Installation problems

[ajb123]

I think i'm making progress with my mandriva install.

When i start up now i get a screen with a choice of linux, failsafe or windows.

I select linux, it comes up with login and password, no problem.......

Then it comes up with alistair@localhost~]$followed by the flashing curser? Unsure as to what this means?

Also when i shutdown off linux it scrolls through some checks followed by "passed" or "failed" i'm getting some "failed" is this ok or have i installed something wrong?

 

Thanks in advance

[ilia_kr]

alistair@localhost~]$followed by the flashing curser - is a linux console.

 

alistair - current system user

localhost - your computer's network name, 'localhost' is a default if you didn't specify another name

 

As i understand, after choosing 'Linux' you don't get a GUI? If this is the case, try this: type startx. This should start the X window server (the GUI).

 

The "passed" or "failed" checklist - shows you what services linux is loading and whether it succeeded or not.

Can you tell us what services failed to load?

[ajb123]

Thanks for the reply......

 

Whats a GUI? ;)

Also should i type startx after alistair@localhost~]$?

Edited May 23, 2006 by ajb123

[ilia_kr]

Thanks for the reply......

 

Whats a GUI? ;)

Also should i type startx after alistair@localhost~]$?

 

GUI = graphical user interface

 

you should type

[alistair@localhost~]$ startx

hit enter

Edited May 23, 2006 by ilia_kr

[ajb123]

I've tried that now, it's coming up with comand not found?

I wasn't a hundred percent sure about the way mandriva had installed is it straight forward to uninstall and start again or should i push on and try and resolve the problems.

 

I think i was expecting to be further on than i am. :sad:

[scarecrow]

Since you already have a working shell, without X, you should NOT reinstall- but try to install and configure a working graphical environment instead.

On your console, type:

su (now provide the root password)

updatedb (wait a bit...)

locate startx

What's the output of the last command?

[ajb123]

Typed in "SU" after login and password.

 

It then requests password again.

 

Entered password.

 

It then displays [root@localhost alistair] #

 

I entered "updated b".

 

It came back with "bash: updated b: comand not found.

 

[ianw1974]

updatedb is one word, so not sure if you put a space. Then I normally use the slocate command afterwards. Sample from doing it on my machine just now:

 

[ian@europa ~]$ su
Password:
[root@europa ian]# updatedb
[root@europa ian]# slocate startx
/usr/X11R6/bin/startx
/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/doc/html/startx.1.html
/usr/X11R6/man/man1/startx.1x.bz2

 

updatedb can take a while depending how old the database is for using the locate/slocate command. Both are the same, in fact slocate replaced locate because locate could be unsecure.

[ajb123]

Right......tried that now.

 

The first parts ok up until entering updatedb (all one word).

 

It's still comin up with "bash: updated b: comand not found.

[ianw1974]

Here is my example on my machine:

 

[ian@europa ~]$ whereis updatedb
updatedb: /usr/bin/updatedb /etc/updatedb.conf /usr/share/man/man1/updatedb.1.bz2
[ian@europa ~]$ rpm -qf /usr/bin/updatedb
slocate-2.7-4mdk
[ian@europa ~]$ rpm -qa | grep slocate
slocate-2.7-4mdk

 

When you run the last command "rpm -qa | grep slocate" like I have above, does it list slocate as being installed? If nothing comes back, then it's not installed and would require:

 

urpmi slocate

 

to install it, then you should be able to use updatedb. However, also try the command:

 

whereis updatedb

 

and does it give results like mine did above?

[ajb123]

These things i'm entering (updatedb, startx etc) what do they relate to?

[ianw1974]

updatedb updates the slocate database, so that you can find files. startx allows you to start the gui, so that you can use Firefox, etc, etc, etc.

[ajb123]

I've entered "whereis updatedb".

 

It comes back with"updatedb:"

 

I enter "rpm -qf /usr/bin/updatedb"

 

It comes back with "no such file or directory"

 

I don't know if it matters or not but when shutting down off linux two items are showing as failed;

 

"saving random speed" and

 

"unmounting file systems"

[ianw1974]

Sounds like you don't have slocate installed in your machine, which would explain whilst it's failing. I'm wondering if you're also missing other programs. slocate is always installed, or at least has been when I install my systems.

 

What apps did you select when installing your system? I have a funny feeling you missed a lot of stuff.

[ajb123]

I was kind of expecting the installation to be easier than it was, i also did it with a stinking hangover one sunday morning. ;) . Not the best of ideas really.

 

How easy it to start again?

 

Also is there a way to partition my hard drive prior to the installation as i wasn't 100% sure i'd done that part right?

 

I've seen a couple of walk through help guides for the installation process, is there a particular one you could recomend?

 

Thanks for all your advice.