UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Hi all,

I'm installing RedHat 7.0 on a laptop. As it's a dual boot with win2k I make a boot sector instead of using the MBR. After the install I mark the boot sector active in windows then I can boot into Linux.

First question. When I make the boot sector active it deletes the swap partition. Why the hell does it do this? And how can I fix this?

Second question. With it being RH 7.0 I need to update the XFree86 server to get the graphic drivers I need. So I'll run a XFree84 4.0.2 install and it'll all run fine. I do this to get a xinitrc.RH6 file in the /etc/X11/xinitrc directory (need this file to do final config of graphics). Then I install the lastest version XFree86 4.2.0, once agian all runs fine.

After the install of 4.2.0 I run Xconfigurator get the basic graphics working. Then I configure the XF86config-4 file (/etc/X11) tp setup the corrcet drivers and resolution. This all works fine.

Then I move to directory /etc/X11/xinitrc and cp the xinitrc.RH6 over the top of the old xinitrc file. Yep still all working fine.

Now this is where I get lost.

Then from the command line I type startx. This should start Gnome, correct? Well no it doesn't instead it goes into some weird ass environment. Kinda like a old SunOS one. It's all weird. I can still do stuff but ti's not what I want.

It's like it can't find Gnome at all. But then if I got back and install XFree86 4.0.2 it'll find Gnome. I just want to know what do I have to do to make it see Gnome?

Last question. When it does load Gnome (which I can get it to sometimes but forget how I do it, and it's not a permenat thing) it doesn't have any letters on the icons or at teh top of a window. The font turns into little boxs? Don't ask why or how I'm lost and I don't know why or how. The typing font in a console window is fine but icon font or font anywhere else is a damn little box.


Thanks in advanced for anyone who can help me on those questions.

Hmm, I have no idea about the partition problem - sounds odd...

The X / Gnome problem might be fixable - I'm definitely not an X-pert (haw haw), but Redhat does bundle a program called "switchdesk", that runs in X and allows you to, well, switch your desktop. It sounds like you're in twm, a very simple window manager.
Also, when Gnome does come up without proper icons, it could be that either you don't have the proper Gnome config, or possibly that you haven't installed the complete package and extras (like icons, applications, etc).

Hope this helps...

Howdi,
I am not sure if this will be helpful to you but give it a shot!
When I first installed my RH 7.2, I had Win2k first installed and running on the machine, running throug the RH installation process, first I used the automatic partition for Linux (this was Linux took whatever it need for partitions and mounting automatically without screwing Win) then I chose to use LILO which is the boot manager so when you boot up first time or whatever time, LILO comes up and asks you to choose what to boot of! so easy and simple, this way you'd have dual boot with Win and Linux.
Now the Gnome issue thing, I am not sure but activating boot sectors and so may could have screwed some of the system files or so. as I said I am not an X-pert yet! I always used KDE since it is a lot more popular and has a lot more utility to it.

Well that's about it. Give it a shot if you want and let me know.
Regards,

Are you sure that did install gnome? I'm pretty sure that it's TWM coming up when you type startx, just like LivinFree said. The thing is that if you are not expert it's hard to find desktop switcher under twm
So I recommend switching the desktop manually. There should be a file called .Xclients-default in your homedir. if it's not there then just create it yourself. inside the file put a line that says:
exec gnome-session

save the file and restart x. if it will fail then you defenetly didn't install gnome or for some mysterious reason it failed during installation (happened to me once while installing SuSE 7.2)