if_xdm_messes_you_up

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Subject: Re: disaster -- messed up xconfig file -- blank screen now
From: Jeff Mings <jeffm@lava.net>
Date: Wed, 05 Jan 2000 19:51:39 -1000

Daniel Goldin wrote:

> Here's what I tried to do.  Being an avid reader of this list-group, I
> took the advice of some source to change my display to "1024x768" by
> editing /etc/X11/XF86Config by hand and changing the mode subsection of
> the "Screen" section to that number... well,  it didn't work. On top of
> that. My system automatically boots up X at start. So now, whenever I go
> into Linux... black screen.
>
> Heeelllllp!

If you have a Linux boot disk, use that.  Otherwise, you could try
telnetting into your machine across the network.  Remember that you can use
su -l to change from a regular user to root.  Once you're in, edit
/etc/inittab to start runlevel 3 by default.  Look for something like
id:5:initdefault and change the 5 to a 3.  Then you should be able to
restart and see a shell login again.  Next, you can probably just run
Xconfigurator from the console as root - it will walk you through the setup,
and will probably probe your video card, ram and mouse without any work on
your part.
That's probably the easiest thing to do.

===

Subject: Re: disaster -- messed up xconfig file -- blank screen now
From: Wayne Dyer <dwdyer@austin.rr.com>
Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 00:06:42 -0600


Daniel Goldin wrote:
> Here's what I tried to do.  Being an avid reader of this list-group, I
> took the advice of some source to change my display to "1024x768" by
> editing /etc/X11/XF86Config by hand and changing the mode subsection of
> the "Screen" section to that number... well,  it didn't work. On top of
> that. My system automatically boots up X at start. So now, whenever I go
> into Linux... black screen.

If you use lilo, boot with the keyword "single":

lilo: linux single

or if your boot image is called "fredmertz":

lilo: fredmertz single

That will get you to a command prompt.  Then edit XF86config.

If you have more than one mode in your screen section you can use
CtrlAlt+ or CtrlAlt- to switch between resolutions -- this might work.

-W-


===

Subject: Re: disaster -- messed up xconfig file -- blank screen now
From: Gustav Schaffter <gustav@schaffter.com>
Date: Thu, 06 Jan 2000 09:46:07 +0100


Daniel,

Ctrl-Alt-F1

Login

Reset your config file. (You did save a backup copy, right?)

If not, use vi, emacs or any other editor.

===

Subject: Re: Auto logon and starting x at boot.
From: Jeff Mings <jeffm@lava.net>
Date: Thu, 06 Jan 2000 11:09:50 -1000


Steve wrote:

> I am trying to have a box autologin as a user and then start x when I boot. I
> can get the box to auto login but it won't start X. It keeps telling me I might
> not have ownership of the console. Here is the command I am using in inittab:
>
> x:3:respawn::/bin/su - <username> -c startx
>
> Any idea what is wrong??

If you want every user to jump into X, why don't you just put startx in
/etc/bashrc.  If only you will auto-start X, you could do the same for
/home/steve/.bashrc.  (I think that'll do it)

===






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