[techtalk] Mandrake install problems

[A Kozic]

Well, Madrake certainly is easy to install... You just sit there watching
it auto-configure everything, and hope that it works.

So what happens when it doesn't? Do I dare venture my newbie ass into
"expert" install? I guess I'll have to.

Here's the deal:

I picked up the Mandrake 7.2 retail box. (I was buying a new rolling
chair, and feeling really good, so I figured I'd put red hat aside for a
while. I ended up with a non-functioning laptop and the realization that
my floor is amazingly far from level.)

The laptop in question is a Fujitsu Lifebook 280DX, 32MB ram, 3.1GB hard
disk.

I boot from the CD into the graphical installer.

I do a full install, erase the entire disk.

I go through all the questions fine. Everything goes as the manual
says except it skips the question on installation class and I can't pick
what packages to install beyond the precision of "Office" "Internet"
"Graphics" "Games" etc.

Then after add a user, it skips the create a boot disk step, and doesn't
ask me anything about installing a boot loader. (It installs grub, which
seems to be fine.)

Then it comes to configuring X. It asks for my monitor type. Then it is
supposed to test the X settings and ask for confirmation that they are
correct. It skips that part entirely and tells me instalation is complete
and it will now reboot.

I take the CD out, it boots to grub with linux/failsafe/floppy displayed.
I pick linux. It gives me a command line login but switches to a solid
black cursor-less screen after a second. No X login, no nothing. I
can switch back to console 1 and log in without a problem.

So I guess that X never got set up. I try to run XF86Setup - not found.
ConfigXF86 - not found. more /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/XF86Config - not found.
I've got XF86Config-4.eg but I don't think that helps me any.


So I'm stuck. I don't think I want to try an expert install at 3am, but
I'll probably give it a try tomorrow if I have time. This is not the way
to end an already bad weekend.


If anyone can give me a nudge in the right direction, I'd be very much
appreciative. 


-- Avery, feeling dumber than usual