Prevent Roswell(RH7.2 Beta) from directly booting into X

[wazhang]

This is a newbie question.
I have successfully installed the latest Nvidia driver(tar.) for my TNT2 in Mandrake 8.1, but I don't know how to prevent Roswell(RH7.2 Beta) from directly booting into X so that I could install the Nvidia driver in Roswell as well.

I have looked under the KDE Control Panel and the KDE Center in KDE but have not found an option that would allow me to prevent Linux from directly booting into X so that I could install the Nvidia driver.
In Mandrake 8.1, as a contrast, there is an option to prevent Linux from directly booting into X in the Boot Config menu in Drake Control Center.

Any help out of this problem is appreciated.

[godot]

take xdm, gdm, or kdm out of /etc/init.d or /etc/rc.d or /etc/rc.boot, however redhat stores its startup scripts.

[wazhang]

"take xdm, gdm, or kdm out of /etc/init.d or /etc/rc.d or /etc/rc.boot, however redhat stores its startup scripts."

Sounds complicated.
Basically, I want to have the Nvidia driver installed.
The Nvidia README says something about "exiting X Server" before installing the driver.
If you can give me the step-by-step instruction on how to "exit" the X Server, that would do as well.
Sorry, a newbie here.

Also, while I am waiting to install the Nvidia driver in Roswell, I have already messed up my Mandrake 8.1:
Originally, before I had installed the Nvidia driver, the color depth was set at 16 bit. Now that I have installed the latest and the best driver for my TNT2, I thought I could up the color depth from 16 bit to 32.
I tried this in the Drake Control Center with the graphical front-end, but it won't do. I then went into /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 and used vi to have manually edited the 16 bit color depth to 32bit--it was in the "screen" something section, the very *last* section of /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 file.
But now Mandrake 8.1 cannot boot into X!!!!!
When the booting process reaches the step of starting X, the logon screen flashes rapidly--it cannot boot into the X server!!!
I then have to use Ctrl+ALt+Del to reboot the machine.

I have tried to use the floppy boot disk and the MK81 CD(rescue mode) to edit the /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 file, but the rescue mode says that it is a *new* file!
Thus, there is nothing there for me to edit!!!
Is there any way that I can boot into X in MK8.1, now that I have upped the color depth a bit too high, to 32?

Sorry about one question after another.
It has just happened that way.

[ 21 October 2001: Message edited by: wazhang ]

[kormoc]

Try this:
when it is flashing, press Alt+Ctrk+Bkspace and it should shut x down
if that doesn't work:
Press Crtl+Alt+F1 and it should allow you to log in in text mode and then kill x

[Linuxcool]

You might be able to get back into linux if you can get a prompt at boot up. If you can, then enter linux single. If this works, you will be in single user mode and logged in as root with a prompt to work from. You can edit your x configuration file back to the way it was.

To get it to boot up in non-graphical mode, edit the ' /etc/inittab ' file. Look for the line ' id:5:initdefault: ' and change the ' 5 ' to a ' 3 '. Then whenever you boot up you won't get the graphical login. Use ' startx ' to get x window running.

[wazhang]

Thanks to kormoc and Linuxcool for the help on the second problem.
I have since solved the problem by mounting the Mandrake8.1 partition within my Roswell and editing the Mandrake XF86Config file from within Roswell.
(I learned how to mount a windows or linux partition within a linux install from an NHF here.)

Now back to my original or first question:
I want to install the latest Nvidia driver for my TNT2 card in Roswell(RH7.2 Beta). The problem is that I *don't* know how to *exit* the X server!!!
--Nvidia's README says that users should *exit* the X server before the installation.

I did a search on Google with the keywords, "exiting X server," but did not get any info on what kind of command(s) I shoudl use in order to do that.
In Mandrake 8.1, fortunately, there is an option in Drake Center that prevents Linux from directly booting into X, and that has allowed me to have installed the Nvidia driver successfully for my TNT2 card.

After the driver has been installed, the off-centered screen display problem has been gone--I have reported that in a post a while back.
But I was surprised that the latest Nvidia driver does not allow my TNT2 card to use the 32 bit color depth.
In Win2K--that's what I am triple booting with MK and RH, the same card can do 32 bit.
I don't know if this has anything to do with my monitor, which is a 17'' Samsung Syncmaster(753DF).

Anyway, my problem is I *don't* know how to *exit* the X server in Roswell(RH 7.2 Beta)so that I could get the Nvidia driver installed.

TIA.

[ 22 October 2001: Message edited by: wazhang ]

[Linuxcool]

Try as root at a virtual console screen init 3. This will put you in runlevel 3 and your x server should be shutdown. To go back to your graphical login run init 5.

[kormoc]

Maybe I just don't understand Red Hat, But if you type Crtl+Alt+Bkspace, It should dump you out of X. Then you can Install the drivers.

[wazhang]

"But if you type Crtl+Alt+Bkspace, It should dump you out of X."

Yes, but it *immediately* gets you back to an X logon Window--to log on to KDE or GNOME.

Sorry, I am a newbie; I thank all for the help.

Regards.

[kormoc]

That sucks. I never used a GFX login, so I assumed it would work like normal X. Sorry bout that. You can install them and then restart X. open a shell in X and follow the directions. Restart X and you should be good to go.

[DMR]

Originally posted by Linuxcool:
<STRONG>Try as root at a virtual console screen init 3. This will put you in runlevel 3 and your x server should be shutdown. To go back to your graphical login run init 5.</STRONG>Right.
If you want to permanently boot to the command line rather than the GUI, edit the line in your /etc/inittab file which reads ":id:5:initdefault:". Change the 5 to 3.

[wazhang]

I find it *absolutely* flattering that I got so many answers to one question that I asked!!!
It's deeply appreciated!

I have successfully installed the Nvidia driver for my TNT2 card in MK8.1 and RH7.1, but have not succeded with Roswell--RH7.2 beta.

Tried both tar. and srpm, but no go.
Anyone succeded in installing the latest Nvidia driver in *Roswell*??


"If you want to permanently boot to the command line rather than the GUI, edit the line in your /etc/inittab file which reads ":id:5:initdefault:". Change the 5 to 3."

Yes. But now I have run into *another* problem:
After I type startx at the command line, Linux directly boots into KDE rather than give me a choice of windows to boot into--KDE or GNOME, for instance.
Is there a way(command) to list the options of windows(KDE, GNOME, etc) to boot into?

Thanks to all.

[ 23 October 2001: Message edited by: wazhang ]