debian newbie- can't get into X

[DOlson]

I thought you said that X was working? You didn't ask for printer help yet, so I didn't give you any help.

 

You have to use the tab autocompletion to get proper grub commands going... If you told me how your partition layout is, I could probably tell you exactly what to type in.

 

Also, Debian does add grub entries automatically if you ran update-grub...

 

Until then, boot from a CD, such as the Mandrake CD, the Debian CD, or the Gentoo CD, and then get to a root console. Normally you can do this using CTRL+ALT+F# where # is any number between 1 and 12, until you find one. You may have to partially boot the installer or use the rescue command. Once you are there... Mount the Debian partition. Edit the menu.lst file, OR, chroot to your Debian partition, and run update-grub. Check your menu.lst file before you reboot, to ensure that it has stuff in it. You may need to add devfs=nomount to your kernel line.

[DOlson]

If you want you could boot Knoppix and do it too...

 

If Knoppix has an SSH server on it, you could contact me on a messaging program, and let me SSH in and see if I can fix it from here...

[bvc]

Also, Debian does add grub entries automatically if you ran update-grub...

That's what I don't get about this...apt-get runs configure and does grub-update....or something, because I had preconfigured entries that worked. SEE: my menu.lst at the bottom.

[83mercedes]

Sorry, it's been too hot here, and I been getting grouchy.

Anyway, X was working, till I installed grub, then it quit.

What I'm gonna do is leave it for a day or two and recoup my patience, then I won't get so frustrated.

I sincerely do appreciate the help.

Thanks, I'll be back.

[DOlson]

If Mandrake had been this tough, I'd still be using windows only.

 

Yeah, that's exactly the thing that people don't realize... I don't recommend people to start using Linux and then toss them a Gentoo CD, or a Debian CD, or a Slackware CD. I tell them their best bet is Mandrake. That's where I started, and that's where many people started. The problem is that too many people forget their roots... I try not to. I've said it many times, and here I will repeat it again: if it weren't for Mandrake, I would never have known enough about Linux to get Debian installed and functional. Mandrake lets you learn - at your own pace - if you want to learn. That's what makes it so great, especially for beginners and people who just want to install their OS and use it. Debian is for people who want the benefits it offers at the expense of a lot more work and nothing there to guide you. That's why I can't stand the people who put down Mandrake, especially Debian users... Some of them claim that Mandrake is "not a version of Linux, but a version of Windows." These people are stupid and inconsiderate of others. What OS or distro you use doesn't determine who you are, who your friends are, or anything of any great importance... That said, don't use SuSE, Lindows, Xandros, or Lycoris. ;)

[jlc]

I love my boy Dolson, but I will still argue for SuSE! :wink:

 

I don't use it anymore, I mainly use Gentoo & Debian w/ a little Libranet here and there, but SuSE is a fine distro, and yes, Linus Torvalds uses SuSE so it can't be all that bad. 8)

 

Aside from that, I totally agree with Dolson, Slackware was one of my first CD's that a friend handed me, after I installed it, I went into a corner and cried. Started using RH & SuSE and then progressed back to Slack, Debian and Gentoo. Learn the basic's, through one of the top 3 distro's for begginers being RH/MDK/SuSE and then move to something like Gentoo/Debian/Slackware. Heck, if you really want to run Debian, I would recommend Knoppix(free) or Libranet(commercial) they both make great products and will get your feet wet with Debian.

 

Just have fun!

 

Dolson still likes me even though I would recommend SuSE or Libranet! :roll:

[DOlson]

Libranet would be okay if it didn't suck. I mean, the tools and the menus. I didn't try it with Gnome though, so maybe it isn't that bad. The installer is nice, makes it easy to get up and running, but when I tried a dist-upgrade, it didn't work at all. But this was a long time ago, before I knew much about Debian, so it probably works properly if you know what you're doing. But I didn't like the config tools.

 

SuSE is okay I guess, but I don't like their config tools either, but not because they suck... They are proprietary, so they don't benefit anyone but SuSE users, which sucks IMHO, but they can do whatever they want. I won't touch it though. My including SuSE in that list was sorta a joke, because SuSE is a lot better than the other distros mentioned. ;) And Libranet wasn't in the list.

[jlc]

:D

[83mercedes]

Update, I got some rest, and am back at it.

Here's what's up:

I redid the install, this time carefully picking out the appropriate modules for my system, and got 2.4.18-bf2.4 to work vey well, including cd-writer, and dist-upgraded, (love kde3!)

only problem is, cannot make X work with NVIDIA, even after I got nvidia installed by providing the IGNORE_CC_MISMATCH=1 and the whole path of the kernel-source.

Another weird thing about the stable version of Debian on my machine, it comes with kde2 (I think), but I couldn't get into X with or without nvidia. No X, no way! Strange???

What else I did was install the 2.4.21-4-k7 kernel.

This kernel WILL work with nvidia, however there is no CD, which is I guess related to the scsi emulation, which I compiled into 2.4.18-bf2.4.

It seems to me that by apt-get installing the new kernel, it should configure itself the same as the 'old' kernel- but it doesn't, which I just dont understand.

Anyhow, I am back to trying to install grub, so I can enable scsi support (I THINK that's why I wanted to do that...)

so DOlson, bvc and cybrjackle, here we go.

And thanks again for your support! (Sounds like an old Bartles & James advertisement)

[jlc]

Here is a Grub+Debian how-to

http://www.linuxorbit.com/modules.php?op=m...rtid=539&page=1

[83mercedes]

I am now running Debian Sid with the test kernel.

I have removed the nvidia driver.

Still cannot make cd-writer or DVD player be recognized, or work in any way.

The cd-writer worked in Debian woody.

I have gone over the previous posts, and nothing seems to help.

Still running lilo:

 

append="hdc=ide-scsi devfs=mount"

 

# Boot up Linux by default.

#

default=Linux

 

image=/vmlinuz initrd=/initrd.img

label=Linux

read-only

# restricted

# alias=1

 

Maybe if I could start from scratch, one step at a time??

Thanks

[DOlson]

Okay, I don't understand what you've done this time, so let me explain the steps that I do(did) when I install(ed) Debian.

 

1) Download Woody CD.

2) Boot CD using the "bf24" option.

3) Install only the base system, skip dselect and the other thing.

4) Reboot the system to make sure it will boot.

5) Edit my apt sources.

6) apt-get dist-upgrade

7) apt-get install grub and make it work properly.

8) Reboot the system to make sure it will boot.

9) Get the official kernel source. (using lynx)

10) Get the pre-empt kernel patch. (using lynx)

11) Compile the kernel and install the resulting debs.

12) Add an entry to my grub menu, making sure that devfs is set to nomount.

13) Reboot using the new kernel.

14) Fix the problems with the CD and CD-RW stuff.

15) Check my fstab to ensure that the devices and mount points match up.

16) Test the CD and CD-RW (for read access, writing comes later).

17) Reboot to make sure everything is working.

18) Install XFree86.

19) Get the NVidia drivers. (using lynx)

20) Install the NVidia drivers.

21) Run xf86config, selecting nv as the driver and setting up everything how I like it.

22) Edit the XF86Config file to use the nvidia driver, the glx module, and my mouse.

23) startx and see that it works. If not, I read the README file to see what to do about whatever problems I have,

24) apt-get install gnome

25) echo gnome-session > .xinitrc

26) startx

 

And that's it... If I can't use the mouse, or the sound, I add my user to the appropriate group(s). Etc. Etc. General troubleshooting may be required.

[83mercedes]

All I really did was change the kernel and uninstall nvidia.

The only issue I really have now, at the moment, is getting CD-writer usable.

For example, I put a data cd in the drive, right click to mount it, and get this:

 

Could not mount device.

The reported error was:

mount: wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/cdrom,

or too many mounted file systems

(could this be the IDE device where you in fact use

ide-scsi so that sr0 or sda or so is needed?)

 

I still don't know why it worked on Woody, but it did...

[DOlson]

Okay, post your /etc/fstab file to me, and post your /etc/modutils/options file, and your lilo config, and I'll look at it and see what's going on.

 

Now, why did you say you uninstalled the NVidia drivers? The idea is to install them, and get them working... I thought you started over from scratch? What kernel are you using now, and how did you install it? And are you using devfs?

[83mercedes]

thanks,

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.

#

# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>

/dev/hda2 / ext3 errors=remount-ro 0 1

/dev/hda3 none swap sw 0 0

proc /proc proc defaults 0 0

/dev/fd0 /floppy auto user,noauto 0 0

/dev/cdrom /cdrom iso9660 ro,user,noauto 0 0

 

 

# /etc/lilo.conf - See: `lilo(8)' and `lilo.conf(5)',

# --------------- `install-mbr(8)', `/usr/share/doc/lilo/',

# and `/usr/share/doc/mbr/'.

 

# +---------------------------------------------------------------+

# | !! Reminder !! |

# | |

# | Don't forget to run `lilo' after you make changes to this |

# | conffile, `/boot/bootmess.txt', or install a new kernel. The |

# | computer will most likely fail to boot if a kernel-image |

# | post-install script or you don't remember to run `lilo'. |

# | |

# +---------------------------------------------------------------+

 

# Support LBA for large hard disks.

#

lba32

 

# Overrides the default mapping between harddisk names and the BIOS'

# harddisk order. Use with caution.

#disk=/dev/hde

# bios=0x81

 

#disk=/dev/sda

# bios=0x80

 

# Specifies the boot device. This is where Lilo installs its boot

# block. It can be either a partition, or the raw device, in which

# case it installs in the MBR, and will overwrite the current MBR.

#

boot=/dev/hda

 

# Specifies the device that should be mounted as root. (`/')

#

root=/dev/hda2

 

# Enable map compaction:

# Tries to merge read requests for adjacent sectors into a single

# read request. This drastically reduces load time and keeps the

# map smaller. Using `compact' is especially recommended when

# booting from a floppy disk. It is disabled here by default

# because it doesn't always work.

#

# compact

 

# Installs the specified file as the new boot sector

# You have the choice between: bmp, compat, menu and text

# Look in /boot/ and in lilo.conf(5) manpage for details

#

install=/boot/boot-menu.b

 

# Specifies the location of the map file

#

map=/boot/map

 

# You can set a password here, and uncomment the `restricted' lines

# in the image definitions below to make it so that a password must

# be typed to boot anything but a default configuration. If a

# command line is given, other than one specified by an `append'

# statement in `lilo.conf', the password will be required, but a

# standard default boot will not require one.

#

# This will, for instance, prevent anyone with access to the

# console from booting with something like `Linux init=/bin/sh',

# and thus becoming `root' without proper authorization.

#

# Note that if you really need this type of security, you will

# likely also want to use `install-mbr' to reconfigure the MBR

# program, as well as set up your BIOS to disallow booting from

# removable disk or CD-ROM, then put a password on getting into the

# BIOS configuration as well. Please RTFM `install-mbr(8)'.

#

# password=tatercounter2000

 

# Specifies the number of deciseconds (0.1 seconds) LILO should

# wait before booting the first image.

#

delay=20

 

# You can put a customized boot message up if you like. If you use

# `prompt', and this computer may need to reboot unattended, you

# must specify a `timeout', or it will sit there forever waiting

# for a keypress. `single-key' goes with the `alias' lines in the

# `image' configurations below. eg: You can press `1' to boot

# `Linux', `2' to boot `LinuxOLD', if you uncomment the `alias'.

#

# message=/boot/bootmess.txt

prompt

timeout=150

# prompt

# single-key

# delay=100

# timeout=100

 

# Specifies the VGA text mode at boot time. (normal, extended, ask, <mode>)

#

# vga=ask

# vga=9

#

vga=normal

 

# Kernel command line options that apply to all installed images go

# here. See: The `boot-prompt-HOWO' and `kernel-parameters.txt' in

# the Linux kernel `Documentation' directory.

#

append=""

 

# Boot up Linux by default.

#

default=Linux

 

image=/vmlinuz initrd=/initrd.img

label=Linux

read-only

# restricted

# alias=1

 

image=/vmlinuz

label=LinuxOLD

read-only

optional

# restricted

# alias=2

 

# If you have another OS on this machine to boot, you can uncomment the

# following lines, changing the device name on the `other' line to

# where your other OS' partition is.

#

# other=/dev/hda4

# label=HURD

# restricted

# alias=3

other=/dev/hda1

label="WinNT(hda1)"

 

I couldn't make a working 'options' file, so I deleted it, I will have to try it again.

I uninstalled nvidia, because I thought it might be messing me up, but I can install it again later.