Noob,Lost, finally got this working

English Install/Boot/Login
1

okay,

so the safest way to go about this is to assume I know nothing. I mean, I have a rough Idea of what a kernel is, no idea what a shell is, etc. I do consider myself computer savvy, but know NOTHING about linux and thats why I’m Diving in, hopefully not too much, this is just to give you an idea of what we’re working with here.

After several install attempts I kept getting a blank screen. Whether it be black,white, or the default gnome desktop (without any icons, and simple things like ctrl+alt+backspace just doesn’t work, or anything else for that matter) I was ending up with a blank screen. Driver for moniter…maybe…but I did succesfully install it once, and it worked like a charm…shutdown properly, and the next day after work…Boom, same thing after startup.

today I started from scratch and re-installed…samething, until I hit the power button, went from the dvd(iso) and did a fail safe, now my resolution is much better than it was the first time…

Actual questions…what did I do to fix it when failsafe never worked before?

Is there a way to save these settings, so I don’t run into the problem again, because I don’t even want to turn of my computer at this point???

…and anouther completely unrelated question…

…If i’m trying to dive in and learn the command line actions, is there any substancial difference between gnome terminal or hitting “c” to bring up the command line???

answers, assistance, time, and especially patience is very very much appreciated ahead of time…

Thanks guys…

-clueless/way over my head at this point :wink:

2

What hardware? Specifically what video card or chip??

I’m guessing ATI

3

To help you get over yourself claimed “Noobness”, here is a link to some basic openSUSE Linux concepts: Concepts - openSUSE

… and in case your black screen and then less than desireable resolution is related to your driver configuration, here is a link to some practical theory for graphic drivers in openSUSE: openSUSE Graphic Card Practical Theory Guide for Users - openSUSE Forums with a section on ATI, nVidia, Intel and Chrome/Via. Note some of the older Intel graphic hardware does NOT work well with the 2.6.31 kernel.

4

Well, thats exactly what is was than. FDefinitly an older box. I have since went to my new(er) laptop and haven’t any problems like this at all. so yeah, outdated hardware…

…Thanks guys, and also… thanks for the links, they’ll definitly help

Take care…

5

okay, I’m officially dualbooting windows and opensuse. However I still don’t understand why I have to do a Failsage-opensuse boot in order to get anything other than a blank desktop. Do I need to configure something in order to get the icons on the desktop?

Hopeully this will help. I don’t have an actualy videocard, its built into the mother board. HP lists it as, “Integrated Intel Extreme graphics with up to 64 MB shared video memory” I just don’t understand howthis would make a difference. Failsafe = everything loads up fine, regular forces me to hit the power button to reboot the computer. I can literally do nothing…

…is it really outdated/weak hardware?

Thanks in advance guys…

6

If you look at the difference between a failsafe boot, and a regular boot, you will notice that the ONLY difference is the fail safe has a bunch of extra codes (we call them boot codes). What would be helpful is for YOU to determine which one of these codes (and it may be more than one) are the one that enables fail safe to work, where the regular boot does not.

So there are 2 ways to find out. One way is to write down all these codes, and then do a regular boot, trying each one of the codes, one at a time for each boot attempt. As soon as one succeeds, you will know which code is the one that makes this possible. You can then use that information to focus the investigation.

Or you could do a fail safe boot, and each time remove ONE code. As soon as you find the boot does NOT work (after removal of one code) then reboot, and put that code into a normal boot. Does that code let the normal boot work ? If so, then you have discovered the code which makes the boot possible. You can then use that information to focus the investigation.

open a terminal and type with root permissions:

sax2 -p

what do you get?

Some of the older intel graphic hardware is not supported well in 11.2 (due to upstream limiations that have impacted openSUSE-11.2). Read of these 2 experiences of mine with older Intel graphic hardware and openSUSE-11.2:

In both cases 11.2 does not work all that well with the Intel Graphic Hardware (again due to upstream problems).

7

Globe,

sax2 -p says its an intel 845 PCI ; intel

after seeing this I clicked on the first of the two links you provided, refering to previous horror stories, and took the hint.

my plan at this point is to just stick w/ failsafe.

thanks for the help

8

If you have it working under failsafe you have done better than me in this thread Looking for alternatives to sax2 for Intel graphics ? - openSUSE Forums where that PC had an Intel 845 also (I think).

Out of curiousity, does your PC have an /etc/X11/xorg.conf file? If so, could you upload it somewhere (not here on the forum) where I could download? My apologies, but this request is not to help you, but rather its to help me with my friend’s Intel 845 where I struggled. :slight_smile:

9

I just looked, the ways I know how and couldn’t find it. any suggestions, and I’ll try again… ??

10

Its probably not there. In openSUSE-11.2, one does not need an /etc/X11/xorg.conf file (although one will be used if present).

I note you could try to boot to run level 3, by typing “3” (no quotes) in the boot splash menu, which will put a “3” (no quotes) in the options line. Then do a regular (not a fail safe) boot. This will take you to a full screen text mode with a login prompt. Login as a regular user with the regular user password. Then type “su” to switch users to root/administrator and enter the root password.

Then type:

sax2 -r -m 0=intel

to create a custom /etc/X11/xorg.conf file. Note that is zero equals intel (not ohh equals intel). Assuming that works and does not freeze your PC, then restart with:

shutdown -r now

and see if a regular boot (do NOT type 3) will work now.

The practical theory behind this is explained here in post#3:
openSUSE Graphic Card Practical Theory Guide for Users - openSUSE Forums

Note if none of this works, you can remove the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file that was created, and go back to your failsafe boots.

11

Note if none of this works, you can remove the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file that was created, and go back to your failsafe boots.

Strange that failsafe works (with intel driver loaded) for the OP. I thought that caused the basic vesa driver to load. On my system, failsafe mode results in a console (at runlevel 5).

12

sax2 -r -m 0=intel made matters a lot worse ( i did reply last night but I guess it didn’t take). Guess I’ll stick w/ Failsafe for now, as discussed its an older box anyway, believe I got it in late 2003.

Thanks for the help!!