[CS-FSLUG] How to resolve anapparent Linux crash

[K. Luckenbaugh]

Eduardo Sanchez wrote:

>Hi Ruth,
>
>First of all, welcome to the list. I am sorry I haven't had the time to 
>welcome you before, but I'm really swamped.
>
>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.
>
>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.
>
>Blessings,
>
>
>Eduardo
>
>
>On Friday 20 August 2004 02:04, linux at rmf.mailshell.com wrote:
>  
>
>>Hi everyone,
>>I'm back to report on trying out the various pieces of advice you gave 
>>    
>>
>me on my apparent crash of Linux or Mandrake 9.1 . I took time off to 
>do that last night.
>  
>
>>Since there were quite a few, I'll try to condense this rather than 
>>    
>>
>doing a lot of quoting. Just to refresh your memories, I have no 
>graphics or links on my desktop so I can't get into Mandrake Control to 
>change any settings. I had figured out how to get a command prompt, but 
>didn't (still don't ) know what commands to give.
>  
>
>>First I tried Jukka's idea of  Ctrl+Alt++ to resize the screen in case 
>>    
>>
>the graphics were just beyond the edge.  (Easiest first). No go. It did 
>adjust the black edges of the screen, but didn't bring the toolbar, or 
>anything to click on back.
>  
>
>>I tried Kathy's idea next to bring up a console with the Alt+<Fn> or 
>>    
>>
>function keys. No go. You said  using Alt+Ctrl+backspace would kill my 
>X server. Oh-oh! Maybe the damage has already been done? However, 
>NumLock with Ctl+Alt did bring on the command line. I put in my login 
>and password... now what? :)
>  
>
>>So I tried various commands that I thought would get me
>>
Ruth,
Forgive me if I am giving you old info, but maybe try this:

I believe that Mandrake may be using the XF86config-4 files.

Do this from the command line:
 
[ruth at localhost ruth]#   su -
Password:   (/your root password goes here/)

[root at localhost root]# cd   /etc/X11
[root at localhost X11]# ls

Now you should see XF86config-4 or XF86config  text files.  It looked 
like (to me) like you were trying to go to a directory called  
/etc/X11/XF86Config (that isn't a directory). The print statement , "no 
such directory" is true because you tried to put a file name into the 
directory path.  The file "XF86Config is in the directory "X11" which is 
in "etc" .

I f  this was successful, and you can see the files XF86Config and 
XF86Config-4, email me back. kluck at gdrs.com and I'll walk you through it

-Kelly


>> 
>>    
>>
>nto /etc/X11/XF86Config files the way Bradley suggested. I kept getting 
>"no such directory" so I suspect I didn't have the full path correct. 
>Can you give me a bit more help there?
>  
>
>>David M. asked if I was running KDE. Yes, I am/was, but I couldn't 
>>    
>>
>figure out how to get to that folder to rename it.
>  
>
>>I did try too, to stick a floppy in and give the command;
>>dd if=/home/*myusername"/Mail of=/dev/fd0
>>The answer I got was, 
>>is a directory
>>0+0 records in
>>0+0 records out.
>>In other words, nothing happened.
>>
>>Somewhere I'd read that you could type *man* and a command, and the 
>>    
>>
>manual pages would come up right at the command line. So I entertained 
>and educated myself for a while by trying that with different words. A 
>lot of them had no man pages, but bash - now that was another story! 
>Got far more than I could absorb or understand at one sitting. :)
>  
>
>>It looks like I may just have to try a re-install and forget the files 
>>    
>>
>I started in my two week honeymoon in Mandrake, or else take that other 
>piece of advice,  - wait for Mandrake 10.1 and upgrade.
>  
>
>>Thanks to everyone who offered ideas. I've appreciated them, and 
>>    
>>
>learned again from my efforts. Just think; one day I'll be helping 
>others because of the things things I'm struggling through to get out 
>of my chrysalis!
>  
>
>>By the way, anybody got some good experience with form2mail php 
>>    
>>
>scripts?
>  
>
>>Blessings & Thanks,
>>Ruth
>>http://Ruthes-SecretRoses.com
>>When you meet Ruthe and her Friend - you've got Friends
>>
>>
>>_______________________________________________________
>>The FREE service that prevents junk email http://www.mailshell.com
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>ChristianSource FSLUG mailing list
>>Christiansource at ofb.biz
>>http://cs.uninetsolutions.com
>>
>>    
>>
>
>  
>