[SOLVED] New Slackware user - Some problems

lghizoni · 12-30-2011, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by honeybadger

Try doing this. Login as root and run 'pkgtool'. It will give you some option one of them would be to run the init scripts again. This time when you select boot mode select textmode. Then run 'startx' or 'startxfce' and you should be able to see the screen. In case you do not then run 'xorgconf' as root and just keep hitting enter until it ends and then run 'startx'. Once you get the desktop you will find prefrences -> administration and then you would be able to set the monitor in a gui mode.
Hope this helps.

Thank you! When I run pkgtool as root I chose "Setup -> Choose Slackware installation scrypts to run again". Is that it?

Then I had a lot of choices, but I didn't find any boot selection, just "Setup LILO to boot Linux"

What scripts should I choose?

onebuck · 12-30-2011, 03:38 PM

Hi,

Post your '/etc/lilo.conf' file. I am sure that you only have one stanza for one boot option and that is for label 'Linux';

Quote:

excerpt from 'man lilo.conf';
When booting, the boot loader will issue its boot: prompt and wait for you to enter the label of
the kernel (and any options) which you wish to boot. At any time you may hit [Tab] to see a list
of kernel/other labels. Alternately, if the menu boot loader is installed, a menu of boot
options will be presented for your selection. The title of this menu is overridden with the menu
title specification in this configuration file. If you enter nothing, then the default kernel
image, the first mentioned, (/boot/zImage-1.5.99) will be booted after a timeout of 15 seconds
(150 deciseconds). There may be at least 16 images mentioned in lilo.conf. (The exact number
depends upon compilation options.)

You can append in the global section or addappend within the image stanza(s);

Quote:

excerpt 'man lilo.conf'
addappend=<string>
(22.6) The kernel parameters from the specified string, are concatenated to the parame-
ter(s) from an append= specification (see below). The string must be enclosed within dou-
ble quotes. Usually, the previous append= will specify parameters common to all kernels
by appearing in the top, or global, section of the configuratin file and addappend= will
be used to add local parameter(s) to an individual image. Addappend= may be used only
once per "image=" section.

append=<string>
Appends the options specified to the parameter line passed to the kernel. This is typi-
cally used to specify hardware parameters that can't be entirely auto-detected or for
which probing may be dangerous. Multiple kernel parameters are separated by a blank space,
and the string must be enclosed in double quotes. A local append= appearing withing an
image= section overrides any global append= appearing in the top section of the configura-
tion file. Append= may be used only once per "image=" section. To concatenate parameter
strings, use "addappend=". Example:

append="mem=96M hd=576,64,32 console=ttyS1,9600"

'Man command' is your friend, learn to use the 'man'.

Two good references Slackware® Essentials & Slackware® Basics.

Another useful resource would be 'Slackware-Links'. More than just Slackware® links!

You will find the following tutorial useful;

Quote:

excerpt from sticky 'So you want to be a Slacker! What do I do next?';

'New tutorials for installing and configuring Slack ' is a thread for a great tutorial: http://genek.net/LinuxAdventures/ins...allation1.html by 2handband. I recommend that all should look at this new tutorial for Slackware. Great for everyone!
http://genek.net/LinuxAdventures/sysadmin/index.html << new temp link

Newbies will learn a lot by following the sections within. As for the experienced users, it's a good place for us to recommend corrections or suggest areas that concern you. I for one participate with 2handband on subjects that I'm interested in: Slackware! Several other members have participated.

HTH!

lghizoni · 12-30-2011, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackRider

Any text editor which you could easily use as root will suffice. For simple administrative tasks you can invoke nano.

Code:

$ su -c 'nano /etc/lilo.conf'

The "[options]" were just meant to show you that you can append any booting option you want, and it will be considered a "default". For example, you can pass the "nomodeset" option.

They are set somewhere in /etc/lilo.conf

It is another idea, but running the install scripts again is basically going to automatically comment/uncomment the "vga" options as I told in my first post.

Thank you BlackRider!

As for my append, it shows append="default_utf8=0". Can I change it and insert the one you suggested?

BlackRider · 12-30-2011, 03:54 PM

Quote:

As for my append, it shows append="default_utf8=0". Can I change it and insert the one you suggested?

I think you are referring to a general "append" in the config file. You'd better let it be and search the particular one for Slackware. If you have no particular "append" for Slackware, then just create it and set the options you require. A plain append="nomodeset" would do the trick for you, but you can place as many options as you want. My example line contains "quiet" and "resume=/swap/partition" just for instructive purposes, you don't really need to set them.

Please, don't do anything to /etc/lilo.conf without understanding what are you doing, you could have your boot mechanism toasted!

lghizoni · 12-30-2011, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackRider

I think you are referring to a general "append" in the config file. You'd better let it be and search the particular one for Slackware. If you have no particular "append" for Slackware, then just create it and set the options you require. A plain append="nomodeset" would do the trick for you, but you can place as many options as you want. My example line contains "quiet" and "resume=/swap/partition" just for instructive purposes, you don't really need to set them.

Please, don't do anything to /etc/lilo.conf without understanding what are you doing, you could have your boot mechanism toasted!

Ok, I thing I found the right one now:

image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/root
initrd = /boot/initrd.gz
label = Linux
read-only

So I think I have no particular "append" for Slackware. Is that correct? So I just create it? And what should be the output? The one you suggested?

BlackRider · 12-30-2011, 06:08 PM

Quote:

So I think I have no particular "append" for Slackware. Is that correct? So I just create it? And what should be the output? The one you suggested?

Yeah, you just have to create your particular "append" entry. It could be something as follows:

Code:

image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/root
initrd = /boot/initrd.gz
label = Linux
append = "nomodeset"
read-only

Save the file, run "lilo" as root and you are done!

Noony · 12-30-2011, 07:41 PM

Hi all,
Reading your first post, I think you must have an nVidia display card. If so, you will get normal looking boot messages for a little while before it goes black. The normal behavior occurs before the nouveau driver is activated. At the moment when the nouveau driver is activated, it chooses it's own display parameters irrespective of what you asked for. In my case, it changed to a microscopic sized print instead of turning it black.

There is a concept called "blacklisting" a driver, which means preventing a driver from being activated automatically. Slackware has a package called "xf86-video-nouveau-blacklist-noarch-1.txz" which can be installed like any other package. This package is in the "extra" directory on the 4th install CD. If you cd to the appropriate directory and type upgradepkg xf*txz, this package will replace the nouveau driver package. That eliminates the nouveau driver, but you can get it back later, if necessary, by doing the same command on the driver package in the "x" directory on the install CD's.

After doing this you should be able to use "VGA = 773" or whatever, in lilo.conf.

onebuck · 12-30-2011, 10:28 PM

Hi,

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackRider

Yeah, you just have to create your particular "append" entry. It could be something as follows:

Code:

image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/root
initrd = /boot/initrd.gz
label = Linux
append = "nomodeset"
read-only

Save the file, run "lilo" as root and you are done!

Sorry, but you should use the 'append=' in the 'Global' section not in the image section. If you wish to use the passing of parameter within the image stanza then one would use the 'addappend=' for passing additional parameters to the kernel. You can only use the 'append=' once in the 'lilo.conf' as per the documentation.

Code:

image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/root
initrd = /boot/initrd.gz
label = Linux
addappend = "nomodeset"
read-only

You can add parameters options to the 'append=' in the global section then 'addapend=' to pass additional parameters within any of the image stanza(s). Do a 'man lilo.conf' & 'man lilo' to understand how to use properly.

@OP It would help if you posted requested information so we can help without shooting in the dark.
HTH!

lghizoni · 12-31-2011, 05:57 AM

Hello all,

I've already been a Ubuntu and Debian user. Now want to try Slackware, but I'm having 2 initial problems:

1. The first time I installed Slackware I tried to create a /home partition, using FAT16(32M). But then something went wrong (I don't know what) and I reinstalled Slackware, deleting all partitions and creting 2 new ones, / and swap. But know, when I initialize Slackware, it sees two boots, Windows and Linux! Do someone know how can I delete this 'Windows'?

2. When I boot Slackware, it starts normally, but suddennly the monitor goes off and doesn't come back it all. The same thing happens when I boot with LILO. The only way I found to initialize is to run 'linux init 3 nomodeset' in LILO. Do someone know how can I boot Slackware without always have to run 'linux init 3 nomodeset' in LILO? I already asked this question in the forum. Someone told me to edit lilo.conf, but I'm afraid to do some mess...I think I wouls need some detailed explanation.

Sorry for lots of questions and thank you!

NoStressHQ · 12-31-2011, 06:21 AM

Hi,

Welcome to slackware realms

1. I always use the gparted live CD to manage my partitions prior to install with slackware, and I recommend you to do so (even to modify your existing partitions). A possible explanation about why it didn't work with FAT16 (or FAT32) is because FAT systems are old MSDOS fs, which doesn't support file permission and ownership like UNIX expect. You might want to mount a FAT16/32(/NTFS) partition on your FS 'somewhere' if you wanna share that partition, but you shouldn't use it to put Linux specific files...

2. I don't know really what could be your problem, but yes you can modify your lilo.conf quite "safely", making backup and double checking what you do, you'll always be able to mount you drive to fix it in case of problem with your slackware installation disk. BTW, don't forget to launch the 'lilo' command on prompt to make the changes in the lilo.conf active. About your screen problem, maybe it's due to the nouveau driver or something? You'd better tell us more about your graphic hardware, and maybe create a single thread for that problem in the forum.

Good luck !

Garry.

repo · 12-31-2011, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Someone told me to edit lilo.conf, but I'm afraid to do some mess...I think I wouls need some detailed explanation.

First, make sure to have a live CD to boot from, like puppy, so you can undo the changes.
as root make a backup from the original file.

Code:

cp /etc/lilo.conf /etc/lilo.conf.bak

edit

Code:

/etc/lilo.conf

Look for the line

Code:

append=

Make it look like:

Code:

append=" quiet splash vt.default_utf8=1 nomodeset"

run

Code:

lilo -v

reboot
For the problem with the grafic card, do you have an intel card?
If yes, try to use an older version of xf86-video-intel

Quote:

1. The first time I installed Slackware I tried to create a /home partition, using FAT16(32M). But then something went wrong (I don't know what) and I reinstalled Slackware, deleting all partitions and creting 2 new ones, / and swap. But know, when I initialize Slackware, it sees two boots, Windows and Linux! Do someone know how can I delete this 'Windows'?

Seems to me you didn't delete the fat partition, so lilo thinks there is a windows installed.
Remove he FAT partiton, or use gparted to reformat the partition in ext*.
Remove the line in

Code:

/etc/lilo.conf

which is pointing to windows, run

Code:

lilo -v

and reboot.
If needed you can mount the new partiton as /data or /backup and make use of it.
If you are afraid to do this, a reinstall will give you more peace of mind.
Just make sure to use the entire disk, and remove the FAT partition.

Kind regards

repo · 12-31-2011, 07:57 AM

BTW, wich version of slackware are you using?

Kind regards

Noony · 12-31-2011, 05:46 PM

Hi,
Could I suggest that you revisit the post that I made in the other thread, which advocated blacklisting the nouveau driver? Don't be afraid to use upgradepkg; it'll be a great friend in the future, so why not go ahead and use it now. When you type "upgradepkg name-of-package", it will simply replace any package that has the same first-half of the name. That's because the second half of the name is usually a version designation.

Incidentally, that nouveau driver wrecks both the X-windows display and the non-gui console display (only if you have an nVidia display card)
p.s. I looked up your computer model, and you have nVidia unless there were other alternatives to choose from (not common in laptops).

lghizoni · 01-01-2012, 03:08 PM

Hello,

I'm using the latest stable version, 13.37.

My PC is a Dell XPS L502X Intel® Core™ i7- 2670QM (2.2GHz)

My graphic card is NVIDIA® GeForce® GT540M 2GB.

I edited lilo.conf and inserted -> append=" quiet splash vt.default_utf8=1 nomodeset"

I also removed the FAT partiton, and now the Windows option doesn't appear anymore.

So, my two problems are solved now!! Thank you very much to all!

About the graphic hardware, what could be the problem?

Also, when I boot Slackware, some text lines appear before the login. The first and second of lines are:

EXT3-fs(sda1):error:couldn't mount because of unsupported optional features
EXT2-fs(sda1):error:couldn't mount because of unsupported optional features

Is that normal? Because after that it goes normally to the login.

Thank you again!

firekage · 01-01-2012, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lghizoni

About the graphic hardware, what could be the problem?

Also, when I boot Slackware, some text lines appear before the login. The first and second of lines are:

EXT3-fs(sda1):error:couldn't mount because of unsupported optional features
EXT2-fs(sda1):error:couldn't mount because of unsupported optional features

Is that normal? Because after that it goes normally to the login.

Thank you again!

1. It is related to framebuffer. I have similar problem with Parted Magic or G-Parted, don't remember now. This options, if i remember correctly, disables framebuffer.

2. Well, if you have wrong entries in /etc/fstab than you would have this errors. These lines are related to mounted drives with ext3 and ext2 filesystems but with unsupported options - maybe you typed something wrong. It's a warning but Slackware will boot, it won't boot when wrong features would have been passed to a root filesystem.

Tip - in Slackware you can easily check files with cat (caternate) command from terminal and also easily edit them with mcedit (i dont like visudo ant other, mcedit is quite simple), for an example:

# mcedit /etc/fstab

will allow to modify in mcedit fstab from /etc/fstab. You will be able to write it, it's really easy.