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Newbie old guy (62) needs serious help! [solved]


largegroh
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I did select the generic FX which was the only FX available. only changed the resolution in kde. btw:

my motherboard is = Compact Presario 711ous 470016-083

 

can I assume that other things can be changed inside kde with configure my computer?? Or should I just leave everything alone?

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Regarding your prompt (GUI isn't work). When linux starts up, it goes through what is called run levels. Runlevels go from 1 to 5 (roughly, and skipping some numbers)... if your configuration file has a inittab value of 3, it will never even startup the GUI and you are placed into a command line prompt. The prompt allows you to type commands you would normally do though a GUI (actually other way around, GUI came second).

 

Typing

 

init 5

 

would put you in a run level 5. But if your video board configuration is screwy, then it will just fail when it tries to start the GUI, so that's a separate issue.

 

So, what you would need to do is learn to configure your video.. gotta run!

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I did select the generic FX which was the only FX available. only changed the resolution in kde. btw:

my motherboard is = Compact Presario 711ous 470016-083

 

can I assume that other things can be changed inside kde with configure my computer?? Or should I just leave everything alone?

 

You may not have noticed - it took me a bunch of installs to get it - that where it asks you for your vid card and you choose genericFX, next you get to choose your monitor, and to do that you click on "vendor" mine's a viewsonic, so I then click on viewsonic, mine's a A75f so I then click on A75f -

 

this is very important: it then gives you a choice of some resolutions - I think those are the only ones available to you in that install. Sometimes, as Linux improves, or as the driver that you haven't installed yet, improves, you get more. REMEMBER, at this point you are using the generic driver that's in the kern. I remember Xandros included the latest Nvidia driver in the release. - Mandriva doesn't.

 

There is a short series of instructions to do that and You might take a look at tips and tricks in the forum,.

 

Anyway, to change your resolution, I can not help you. I know it modified xorg.conf and a companion file in X11, but I believe it probably modified something else. I think your best bet is to reinstall. That's why I left for a few hours - I did about 4 install and cooker builds trying to get a 2006 that worked, but failed miserably, so I'm back on a rudimentary 2005. I will be gon tomorrow afternoon but will try to be around to help you tomorrrow evening. HANG IN THERE!!!

 

Once you've done it, it's seem easy, but right now it's like trying to communicate with a wall - my walls don't communicate very well!

Kristi "sound is another thing that you should probably ask before you change - I don't think other stuff is as critical. You will learn to make backups of the stuff on your home partition (or in your user folder, ) so you don't loose so much when you re-install.

nite.

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Kristi, I found this in tips and tricks. https://mandrivausers.org/index.php?showtopic=25045

 

ran startx twice, (it hung first time) and then mcc. got a popup that allowed me to set screen again and now boots fine. mouse does not always work but then....

 

wierd though how sometimes i boot linux and my mouse wheel will scroll page and other times it will not.

guess I will just thank the linux gods for small favors. got in again without re-install.. so far..lol

 

cannonfodder, I watched the boot and was reaching level 5 so am good there. thx though.

Edited by largegroh
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Great - next thing might be to install the 7167 Nvidia driver for your vid card. Glad you're finding stuff in tips and tricks. There are other how-to's in this forum that will help lots. Expect things to break for a while and have fun learning to fix them, and Linux will become a frient for you.

Kristi

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Well, now you have gained more knowledge on Linux and can feel a bit more confident.

Linux is not always easy, but usually most of the problems here can be fixed with right action from user, i.e., it hasn't "Windows Random Error Generator" :tm::jester:

Congrats with your new system!

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