X won't start

[gildedpage]

Went to run Mandrake 8.0 today and I get the error message "could not open default font path unix/:-1, default font fixed". I want to open /etc/X11/Xf86Config4 and comment out the "FontPath unix/:-1" line but I don't have pico installed and I have never used vim and know nothing about it. When I try to open the file in vim with "vim /etc/X11/Xf86Config4" I get a black screen with a column of funny looking little blue things in the left hand margin. Can someone tell me enough about how to use vim so I can edit that file and get X running again? Or, if someone has a better solution to this problem...

Thanks,
SW

[stup]

a blank file probably means it doesn't exist. i think you want /etc/X11/XF86Config or /etc/X11/XF86Config-4


once you open it in vim you can move around with the keypad and hit 'i' to make changes. Comment the line out, then his 'esc' to go back to command mode. type ':wq' will write the file and quit vim.

[ 24 July 2001: Message edited by: stup ]

[fancypiper]

You could use the editor in mc (Midnite Commander).

[tianxiaguixin]

try to "setup"-Xconfigurator

:)

[gildedpage]

Thanks all. Stup, your directions worked perfectly. I have commented out that line and now X starts.
SW