Booting up to console instead of KDE gui

[farout_leftie]

I sent this query to the Linux Desktop / X-Windows forum but I am stuck as no one seems to be able to tell me what the problem is. I hope someone in this forum will be good enough to answer me clearly.

i am having problems booting up to my KDE gui. I have Mandrake 9.2 installed. I can't remember exactly what I did but I downloaded some updates to try to get some video player installed (i think it was mplayer).

Ever since then (about a week ago) whenever I boot up the computer it goes straight to the console/terminal instead of the gui. Once in the console I can't find any way to get back to my gui.

1) I was told this was likely to be a configuration problem. I was told to login as root and type

startx

I did and the message it gave me was

execve failed for /etc/X11/X (errorno 2) giving up
xinit: no such file or directory (errorno 2) : unable to connect to X server
xinit:no such process (error no 3):server error

2) I was told to post the results of this command

grep EE /var/log/XF86.0.log

and the message which came up was

(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not immplemented, (??) unknown
(II) loading extension MIT-SCREEN-SAVER


3) I was also told to post the results of this command

grep EE /etc/X11/XF86Config


But nothing happened this time - the prompt simply reappeared again.

4) I was also told to type the name of "wizards" like

harddrak

but this simply came up as no command.

Could anyone possibly advise me how I find my way back from the Console to the gui?

thanks

[UgoDeschamps]

Seems like your X is having some issues
try running

Xconfigurator
or 
XFree86 -configure

This will try to setup your X server with default settings...

Please post any error you get.

[tlillas]

I agree. The other command is harddrake, not harddrak.

/Tom

[gododdin]

I had the same problem and a friend advised typing 'drakconf' at the prompt (you need to be logged in as root I think). This opens a configuration utility which should allow you to get your GUI back up and running (worked for me anyway, but I'm only a newbie - anyone else out there advise on this?)

[farout_leftie]

Thank you to everyone who took the time to look at this and reply.

1) I am now at work so I won't be able to act on the suggestion to type "drakconf" and get back to my gui that way - I will try that later tonight.

2) I tried "harddrake" and nothing came up.

3) I also tried both XConfigurator and XFree86 -configure and in each case the message was the same:

bash: XConfigurator (or XFree86) : command not found

4) Perhaps I could briefly go through the process I undergo when booting up.

When I power on I eventually come to the following screen:

Mandrake Linux release 9.2 (Firestar) for i586
Kernel 2.4.22 - 10 mdk on an i686 / tty1

Then I am prompted for my login

localhost login:
password:

Then I am told:

last login: Sat Jan 29 20:15:50 on vc/1
[bisd@localhost bisd] $

Then I login as root and I am at

[root@localhost bisd]

Then I start trying all the commands kindly suggested by yourselves.

Hope this helps to make things a little clearer.

[bigtomrodney]

Two more commands for you to try, both doing the same thing - drakx and xdrake

The command you're looking for along with a lot of the other X server interfaces should start with 'x', so try typin x at the command line and pressing TAB to see what commands are present. Try the same with a capital X as there is case sensitivity on the CLI.

If both of these commands are missing you probably haven't got X installed at all. Just to confirm - You are using Mandrake? All of these drak and drake commands are specific to Mandrake.

[farout_leftie]

thanks bigtomrodney

yes i do have mandrake 9.2 installed.

[farout_leftie]

Well I am no longer sure what to do now. Do I have X installed - I think so but I am not sure. And how do I get my gui back or even install a new one?

Well thanks bigtomrodney for suggesting typing x and then tabl - this came up with a list of commands starting with x. At least something seemed to work for which I am profoundly grateful!





:o

However I could not find "xdrake" or "drakx". But I did find "drakconf" which gododdin suggested - this took me to "Control Center" from which the tools available are:

Add New Users, Auto Install, Boot Configuration, Connection Sharing, Disk partitioning, Display Configuration, Firewall, Internet, Keyboard, Mouse and Service Config.

Which one of these am I supposed to configure? I am not sure.

What about you UgoDeschamps, got any ideas?

Bis[/b]

[jeremy1701]

You want dsiplay configuration.

Jeremy

[farout_leftie]

thanks jeremy i will try that when i get home tonite