Hi there, have finished my Slackware install, and would like to use the KDE desktop environment. When I boot up the pc, it ends up at the normal login screen, ie black background. In order to get into KDE, I have to type 'startx' which then takes me into the KDE environment. What I would like to do is have KDE automatically load up on startup, so that when I get to the login screen, it is the KDE login splash screen. Anyone know what files I need to edit to set this up?

Thanks

Hello,

well, try the "search" button, and look for "initdefault slackware".

cu

hp_tux

What you have to dois change inittab's default runlevel to 4. its location is /etc/inittab heres what you want

Thanks a lot. That has solved it. I didn't realise there are now about 9 different window managers I can choose from. I like Blackbox, if it actually worked properly. One last question, I use lilo to boot up linux, but I have Windows as well, so wanted to add it to the lilo menu. I added the lines:

other = /dev/hda1
label=Windows XP Pro

to the bottom of the lilo.conf and saved it. But Windows XP Pro still doesn't show up in the lilo startup? Do I need to execute a script or update something to get it to work?

Thanks

You need to add:

other = /dev/hda1
label = WindowsXP
table = /dev/hda

to your lilo.conf and then rerun lilo as root.

Thanks, got it working now. Lilo doesn't like any spaces in the label then? Never mind, have got Windows-XP-Pro instead

One last thing, I can't reboot or shutdown the computer anymore. If I logout of any of the window managers, it just takes me back to a graphical login screen, where all I can do is login again or change what session I want to use.

you can use the shutdown command, as root - "shutdown -h now". see manpage for flags and options

also iirc, KDM has a shutdown option - you can select to use KDM by commenting /etc/rc.d/rc.4, and set options for KDM in /opt/kde/share/config/kdm/kdmrc

Thanks for that. But still no luck.
How do I find out if I've got APM or ACPI installed, and if I have got them, how do i go about configuring them. I know my laptop can power off by itself because I had Gentoo and it worked in that. At the moment, it finishes on Power Down, and then I have to turn it off myself.

Thanks

Open /etc/rc.d/rc.modules in an editor, and look for this bit:

Uncomment that last line. Then either reboot, or run 'modprobe apm' yourself.

Have done all this. I also recompiled the kernel and made sure apm support was built in and acpi was not installed at all. Hooray, my laptop does shut itself off now. The only thing is it doesn't recognize my battery. It always thinks there is ac-online even when its running on batteries. Is it worth me recompiling and removing apm support and putting acpi instead?

Thanks

I would say yes (however much of a pain it is which isn't much if you're using the 2.6 kernel). Otherwise you'll be running on full battery power all the time (no low power mode and no sleep mode).

You can add the ability to Shut Down and Reboot to the KDM or the GDM as by going into the Menu>Applications>System Tools>Login Screen Setup.

Ok, I've got KDM as the login manager now, which comes with a shutdown button in it
And changing to KDM has added shutdown and reboot to the logoff option in KDE which is also what I wanted. I'm using the 2.4 kernel at the moment which I recompiled and added in the APM support. So you reckon I should upgrade kernel, or install acpi instead. And I am pretty new to linux, so if I was to recompile the kernel or put a 2.6 one on, how do I go about keeping the setup I've got, since I know it kind of works. Obviously I would delete the 2.4 kernel if I get another working one, but if the acpi or 2.6 kernel doesn't work, I would like to be able to boot up the system I have at the moment.

for a step-by-step guide to compiling your own kernel, look here:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...threadid=49035

it will tell you how to save your old kernel and add a new entry to lilo to boot it.

There's a really great sticky thread for recompiling your kernel. It makes it simple as hell.

For the bare bones of it though, you download the source of the kernel you want from kernel.org and untar it to /usr/src. From a command prompt go into the new directory as root...

type make mrproper (optional for a newly downloaded kernel as it will clean out the default config which I prefer to keep and modify rather than have to go back through and reset everything)

then type make menuconfig

select all the options you need and exit saving the config

For the 2.6 kernels all you have to do then is type 'make' and it'll not only create the bzImage but also make any modules specified

if you added anything as modules just type 'make modules_install'

and you're done with that kernel.

Now go (as root) to the /boot directory and create a symbolic link to the new kernel's bzImage:

ln -s /usr/src/linux-2.6.x/arch/i386/boot/bzImage vmlinuz-2.6.x (you can use whatever name you want for the link, I use vmlinuz-kernel version out of habit)

Go into lilo.conf and just duplicate the existing lines used to boot:

# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hda1
label = Slack-2.4.7
read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.5
root = /dev/hda1
label = Slack-2.6.5
read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends

so you'll have a second set of the same lines only change the image from vmlinuz to the link you created vmlinuz-2.6.5 and change the label to something unique. Save the lilo.conf. Run lilo as root and then reboot. You'll see your new kernel show up as an option when you boot and you'll be able to tweak it as need be without losing the option to boot to the old kernel. The first entry will always be the default.

Thanks a lot for that. I'm gonna get the 2.6 kernel now