login question

[Datagram]

I'm a newbie so bare with me. Ok I went and got Mandrake 7.2 and I love every minute of it. I don't know what went wrong though. Last time when I tried to boot into mandrake, it just stayed at the black screen that says localhost. Before that I could get into KDE/ect.. fine, but now i don't think I can get in it. I have no clue what happened. Any ideas????

[X_console]

Black screen that has "localhost"? Is it a command line? Like, can you type in a login name and password?

[Datagram]

yeah kinda, it has Tux and says Mandrake above it. root@localhost......
I used to see that screen, but not all the time. It always went to the login screen so that I could log into KDE/ ect....yeah i could log in and type a pw. I don't know what happened. My bios said that the hd was corrupt, but I pressed F1 to ignore it, so maybe something could have went wrong. I'm waiting on another hd now..... = )

[ 27 February 2001: Message edited by: Datagram ]

[bdg1983]

Maybe try to login and startx. Post any errors you get.

[Datagram]

how?? Sorry i'm a big time newbie......so was that supposed to be normal or was it supposed to go directly to KDE?

[bdg1983]

Are you saying that originally when you booted, KDE automatically started and now it does not so you left at the commandline?

Verify that your runlevel is correct in /etc/inittab. Here's the NHF on booting to the GUI. http://www.linuxnewbie.org/nhf/intel/x-windows/guiboot.html The runlevel should be '5' for GUI and '3' for commandline.

Post back if this is not the problem.

[krs0123]

i dont understand. does it say localhost login: and have a blinking cursor? if it does you should be able to login, then type startx to get to KDE.

[Datagram]

ok i'll try that.....thnx for the help people.... :)

[bdg1983]

I had suggested that earlier.

Maybe try to login and startx. Post any errors you get

Guess I should have expanded on my suggestion.

Have you had a look at /etc/inittab to see which runlevel is starting?