Boot Problem

[depthfunction]

I am definitely a Linux newbie so please bear with me. I'll try to explain this as best I can.

A few days ago I purchased a laptop with SLED 10.1 installed. All was well until this morning when I tried to download and install a package. The installation seemed to go smoothly, but the program wouldn't run after I installed it. I tried restarting the computer but then a bigger problem occurred: the computer booted to a command line instead of booting into Gnome. Suse still recognizes my username and password, and I am able to get to Gnome if I type "startx", but the display configuration is all messed up and some functions (like shutting down or restarting) don't work.

I know I screwed something up this morning, but I don't know what. Any assistance would be appreciated.

[Jonathan183]

Welcome to the forums depthfunction

What did you install?
How did you install it?
Did you do a controlled shutdown or did you have to use the power switch to restart the PC?
Do you get any error messages during booting?

[devils casper]

Suse still recognizes my username and password, and I am able to get to Gnome if I type "startx", but the display configuration is all messed up and some functions (like shutting down or restarting) don't work.

Hi and Welcome !

First of all, try to reconfigure display settings. Log in as Regular user and execute this

su -
sax2
exit
startx

Reboot machine.

[daark.child]

Suse still recognizes my username and password, and I am able to get to Gnome if I type "startx", but the display configuration is all messed up and some functions (like shutting down or restarting) don't work.

Those functions don't usually work unless you login using a login manager. If you provide more information about what you installed, then someone can help fix the problem.

[depthfunction]

Hello.
The program that I was trying to install was MPlayer. I'm willing to bet that the program or its related files are at the heart of the problem. I've only used the shutdown and restart options in Gnome, although those functions aren't available to me anymore (the shutdown dialogue box flashes for a split second and then disappears).

devils casper: Your command line suggestions helped. After I enter "sax2" I am taken to an "Automated Graphics System Setup" dialogue box. I have the option to configure the display settings and I'm trying to keep the settings what they were originally (WXGA 1200x800). When I enter "startx", Gnome loads and the display looks a lot better than it did. When I reboot, though, I'm returned to the command line (back to square one). The shutdown dialogue box still won't appear either.

BTW: My computer does not have an optical drive and SUSE came pre-installed. I haven't had problems with it until today.

[gogalthorp]

How did you try to install?? did you use Yast?

You should go into Yast-Software-Software Management and see if you can see mplayer. If so uninstall it.

If you did not use Yast to install and it is not in the Software Management We need to know exactly where you got the file and how it was installed.

[depthfunction]

I used Yast to find the program and install it.

A little while ago, when I got back into GNOME, I uninstalled MPlayer. It's gone.

From what I can tell, my problems now seem to be confined to booting up and shutting down. When I boot the computer I still start at the command line. I must log in and type "startx" (that refers to "X-Windows, right?) for GNOME to start.

I can't shut down or reboot the computer through GNOME, now, too. Yesterday, I had options to choose from: Shutdown, Sleep, Hibernate, Restart, etc. Today, the menu of options flashes briefly and then disappears.

Is there a keyboard combination that would allow me to reboot and/or shutdown from GNOME?

I'm making progress out of this mess, but I've still got a ways to go.

[gogalthorp]

Ctrl-Alt-Backspace will shut Xwindows down this will take you back to the command line. Note also you can move to a Terminal by pressing

Ctrl-Alt-F1 to F6
There are normally 6 terminals running. term 7 is the GUI if it is running. so Ctrl-Alt-F7 takes you to the running Xwindow GUI.

You can shutdown the GUI from a terminal by (as root) typing

init 3
init 5 is more or less the same as startx
init 1 restarts as single user mode
init 6 does a shutdown and reboot
init 0 shuts down and turns the computer off

You can become root by logging into the terminal as root or if logged as a user type SU then the root password Note the password does not echo to the screen

You can log off a terminal by typing exit

I run KDE so someone else may need to help you on the Gnome problems