On Thu, 2002-01-10 at 22:40, Paul Harris wrote: > I > checked and it didn't have write enabled for group, so I > made a lucky guess at the correct CHMOD syntax and fixed? > that. It was also complaining about not having a > /dev/input/mice, so I created that as a link to /dev/ttyS3. > Don't know if it's relevant, but ls -l ttyS* said that all > four ports were dialout? you shouldn't have linked /dev/ttyS3 to /dev/input/mice <-- that's for USB, you should have edited your /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 file to reflect your setup. In most cases debian's "dexconf" (i think it's called) will get you very close, but XF86Config-4 usually requires hacking. > > So I logged in (still su to root) and got X, KDE etc., but a > big fuzzy block where my mouse pointer should be. So I > exited out of root, and startx as myself. My monitor clicks > as it changes resolution, then a black screen. And that's > it. No ctrl-alt-del, ctrl-alt-bksp, or (ctrl)-alt-F(1-7) > has any effect, and I have to hard reboot. But as I use KDM > this takes me straight back to the same place. Generally debian defaults to only being able to run X as root (via gdm, xdm or the like) one way is to setuid the xserver binary (not the most secure), use one of the display mangers, or edit the security settings for X (can't remember how to do these off the top of my head and I should be configuring my new nfs server quotas instead of emailing this useless drivel to the mailing list :-) > > I tried rescue from the debian setup disk, but this takes me > to the same place (not what I was expecting). So, any > suggestions on how to get in to fix it, and what should I > fix?! Rescue discs are for things like file system corruption, broken unbootable kernels and stuff like that. If you can get booted normally to a shell, you can fix most anything. I've even replace a /usr/lib/* once or twice after a FS corruption. You seem quite new, trying not to sound like a redhat bigot (which I have recently become) I'd like to suggest you try redhat-7.2 or one of the other more "newbie friendly" distros like mandrake or even (*shudder*) SuSE. At least until you're more experienced and know how to find your own solutions to problems. Still, the best way to learn is to break shit and figure out how to fix it. Please direct your browser at http://www.linuxdoc.org and http://www.google.com/linux/ the former is a great source of linux documentation in howto format, and the latter is a great resource. Simply plug an error message into google.com/linux/ magic search bar and you will be greeted with a plethora of mailing list queries and answers as well as a whole host of helpful linkage. Happy hacking. -- Ben Lutgens Sistina Software Inc. Kernel panic: I have no root and I want to scream -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: application/pgp-signature Size: 232 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://shadowknight.real-time.com/pipermail/tclug-list/attachments/20020111/8cc814b6/attachment.pgp