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Help! Debian - xfree86 - Linux newbie

Ask for help with issues regarding the Installations of the Debian O/S.
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Damian

Help! Debian - xfree86 - Linux newbie

#1 Post by Damian »

This is about the 4th time I've tried to install Linux in that past couple of years. Something always seems to go wrong, no matter what distro I use, but I really want to get it working.

I've just installed Debian 3.1 sarge and all seemed to go OK

but when I boot up, I get told that the X server (graphical interface) can't run because of Xfree86 settings. Then I'm told to restard GDM when it is configured properly.

I can then log in on the command line, but that's it.

I came from the old days of DOS, so I'm not scared of a command line, but I know NOTHING about Linux commands.

I searched the net, and found this command:

dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86

but nothing that I do in there seems to work.

Can anyone help and tell me in plain english what to do?
I understand that ATI do linux drivers, but I have no idea how I would get a file onto the Linux file system without being in Linux, nver mind how I'd go about installing anything without a GUI.

I'm using an X1000 with a ATI Mobility Radion 9200, 64MB. It's running at 1280x800.

I'd LOVE to get this up and running. Please help!!

tim
Posts: 236
Joined: 2004-03-13 02:18
Location: New Mexico

#2 Post by tim »

Are you dual booting with widows? If so, you could boot into windows and download the ati driver to a folder on your window partition. Then you could reboot into debian and mount your windows partition. (Let me know if you need advice on how to mount windows.) Then, while still in debian, you could move the ati driver to one of your debian directories and install it. I can give more detailed advice if you post back here with info on whether you're dual booting, and if you're using ntfs or vfat with windows.

Tim
Grieve not for happy Claudius, he is dead;
And empty is his skull.
Pity no longer, arm-in-arm with Dread,
Walks that polished hall.

Joy, too, is fled.
But no man can have all.

--Edna St. Vincent Millay

Damian

#3 Post by Damian »

Hi Tim

Thanks for getting back to me.

Yes, I'm Dual booting XP for now (I'd love to get rid of the beast entirely if Linux goes well).
My main XP partition in NTFS, but there's 30 gig after that that's FAT32.
Debian set up the drives after that in a remaining 30 gig (it set up the drives as a desktop user).

I have no idea what I'm doing, so any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm not even sure if there is a Linux specific driver for my card from ATI .. trying to look now ...

tim
Posts: 236
Joined: 2004-03-13 02:18
Location: New Mexico

#4 Post by tim »

Hi Damian,

Ati does support your card. Check out these links:


https://a248.e.akamai.net/f/674/9206/0/ ... tml#172394

https://support.ati.com/ics/support/def ... olderID=27

So maybe the first thing you should do is boot into debian and mount your xp partition.

First make a directory that will give you access to your windows files. You can do that from the command line when you're logged in as root:

mkdir /xp

(You don't have it call it xp--name it whatever you like.)

Then you'll have to mount your windows partition. Linux doesn't have A,B,C...etc. drives. It divides your hard drive into hda1. hda2, etc. To get a list of the partitions on your computer, run sfdisk -l (that last letter is a small "L"). Assuming your windows partition is on hda1, you can mount it like so as root:

mnt /dev/hda1 /xp

That command will mount your windows partition to the /xp directory. Next, you'll need to edit a file called /etc/fstab. As root, type nano /etc/fstab

This will bring up a list of your partitions. If your windows partition isn't listed, you can add it, navigating with the arrow keys. I've copied my /etc/fstab directory below. You can copy the line for my xp partition, assuming you have named your windows directory xp and that xp is on hda1. If not, just change hda1 to whatever you found when you ran sfdisk, and /xp to whatever you want to call your windows directory.

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
/dev/hda3 / ext3 errors=remount-ro 0 1
/dev/hda2 none swap sw 0 0
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
/dev/fd0 /floppy auto user,noauto 0 0
/dev/cdrom /cdrom iso9660 ro,user,auto 0 0
/dev/hda1 /xp ntfs ro,exec,user,auto,umask=000 0 0
/dev/sda1 /mnt/maxtor vfat rw,exec,user,auto 0 0
/dev/sdb1 /mnt/pentax vfat rw,exec,user,auto 0 0
tmpfs /dev/shm tmpfs defaults 0 0

Ok, that's probably enough for now. Once you've mounted your windows partition, you'll be able to access all your windows files while in debian, which means you can copy your downloaded ati driver to your debian partition if you want. But we can get into that next if you need help doing it.

I should also add that while reading from your ntfs partition while in linux is safe, writing to it in Linux might cause problems, so don't try to save anything to your xp directory while you're running linux.

Tim
Grieve not for happy Claudius, he is dead;
And empty is his skull.
Pity no longer, arm-in-arm with Dread,
Walks that polished hall.

Joy, too, is fled.
But no man can have all.

--Edna St. Vincent Millay

Damian

#5 Post by Damian »

Thanks for your help

I tried a few things out based on what you said and comments from elsewhere. I actually got to the point that the ATI drivers seemed to be installing. Went through the process, but then it still failed on me.

Someone on a newsgroup suggested:
"Do yourself a favour, and get one of the Debian-based distros. The latest
Ubuntu/Kubuntu, for example."

So, after a bit of research, I'm going to do that.

Thanks again, Damian

tim
Posts: 236
Joined: 2004-03-13 02:18
Location: New Mexico

#6 Post by tim »

Hi Damian,

Debian is a bit tough to install and configure for people who are new to linux--ubuntu/kubuntu probably is a better choice. Either one will probably have you up and running automatically. Pure debian, though, can't be beat in the long run when it comes to setting up your computer exactly the way you want it. Good luck!

Tim
Grieve not for happy Claudius, he is dead;
And empty is his skull.
Pity no longer, arm-in-arm with Dread,
Walks that polished hall.

Joy, too, is fled.
But no man can have all.

--Edna St. Vincent Millay

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