Can't get Login Screen on Mandrake 8.0

[blueindian1]

Hi,

I'm brand new to Linux, so I don't know too much about it. I've worked with UNIX some, but that dosen't seem to be helping me much.

I've installed Mandrake 8 on a Win98 box, using LILO to dualo boot. If I opt for Linux at startup, the system will load, but as soon as it gets the the consol login screen, my computer hangs.

However, if I boot into Linuxntf or failsafe mode, I get a command prompt, but I have no access to any directories (even when logged in a root). Therfor, as far as I can tell i can't start any GUIs, or do anything else for that matter.

Anyone have any advice? Any reccomnedations on a Linux-Mandrake book?

Thanks,

Rich

 

[ktighe]

Are both os's on the same hard drive? This might be the problem. I have a dual boot machine (mdk 7.2 and win98se) and I had problems putting them both on the same hd. I know that there's some issue about the bios only being able to access the first part of a hd at bootup. I can't remember what the cutoff is, but bioses can only see so much of a hd. LILO can run at boot time because it's written to the boot sector of your hd, but if the linux kernel is written to the hd after the cutoff point, then it's invisible to the bios and lilo.
I've messed around with this a lot. I finally got linux installed somewhere in the middle of my hd with the windows os at the beginning of the hd, and another windows partition at the end. This was a big pain in the ass, though, because windows didn't really like it that I had a windows partition within a linux partition (microsoft windows is generally unfriendly to other OS's, but you probably know that by now...). I couldn't defrag the last partition, and was having other strange problems. I finally splurged and got another hd, and everything went smoothly. (If you do this, make sure to put lilo on the boot sector of the windows hd)
Hope this helps. Sorry if this doesn't relate to your problem. Let me know.

BTW: Doesn't it seem odd that linux (at least mandrake) provides connectivity to windows partitions, but windows COMPLETELY ignores non-fat partitions?

Kevin

 

[estesflyer]

i am almost positive that this isnt the problem, but whenever i choose a wrong moniter driver (i have a generic moniter, its a real pos). But anyways, there is prolly a 5% chance that this is it, but hey, thought i might mention it to ya.

I was usin mandrake 7.2 tho...

 

[ktighe]

Have you tried looking on the monitor's manufacturer site for linux drivers? You might be able to download the source and compile the drivers on your machine.

 

[Comtech]

Have you configured your X server? You probably can't login because there's no X set up yet to log in to.
When you installed MDK8, did you specify a default user, and did you specify to load X automatically upon startup?
It may be wise to reload MDK8, choose expert mode, and make sure you select the right things. Don't worry about some of the questions, just accept the defaults if you're not sure. Cheers,
Jim

http://members.cnx.net/reboot/