I’ve just installed Mandrake 10 as my first foray into Linux. I have two
(I think) unrelated Clueless Boot questions.

1: Since I am dual booting between Linux and Windows I am presented with
several choices after the BIOS POST:
Linux-p3-smp-64gb
Linux
Linux-nonfb
Linux-i686-up-4gb
263-7
linux-smp
failsafe
windows
The last choice is clear. The others are a mystery. What are the
differences? I’ve been using linux-p3-smp-64gb as it seems the default.

2: All went well the first couple of days, dual booting from Linux to
Windows perhaps several times. I installed Opera into Linux without
incident. I tried to install an antivirus package (clamav) which failed in
the first step but apparently had no effect other than the installation
aborting.
Now, when I boot into Linux I am prompted to log on via a command-line
screen, and when I do so am in a command line interface. Where did Gnome
go? How do I get it back?

"Gary Carroll" <garrycarroll@dontspammecharter.net> writes:

]I’ve just installed Mandrake 10 as my first foray into Linux. I have two
](I think) unrelated Clueless Boot questions.

]1: Since I am dual booting between Linux and Windows I am presented with
]several choices after the BIOS POST:
] Linux-p3-smp-64gb
] Linux
] Linux-nonfb
] Linux-i686-up-4gb
] 263-7
] linux-smp
] failsafe
] windows
]The last choice is clear. The others are a mystery. What are the
]differences? I’ve been using linux-p3-smp-64gb as it seems the default.

]2: All went well the first couple of days, dual booting from Linux to
]Windows perhaps several times. I installed Opera into Linux without
]incident. I tried to install an antivirus package (clamav) which failed in
]the first step but apparently had no effect other than the installation
]aborting.
]Now, when I boot into Linux I am prompted to log on via a command-line
]screen, and when I do so am in a command line interface. Where did Gnome
]go? How do I get it back?

1. p3=Pentium III
smp=Symmetric Multiprocessing (Ie more than one CPU in the box)
64gb= Allows total memory up to 64 GB
up=UniProccesor (single processor in the box)
i686= Pentium 2 or higher.
263-7=Kernel 2.6.4-7mdk
failsafe=minimal kernel which should boot even if everyting else breaks.

2. startx
or edit /etc/inittab
id:3:initdefault:
make that
id:5:initdefault:

If it already is and startx does not work, then you have an X problem.
Maybe gnome does not exists (eg see if /etc/gnome/gnomerc is there and that
/etc/gnome has rx permission for everyone.

Otherwise look in .xsession-error for clues.

Bill Unruh wrote:
> "Gary Carroll" <garrycarroll@dontspammecharter.net> writes:
>
> ]Iâ?Tve just installed Mandrake 10 as my first foray into Linux. I
> have two ](I think) unrelated Clueless Boot questions.
>
> ]1: Since I am dual booting between Linux and Windows I am presented
> with ]several choices after the BIOS POST:
> ] Linux-p3-smp-64gb
> ] Linux
> ] Linux-nonfb
> ] Linux-i686-up-4gb
> ] 263-7
> ] linux-smp
> ] failsafe
> ] windows
> ]The last choice is clear. The others are a mystery. What are the
> ]differences? Iâ?Tve been using linux-p3-smp-64gb as it seems the
> default.

> 1. p3=Pentium III
> smp=Symmetric Multiprocessing (Ie more than one CPU in the box)
> 64gb= Allows total memory up to 64 GB
> up=UniProccesor (single processor in the box)
> i686= Pentium 2 or higher.
> 263-7=Kernel 2.6.4-7mdk
> failsafe=minimal kernel which should boot even if everyting else
> breaks.

Those are labels for different kernels in Linux, allowing you to select
which one you wish to boot with. You probably want to flush all the kernels
that are inappropriate for your hardware.

> 2. startx
> or edit /etc/inittab
> id:3:initdefault:
> make that
> id:5:initdefault:

And don't forget to reboot after doing this to re-run init and start you up
in the new run level. Also, if you look at the argements of your lilo.conf
or grub.conf, you can add arguments to your boot settings to automatically
start you in a certain runlevel (3 for normal use and no X login manager
already running, 5 to have that X login screen). This is useful for setting
things for low power mode on a laptop (no X windows!), or not using NFS or
network mounting (runlevels 2 and 4).

> If it already is and startx does not work, then you have an X problem.
> Maybe gnome does not exists (eg see if /etc/gnome/gnomerc is there
> and that /etc/gnome has rx permission for everyone.
>
> Otherwise look in .xsession-error for clues.

"Nico Kadel-Garcia" <nkadel@comcast.net> writes:

]Bill Unruh wrote:
]> "Gary Carroll" <garrycarroll@dontspammecharter.net> writes:
]>
]> ]Iâ?Tve just installed Mandrake 10 as my first foray into Linux. I
]> have two ](I think) unrelated Clueless Boot questions.
]>
]> ]1: Since I am dual booting between Linux and Windows I am presented
]> with ]several choices after the BIOS POST:
]> ] Linux-p3-smp-64gb
]> ] Linux
]> ] Linux-nonfb
]> ] Linux-i686-up-4gb
]> ] 263-7
]> ] linux-smp
]> ] failsafe
]> ] windows
]> ]The last choice is clear. The others are a mystery. What are the
]> ]differences? Iâ?Tve been using linux-p3-smp-64gb as it seems the
]> default.

]> 1. p3=Pentium III
]> smp=Symmetric Multiprocessing (Ie more than one CPU in the box)
]> 64gb= Allows total memory up to 64 GB
]> up=UniProccesor (single processor in the box)
]> i686= Pentium 2 or higher.
]> 263-7=Kernel 2.6.4-7mdk
]> failsafe=minimal kernel which should boot even if everyting else
]> breaks.

]Those are labels for different kernels in Linux, allowing you to select
]which one you wish to boot with. You probably want to flush all the kernels
]that are inappropriate for your hardware.

Since I assume he is using a dual processor system (otherwise the installer
probably would not have installed an smp kernel) all are appropriate to his
hardware. However if he finds that he never uses some of them, then remove
them. HOwever, remember that the linux entry is likely a link.
ls -la /boot/vmunix
would show a link to one of the above. If you remove the one linked to ,
then you also remove the linux entry unless you remake the links in /boot.


]> 2. startx
]> or edit /etc/inittab
]> id:3:initdefault:
]> make that
]> id:5:initdefault:

]And don't forget to reboot after doing this to re-run init and start you up
]in the new run level. Also, if you look at the argements of your lilo.conf

Or do
init 5
from the command line.

]or grub.conf, you can add arguments to your boot settings to automatically

Why would you put it into the kernel options rather than inittab?
kernel options are good for recovery (eg your system usually boots into
runlevel 5 but for some reason X has gone crazy on your system-- so you do
linux 3
at the boot prompt and boot into runlevel 3 instead -- or runlevel 1 as a
minimal single user rescue mode.

]start you in a certain runlevel (3 for normal use and no X login manager
]already running, 5 to have that X login screen). This is useful for setting
]things for low power mode on a laptop (no X windows!), or not using NFS or
]network mounting (runlevels 2 and 4).

]> If it already is and startx does not work, then you have an X problem.
]> Maybe gnome does not exists (eg see if /etc/gnome/gnomerc is there
]> and that /etc/gnome has rx permission for everyone.
]>
]> Otherwise look in .xsession-error for clues.

I just had a case where on reinstall, a user had created his own userid on
the system, but when the system was installed the old passwd and shadow
files were replaced. He could not log in in X. It turned out that the
/tmp/gconfd-username had been created during the install phase or during
the bootup phase, and since his user id was now different, this blocked his
ability to use gnome at all. The clue was in .xsession-error.