[ale] kernel headache

James P. Kinney III jkinney at localnetsolutions.com
Sun Sep 1 16:39:31 EDT 2002


You can get to it by selecting the older kernel from the grub menu. You
can also edit the grub boot line as follows:

when the screen comes up, use arrows to highlight the boot selection you
want, press "e" to "edit", then select the boot line 
(kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.18-3 ro root=/dev/hda5 hdd=ide-scsi  is one of
mine)

add a space followed by the word "single" (with no quotes)
hit enter to accept the changes, then hit "b" to boot with that modified
line. The box should now boot in single-user mode. Edit the /etc/inittab
file and change the line :
id:5:initdefault:
to
id:3:initdefault:

When you reboot, X will no longer automatically start. Now you can
manually run "startx" and look for errors.

I suspect that the module that runs the Xdri stuff is not loaded. Or (!)
you are using the Nvidia drivers added by hand and now they are not
loaded since the NVdriver is not in the /lib/modules/`uname -r`/ tree.

On Sun, 2002-09-01 at 14:31, Jim wrote:
> You must have init set to 5 in /etc/inittab. This means it will keep trying to 
> start the X server no matter how many times that errors out. If you have a 
> Tom's Root/Boot or other disk that will allow you to go in and do some 
> editing, edit /etc/inittab and set this variable:
> 
> id:3:initdefault:
> 
> This will start you up at a command prompt. Then try startx and see what 
> errors you're getting.
> 
> 
> 
> On Sunday 01 September 2002 02:17 pm, Sean Kilpatrick wrote:
> > I'll keep it brief:
> >
> > Use RedHat 7.3
> >
> > Recently ran "up2date" and a new kernel was installed.
> > Upon reboot, Grub reports two kernels: 2.4.18-10
> >                                        2.4.18-5
> >
> > On booting newer kernel, boot process proceeds normally
> > all the way to the end, and then goes haywire.  Instead
> > of seeing a flash screen for the graphics card, followed by
> > the login screen, the display begins flashing, on and off,
> > mostly off, but flickering the last screenful of boot lines.
> > Only way out seems to be the 3-fingered salute.
> > I'm guessing that there is a video problem somewhere, but
> > I haven't a clue where (or how) to look for it.
> >
> > Suggestions would be greatfully received.
> >
> > SEan
> >
> >
> >
> > ---
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> 
> 
> ---
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-- 
James P. Kinney III   \Changing the mobile computing world/
President and CEO      \          one Linux user         /
Local Net Solutions,LLC \           at a time.          /
770-493-8244             \.___________________________./

GPG ID: 829C6CA7 James P. Kinney III (M.S. Physics)
<jkinney at localnetsolutions.com>
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