Help! I Screwed Up the Installation

[tstrickland]

I attempted to load Linux from a Mandriva 2005 LE DVD i 586 disc. I got lots of error messages relating to i586 files, but I chose to ignore them and proceed, not knowing what else to do. I made a mistake, I subsequently learned, when I chose to install the bootloader in the first sector of the root partition. When the installation was complete I shut down, but when I restarted the computer it would only boot into Windows XP.

 

Next I tried to completely reload Linux, but that didn't work. The installation process ran for hours and seemed to be caught in a loop. I shut down and rebooted with Knoppix Linux. The hard drive looks to be partitioned properly so I thought it would be best to delete all the Linux files and start the intsallation from scratch. However, Linux wouldn't let me delete the files and folders on the hard drive.

 

I've done everything I can think to do, and none of it worked. I need help!

 

Thank you.

 

[DragonMage]

When you run Knoppix, do you run the fdisk (or whatever) as root? That's because by default, Knoppix mount the partitions as read-only for regular users.

 

So open a console, su, then cfdisk /dev/hd(whatever), then delete the Mandrake partitions.

[pmpatrick]

Or if you just want to delete the files and leave the partitions alone, right click on the drive icon and in the drop down menu choose Actions>mount read/write(or something like that). That will remount the partition read/write and you should be able to delete the files.

[kristi1]

One thing I do when I'm installing is to tell the installer to format the /boot and the / partitions. This gets rid of all the old stuff. I also have /home on a separate partition so that remains untouched. And yes, I tell it to put lilo or grub on the mbr of HD0. I multiboot Mandriva/xp/win98se/dos, though I only use Mandriva or the Linux I am testing at the moment (when I get bored).

Hope that helps!

Kristi/Kristi1/etc

[AussieJohn]

I agree with kristi.

There is no need at all to try and delete an installed Mandy by hand. When you reinstall, just reformat the partition or partitions used during the original install process.

 

You NEED to stop thinking the Windows way, but even then if you do a reinstall of Windows it normally want to reformat the partition.

 

Cheers. John.

[tstrickland]

Thanks for the advice. I reinstalled Mandriva today and it worked, sort of

 

However, near the end of the installation the program gave me lots of grief about the video card (or its driver, I forget which because I'm not knowledgeable about them). It gave me a long list of options from which to pick. I didn't recognize any of them. It insisted I pick one so I picked one at random. It rejected that one. I went in that loop for a while and then went back and managed to get around the problem.

 

When finished installing, I rebooted and Mandriva loaded in text mode (no GUI). I logged in correctly and got a command line. I entered startx and got:

 

execve failed for /etc/x(errno 2) giving up

xinit: Connection refused (errno 111) unable to connect to X server

xinit: No such process (errno 3): Server error

 

What should I do now?

[scarecrow]

Just upload your /etc/xorg.conf file somewhere (e.g. rapidshare), as well as your /var/log/xorg.0.log and tell us if the mandy DVD (the commercial one?) has installed any ATI or Nvidia binaries.

[kristi]

Uh, what kind of video chip/card do you have on that machine?

 

After an install, it will always boot to a command line prompt, level 3. Log in as root and then do kde.

 

On an install, if you don't know, take the defaults - that is, it will come up with something already chosen - just whail away on the enter key. You can usually figure out the details later - that will at least give you a useable gui.

Hope that helps!

Kristi

[kristi]

You NEED to stop thinking the Windows way, but even then if you do a reinstall of Windows it normally want to reformat the partition.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

John, that is a phenominal picture!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Kristi

[Helmut]

No panic!

Allright, you lost the GUI, and that frightens newbies.

It happens if your PC doesn't know which graphic-card needs to be supported, what resolution your particular monitor wants to actually make it work, and if your card can actually support it. Sound like a mess? Its easy to fix, so lets do it:

 

Because your Windoze still works, lets use it to do this:

Start Windoze. Look up under: Start / Settings / System / And look what brand and modell of videocard you have. Write it down on paper! Now check the brand and modell of your monitor. It tells you in the Windoze settings, and additionally is always written on the rear of the monitor's case. Write it down on paper too!

While you are at it, you might want to print out this topic.

Now the next step: Restart the computer and boot-up in Mandriva SE2005 Linux.

 

Assuming it has now booted: When it gives you the text-console instead of the graphical interface, it is because it doesn't know enough about the monitor and/or graphic-card. Here's is how to fix it:

On the console, login as root. Type the following into the console:

drakconf

Now confirm by pressing "enter".

What you now see on the screen is the MCC, the Mandrake Control Centre. Operating it is just about self-explainitary. By means of the arrow-buttons, etc. you can choose which item you want to setup, and what information you want to enter.

You need to setup the graphics by entering the exact brand and model of your monitor, and also of your graphic card. And of course, very important: If it asks you, you definitly do want it to start the X-server automatically on each boot-up.

Done? Reboot by entering "reboot" into the console, or "exit" for shutting down.

 

You are now set for using the probably best operating system around.

Oh yeah, I agree with Aussie-John from lovely Cairns: Stop thinking windows! There are nicer ways of doing it!

Btw: The Mandriva partitioning tools are the most powerful, versatile and easiest to operate of any system! Take time to look and you'll see.

Helmut

Edited June 16, 2005 by Helmut