Well, I had windows 7 in my laptop and decided to try openSUSE. I installed without reading any tutorial or something. I just downloaded the image and burned it and then installed it, made a partition, although i think i have probably done it the wrong way. The thing is now i can use windows 7, but I don’t care. I will stay wiht OpenSusa until i learn to use it and the i will install windows 7 again. I formatted the partitions that were NTFS and got them ext 4. I can only get to openSUSE in failsafe mode, and I am not sure why, I know I blew it I just don’t know how to fix it. I know I am not giving a lot of details here but I am new in this. If someone has any idea on how to get this working 100% please tell me. Thanks
What can you tell us about your laptop hardware? Specifically, what is your graphic hardware ? ATI ? Intel ? nVidia ? and what graphic model # ? For example my wife and I have 6 PCs at home, with the graphics being:
- PC#1 graphics - nVidia 8400GS
- PC#2 graphics - nVidia FX5200
- PC#3 graphics - nVidia GTX260
- PC#4 graphics - ATI Radeon HD3450
- PC#5 graphics - ATI Radeon 9200 PRO
- PC#6 graphics - Intel 855GM
Your graphics are likely different. So what graphics do you have?
Did you try entering the boot code ‘nomodeset’ in the initial grub boot/splash menu when it appears and then do a normal boot. Does that work ?
Read
openSUSE Graphic Card Practical Theory Guide for Users
Also to get Windows to boot we need to see the output of the following:
Open a console window ie command line (CL)
become root by
su -
enter password for root (note this does not echo anything to the screen)
then show us
fdisk -l (note that is a lower case L not a one)
also
cat /boot/grub/menu.lst
Note you need to be as exact as you can in explaining what you see and do since we can not look over your shoulder.
I have ATI RadeonHD 4200 graphics and the nomodeset thing worked.
Where am I supposed to write those commands? I don’t know about linux that much xD
Since you don’t know Linux we need to do this in 2 steps. First open a console/konsole window (ie command line).
then become root type
su -
Enter the root password (note this does not echo to the screen don’t freak)
Then type
**cat /boot/grub/menu.lst
**
mark the output with the mouse select edit and copy
paste the output here.
Use the advanced editor (Go Advanced) and put code blocks (# in edit bar) around the pasted text so we do not lose format
Then we can tell you exactly what to change
Well, I did that and I only got something like there is no such fila or directory. I guess it’s because I formatted the partitions of the hard drive, including the ones that contained all the windows information. One last question, is it possible that windows is still in the pc ?
I actually hope it isn’t, because i can get a free license of windows 7 in college and then try to install it the correct way so I can have dual boot. Thanks for your help, at least I’m getting to know linux, maybe when i get a little of knowledge I will enjoy all the freedoms that I will have with java.
My crystal ball is broken and I can not see what you see.
-
be sure you do it exactly. Linux is case sensitive and Cat is not the same as CAT and not the same as cat.
-
If you formated things it would be nice to know what things they were. Poking randomly at a system you don’t understands is the surest way of breaking things.
-
to be able to help you we need to see exactly what you see. Or at least a good description. If you had pasted the text as you had entered it with the results even if it is an error message. Someone could point out the error. When I see words like “something like” I know there is a failure to communicate exactly what is happening.
linux-vjpq:~ # cat/boot/grub/menu.lst
-bash: cat/boot/grub/menu.lst: No such file or directory.
This is what I get, I am writing the characters exactly the way you told me. From your last reply I notice this isn’t what you expected.
It should be
cat /boot/grub/menu.lst
linux-vjpq:~ # cat /boot/grub/menu.lst
Modified by YaST2. Last modification on vie oct 1 23:23:39 COT 2010
THIS FILE WILL BE PARTIALLY OVERWRITTEN by perl-Bootloader
Configure custom boot parameters for updated kernels in /etc/sysconfig/bootloader
default 0
timeout 8
##YaST - generic_mbr
gfxmenu (hd0,5)/boot/message
##YaST - activate
###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title Desktop – openSUSE 11.3 - 2.6.34-12
root (hd0,5)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.34-12-desktop root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD3200BEKT-60V5T1_WD-WXB0AC9U1140-part6 devfs=mount,dall resume=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD3200BEKT-60V5T1_WD-WXB0AC9U1140-part5 splash=silent quiet showopts vga=0x31A
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.34-12-desktop
###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe – openSUSE 11.3 - 2.6.34-12
root (hd0,5)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.34-12-desktop root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD3200BEKT-60V5T1_WD-WXB0AC9U1140-part6 showopts apm=off noresume nosmp maxcpus=0 edd=off powersaved=off nohz=off highres=off processor.max_cstate=1 nomodeset x11failsafe vga=0x31A
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.34-12-desktop
Hi, what happen when you choose the first option “Desktop --openSUSE 11.3 - 2.6.34.12” when you’re booting the system? In other words, what do you mean you can only boot into failsafe mode, can you not choose the other option at all?
Hi, I am new here and instead of making another thread, since I have a similar issue, I’m going to save some forum space. I recently installed OpenSUSE 11.3 on my PC and I can boot into the Full OpenSuSe version as well as the failsafe, but the PC is only usable in Failsafe mode. In Full mode, it runs slower than Win XP Pro which I had on the PC prior to wipe and install. Any ideas on making this PC run full OpenSuSe or is this distro too much for my older PC?
kurenai wrote:
> Any ideas on making this PC run full OpenSuSe or is
> this distro too much for my older PC?
11.3 System Requirements
- Pentium* III 500 MHz or higher processor minimum (Pentium 4 2.4
GHz or higher or any AMD64 for Intel* EM64T processor
recommended) - 512 MB physical RAM minimum (1 GB recommended)
- 3 GB available disk space minimum (more recommended)
- 800 x 600 display resolution minimum (1024 x 768 or higher recom-
mended)
go for the recommended…the minimum is below mininum in my opinion)
openSUSE 11.3 is far superior to everything which came after XP, you
should not expect it to run like the wind on minimum hardware…
that said, there are things that can be done to maximize speed…the
first would be to choose a lightweight desktop, like LXDE…and turn
off desktop effects…and, dump the rounded corners and see though
fluff…
–
DenverD
When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
CAVEAT: http://is.gd/bpoMD [posted via NNTP w/openSUSE 10.3]
Ahh, Yeah this distro is too much for my PC. I’ll try another one. Thanks for the help! My comp is a P3, 600 Mhz, 40 GB, 512 RAM, Nvidia adapter, at 1024 x 780 Resolution (able to run there, but it was probably originally made for 800x600). The original Platform was Win 98, but through the RAM and HD upgrades, I’ve been running XP Pro on it with some patience.
If I may ask another question, what is considered too Old to run the faster distros? I know there are Lightweight distros for older PC, but is my computer considered too old or with these specs, could I run a distro that’s not necessarily lightweight, but not has heavy as OpenSuSe for example?
kurenai wrote:
>
> If I may ask another question, what is considered too Old to run the
> faster distros? I know there are Lightweight distros for older PC, but
> is my computer considered too old or with these specs, could I run a
> distro that’s not necessarily lightweight, but not has heavy as OpenSuSe
> for example?
>
A standard debian install with gnome as desktop will work on that in a
satisfactory way. (This is my experience with machines with comparable
hardware). If you don’t want to have too old software install directly
debian testing (= debian squeeze at the moment).
kurenai wrote:
> I know there are Lightweight distros for older PC, but
> is my computer considered too old or with these specs, could I run a
> distro that’s not necessarily lightweight, but not has heavy as OpenSuSe
> for example?
Linux can (and does) run in little bitty computers called mobile
phones with dinky little memories and slow CPUs…and it runs in TVs,
and radios, and refrigerators, and automobiles ignition systems…
so, your computer is easily strong enough for some desktop systems,
here are some i’m familiar with (some will knock your socks
off–compared to the Win98 your computer was designed for):
http://tinyurl.com/ylf8zq9
that is a posting of mine from over a year ago…lots listed there, i
think i were you i’d begin with Puppy Linux, just install it and use
it for a while…there is a puppy forum with lots of folks willing to
help you get going–but, they will appreciate it if you are willing to
stick your head in the documentaion/wiki/etc first, and not ask the
same question previously asked 10,000 times… 
welcome to freedom…Have a LOT of fun (there will be some
frustration also, might wanna read: Linux is not Windows at
http://tinyurl.com/8b9s6)
enjoy Puppy, and when you have seen enough to know you want to see
where/how Linux runs on modern hardware, then come back…we will
still be here…
–
DenverD
When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
CAVEAT: http://is.gd/bpoMD [posted via NNTP w/openSUSE 10.3]
openSUSE-11.3 LXDE desktop will run on this PC faster than Gnome or KDE.
Really? How do you know it runs slower, which applications or during load? WinXP and OS 11.3 have about the same minimum requirements. I know WinXP Service Pack 3 runs much slower than WinXP Service Pack 2, updates making it closer to WinVista and Win7 requirements of 1-2Gb Ram.
You could try PuppyLinux
Here’s an article discussing 10 distro including PuppyLinux
10 best Linux distros for 2010 | News | TechRadar UK
Thanks for the help and suggestions. I have installed Puppy Linux on this machine and while the learning curve is defined, I’m enjoying the adventure. Thanks for the help and I’ll be back after spending some time with it.