Monitor?

[oxmix]

I have successfully installed Mandrake 9.2, however when booting up I am certain that the x-serve has started but with a blank screen and no login, I suspect that I have configured the monitor, ( or vid card) incorectly. Not being well versed in command line arguments, I would like to know how to get into hardware configurator. I can get to a command promt and login via failsafe, on initial graphical screen. What should I do?

Any suggestions, or commands I can use would be appreciated

- -Greatful Newbie- -

 

~~>By the way is there a place to go to get info on monitors not listen in original install configuration? (Sceptre Monitor /lol ) OR what is defaul that may work?

 

Many thanks for reading this

Edited March 3, 2004 by oxmix

[fuzzylizard]

To be honest, the easiest thing to do would be to reinstall Mandrake. At the end of the install, there is a configuration screen that lists all the different hardware elements of your computer. What did that screen say for your particular Monitor/Video Card combination? Did you ever test the screen resolution / setup during the install?

 

If the answer to any of the above questions is "I don't know", then I would strongly suggest doing a reinstall, keeping a watch out for the final configuration screen and ensuring that your monitor/video card are properly setup. Also, make sure you test the configuration while you in the install process.

 

The best place to go for information concerning a monitor is the website of the manufacturer of the monitor. If you dig enough, most sites will list all the tech specs for the products that they sell.

[liquidzoo]

To be honest, the easiest thing to do would be to reinstall Mandrake.

 

Not necessarily.

 

Start up your computer as you normally would. When you get to the black screen, press Ctrl-Alt-F2 and login at the text prompt as root.

 

From there, I assume you have a DM running, type

service dm stop

 

This should stop your DM and kill X with it. After that, type xfdrake (I think that's the filename) and reconfigure your monitor.

 

The best place to go for information concerning a monitor is the website of the manufacturer of the monitor. If you dig enough, most sites will list all the tech specs for the products that they sell.

 

This part I agree with. According to the Sceptre Website The only CRT monitors they make are 1280x1024@65Hz 17" displays. Look for something similar to that (my laptop is Generic LCD 1400x1050) in the monitor list in xfdrake. After that, save the configuration and reboot. All should be fine after that.

[oxmix]

Thanks Liquid that is damn good advise! thanks for the heads up from the scepter site, and the way to get to the configurator!!

 

As for the other response thanks but i did do the screen settings, test, etc etc

 

 

Let you know how I do LiquidZoo, So far this new Mandrake looks impressive

[Cannonfodder]

As I just installed 9.2 tonight and had the same problem with my ATI All inwonderve (black screen), I tried this too.

 

However, the ctrl-alt-backspace part didn't work.. If it doesn't work for you you can try booting into failsafe (see lilo menu) and then at the prompt

 

XFdrake

 

Do a test to insure it works. After configuring the video again, click options and set it to not start automatically. Reboot and login at the console. Then type

 

startx

 

to start the X session. If you do it this way, and it doesn't work, you will see error messages in the console and be able to act on them.

 

When done, you can run XFDrake again and set X to start on boot.

 

My problem is solved, hope yours does too..

[aru]

I'm bored, sorry cannonfodder, but I'm going to put your post in a 'somewhat' standard way to help other people to do the same you've done but with no mandrake dependant commands, this might help some one. If you feel that this post is out of place or too pedantic you can just remove it :) ;)

 

As I just installed 9.2 tonight and had the same problem with my ATI All inwonderve (black screen), I tried this too.

 

However, the ctrl-alt-backspace part didn't work.. If it doesn't work for you you can try booting into failsafe (see lilo menu) and then at the prompt

if there is no failsafe option at lilo, and you have a graphical menu, just press <esc> to get the lilo prompt. If lilo is not configured to be interactive, then press the <alt> or <shift> key before the ``LILO'' message appears. By any of this means you'll get into the lilo prompt, then press the <tab> key to get a list of possible images. Type the desired one and add the parameter init 3 (or only 3) for mandrake, and other redhat-like distros, or init 2 (or only 2) for debian-like ones. This will boot you into text mode in a standard way.

 

XFdrake

 

Do a test to insure it works. After configuring the video again, click options and set it to not start automatically.

 

Ensure you have your monitor manual at hand, edit (I recommend to use vi for this) the file /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 and put the right HorizSync and VertRefresh ranges of your monitor in the "Monitor" section. Or edit the "Device" section if the problem is with your graphical card. Save the file.

 

About setting the system to not start X automatically, edit, using vim, the file /etc/inittab by changing the line id:5:initdefault: in redhat-like distros, or the line id:3:initdefault: in debian-like distros, with the line id:3:initdefault:, or id:2:initdefault:, in function of what type of distro you are using. But IMHO you don't need to do this step, keep reading.

 

 

 

Reboot and login at the console. Then type

Heresy!!!! don't reboot!! ;) you can do the test right now

 

startx

 

to start the X session. If you do it this way, and it doesn't work, you will see error messages in the console and be able to act on them.

Just to add that you can also look at any time to /var/log/XFree86.0.log to see a full report of your X behavior, including warnings "WW" and errors "EE"

 

When done, you can run XFDrake again and set X to start on boot.

 

My problem is solved, hope yours does too..

 

Sorry for this pedantic intromission, but hope it helps some one :)

 

[EDITED] Fixed some of the many misspellings

Edited March 3, 2004 by aru

[aRTee]

You don't have to boot into failsafe, just hit [esc] when lilo shows the menu, and type:

 

linux init 3

[aru]

Just what I've said

[aRTee]

I must have had the page open and taken some time to get to it, in the same time you posted all that, and finally I posted my bit.....

Anyway, we seem to agree on the method here, must be good then, right? :P

[Cannonfodder]

I'm bored, sorry cannonfodder, but I'm going to put your post in a 'somewhat' standard way to help other people to do the same you've done but with no mandrake dependant commands, this might help some one. If you feel that this post is out of place or too pedantic you can just remove it :) ;)

Would I do that?

 

:unsure: :lol:

[oxmix]

As LiquidZoo stated:

 

 

 

Start up your computer as you normally would. When you get to the black screen, press Ctrl-Alt-F2 and login at the text prompt as root.

 

From there, I assume you have a DM running, type

CODE 

service dm stop

 

 

 

This should stop your DM and kill X with it. After that, type xfdrake (I think that's the filename) and reconfigure your monitor.Start up your computer as you normally would. When you get to the black screen, press Ctrl-Alt-F2 and login at the text prompt as root.

 

From there, I assume you have a DM running, type

CODE 

service dm stop

 

 

 

This should stop your DM and kill X with it. After that, type xfdrake (I think that's the filename) and reconfigure your monitor.

 

 

To complicate this, I solved my problem, but in so doing also discover, 1) I could not log in as root after Ctrl-Alt-F2 (other combinations also bring up login screen Alt-F3, etc) and that 2) the hardware cofigurator command is harddrake2, as root and that xfdrake was an invalid command.

 

For some reason the solution to my problem was booting in linux-nonfb Mode (server packages installed?) From there I got into the GUI login screen and now have access to X-Windows.

 

One more thing, I love this Linux!, however when I shutdown or hit reboot it brings me back to the GUI login screen how the hell do I reboot? LOL!

Edited March 4, 2004 by oxmix

[spinynorman]

... xfdrake was an invalid command.

The command is XFdrake... Linux is always case-sensitive. :)

[Cannonfodder]

Sometimes what you can do is type

 

X

 

and then hit tab to see all the possibilities. I did the same thing and then tried with a capital X.

[aRTee]

Linux-nonfb mode is a mode with a special setting for the graphics mode -- nothing to do with a server in the general sense of a computer as a server..

 

About the pc not shutting down but rebooting:

I bet you never really shut down the pc, meaning: you leave the power cable connected to a socket that always is powered.

 

Next time you shut down, and it restarts, either go into the bios (hit 'del' usually gets you there) or wait for lilo to pop up, and then move the arrow keys so that the countdown stops.

Now you have all the time in the world -- just disconnect the power cable or use the switch on the back of the computer (if available) to completely switch off / disconnect the power supply.

 

This should help -- it seems a bios problem that quite a few systems suffer from. Note that the point of doing this while in the bios or bootmenu is to make sure no partitions are mounted at the time, so no datacorruption can result due to the intentional power failure.