i am a linux dummy please help

hi i hv been trying to install mandrake linux 9.1 via virtual pc on a winxp system. i hv been given 3 installation cds from my friend but all it takes is just 1 cd so what is the other 2 cds for? and when i start the linux and i was being asked for login and password but after that i was being logged into text environment instead of the xwindow. what is happening here? sorry i am completely new to linux.

That's weird... It should have used all 3 cds. Everytime I installed mandrake it used all 3 cds.

As for why x won't start, have you tried looking at your XF86Config-4 file? My guess is that you don't have your display set up correctly. Have you installed the current drivers for your video card? What kind of video card do you have?

no i don't know how to check the xf86config-4 file. u r right my gfx is not configured properly as during setup this linux does not have the correct driver i think. i m using ati radeon 7000.

To look at the config file, you do a "less /etc/X11/XF86Config-4". To edit the file you do a "vi /etc/X11/XF86Config-4". If you don't know how to use vi, I suggest doing a google search for "vi tutorial" or "vi quick reference" to get a list of the commands.

To get the drivers, do a google search for "Radeon 7000 Linux Drivers" and download the drivers to your computer.

The drivers should come with some sort of instillation instructions or readme file to walk you through the instillation. They should tell you both the commands to install the drivers "rpm ..." and then tell you which lines to edit in your XF86Config-4 file, if any edits are necessary.

I'm not sure about ATI, but I know with Nvidia drivers you have to install the kernel source before you can install the drivers. In that caes you just have to figure out which version of the Kernel you are running and download and install the kernel.

If I can make a suggestion though. You might want to consider installing Mandrake 10.0 instead of 9.1. I've had more luck with it working "out of the box" with less problems (like having to install video drivers sepearately) than 9.1. You can download 10.0 from here http://www.mandrakelinux.com/en/ftp.php3

yes, that was xfree problem, you need to install xwindows.

thanks,

restart the installsion and try to config your video card.

It's probably easiest to restart the installation. Mandrake should ask you what kind of system you want, desktop probably, and what desktop environment you want by default (Gnome/KDE etc). Then it should log you you into the X environment on boot up. IIRC the first CD is the base system and the other CD's are for additional things that you may choose to add during the install. If it needs them it will ask you to insert them.

our when you install mandrake agian you could just use the defalt settings that thay selected just to get srarted that should get you in to XFree. Then you could go and and find the drivers that you need.