[CS-FSLUG] How to resolve an apparent Linux crash?

[Bradly McConnell]

-----Original Message-----
From: Christiansource-bounces at ofb.biz
[mailto:Christiansource-bounces at ofb.biz] On Behalf Of Ruth Marlene Friesen
Sent: Friday, August 13, 2004 7:29 PM
To: Christiansource at ofb.biz
Subject: [CS-FSLUG] How to resolve an apparent Linux crash?

Hi Friends.
I guess I've been lurking long enough to jump in and introduce 
myself. I've been super busy the last couple of weeks, and 
wanted to get the feel of the group first, so I've just been 
skimming the posts every couple of days.

I had an older problem with my Mandrake that I wanted to find 
help for, but just yesterday and today I've been having other 
weird things happen in my Win98 that are making me nervous. It 
think it's high time I resolve that Linux problem so I can make 
a full transition to that platform.

Let me tell you the story of the "Linux crash" as I call it that 
is keeping me out of that separate new drive on my computer.

I've got a major hurdle to overcome to get back to the new 40 GB
drive I had installed last fall, onto which I put Mandrake 9.1.
It took me months to figure out how to dial up from within 
there. I started to transition into it in April, a very happy 
camper, and suddenly after just two weeks, I had a crash, and 
now can't see any icons or links on the main desktop. Naturally, 
I can continue to work in Windows 98, and I do put in long hours 
at my own websites, my mentoring, and business services, and 
then squeezing in webmaster work for a non-profit tract site as 
well. 

I guess I should explain further that just before this crash I 
had adjusted some settings for the desktop display, and I 
must've made them too large for my screen as none of the icons 
or links show up. The background is there but very grainy as if 
stretched too large.

I only found out later that in Linux you don't re-boot! I've 
learned to bring up a command prompt by using Alt+Ctl+Backspace,
but I don't know what command to give to restore my desktop.

Basically, I figure I need to learn how to operate with Terminal
commands, instead of depending on those Windows-like icons, and 
I found some, but none that help me restore the desktop yet.

What triggered the crash was something in a browser window when 
I tried to reach my newest site's Admin area. The error message 
I got at that time STILL comes up every time I go into Linux.  I
did change something in the failsafe mode ( I forget what), and
since then the browser window opens when I enter Linux, but 
there are blank spots where things are missing. I have no way of 
getting into the Mandrake Control area.

By the way, I have wondered, dare I try to re-install Mandrake?
Would that fix things, or would it wipe that drive and start 
over totally? I have unanswered emails sitting there I would be 
loath to lose.

What with my Windows98 acting as if I no longer have basic 
amenities like a graphics driver or a printer, and one program 
can't "see" my E drive any more - I think it's high time I 
resolve the Linux  program and go move into that far bigger, 
better place.

Any suggestions will be seriously considered! ~GRIN~




Blessings &  Thanks,
Ruth

P.S. I keep discovering friends who are not getting my 
ezines any more. It's those blameed email filters!
To read the most current issue of RoseBouquet go to;
http://Ruthes-SecretRoses.com/RoseBouquet/current.shtml

To Demand Your WANTED emails to get through to you see -
http://deliver-my-mail.sitesell.com/provision.html

My physical address: Box 208, Hague, SK. S0K 1X0, Canada

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Take a look at your XF86Config files in /etc/X11.  You may have one named
XF86Config.bak or .old  Take a look (using the console and vi, joe, or
another editor and compare them to see if your resolution settings are
completely out of whack.  You may just need to cp or mv the old working file
to XF86Config and restart x.  Take a look at the documentation for XFree86
and it tells you how the files should be layed out.  http://www.xfree86.org
Maybe someone else out there might know some other things to look at, but
I've managed to mess up my config enough times to recommend starting there
:)  Ah, the joys of owning an ATI video card!  Good luck, and keep us
posted.

Bradly McConnell