Not So Simple GUI Question - Please Help!

**Demonic Crusader** · 04-03-2005

Alright, I'm up to the partitioning part of Mandrake Linux 10.1 Community setup. I decided I'm not ready to install yet, but it won't let me move backwards in instalation. From the "choose how to partition" page, would it be safe to shut off my computer?

Another very quick question. What is a good way to back up Windows XP but nothing else on my harddrive? Just the basics?

**bernstine** · 04-03-2005

As long as you didn't write anything to the disk(s), which from what you described you shouldn't have, you should be fine turning it off. I wouldn't try that during any partitioning though.

good luck with your mandrake

**Demonic Crusader** · 04-03-2005

Thanks, I turned it off, used chkdsk, and ran defrag, and split the Windows partition successfully. I now have linux on my computer but I have a new problem. ^.^ When I installed Mandrake Linux 10.1 Community, I disabled start in GUI (or something of the likeness). So it starts in the command prompt, and I can log on by, say, typing "Bob *enter* cheese *enter*" for un/pw. So. I'm logged on, and I have no clue what to do from command prompt, seeing as I'm a newbie, and so I'll start the GUI. I head somewhere that you can type "emerge gnome" or "emerge kde" and start that x-windows GUI but it says command not found (or, once again, something of the likeness). Any help would be appreciated, and I'd really appreciate it if you could walk me through COMPLETELY step-by-step. (For example don't tell me "open this file and edit this" because seeing as I'm in command prompt I have no idea how to do that.)

**smindinvern** · 04-03-2005

you should have install Xwindows by default, and emerge is part of a gentoo package called portage, no other distro has it, so don't even worry about that. Once you've logged on, you can type:

Code:

startx

that will bring up the gui, if you want to start up into the gui automatically, do the following:
open /etc/inittab with kate or gedit, some gui based editor and find the line that says something like id:3:initdefault: and change the 3 to a 5, your system will now start up into gdm or kdm, whichever you have set automatically

**Demonic Crusader** · 04-03-2005

Well, "startx" does not bring me to a GUI, it rather gives me a bunch of text that takes up the whole screen. I see no x-windows or Gnome or KDE or anything after "startx". Emerge Gnome and Emerge KDE still do not work after "startx".

I looked through the text it gave me and found some interesting stuff.

Data imcomplete in file /etc/x11/xorg.conf
at least one Device section is required.
(EE) Problem parsing config file
(EE) EError parsing config file

Fatal server error: no screens found
XIO: fatal IO error 104 (connection reset by peer on x server ":0.0"
After 0 requests (0 known processed) with 0 events remaining.

EDIT: And yes, I did install both Gnome and KDE as well as EVERYTHING else that Mandrake would allow me to install.

**smindinvern** · 04-03-2005

you need to add a device monitor and screen section to your xorg.conf file, these should appear in order after the core pointer and keyboard sections. from the command line:

Code:

$EDITOR /etc/X11/xorg.conf
# PGDOWN past the core pointer and keyboard sections, then insert the following&#58;
Section "Monitor"
    Identifier "Monitor0"
    VertRefresh 50-100 # make sure this is in line with what your monitor can handle
    HorizSync 30-50 # again, make sure this is the correct range for your monitor
    Option "dpms"
EndSection "Monitor"

Section "Device"
    Identifier "Device0"
    Driver "vesa"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier "Screen0"
    Device "Device0"
    Monitor "Monitor0"
    DefaultDepth 24
    SubSection "Display"
        Depth 24
        Modes "1024x768"
    EndSubSection
EndSection

# Make sure that your Section "ServerLayout" has the following lines&#58;

Section "ServerLayout"
    ... # the first part we don't care about
    Screen 0 "Screen0"
    ... # the last part we don't care about
EndSection

**Demonic Crusader** · 04-03-2005

Hm. When I use
$EDITOR /etc/X11/xorg.conf
I get a
-bash: /etc/X11/xorg.conf Permission Denied
I am logged on as a root user yet my permission still is denied.

**smindinvern** · 04-03-2005

do this, then edit the file again:

Code:

chmod 644 /etc/X11/xorg.conf

**Demonic Crusader** · 04-03-2005

The chmod goes through but access is still denied.

Sooo frustrating...

**smindinvern** · 04-03-2005

tell me what this says:

Code:

ls -l /etc/X11/xorg.conf

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