mark_667

I re-installed Mandrake which solved the log-in problem and I (eventually) found that after changing the mouse driver to: generic 2-button PS/2 scroll mouse it suddenly worked! Thanks everyone for your help and support!

Clair: How did you manage to over-write Windows when re-installing Mandrake? (I may need to do this) Aren't you meant to install Windows and then Mandrake so the Linux boot loader can handle it? Did you alter any of the partitions, etc? You think you have a hard time with the time zones, I'm in England! At least you're all in the same country. tymark: Typing: ps -fu root gave me a list of processes (for some reason, typing: ps -fu root | grep X just returned a prompt) but there is no process 7183 to kill the, largest number is 4200. Typing startx after this loaded KDE!! WOO-HOOO! But the mouse was frozen for some reason: D'oh! And it didn't boot past the pop-up welcome box you get when you start the system for the first time. Although if I added the command switches: startx -- :1 it got to the desktop :-) Is there anything I can do about the mouse now I can get to the system config tools? I tried using a universal PS/2 mouse driver instead of the default, but it didn't work. PS. Since I used the Alt-Ctrl-F8 command it goes into a command prompt every time at that point, is this normal? How can I get the log-in GUI back?

I done the 'fc-cache -v' command (going through Ctl+Alt+F4) which succeded and start X which gave me a much shorter message this time: Fatal server error: Server is already active for display 0 if this server is no longer running, remove /tmp/.X0-lock and start again Which I suppose is good news, but it did also give the below message which I don't think I got before. Remember this is a single-user setup the only server I want to connect to is my ISP and I haven't configured that yet. Xlib: connection to ":0.0" refused by server Xlib: Invalid MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 key giving up xinit: unable to connect to X server. xinit: No such process (errno 3): Server error. The log was the same as last time with the exception of one line at the bottom: (WW) Mouse 1: cannot open input device AUDIT: Thu Jan 13 12:55:10 2005: 3715 X: client 2 rejected from local host Auth name: MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 ID: -1 I tried the MCC but couldn't find any mention to Xorg. I tried booting without the mouse attached (and with no USB devices), but it made no difference. Mandrake 10.0 never had a problem with my mouse. Clair: you need the root password to use MCC remember to type 'su' and enter the root password before you try it (should still find the command though).

Claire, I tried the code you did (although I have no idea what | grep EE is all about) and it couldn't find the file either, but although I didn't get the module error at that point, if you look at the second line of the code dump I posted above; we both have the same module missing, although the file paths are different. I tried looking for the module in the same directory as stated in Claire's last post using the command: ls /usr/X11R6/lib/modules and indeed found it to be missing. I tried: ls /var/log to see what files were there. I found the last two entries were Xorg.0.log and Xorg.0.log.old both of which I could open and basically just gave the error: xf86OpenSerial: Cannot open device /dev/mouse I wonder if this is the case on Clair's system or not as: Ixthusdan: In your last you advised us to re-install X can you post some simple instructions or a link that would tell us how to do this please? I tried Googling, but couldn't find anything relevant.

There is a piece of software for Windows called SocksCap. This automatically forwards all your Internet traffic through a SOCKSv5 server. Is there any Linux equivelant that can be used by a home user and doesn't require you to be on a network?

Ixthusdan: my machine freezes at the same point as Claire's (from what I can tell) after the screen goes blue but before the logon box appears. I tried what you suggested in your first response and got this data: Using vt 7 (EE) Filed to load modulke "usr/X11R6/lib/modules.extensions/libglx.a" (once-only module, 135962511) (EE) xf860OpenSerial: Cannot open device /dev/mouse No such file or directory. (EE) xf860OpenSerial: Cannot open device /dev/mouse No such file or directory. (EE) xf860OpenSerial: Cannot open device /dev/mouse No such file or directory. (EE) xf860OpenSerial: Cannot open device /dev/mouse No such file or directory. Could not init font path element unix/:-1, removing from list! Fatal server error: could not open default font 'fixed' Please consult The X Org Foundation support at http://wiki.X.org for help please also check the log file at "/var/log/Xorg.0.log" for additional information. XIO: fatal error 104 (Connection reset by peer) on X server ":0.0" after 0 requests (0 unknown processed) with 0 events remaining. Does this mean anything to anyone?

I have the same problem only I'm dual-booting with Windows XP on a desktop machine. I found that if you boot in fail-safe mode you then have the option to continue the boot normally (which doesn't do anything different for me) or log-in as root. When you log-in as root you get a command prompt although it wasn't much use to me at the time because I didn't know where to start. Hope this helps :D

Is there any single file or directory that stores the system settings and configuration that can be copied to floppy? I want to do a clean install of mandrake 10.1 (I'm currently using 10.0) as I need to dual boot my disk with Windows XP and don't want to have to re-configure everything. Will the settings file still be compatible (so I can just replace th existing one) or will I have to re-configure everything for the new version?

I am using mandrake 10 and tried to back it up from a configuration file using the backup function in configure your computer. However, I always get an error that it cannot find the ISO. If I navigate to the directory it lists, it is not there and I don't know where the actual configuration file is stored (I believe that you can just drag and drop this into k3b to burn it to a CD. Any help useful, mark_667 [moved from Software by spinynorman]

I have created a configuration file in Mandrake 10, but when I click the backup now option I get the error: cdrecord: cannot read session offset ... cdrecord: No such file or directory. Cannot open '/var/lib/drakbackup/drakebackup.iso'. However, at no point does the indicator light come on to suggest it's even reading from the drive. But k3b can gather data about the disk fine. I actually have 2 devices a old CD-writer and a DVD-writer that can burn CDs at 24x. Both give the same message. Is there any way of doing this through k3b without having to use the Mandrake backup system?

I followed your instructions and after going to runlevel 3 the only error I got read 'Bringing up loopback interface FAILED' I then got prompted for localhost login. I found that I could only access XFdrake by logging in as root, but that didn't seem to be it. Although I found that if I ran startx as root, it booted me into the KDE GUI. I tried the Autologin to log-in the user automatically and double checked it in the login manager and rebooted. It didn't log-in automatically, and still returned me to th log-in screen. I tried changing the session type to KDE, then Failsafe, it made no difference. I tried pmpatrick's method, butI got a screen with a progress bar 'loading Linux' and then a local host login prompt. It rejected my attempt to login as root, but when I logged in as the user I could 'su' to root OK. I ran startx and got the same as the first time. Thanks for the info

Firstly, not even I'm daft enough to try and use the root password when trying to log-in as a normal user (they're different and I tried it anyway just in case). I'm not actually getting any errors, just being returned to the log-in manager. I only get a clickable choice of one user I can log-in as so I couldn't try to log-in as root if I wanted to as I never get the option of an text box for the user, only to input the password. how exactly do I do this and will I still have to worry about the log-in? Also, I know running the computer as root isn't the safest thing, but unless I find a way to give a normal user root privelages (it's only me who uses it anyway so I'm not worried about security) it's the easiest way.

Hi, I recently installed Mandrake 10 and set up root and another user account. On the first boot I logged in as root OK. Later, when I tried to login again there was only the option to login as a normal user and not root. When I tried to login it accepted the password, started to load the GUI, but then returned me to the log-in screen without completing. I now have no way of getting into my own system! Someone please help!

Although the link wasn't what I was looking for in itself, I managed to find a useful link about a rescue disk. However, I am still having trouble getting disks to mount properly, I tried using the terminal, but have no luck with the commands, despite findingthis page. instead I get 'command not recognised'?

Hi, I want to reallocate partition sizes so I have a unallocated block (which I can then format to NTFS) to install and dual-boot Windows XP. My question is, how do I use the built-in CD burning software to backup entire partitions beforehand instead of just some of the files (ie. the home or documents directory). I want to backup the partition contents so I am able to restore them if I end up over-writing data when resizing them. When I try to use k3b to access root, even though I am logged in as admin I am denied access and not prompted for a password. Does anyone know how to get around this? Also, when I try to mount a disk it will appear on the desktop as having mounted correctly, but if I try to open it or use konqueror it says it doesn't exist, will I still be able to burn CDs and DVDs if this is the case?

If hard drake shows the partition usage it doesn't do it very well (It showed the model, vendor, bus type, channel, new devfs device, old device file and media class. Alas no mention of the partitions). I found system monitor, however, did under the resource monitor tab. My HD is only 17GB in size with the root allocated 5.8GB and using 1.8 the swap partition uses a varying small amount of less than 1MB of the 156MB (although the memory and swap history panel above it says 0 bytes of 494MB ?) allocated and the home partition36MB of 9.7GB. Devries: typing df in the console gave me different 'used' amounts (even when I had the two running side-by-side), but the percentages were the same. I have a partitioning tool (Partition Magic 8 for Windows), but will this only reallocate the parts of the partition that do not contain data or should I back it up first and does this depend on which partitions I am re-sizing? LOL! This isn't quite the way I operate You don't need to tell me that, I wrote the book. Perfect! Although finding out that I will need to do it again after I add a new piece of hardware all for the sake of using a few less megs makes me wonder if it's worth it!

I'm still fairly new to Linux and didn't expect it to have to use 3 partitions on install so I have a few questions: 1. Why does it need 3? 2. How can I find out if the free space I'm being shown is for one partition or the entire drive? 3. How can I reduce the amount of space it takes up on the drive becasue I want to dual-boot Win XP. 4. I have read that you can recompile the kernel so it is optimised to your system for faster response times and a smaller footprint. How do I go about this and what should I bear in mind? Thanks for any help :D [moved from Software by spinynorman]

I have tried this before, but it seems a bit unreliable, it would either revert back or not display the options even if it didn't. I had more luck with the session manager. After changing some options to make the action after logoff 'shutdown' I managed to get a screen with a 'halt' option on it. Clicking this shut down the system, but although it said it was going to powerdown the computer never actually shut down fully, only exited the system. I found that if you run the command 'powerdown' from the terminal this will do the same. Also, does anyone have any idea of how I'm meant to deal with the microcode (especially when I can't get the floppy to mount properly) does every modem need one and how can I copy it to the required directory if it appears to mount the disk, but then when I try to click the mounted image it says it doesn't exist? What commands should I try?

Firstly, the Internet. I've noticed that I have to provide a Microcode and place it in a certain directory. I downloaded one for my modem here. and saved it onto floppy. However, although Linux will mount the disk using the command: mnt/floppy (or something like that) when I click the mounted desktop image I cannot get access because what it just mounted 'does not exist'. :unsure: The same goes for if I try to view the file in konqueror. Vee dub: I'm using an external modem, but it is only the one PC connecting to the net do I still need to set it up as a network connection and if so how is this done (I'm more used to setting up network connections with more than one computer :P)? On the next point, OK the browsers stay. On the next point: when you click the log-off button apparantly you should get a few options (including shutdown), but I only get logoff and cancel? Have I configured something wrong or is it the installation? spiedra: thanks for the tip on the session manager I'll look into it and see if I have any luck.

Thanks for the information, it now works fine B)

I have a DSL connection and would like to know how I should go about setting it up on mandrake 10 (I'm a new user). I have created a connection through the control centre, but cannot find anywhere to input the number to dial the only option like that in the 'managing connections' control is the option to input the IP address, which I don't know. Also, the only way to actually get it to connect is to use the 'monitor connections' panel. I clicked the option to connect on startup, but it does nothing. And when I start the browser I cannot find anything that gives me the option to connect, even when I type in a URL? Also, there appears to be multiple browsers installed but I cannot find anything that will allow me to remove either of them and mark the one left as a default. I have tried the 'remove software' option, but neither Mozilla nor Konqueror are listed. Although I can find them quite easily in the 'web browsers' menu Try as I might Mandrake 10 appears to have been engineered to be indestructible! I cannot find anyway to shut down the system and switch off the computer! There is only a log off button and when I type the command 'poweroff' it shuts down the system processes, etc but still refuses to switch off the PC. (I have resorted to using the three-key restart and shutting it down while it's still doing the memory test in order to do as little damage as possible!) :unsure: I need to add a button to the taskbar or menu which will do this automatically, if that is possible. Mainly for my own sanity and to stop my family messing up the system by either leaving it to me to do it for them (usually for several hours) or by switching it off manually. Lastly does anyone know of a good ghosting utility? I know there are a few built-in backup programs, but they don't appear to be able to backup the system and documents so you can exactly restore a system later? Thanks in advance for any help :-) please help

Hi, I'm pretty new to Linux, but I recently installed mandrake 10.0 from 3 bootable CDs. When I start Linux-secure I get a hang at the 'bringing up interface eth0' (worked fine the first few times I even managed to change some system settings) I have tried just restarting it a couple of times since and sometimes get a diagnostic, but all it does it restart it. I couldn't work out how to shut down the system the first couple of times (only log-off) and so ended up just having to hit the off button. I'm no expert, but this probably has something to do with it. Do I need to repair the installation, I have tried pressing 'I' for the selective startup, but this makes no difference Any help appreciated.