[Nelug] Slackware 9.0 problem

[Eddy Younger]

Nick Paton writes:
 > Hi
 > 
 > Many thanks to you all for suggesting the best Linux version to go for as a
 > first time user.
 > 
 > I've decided to go for Slackware 9.0, since I enjoy a challenge.
 > 
 > Initial kernel panic problem, which was traced ( with help from those Sun
 > people - thanks) to having to disable USB in bios.
 > 
 > Then booted up OK, and loaded onto a new harddisk.

Congrats on getting this far, practically unaided !!!

 > 
 > PROBLEM:  I boot up from LILO, and it goes into darkstar: login
 > I then login as "root" and password as specified during the initial software
 > loading.
 > But where do I go from here?
 > Do I need to compile a kernel, and if so how?  Or has this already been done
 > under ver 9.0?

You're running a kernel of some sort if you've got this far, the
installer will have asked you at some point to choose one, you may
have chosen the one from the install disk as that's what it suggests
as I recall. You don't absolutely need to compile your own kernel, a
great many folks don't and as you seem to be working OK you probably don't
need to right now. 

 > If not then how do I run Linux to get into KDE?

You first need to configure X windows for your graphics hardware.

    X -configure

as root is usually enough in my experience. This command will print
instructions when it completes; follow them and if it all seems to
work, copy the XF86Config.new file to /etc/X11/XF86Config:

      cp /root/XF86Config.new /etc/X11/XF86Config

(you won't get kde up by following *those* instructions, you will just
get a "raw" X-windows session with a single text console. As long as
the display is stable and the mouse and kbd work, that counts as a
success. Exit from the X session back to the text console by
"Ctrl-Alt-Backspace".) You'll need to tweak the XF86Config file to
specify a UK as opposed to US keyboard layout - give me a shout when
you're ready to do that. 

Then "startx" should get you into KDE. You can configure the system so
it comes up straight into a GUI environment, ping me later about that
once X is working for you.

 > Also from the darkstar root, how do I logout, so that next time it doesn't
 > need to repair the contents of the disc partition every time?  Exit and
 > logoff seem to do something, but I always then end up at the Darkstar login
 > again, without actually exiting exiting, if you see what I mean!

"exit" or "logout" log you out of your current session - bear in
mind that Unix is a multi-user system so there could be other users
logged in simultaneously.

"halt" or "poweroff" will shut down the machine, and power it off if
the hardware is able to do that (i.e. an ATX and not AT system). If it
doesn't power of automagically, you can switch off once you see the
"power down" message come out.

Cheers, and well done!!
Eddy
-- 
"Those who do not understand Unix are condemned to reinvent it, 
 poorly" -- Henry Spencer