RHEL Install Initial Bootup

[LastCast]

Hi We are brand new to the Linux platform and just learning. So this is what we have done so far, Installed RHEL 5 on a test machine. Says it was succesfully installed. But when it boots it boots to a blank screen with no prompt or gui or anything just a black screen. Does not accept any input or anything.

We are able to get into the GNU Grub and this is what we see

Root (hd0,0)
Kernel /xen.gz-2.6.18-120.el5
module /vmlinuz-2.6.18-120.el5xen ro root=/dev/volgroup00/logvol00 rh->
module /initrd-2.6.18-120.el5xen.img

I can enter b for boot
e to edit
c for a command line
o to open a new line
d to remove
or escape to go back to main menu.

We would like for this to boot to a GUI interface. Can anyone help...

We want to set this up as a simple file server.

Thanks in advance

[devils casper]

Hi and Welcome !

Is it booting up in Single User Mode?

Highlight kernel line, press e, type single at the end of line, hit Enter key and press b. Does RHEL boot up?


e -- select kernel line -- e -- type single -- Enter key -- b

[Rubberman]

This is booting the xen kernel. You should also have a non-xen entry in the grub menu to choose from. Try that.

[b2bwild]

Xen entry is listed at top by default in RHEL,
When booting you should select the old entry.

However Xen kernel should not fail to boot.
What output you get while booting the Xen Kernel. before it gives black screen?

[LastCast]

Thanks everyone for their input.

Did as instructed entered single on the kernel line.

hit enter and the b for boot... No messages no errors just a blank screen with a cursor flashing in top right corner.

Other post says i should have xen entry. Being new I dont know what a xen entry is.. can you explain and/or give an example please...

[LastCast]

one thing i did note is that when I powered off and rebooted and got back into the grub the "single" is not saved on the kernel line. if i edit the kernel line then hit enter i do see single there. then i hit b for boot. but after a power shutdown and up.. its not there again. have tried this a couple of times... to be sure

thanks for all the input

[Rubberman]

Thanks everyone for their input.

Did as instructed entered single on the kernel line.

hit enter and the b for boot... No messages no errors just a blank screen with a cursor flashing in top right corner.

Other post says i should have xen entry. Being new I dont know what a xen entry is.. can you explain and/or give an example please...

Could you please provide a copy of the list/menu shown by grub when your system first starts, before it boots?

Also, kernel boot args provided to grub are not remembered from session to session, though if you are feeling adventurous you can edit /boot/grub/grub.conf and add an entry with your preferred options pre-defined and that will show up on your boot menu.

[LastCast]

only 1 item

Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (2.6.28-120.el5xen

if I am looking at the right thing

The Screen Title is GNU GRUB version 0.97 (640k Lower / 1309688k upper memory)

[LastCast]

if I hit e on that screen it takes me to next screen where i see

Root (hd,0)
kernel /xen
etc...

like from my first post

[Rubberman]

only 1 item

Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (2.6.28-120.el5xen

if I am looking at the right thing

The Screen Title is GNU GRUB version 0.97 (640k Lower / 1309688k upper memory)

Ok. That is the xen kernel. I would suggest that, if possible, you reinstall the system without xen support, at least to start. I have had problems with Xen and RHEL 5 in relation to video drivers. A lot of them don't work well. So, there really should be at least 2 entries there, one for the xen kernel, and one without which should show up as "Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (2.6.28-120.el5)", without the xen part of the kernel name. I'm sure others here will say that xen has nothing to do with it, but it does modify the kernel in major ways that might not play well with your system. The KISS principal says that you want to start out with as simple a configuration as possible and build from there. Murphy's Law says that whatever can go wrong, will go wrong and when combined with the KISS principal, the problem is just exacerbated.

One final thing. I notice that you say it is using the 2.6.28 kernel. Are you sure it isn't 2.6.18? The 2.6.28-128 kernel is the latest installed with RHEL, as far as I know, without installing a newer kernel yourself. Mine is fully updated to 5.3 and it is running 2.6.18-128.1.6 as the 2.6.18-128 branch was only installed with the 5.3 update at the beginning of the month.