[Nottingham] Odd Mandrake problems

[Richard Davies]

Hi,

anyone feel like a challenge helping me to sort out problems with Mandrake 
probably version 8 something.

Friend has just contacted me from Australia asking me to sort out her box, she 
doesn't know what she has except that it is Linux Mandrake. Told her to join 
her local LUG but she says there isn't one, she can't get online so there 
would be no point, she has no transport so she couldn't go the meetings if 
there were any and she can't reinstall because she will lose work, so can I 
help her.

Problem as described

Runs though self test OK
Gets to LILO where she claims she clicks on start Linux or clicks on start 
Failsafe.

(Been years since I saw a Mandrake box but I didn't think that was a graphical 
screen)
System starts OK until it gets to the login screen where screen flickers and 
shows 5 login dialogue boxes. Impossible to get any further.

Seems to me that it must be a problem with XFree86.conf. 

I suggest that she boots linux -single
dmesg to see if there is anything obvious there.

Then if nothing she finds out what hardware she has and runs x86config

Any other ideas and suggestions most welcome so I can print them out and post 
them SNAIL MAIL

I can see this is going to be a long drawn out debugging session.

Richard.