu how do i remove the mandriva from the system

Based on my expirience the best thing you can do is to install Ubuntu 7.10.If you only have Mandriva installed on your PC,when Ubuntu ask you how you want to install your new OS choose entire hard disc and Mandriva wan`t be there when you reboot after installation.

To offer advice to change distro is not productive.

Mandriva is a fine distribution! For anyone and anything!

So, you got the login prompt, in a shell.

Type the user name, press enter.

Type the password for that user, press enter.

Type startx, press enter.

You may get a gui starting.

You can change the way you logon later, just ask when you're ready.

Stick with it, Mandy has a long history and heaps of support.

If you want to install something else, just go ahead and format the partitions during the install. That will erase the unwanted installation.

Cheers, Glenn

Well,paul.chambo don't wan't to install Mandriva,he want to install Ubu,and since he wan't to install Ubu,I reccomended 7.10,based on my expirience the best Linux begginers distro.I'm free to speak my mind,wright?
Anyway I tried Mandriva8 few days ago and had a problem too.Didn't recognize any of mine Linux partitions and let me boot them,which seems to be the problem with many distros this days.With Ubu that was smooth as it was.
I'm just speaking my mind,not forcing anybody to do anything.
BTW Mandrake was my first Linux distro.

Itś OK, I could work out what you meant to say.

I was giving my idea of productive advice.

There are so many different kinds of linux, why would I post in mandriva if i only use debian or want kubuntu? [or solaris for that matter]

I do not frequent other distro forums to advise they all change to mandriva, because it works on my PC.

regards, Glenn

No Offence intended.

Everything is OK GlennsPref,no offence taken,and I know you didn't mean to make one just like me too.People should choose what they want,but if we can help them to make a choice then we should,and then we should speak based on our expirience,and since I have tried many distros I gave myself a right to give some advice related to the topic,but then again it's just my opinion based on my expirience.

Regards!

Thatś quite OK.

I haven't tried parsix, but I have had quite a few others installed.

And your welcome.

Thank you, Glenn