graphical login prompt, no WM

[bearwebber]

I just installed mandriva 2006 on a 400MHz machine with about 392Mb RAM and a 30Gb drive. I installed IceWM and I thought I installed KDE as well. When it starts up, it flashes a terminal login prompt and then jumps to a graphical window. It is VERY basic looking. no pics, just a username and password prompt. I try the root and user logins, but the screen just flashes a couple times and goes back to the login prompt. I have this nagging suspicion that I didn't actually get KDE on this machine after all. What's wrong and how do I fix it? Anybody Know?

[YoKe]

I would assume you are seeing the kdm login screen, but I can't be sure, what buttons are there, [Shutdown] [Login]... ?

[randomAccess]

No, it's not KDM, it's XDM login GUI. I'm using PCLOS which is similar to Mandriva, and in here I go to control centre and select "Select a Display Manager for GUI login" and in there I can switch between KDM and XDM.

[YoKe]

bear, there should be a menu somewhere at login time allowing you to choose what W/M to login to, if you don't see a menu, your probably using xdm, and I would suggest changing to kdm or gdm, via the method that randomAccess is talking about, then when you see your login screen, you will have menus, it would probably be under a menu titled, "session" or somthing similar, since you installed IceWM you should see it in the menu, if you did install KDE it should be in the menu also, if not, then its most likely not installed, and I would suggest starting your Distro's Control Center again, and choosing to install packages, of which you should install the KDE and your KDE apps. Then logout, and login to KDE. It should be that simple.

[randomAccess]

Then again, when I used Mandriva, I always had problems that the menu wouldn't update when I installed a new application. I always had to do it manually.

[YoKe]

I hear that, same here. Hey Random, can you suggest a good, quick distro, I was using SuSE for about a week, but it ran too slow my internet connection was lagging, so yesterday I installed Mandr...Mandriva 2006, and I dont think im gonna stay long, I dont like how they have the menu set up since Mandrake 10 (I only used Mandrake 10.1 for a month before I went to FC4). And don't say Gentoo, I'm interested in Gentoo, but I'm not taking 25hours to install it manualy, I'll wait till all the kinks are out of the GUI installer.

[randomAccess]

Try PCLinuxOS!

When I installed it, I cannot remember that I ever again asked for help with anything. It just works. Use it, and you can easily log of this forum.

[YoKe]

Hey bearwebber, did you find anything helpful, did you dissapear off the face of the Earth, u OK? I'll read up on PCLinuxOS, random, I've also been thinkin' about Slackware, and FC5.

[randomAccess]

Just try PCLOS. Trust me!

[YoKe]

PCLOS, is basicly just Mandriva....I'll keep it in mind for the future, i chose Slack for now.