[CS-FSLUG] How to resolve anapparent Linux crash

[Eduardo Sanchez]

Ruth, thanks for replying.

Then, you know you're on the console. Just a hypothetical question: do 
you have any valuable information on KDE? I might suggest you a quick 
and dirty trick to reconfigure KDE, but then you would have to 
re-configure it again (i.e., set up your KMail email accounts, desktop 
icons, wallpapers, all over again). Would it be OK with you?

Meanwhile, I have some tricks to show you.

First of all, you need to go to the console. Type Ctrl-Alt and a 
function key between F1 and F6 to get you the console prompt.

You will see something like:

Mandrake Linux Release 9.1 (Whatever)
Linux 2.4.19-25mdk

login:

There, supply your username and password.

Then you will see your console prompt, something like:

[ruth at localhost ruth] $

Now, get the root prompt. Type the 'su' command. When the command asks 
you for a password, supply your *root* password.

Then, your console prompt should look like:

[root at localhost ruth] #

The '#' prompt means you're root now.

Then kill the X Window System (it is necessary for our manipulation) by 
typing the command 'telinit 3'. This kills X Window and leaves you with 
a bare console (no graphical mode at all).

Once you killed the graphical mode, clear the screen typing Ctrl-L 
because we would like to get rid of those funny messages which appeared 
when you typed 'telinit 3'. Now, get into the Mandrake Control Center, 
console version, by typing 'drakconf'.

At this time, I don't remember it clearly, but you will have a menu. Go 
look for an item named "X Configuration", "Video Configuration", or 
"Graphical mode configuration". You get the idea. Follow the 
instructions to re-configure the X window system.

When you're finished, exit the Mandrake Control Center. In the root 
prompt, type now 'telinit 5'. You should get the graphical login screen 
all over again.

Is it all OK now? I'm awaiting your answer...

Eduardo



On Tuesday 24 August 2004 23:09, linux at rmf.mailshell.com wrote:
> Thanks, Eduardo!
> 
> 
> > Eduardo Sanchez wrote:
> >
> >> I am, if I can say so, a kind of Mandrake veteran, so I might try a 
hand on helping you. Your system appears to be really hosed!
> >>
> >> Were you able to go into a text-based console? You said:
> >>
> >>
> >>> However, NumLock with Ctl+Alt did bring on the command line. I put 
in   
> >>
> >> my login and password... now what?
> >> Did you get a prompt that looks something in the level of:
> >>
> >> [ruth at localhost ruth] $ ...?
> >>
> >> If that's the case, then you got into the console.
> >>
> Oh good. Then I had the console.
> 
> >> How do you usually start the graphical environment (KDE)? Do you 
log in using a graphical window, or do you type the "startx" command to 
start the environment?
> >>
> >> I would like to have this information so that I could be of further 
help to you.
> >>
> Okay, when I installed Mandrake it set up to go directly into the KDE 
graphical environment.  There was enough of  a Windows feel so that I 
thought I was catching on quickly, however, I didn't learn much about 
doing commands at the console prompt. I joined the Linmodems group for 
a while until they walked me through getting a modem driver and setting 
it up so I could go online from within Mandrake. But the one scientific 
prof from Israel put the fear of God into me about typing just anything 
at random in the console at the root user prompt.  So I was careful to 
just follow instructions. I expected gradually to learn more and more 
commands... only this happened first. :)
> 
> Any suggestions you can give me will be greatly appreciated. The one 
thing that encourages me is how Linux people are willing to help each 
other out.
> 
> Blessings &Thanks,
> Ruth
>  
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-- 
Prof. Eduardo Sanchez
Asuncion, Paraguay, South America
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 Alike for those who for TO-DAY prepare,
 And those that after a TO-MORROW stare,
   A Muezzin from the Tower of Darkness cries
 "Fools! your Reward is neither Here nor There."

	-- The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
	   

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