Debian 3.1 "Sarge" Installation

[Alberto1]

I have just installed in my PC Linux Debian 3.1 Sarge in dual boot with its native O.S. Windows 98 SE. I have got the first three installation CDs of it but in spite of that I only obtained the basic O.S. (black screen and command line prompt).
I wanted a desktop installation with KDE GUI. As a beginner maybe I made some mistakes during installation as I was expecting a dialog box asking me to choose the packages I wanted and the way to obtain them (tasksel, dselect, etc.), but in vain. I'll be grateful if somebody tells me how can I complete my installation without installing everything again from the beginning. Besides, during the boot of it a long information file appears evidencing some errors, too. Is it possible to see and print it? I had a look at the "messages" file in /var/log which is, according to me similar but not the same.
Best Regards.

[je_fro]

man apt-get
apt-get -s install x-window-system
apt-cache search kde

[ljd65536]

Its also possible that you did install the desktop but inadvertently configured the system to boot up in console mode or perhaps single user mode. Do you you get a login prompt? If so, try typing startx after loggining in.

[amgeex]

Ok, I'm sorry I'm hijacking this thread, but I've encountered a problem. After successfully installing sarge and upgrading to testing I typed in the following to the command line (as root):

apt-get install x-window-system gdm xfce4

Ok, after getting those packages I expected to get a debconf screen or something to configure xfree86, but the installer only kicked me back to the command prompt. Now, I typed startx and all I got was a black screen. I guess this is due to xfree86 not being properly configured. Ok, I hard-rebooted my pc as no commands worked. So, it boots into GRUB and then it goes all the way doing ok, except it doesn't drop me to the command prompt to login, instead I get the same black screen I got when I typed startx. How can I prevent this from happening?

Thanks in advance!

[happybunny]

first, hit ctl-alt-f2

then edit /etc/inittab to change the default boot mode to 2 (i think that is debians init 3).

From now on it will boot to cli.

as far as configuring x, type xf86config ( i think) to configure it correctly.

[ljd65536]

Assuming you are correct that you are starting a broken X-server, then the packages must have changed your run level to 5. You can change it back to 3 (console login) by booting with "single" parameter on the boot command line. If you can get to the Grub command prompt, the commands are something like:

kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda1 single
boot

Assuming your file system is on hda1. Once you get the bash prompt, you need to edit /etc/inittab. Change the line
id:5:initdefault:

to

id:3:initdefault:

You will have to use a console mode editor, emacs or vi, to do this. The reboot. You will then still have the problem of getting your X-server to work. BTW, when you got the black screen, did you you try ctl-alt-backspace?

[happybunny]

if you are set to be at run level 5, wont ctl-alt-backspace kill X, but then automatically start it again?

And I don't quite understand it, but debian's "default" run level is 2, not 3.

[ljd65536]

You are right. X will try to restart. But you usually see the screen flicker as it restarts. I'm not that familiar with Debian so you are probably right about the run level.

[dkeav]

btw to those running unstable branch xorg is now officially availbe apt-get install xserver-xorg will remove xfree, should go painlessly, enjoy

[amgeex]

hey, thanks for the quick replies, I'll try that now.

P.S. Yes, I tried ctrl-alt-backspace, but it didn't work, I guess x restarted itself.

[amgeex]

Well, pressing ctrl-alt-f2 didn't work and neither did typing kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda single on the Grub command prompt, it caused kernel panic. Now, I've always had problems when installing debian (that's why I loved the old installer, if you knew how to work it, it would all go fine), so I'm starting to consider some other distribution to install. Any recommendations? I want something easy to install, but not Suse or Fedora or Mandriva.

[crow2icedearth]

QUOTE]I want something easy to install, but not Suse or Fedora or Mandriva.[/QUOTE]

use slackware the setup has been the same for years. i am a die heart slackware fan i have been using since verion 3.0 . its one distro i know how to do stuff fast and quickly with out stupid dependcies problem . and it still runs LILO and not grub . i have use grubed with other distros.

download slackware 10.1 and tell me what you think :)

[crow2icedearth]

QUOTE]I want something easy to install, but not Suse or Fedora or Mandriva.[/QUOTE]

use slackware the setup has been the same for years. i am a die heart slackware fan i have been using since verion 3.0 . its one distro i know how to do stuff fast and quickly with out stupid dependcies problem . and it still runs LILO and not grub . i have use grubed with other distros.

download slackware 10.1 and tell me what you think :)

[amgeex]

OK, I'll do. I'll try that and post back with the info. ;)

Thanks a lot!

[amgeex]

Ok, I guess I'm going to get killed over here for *****ing so much. Anyway, I downloaded and burned Zenwalk Linux (previously MiniSlack). All the install goes alright, but when I reboot I get No Operating System Found on the screen. I already reinstalled 3 times and its getting frustating...

According to my limited Linux knowledge this is caused by LILO not being written to the MBR. Now, how do I achieve this without having to reinstall the whole thing? I know its easy, but its a boring process!

Thanks a lot in advance!

[je_fro]

There should have been an option to write lilo or grub to the MBR during the install....