Just to let you know where I'm coming from: I've been using Linux since kernel 0.99, but up until a month ago, that was on an old (pre-PCI) 486, and the last version I've installed was something like kernel 1.2.13; so I'm a bit rusty. Still, I'll answer what I know, and hopefully someone else can fill in the blanks. >From: Robert Nicholas <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Not only does the PC I'm using not have a reset switch, it does not even >have a power switch. It is a Packard Bell model 830 -- I have it because >it was cheap...and inexpensive. Amazing. I guess with all the "wake on whatever" features these days, they decided there wasn't any reason for a power switch. Personally, I like both a power switch and a reset switch :-). >Regarding the CTRL-ALT-DEL issue, it did not seem to respond to that. >Storm Linux peculiarity? Who knows, indeed. After thinking about this a bit more, the computer was probably already halted at this point. I'm not sure CTRL-ALT-DEL can do anything in that state. But pulling the plug probably didn't hurt it either. >I am currently re-installing and will give you the specifications >(shown in the hardware detection process) as they are displayed to me: > >Silicon Integrated System SIS Video Card >Details: Bus ID 0 > Base Class: 3 > Subclass: 0 > Vendor ID 4153 > Device ID 512 > Device has Baseclass "display", subclass "VGA" > Device has vendor SIS; Silicon Integrated System > Device has chip SIS; SIS Video Card > Action Install X server: SVGA This helps, but it'll probably help more to capture the output of XF86_SVGA (see below). >[...] >I select the default color depth at 16-bit >Clicking NEXT... >I select which resolutions I woulod like to be made available and which to >make default (1024x768) >Clicking NEXT... Looks OK... >Intrepidly clicking YES... >...partitioning and formatting /dev/hda1 -- what is that? In Unix, hardware devices are represented by files (or at least they look like files). They're put under /dev. hda is the first (IDE) driver, and hda1 is the first partition on the first drive. >...updating inodes on /dev/hda1 -- what are 'inodes'? File system internal thingies. Probably don't need to worry about them at this point. >mounting /dev/hda1 -- lost me again... Briefly, this means making the disk accessible. >Default Environment Selection: KDE (recommended) and "Start X on >bootup" (also recommended) Unfortunately, I know nothing about KDE. The "Start X on bootup" is probably easier for beginners, but it's going to make getting the output of XF86 a little more complicated. >Loading Linux and displaying all manner of boot message. When it >switches to the graphical interface, the X pointer comes up and the login >window is displayed. Again, the text is "blocked" out. I am entering my >login information... >When the desktop comes up with all the menus and toolbars, the same problem >persists. I strongly suspect a problem with XF86_SVGA and your integrated video. I know nothing about SIS though, and very little about recent versions of XFree86; but it is generally very verbose in its output. Can someone else take over at this point? I always boot in text mode, so I don't remember the boot prompt argument to avoid booting up in X. But once you boot in text mode, after you log in, you can start X and capture the output with the following command: startx >/tmp/X.log 2>&1 Look at /tmp/X.log, and we can go from there. -- John Breen ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com _______________________________________________ Stormlinux-users-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.stormix.com/community/lists/listinfo/stormlinux-users-list
