Super noob linux question

[nocturnx]

Ok I have mandrake 10 and it was working fine and a I have the Lilo boot loader. When I was selecting linux from the boot loader it would boot right into KDE. Now when I select linux from the boot loader it goes to a mandrake 10 prompt and asks for a localhost name and a password. I enter that and it takes me to the localhost prompt. So my question is why is it doing this all of a sudden and can I put in a command so that it will boot to the KDE gui like it used to.

[MichaelS]

Hey,

My experience with Mandrake is limited, but if its like Slackware, you can simply login to the prompt and su - root then edit /etc/inittab and change the line that says "id:3:initdefault:" to "id:4:initdefault:" -- this will change the default runlevel to 4 which is typically used to start up the GUI login.

Hope that helps,

Michael

[nocturnx]

I tried and for some reason it said -bash edit is not a valid command or something similar. I ended up just putting the cd 1 in and reinstalled it and it booted up into kde with all my settings and files and the background I had set so I dont know what the deal was.

[dragonxx4]

When you het to the local host prompt typin "kde" (no quotes). That should run the KDE GUI. Goto system, configure your computer. Enter your root password. Then goto boot, autologin. Make sure the Launch graphical environment checkbox is checked.

[MichaelS]

Originally Posted by nocturnx I tried and for some reason it said -bash edit is not a valid command or something similar. I ended up just putting the cd 1 in and reinstalled it and it booted up into kde with all my settings and files and the background I had set so I dont know what the deal was.

Not to make you feel bad, but there is no such command 'edit' in linux (unless you make an symbolic link or alias to an existing command. pico is a good beginners editor, and vi is good for more advanced users. Theres also emacs, but I have no experience with that one.

Regards,

Michael

P.S. There are many other editors not mentioned above, but those are the more popular ones.

[nocturnx]

Oops well its a learning experience, im just trying to get the hang of commands. I keep thinking its dos when im on the command prompt for some reason. You know I tried typing like run kde and start kde and some other commands but i dont think i tried just kde lol.

I used the pico editor in my c++ class to write and compile c++ programs on a unix based system, nothing for linux though.

Happen to know any good resources for learning useful and helpful linux commands for beginners?

[ogrerocks]

When your at the prompt you can type 'startx' and it should startup KDE for you.
Linux also has very good built in help. For instance, youre not sure what everything in your fstab file means. At the prompt type 'man fstab'. That will bring up the manual page. There is a man page for just about everything.