Need boot and startkde help

[bwhite]

Hello all, I recently downloaded and installed Slackware 10.0 (15 minutes ago or so). I am a beginner to linux. Everything went smooth up until setting up the boot options. I tried to set it up as Master Boot record (i think) but that failed. So I created a boot disk, which boots to slackware. Now my problem is that I am unfamiliar with a non-automatically kde enabled system (been using Xandros). I tried to run the startkde command in the console but that gives me an error that repeats over and over again...Server X. Basically I need to figure out how to run the KDE then setup a dual boot.

Is this enough info for someone to help me? Thanks in advance.

[bwhite]

Ok I think that part of my problem is that I don't know what the partition name is to mount when using the boot disk so that I may properly configure LILO. I am having some difficulty determining this, which may be because I improperly setup my partitions. This is under windows XP.

My current partitions are(using partition magic):
Local Disk (C: ) NTFS Primary
(*) Extended Primary
Local Disk (*: ) Linux Ext2 Logical


Anyone point me in the right direction?

[Dapper Dan]

Since I use grub I can't advise on Lilo other than to say you should install it to the MBR. It will then point to the right Slackware "/" partition to boot. The Slackware install will give you the option of booting your Windows, which is likely at hda1. The reason you aren't booted into kdm (the sign in thingie) is because Slackware by default only boots into init 3. This is easily changed. You can get to your user desktop environment by doing this at the command line:

type in...

root

...for the username and press enter. It will then ask for root's password. Type it in and press enter. Then once you get a "#" at the end of your prompt rather than a "$." type in:

kdm

And press enter. This is where you will sign in your regular user name and password to get to your desktop. Once there, open a terminal and type:

xhost + localhost [enter]

Become root as before...

su [enter]

It will ask for root's password. type it in and press enter. Then go:

kate /etc/inittab [enter]

Look for a line that looks like this...

# Default runlevel. (Do not set to 0 or 6)
id:3:initdefault:

Change the 3 to a 4 so it looks like this...

# Default runlevel. (Do not set to 0 or 6)
id:4:initdefault:

Save this file and exit. Now when you reboot, it will take you straight to kdm so you can log in.

[bwhite]

Ok I was able to get the KDM running. Unfortuneately the instrucations you gave me to setup the kdm to come up on reboot don't work. xhost + localhost returns: unable to open display "".

Also it says command not found for kate.

A good thing though is now that I am in the KDM I have access to slackware's control center. In that is LILO, the boot manager. I can install a boot record to a drive from here. Is that what I want to do?

Here is the LILO config file:

# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
lba32 # Allow booting past 1024th cylinder with a recent BIOS
boot = /dev/hda
message = /boot/boot_message.txt
prompt
timeout = 1200
# Override dangerous defaults that rewrite the partition table:
change-rules
reset
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x32k
vga = 790
# Normal VGA console
# vga = normal
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
# vga=791
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x32k
# vga=790
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
# vga=773
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k
# vga=788
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x32k
# vga=787
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x256
# vga=771
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x64k
# vga=785
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x32k
# vga=784
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x256
# vga=769
# End LILO global section
# Windows bootable partition config begins

other = /dev/hdb1
label="Windows"
table = /dev/hdb
# Windows bootable partition config ends
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image="/dev/hdb1"
root="/dev/hdb5"

image="/boot/vmlinuz"
root="/dev/hdb5"
label="Linux"
read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends


Sorry for my newbieness...but any further help in setting up the dual boot would be much appreciated.

[Fallen Angel]

If you have one disk and two partitions, one with Linux and other with Windows take a look at this:
http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/topic-3573.html

[puntmuts]

There is no need to do anything with xhost. To do the same you could use

kdesu kate /etc/inittab

kdesu makes it possible to run programs as root without using xhost.

Your lilo.conf has errors I believe, just delete or comment the last two lines of:

# Linux bootable partition config begins
image="/dev/hdb1"
root="/dev/hdb5"

And remove all double quotes, they are not needed anywhere in this file. Save the file and rerun lilo.