How to modify xorg.conf from command line in rescue console (F7)

[Bo Berglund]

I am trying to install Fedora 7 in VirtualPC 2007 and I have gotten to
the first restart after the install has completed.
At this point one must boot the dVD in rescue mode in order to change
xorg.conf so that the default color depth is not 24 (can be anything
but 24 but this particular value is incompatible with VPC2007).

So I was adviced to do it this way, however they did not tell me *how*
one can edit a file in Linux....
Using more I can see that the file is set for 24 bit depth and I just
need to change that to 16 and I'm done.

(Forgot to say that I am a Windows user, completely green at Linux...)

Detailed instructions on how to start a command line editor for this
file would be appreciated as well as how to save and exit from it.

Bo Berglund

[Chris Jones]

> Detailed instructions on how to start a command line editor for this
> file would be appreciated as well as how to save and exit from it.

I prefer the emacs editor myself. Normally it requires a X server, but it can 
be started in console mode with the -nw switch

so, I would do

$ emacs -nw xorg.conf

edit the file

to save control-x control-s

to exit control-x control-c

Chris

p.s. beware - the backspace key sometimes deletes the 'wrong' way in -nw 
mode...

[Karl Larsen]

Bo Berglund wrote:
> I am trying to install Fedora 7 in VirtualPC 2007 and I have gotten to
> the first restart after the install has completed.
> At this point one must boot the dVD in rescue mode in order to change
> xorg.conf so that the default color depth is not 24 (can be anything
> but 24 but this particular value is incompatible with VPC2007).
>
> So I was adviced to do it this way, however they did not tell me *how*
> one can edit a file in Linux....
> Using more I can see that the file is set for 24 bit depth and I just
> need to change that to 16 and I'm done.
>
> (Forgot to say that I am a Windows user, completely green at Linux...)
>
> Detailed instructions on how to start a command line editor for this
> file would be appreciated as well as how to save and exit from it.
>
> Bo Berglund

When you mount your system to the rescue linux you can then change 
directory cd to the /etc/X11 directory on your new linux. There you will 
see xorg.conf. You can edit this file with joe which I use. It is a 
wordstar ascii editor that is very good. To save changes use ctr-k x.
    However looking in mine I see no way to change the number of colors. 
But you can read the man page. In a linux Terminal type man xorg.conf 
and you will get all you wanted to know. Setting screen depth and such 
is near the last section in the man pages.

[Mikkel]

Bo Berglund wrote:
> I am trying to install Fedora 7 in VirtualPC 2007 and I have gotten to
> the first restart after the install has completed.
> At this point one must boot the dVD in rescue mode in order to change
> xorg.conf so that the default color depth is not 24 (can be anything
> but 24 but this particular value is incompatible with VPC2007).
>
> So I was adviced to do it this way, however they did not tell me *how*
> one can edit a file in Linux....
> Using more I can see that the file is set for 24 bit depth and I just
> need to change that to 16 and I'm done.
>
> (Forgot to say that I am a Windows user, completely green at Linux...)
>
> Detailed instructions on how to start a command line editor for this
> file would be appreciated as well as how to save and exit from it.
>
> Bo Berglund

Joe have many choices for a text editor in Linux. It does depend on
what you have installed. The vi editor tends to be the standard
editor, but coming from Windows you will probably find it hard to
use. You may want to try joe (Wordstar command syntax) or nano. I
would probably recommend nano as being easier to use. Just remember
that you have to be root to edit the file.

nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Another option is to run system-config-display and pick the correct
color depth and so on for your system.

Mikkel

[Bo Berglund]

On Sat, 01 Sep 2007 10:49:39 -0500, "Mikkel L. Ellertson"
 wrote:
> Bo Berglund wrote:
> > I am trying to install Fedora 7 in VirtualPC 2007 and I have gotten to
> > the first restart after the install has completed.
> > At this point one must boot the dVD in rescue mode in order to change
> > xorg.conf so that the default color depth is not 24 (can be anything
> > but 24 but this particular value is incompatible with VPC2007).
> >
> > So I was adviced to do it this way, however they did not tell me *how*
> > one can edit a file in Linux....
> > Using more I can see that the file is set for 24 bit depth and I just
> > need to change that to 16 and I'm done.
> >
> > (Forgot to say that I am a Windows user, completely green at Linux...)
> >
> > Detailed instructions on how to start a command line editor for this
> > file would be appreciated as well as how to save and exit from it.
> >
> > Bo Berglund
>
> Joe have many choices for a text editor in Linux. It does depend on
> what you have installed. The vi editor tends to be the standard
> editor, but coming from Windows you will probably find it hard to
> use. You may want to try joe (Wordstar command syntax) or nano. I
> would probably recommend nano as being easier to use. Just remember
> that you have to be root to edit the file.
>
> nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf
>
> Another option is to run system-config-display and pick the correct
> color depth and so on for your system.

joe did not work (was not a recognized command) but nano did.

So I changed the default color depth from 24 to 16 and the actual also
to 16. Saved and exited nano.

Then typed exit twice after removing the install DVD (releasing the
iso in VPC).

What happened was that Fedore started and after some time it showed a
black screen with the mouse cursor (X) centered and immovable. After a
while more I had a garbled graphic screen and it looks like it is
still using the 24 bit color depth.
Since VPC2007 does not support this I can get no further. :-(

So what I am wondering about now is why my changes to xorg.conf were
not used? Is there something else one have to do?

Are there any options I can add to the boot like I had to do on the
install DVD boot? I added this to make the install work after using
TAB on the setup screen:
 vesa i8048.noloop psmouse.proto=imps clock=pit

This apparently makes the setup use a graphic mode that VPC2007 can
handle and it also fixes a problem in the Linux kernel for mouse
handling (VPC2007 emulates the mouse as a PS2 device).

But I have only found instructions on how to use these settings on the
initial screen when starting the Fedora7 install DVD, not how to do it
when Fedora itself starts up after the install has been done.

Is there a file somewhere in which I can enter parameters like this
from the rescue console (using nano) so they are used when the system
starts up?

Bo Berglund

[Chris Jones]

Hi,
> joe did not work (was not a recognized command) but nano did.

Most likely not installed. For reference, you can install it with
> yum install joe

run as root, once you have networking going. However, I guess you can do what 
you want with nano ...
> So I changed the default color depth from 24 to 16 and the actual also
> to 16. Saved and exited nano.
>
> Then typed exit twice after removing the install DVD (releasing the
> iso in VPC).
>
> What happened was that Fedore started and after some time it showed a
> black screen with the mouse cursor (X) centered and immovable. After a
> while more I had a garbled graphic screen and it looks like it is
> still using the 24 bit color depth.
> Since VPC2007 does not support this I can get no further. :-(
>
> So what I am wondering about now is why my changes to xorg.conf were
> not used? Is there something else one have to do?

I suggest you post the full xorg.conf file you now have on your running F7 
system here...
> Are there any options I can add to the boot like I had to do on the
> install DVD boot? I added this to make the install work after using
> TAB on the setup screen:
>  vesa i8048.noloop psmouse.proto=imps clock=pit
>
> This apparently makes the setup use a graphic mode that VPC2007 can
> handle and it also fixes a problem in the Linux kernel for mouse
> handling (VPC2007 emulates the mouse as a PS2 device).
>
> But I have only found instructions on how to use these settings on the
> initial screen when starting the Fedora7 install DVD, not how to do it
> when Fedora itself starts up after the install has been done.
>
> Is there a file somewhere in which I can enter parameters like this
> from the rescue console (using nano) so they are used when the system
> starts up?

you need to learn a little about your /boot partition. This is where your 
kernels live, and also where the configuration for grub lives, the boot 
loader.

The file

/boot/grub/grub.conf

defines the options presented to you at the grub menu, and here you can add 
any custom kernel options you like. Look for lines like

kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.22.4-65.fc7 ro root=LABEL=/ quiet

Its on this line you can append any options you want. I.e. to add the ones you 
used by the installer, change to something like

kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.22.4-65.fc7 ro root=LABEL=/ quiet vesa i8048.noloop 
psmouse.proto=imps clock=pit

its as easy as that. If you have more than one kernel option listed in there, 
just add the options to them all. Also note, whenever new kernels are 
installed your options are automatically copied to the new ones, so no need 
to do it by hand again.

Chris
> Bo Berglund

[Bo Berglund]

On Sun, 2 Sep 2007 11:51:36 +0100, Chris Jones
 wrote:
> Hi,
> > joe did not work (was not a recognized command) but nano did.
>
> Most likely not installed. For reference, you can install it with
> > yum install joe
>
> run as root, once you have networking going. However, I guess you can do what 
> you want with nano ...
> >

...snip...
> > So what I am wondering about now is why my changes to xorg.conf were
> > not used? Is there something else one have to do?
>
> I suggest you post the full xorg.conf file you now have on your running F7 
> system here...
> > Are there any options I can add to the boot like I had to do on the
> > install DVD boot? I added this to make the install work after using
> > TAB on the setup screen:
> >  vesa i8048.noloop psmouse.proto=imps clock=pit

... snip
> you need to learn a little about your /boot partition. This is where your 
> kernels live, and also where the configuration for grub lives, the boot 
> loader.

You are absolutely correct in this! :-) I am a newbie at using Linux,
for sure!
> The file
>
> /boot/grub/grub.conf
>
> defines the options presented to you at the grub menu, and here you can add 
> any custom kernel options you like. Look for lines like
>
> kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.22.4-65.fc7 ro root=LABEL=/ quiet
>
> Its on this line you can append any options you want. I.e. to add the ones you 
> used by the installer, change to something like
>
> kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.22.4-65.fc7 ro root=LABEL=/ quiet vesa i8048.noloop 
> psmouse.proto=imps clock=pit
>
> its as easy as that. If you have more than one kernel option listed in there, 
> just add the options to them all. Also note, whenever new kernels are 
> installed your options are automatically copied to the new ones, so no need 
> to do it by hand again.

Thank you, I did the following when Fedora7 again booted up after I
reset the machine:

- Stopped the automatic boot
- Gave the command to edit the parameters
- On the nextr screen I selected the line staring with kernel
- Then I pressed e to edit
- Then I added vesa i8042.noloop psmouse.proto=imps clock=pit at the
end
- Finally I pressed b to boot.

The result is the following:
- After a shot while the screen gets garbled (wrong color depth used)
- It was possible to see activity behind the garble, it looked like a
number of commands on a command prompt being executed
- After some long wait the screen changed to a visible graphics one!
- On this is the login where one enters the username, this is where I
assume I now have to add my real account name and password since thie
is the first start after installation...

But it fails, it does not like my username or password. :-(

Strange, should it not set up my account at this point?
Or have I missed a part during the previous install where one can add
normal user accounts besides root? I was never prompted for a normal
account, though...

Anyway, I guess I can log on as root now and see what happens. :-)

Question:
How can I change the color depth used on the initial boot startup
screen like I could in xorg.conf for the final GUI screen? It must be
lurking somewhere....

Bo Berglund

[Chris Jones]

Hi,
> Thank you, I did the following when Fedora7 again booted up after I
> reset the machine:
> Stopped the automatic boot
> Gave the command to edit the parameters
> On the nextr screen I selected the line staring with kernel
> Then I pressed e to edit
> Then I added vesa i8042.noloop psmouse.proto=imps clock=pit at the
>
> end
> Finally I pressed b to boot.

Hmm, not clear to me if you have made a permanent change to you boot options 
here, or just made a temporary runtime change, that will be lost the next 
time you boot up. To check, see if your custom options are now stored 
in /boot/grub/grub.conf. As root run
> cat /boot/grub/grub.conf

which will just list the file. If you don't see the options there, you need to 
edit this file to make them permanent.
> The result is the following:
> After a shot while the screen gets garbled (wrong color depth used)
> It was possible to see activity behind the garble, it looked like a
>
> number of commands on a command prompt being executed
> After some long wait the screen changed to a visible graphics one!
> On this is the login where one enters the username, this is where I
>
> assume I now have to add my real account name and password since thie
> is the first start after installation...

What I think you are seeing here is first the normal boot messages, behind 
some garble for some reason. Note that at this stage X is not running, so any 
changes you make to xorg.conf, which controls X, are not taken into account.

Then, at the end X is started and you see the graphical login window. This is 
when xorg.conf is used.
> But it fails, it does not like my username or password. :-(
>
> Strange, should it not set up my account at this point?

Normally user accounts (i.e. non root ones) are configured on first boot up. 
Now, if your first boot up failed, due to your X problems, I guess you may 
have never setup user accounts.

Where you ever asked to setup a non user account ?
> Or have I missed a part during the previous install where one can add
> normal user accounts besides root?

sounds like you missed it when your first boot up failed.
> I was never prompted for a normal 
> account, though...

Ahh, that is why you don't have one ;)
> Anyway, I guess I can log on as root now and see what happens. :-)

Its easy to add new user accounts. As root run at the command line

$ system-config-users

there you can add whatever users you need.

When you have done this logout your X session as root, and log back in as a 
regular user (its general regarded as a bad plan from a security point of 
view to run a full X session as root)
> Question:
> How can I change the color depth used on the initial boot startup
> screen like I could in xorg.conf for the final GUI screen? It must be
> lurking somewhere....

good question. I don't know this one. Someone else probably will though ;)

Chris

[Mikkel]

Chris Jones wrote:
> Hi,
> > Thank you, I did the following when Fedora7 again booted up after I
> > reset the machine:
> > Stopped the automatic boot
> > Gave the command to edit the parameters
> > On the nextr screen I selected the line staring with kernel
> > Then I pressed e to edit
> > Then I added vesa i8042.noloop psmouse.proto=imps clock=pit at the
> >
> > end
> > Finally I pressed b to boot.
>
> Hmm, not clear to me if you have made a permanent change to you boot options 
> here, or just made a temporary runtime change, that will be lost the next 
> time you boot up.

The changes made by editing from the menu are for that boot only.
You have to edit /boot/grub/grub.conf (or one of the links to it) in
order to keep the changes.

One more thing - when editing grub.conf, you may want to remove rhgb
option - you will lose the pretty graphical boot, but you are not
seeing it anyway. (There is probably a way to fix it by setting the
VGA mode, but I leave that to someone else.)

Mikkel

[Bo Berglund]

On Sun, 02 Sep 2007 09:16:26 -0500, "Mikkel L. Ellertson"
 wrote:
> Chris Jones wrote:
> > Hi,
> > > Thank you, I did the following when Fedora7 again booted up after I
> > > reset the machine:
> > > Stopped the automatic boot
> > > Gave the command to edit the parameters
> > > On the nextr screen I selected the line staring with kernel
> > > Then I pressed e to edit
> > > Then I added vesa i8042.noloop psmouse.proto=imps clock=pit at the
> > >
> > > end
> > > Finally I pressed b to boot.
> >
> > Hmm, not clear to me if you have made a permanent change to you boot options 
> > here, or just made a temporary runtime change, that will be lost the next 
> > time you boot up.
>
> The changes made by editing from the menu are for that boot only.
> You have to edit /boot/grub/grub.conf (or one of the links to it) in
> order to keep the changes.
>
> One more thing - when editing grub.conf, you may want to remove rhgb
> option - you will lose the pretty graphical boot, but you are not
> seeing it anyway. (There is probably a way to fix it by setting the
> VGA mode, but I leave that to someone else.)

More problems....
After logging in as root and adding a normal account for myself I also
located and edited the grub.conf file to include the options I had
added manually to get the screen working correctly. So far so good.
Now a window popped up suggesting that i should install 178 updates
that it had found for my system...

At this time I should have checked that all was well by logging off
and logging on as the new account and also by restarting Fedore, but
instead I accepted the 178 updates...

After several hours of downloading and installing Fedora asked to
restart and I did so.

Unhappily, the start was no good. Now when the login screen should
appear in 16 bit color mode as per my changes in xorg.conf for some
reason it starts up in 24 bit bode and the screen is unintelligible.
:-(

My question now is if this failure is due to the 178 updates I allowed
to be installed or if it would not have worked anyway?

Is there a "plug-n-play" system also on Fedora that will see that the
video card I have should be able to run 24 bit and sets it like that
no matter what I have written in the xorg.conf file????

I have started with both kernels (yes, after the update there was
another kernel listed in the boot screen) too without change to the
basic functionality of destroying my video.

With or without rhgb makes no difference. :-(

Any ideas, please....

Bo Berglund

[Chris Jones]

Hi,
> At this time I should have checked that all was well by logging off
> and logging on as the new account and also by restarting Fedore, but
> instead I accepted the 178 updates...

yes, Fedora evolves fast ;)
> After several hours of downloading and installing Fedora asked to
> restart and I did so.
>
> Unhappily, the start was no good. Now when the login screen should
> appear in 16 bit color mode as per my changes in xorg.conf for some
> reason it starts up in 24 bit bode and the screen is unintelligible.
>
> :-(
>
> My question now is if this failure is due to the 178 updates I allowed
> to be installed or if it would not have worked anyway?

It doesn't sound like you did much wrong, the 178 updates shouldn't have 
borked your xorg.conf.
> Is there a "plug-n-play" system also on Fedora that will see that the
> video card I have should be able to run 24 bit and sets it like that
> no matter what I have written in the xorg.conf file????

No, if you tell the system to work at 16 bit, it should respect that.

My guess is your xorg.conf isn't quite correct. I suggest you post the full 
file here.

Also, it would be useful to look at your Xorg log file. You should find it 
at /var/log/Xorg.0.log. It might contain hints as to what is going wrong.

For reference, I've pasted my xorg.conf below. You will see in the Screen 
section I have sub sections for various color bits and with various 
resolutions. I have my default depth set to 24, but I see no reason why you 
should be able to have something similar but with your default at 16.

(Note, you cannot use my file directly, as of course it refers to different 
hardware, I just post it as a working example... For instance I have an 
nvidia graphics card and use the nvidia binary driver. You I think are using 
the vesa driver ? )

Chris

# Xorg configuration created by livna-config-display

Section "ServerLayout"
        Identifier     "Default Layout"
        Screen      0  "Screen0" 0 0
        InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

Section "Files"
        ModulePath   "/usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/nvidia"
        ModulePath   "/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
EndSection

Section "Module"
        Load  "extmod"
        Load  "glx"
        Load  "dbe"
        Load  "extmod"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
        Option      "AIGLX" "off"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier  "Keyboard0"
        Driver      "kbd"
        Option      "XkbModel" "pc105"
        Option      "XkbLayout" "gb"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier   "Monitor0"
        HorizSync    30.0 - 130.0
        VertRefresh  50.0 - 200.0
EndSection

Section "Device"
        Identifier  "Videocard0"
        Driver      "nvidia"
        Option      "NoLogo" "true"
        Option      "AddARGBGLXVisuals" "True"
        Option      "DisableGLXRootClipping" "True"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
        Identifier "Screen0"
        Device     "Videocard0"
        Monitor    "Monitor0"
        DefaultDepth     24
        SubSection "Display"
                Viewport   0 0
                Depth     24

Modes    "1600x1200" "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Viewport   0 0
                Depth     16

Modes    "1600x1200" "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Viewport   0 0
                Depth     8

Modes    "1600x1200" "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
        Option "Composite" "Disable"
EndSection

[Ian Malone]

Chris Jones wrote:

(Bo Berglund:)
> > At this time I should have checked that all was well by logging off
> > and logging on as the new account and also by restarting Fedore, but
> > instead I accepted the 178 updates...
>
> yes, Fedora evolves fast ;)
> > After several hours of downloading and installing Fedora asked to
> > restart and I did so.
> >
> > Unhappily, the start was no good. Now when the login screen should
> > appear in 16 bit color mode as per my changes in xorg.conf for some
> > reason it starts up in 24 bit bode and the screen is unintelligible.
> My guess is your xorg.conf isn't quite correct. I suggest you post the full 
> file here.

That's the most likely scenario, though it's possibly worth checking
that a kernel update hasn't undone your grub.conf modifications.

[Mikkel]

Ian Malone wrote:
> Chris Jones wrote:
>
> (Bo Berglund:)
> > > At this time I should have checked that all was well by logging off
> > > and logging on as the new account and also by restarting Fedore, but
> > > instead I accepted the 178 updates...
> >
> > yes, Fedora evolves fast ;)
> > > After several hours of downloading and installing Fedora asked to
> > > restart and I did so.
> > >
> > > Unhappily, the start was no good. Now when the login screen should
> > > appear in 16 bit color mode as per my changes in xorg.conf for some
> > > reason it starts up in 24 bit bode and the screen is unintelligible.
> > My guess is your xorg.conf isn't quite correct. I suggest you post the
> > full file here.
>
> That's the most likely scenario, though it's possibly worth checking
> that a kernel update hasn't undone your grub.conf modifications.

I believe that some of the updates are parts of xorg. That may have
tried to update xorg.conf. But part of it could be the new kernel
entry in grub.conf - it should follow the one for the current
kernel, but you never know. It would be interesting to see if it put
rhgb back in...

Mikkel

[Jim Cornette]

> # Xorg configuration created by livna-config-display
>
> Section "ServerLayout"
>         Identifier     "Default Layout"
>         Screen      0  "Screen0" 0 0
>         InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
> EndSection
>
> Section "Files"
>         ModulePath   "/usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/nvidia"
>         ModulePath   "/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
> EndSection
>
> Section "Module"
>         Load  "extmod"
>         Load  "glx"
>         Load  "dbe"
>         Load  "extmod"
> EndSection
>
> Section "ServerFlags"
>         Option      "AIGLX" "off"
> EndSection
>
> Section "InputDevice"
>         Identifier  "Keyboard0"
>         Driver      "kbd"
>         Option      "XkbModel" "pc105"
>         Option      "XkbLayout" "gb"
> EndSection
>
> Section "Monitor"
>         Identifier   "Monitor0"
>         HorizSync    30.0 - 130.0
>         VertRefresh  50.0 - 200.0
> EndSection
>
> Section "Device"
>         Identifier  "Videocard0"
>         Driver      "nvidia"
>         Option      "NoLogo" "true"
>         Option      "AddARGBGLXVisuals" "True"
>         Option      "DisableGLXRootClipping" "True"
> EndSection
>
> Section "Screen"
>         Identifier "Screen0"
>         Device     "Videocard0"
>         Monitor    "Monitor0"
>         DefaultDepth     24

The default depth probably needs adjusted to 16 if this is the preferred 
depth. Not much knowledge about NVidia modules from external repos.
>     SubSection "Display"
>             Viewport   0 0
>             Depth     24
>
> Modes    "1600x1200" "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
>         EndSubSection
>         SubSection "Display"
>                 Viewport   0 0
>                 Depth     16
>
> Modes    "1600x1200" "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
>         EndSubSection
>         SubSection "Display"
>                 Viewport   0 0
>                 Depth     8
>
> Modes    "1600x1200" "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
>         EndSubSection
> EndSection
>
> Section "Extensions"
>         Option "Composite" "Disable"
> EndSection

[Chris Jones]

> The default depth probably needs adjusted to 16 if this is the preferred 
> depth. Not much knowledge about NVidia modules from external repos.

This is my file, not Bo's, who has the problem. 24 bit is fine for me ;)

I included it just to give Bo an example of a working one, in case it 
was any help.

Chris

[Jim Cornette]

Chris Jones wrote:
> > The default depth probably needs adjusted to 16 if this is the 
> > preferred depth. Not much knowledge about NVidia modules from external 
> > repos.
>
> This is my file, not Bo's, who has the problem. 24 bit is fine for me ;)
>
> I included it just to give Bo an example of a working one, in case it 
> was any help.
>
> Chris

Sorry - :-)

It sounds like the problem is with a virtual machine anyway when reading 
the latest posting.

Jim

[Bo Berglund]

On Mon, 03 Sep 2007 19:56:57 -0400, Jim Cornette
 wrote:
> Chris Jones wrote:
> > > The default depth probably needs adjusted to 16 if this is the 
> > > preferred depth. Not much knowledge about NVidia modules from external 
> > > repos.
> >
> > This is my file, not Bo's, who has the problem. 24 bit is fine for me ;)
> >
> > I included it just to give Bo an example of a working one, in case it 
> > was any help.
> >
> > Chris
>
> Sorry - :-)
>
> It sounds like the problem is with a virtual machine anyway when reading 
> the latest posting.

Sure it is, VPC2007 video emulation has no support for 24 bit color
and of course this is exactly what fedora is using as its install
color depth unless one forces it to use something else.

THe main issues are resolved, but the first boot sequence after
install of the files still comes up in 24 bit mode and produces an
unreadable set of screens.
Once that is done (by hit and miss keyboard entries) it switches to 16
bit graphics as instructed by xorg.conf and all is well.

What I now want to achieve is to get past those first boot screens in
a readable way so the whole install can be documented as working.

I'll try to use a non-graphic first boot and see if that works (using
boot parameter modification suggestions from here).

Bo Berglund

[Tim]

On Sun, 2007-09-02 at 20:40 +0200, Bo Berglund wrote:
> At this time I should have checked that all was well by logging off
> and logging on as the new account and also by restarting Fedore, but
> instead I accepted the 178 updates...
>
> After several hours of downloading and installing Fedora asked to
> restart and I did so.
>
> Unhappily, the start was no good. Now when the login screen should
> appear in 16 bit color mode as per my changes in xorg.conf for some
> reason it starts up in 24 bit bode and the screen is unintelligible.
> :-(

You might want to a "system-config-display --reconfig" now, to start
configuring X from afresh.  The updates *may* have resolved your
previous graphics problem.

[Bo Berglund]

On Mon, 03 Sep 2007 08:55:15 +0930, Tim 
wrote:
> On Sun, 2007-09-02 at 20:40 +0200, Bo Berglund wrote:
> > At this time I should have checked that all was well by logging off
> > and logging on as the new account and also by restarting Fedore, but
> > instead I accepted the 178 updates...
> >
> > After several hours of downloading and installing Fedora asked to
> > restart and I did so.
> >
> > Unhappily, the start was no good. Now when the login screen should
> > appear in 16 bit color mode as per my changes in xorg.conf for some
> > reason it starts up in 24 bit bode and the screen is unintelligible.
> > :-(
>
> You might want to a "system-config-display --reconfig" now, to start
> configuring X from afresh.  The updates *may* have resolved your
> previous graphics problem.

But since Fedora won't start up how can I even do anything like what
you suggest?
And if it starts up in a usable mode then I don't need it...

Anyway, I have tried 2 times more to start over from scratch:

2nd install attempt
===================
1) New virtual disk and start install from DVD image with all the
switches needed to get the installer screen working.

2) At the end after the reboot starts I capture the install DVD again
and boot to the rescue console.

3) There I edit etc/X11/xorg.conf to change 24 to 16 as depths
4) I also edit boot/grub/grub.conf and add the kernel parameters I
have used to get the installer running (vesa i8042.noloop
psmouse.proto=imps clock=pit vga=771)

5) Then I boot only to discover that Fedora is panicking because some
CRC error has emerged, probably you are not allowed to edit grub.conf
in this step???

3rd install attempt
===================
This is where I am now...
1) Again a new virtual disk and install Fedora using the switches etc
I know work.

2) At the final reboot I switch off the virtual machine and save the
changes on my undo disk to the main virtual disk. So now I have a
system I can experiment with where the main install has been done but
the first boot is yet to be performed.

3) Then I started it up again and just changed the parameters for the
kernel as stated above, no file editing from the rescue console.

4) I have gotten as far as seeing a black screen with the X mouse
cursor for a while, then it goes totally blank and the cursor
disappears. After some time there are 3-4 times a sudden jerk in the
screen and a cursor appears for a fraction of a second and is gone
again. Then just a black screen....

5) Then I switched off and reverted to the undo disk again and this
time I used the rescue function on the DVD to get me to the point
where I can edit xorg.conf. Changed 24 to 16 and accepted the changes,
and restarted.

But the exact same thing happened, and after a while I am now staring
at a black screen...

I have run out of ideas....

Strangely on my very first install attempt yesterday I actually
managed to get into Fedora but when all the updates were installed and
I restarted the screen was totally garbled and I could get nowhere.

Today after carefully checking my steps I get to the black screen with
nothing showing. Too bad.

I have saved the virtual hard disk from yesterday (I did not use undo
disks then) so I could start that up again if need be. Maybe I am
actually further along in that attempt, just a matter of getting X to
not use 24 bit color depth. Mind you, I have an xorg.conf file there
that is set for 16 bits...

Bo Berglund

[Tim]

Tim:
> > You might want to a "system-config-display --reconfig" now, to start
> > configuring X from afresh.  The updates *may* have resolved your
> > previous graphics problem.

Bo Berglund:
> But since Fedora won't start up how can I even do anything like what
> you suggest?

You'd start up in a text-only mode, which I thought I recalled you
saying would work, then you'd run it.  It'd probe the graphics system,
and try to generate good settings, anew.
> And if it starts up in a usable mode then I don't need it...

I thought you still hadn't resolved it?

With a prior release, or so, Fedora wouldn't start up graphically for a
lot of people with a certain chipset, but was fine for others.  The
first X update to come along fixed that.  I was wondering whether you
might be so lucky, too.

[Tim]

On Sat, 2007-09-01 at 16:50 +0200, Bo Berglund wrote:
> Detailed instructions on how to start a command line editor for this
> file would be appreciated as well as how to save and exit from it.

And to provide a third alternative...  ;-)   Which might be necessary,
if joe or emacs aren't already installed, and if you can't manage to
install either of them.  vi is probably installed by default.  You'd
start it with the vi command and the filepath/filename.

e.g. vi /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Hit the insert key to start inserting text wherever the cursor is (it
starts up in a reading mode).  Type what you want to do to the file.
Hit escape to get out of the editing mode.  Then colon w q <enter> to
write (w) your changes, and (q) quit the program.  e.g. :wq

[Chris Jones]

On Saturday 1 September 2007 4:55:55 pm Tim wrote:
> On Sat, 2007-09-01 at 16:50 +0200, Bo Berglund wrote:
> > Detailed instructions on how to start a command line editor for this
> > file would be appreciated as well as how to save and exit from it.
>
> And to provide a third alternative...  ;-)   Which might be necessary,
> if joe or emacs aren't already installed, and if you can't manage to
> install either of them.  vi is probably installed by default.  You'd
> start it with the vi command and the filepath/filename.
>
> e.g. vi /etc/X11/xorg.conf
>
> Hit the insert key to start inserting text wherever the cursor is (it
> starts up in a reading mode).  Type what you want to do to the file.
> Hit escape to get out of the editing mode.  Then colon w q <enter> to
> write (w) your changes, and (q) quit the program.  e.g. :wq

Editors are one of those things where it is really each to their own.

For the record, I would not recommend vi/vim as the first editor to try, if 
they are new to linux. Yes, it might be the only one installed by default, 
but that can be fixed with a simple
> yum install emacs joe nano

(assuming you have network)

I say this since personally, I have never understood the vi distinction 
between reading mode and editting mode, and in my experiences its a concept 
quite confusing to a lot of people..

Chris

[Karl Larsen]

Chris Jones wrote:
> On Saturday 1 September 2007 4:55:55 pm Tim wrote:
> > On Sat, 2007-09-01 at 16:50 +0200, Bo Berglund wrote:
> > > Detailed instructions on how to start a command line editor for this
> > > file would be appreciated as well as how to save and exit from it.
> >
> > And to provide a third alternative...  ;-)   Which might be necessary,
> > if joe or emacs aren't already installed, and if you can't manage to
> > install either of them.  vi is probably installed by default.  You'd
> > start it with the vi command and the filepath/filename.
> >
> > e.g. vi /etc/X11/xorg.conf
> >
> > Hit the insert key to start inserting text wherever the cursor is (it
> > starts up in a reading mode).  Type what you want to do to the file.
> > Hit escape to get out of the editing mode.  Then colon w q <enter> to
> > write (w) your changes, and (q) quit the program.  e.g. :wq
>
> Editors are one of those things where it is really each to their own.
>
> For the record, I would not recommend vi/vim as the first editor to try, if 
> they are new to linux. Yes, it might be the only one installed by default, 
> but that can be fixed with a simple
> > yum install emacs joe nano
>
> (assuming you have network)
>
> I say this since personally, I have never understood the vi distinction 
> between reading mode and editting mode, and in my experiences its a concept 
> quite confusing to a lot of people..
>
> Chris

Well said and aman.

[Neil Cherry]

Chris Jones wrote:
> On Saturday 1 September 2007 4:55:55 pm Tim wrote:
> > On Sat, 2007-09-01 at 16:50 +0200, Bo Berglund wrote:
> > > Detailed instructions on how to start a command line editor for this
> > > file would be appreciated as well as how to save and exit from it.
> >
> > And to provide a third alternative...  ;-)   Which might be necessary,
> > if joe or emacs aren't already installed, and if you can't manage to
> > install either of them.  vi is probably installed by default.  You'd
> > start it with the vi command and the filepath/filename.
> >
> > e.g. vi /etc/X11/xorg.conf
> >
> > Hit the insert key to start inserting text wherever the cursor is (it
> > starts up in a reading mode).  Type what you want to do to the file.
> > Hit escape to get out of the editing mode.  Then colon w q <enter> to
> > write (w) your changes, and (q) quit the program.  e.g. :wq
>
> Editors are one of those things where it is really each to their own.
>
> For the record, I would not recommend vi/vim as the first editor to try, if 
> they are new to linux. Yes, it might be the only one installed by default, 
> but that can be fixed with a simple
> > yum install emacs joe nano
>
> (assuming you have network)
>
> I say this since personally, I have never understood the vi distinction 
> between reading mode and editting mode, and in my experiences its a concept 
> quite confusing to a lot of people..
>
> Chris

I'm not sure I'd put emacs on a first editor either. Trying to
explain the keystroke confuses most people. BTW, it's META-1
Ctrl-X Ctrl-C to save on typing or ESC-X save-buffers-kill-emacs
(for the more adventurous). ;-)

That of course is a little tongue-in-cheek humor, I'm an emacs
user since 1978.

[Karl Larsen]

Neil Cherry wrote:
> Chris Jones wrote:
> > On Saturday 1 September 2007 4:55:55 pm Tim wrote:
> > > On Sat, 2007-09-01 at 16:50 +0200, Bo Berglund wrote:
> > > > Detailed instructions on how to start a command line editor for this
> > > > file would be appreciated as well as how to save and exit from it.
> > >
> > > And to provide a third alternative...  ;-)   Which might be necessary,
> > > if joe or emacs aren't already installed, and if you can't manage to
> > > install either of them.  vi is probably installed by default.  You'd
> > > start it with the vi command and the filepath/filename.
> > >
> > > e.g. vi /etc/X11/xorg.conf
> > >
> > > Hit the insert key to start inserting text wherever the cursor is (it
> > > starts up in a reading mode).  Type what you want to do to the file.
> > > Hit escape to get out of the editing mode.  Then colon w q <enter> to
> > > write (w) your changes, and (q) quit the program.  e.g. :wq
> >
> > Editors are one of those things where it is really each to their own.
> >
> > For the record, I would not recommend vi/vim as the first editor to 
> > try, if they are new to linux. Yes, it might be the only one 
> > installed by default, but that can be fixed with a simple
> > > yum install emacs joe nano
> >
> > (assuming you have network)
> >
> > I say this since personally, I have never understood the vi 
> > distinction between reading mode and editting mode, and in my 
> > experiences its a concept quite confusing to a lot of people..
> >
> > Chris
>
> I'm not sure I'd put emacs on a first editor either. Trying to
> explain the keystroke confuses most people. BTW, it's META-1
> Ctrl-X Ctrl-C to save on typing or ESC-X save-buffers-kill-emacs
> (for the more adventurous). ;-)
>
> That of course is a little tongue-in-cheek humor, I'm an emacs
> user since 1978.

Since I'm a confirmed joe user I should say that to edit a file in a 
terminal window type joe file where file is the file name. All the usual 
things happen like backspace erases the letter to the left. And just 
type what you want to add.

Study what you see and make sure it is what you want. Then to save 
the changed file type Ctl-k and then x. If you do not want to save it 
use ctl-k q. If this is confusing, while working on a file you can type 
ctl-k h, and a panel comes down with all the things you can do. I use 
ctl-y a lot because it deletes the whole line.

[Tim]

On Sat, 2007-09-01 at 17:05 +0100, Chris Jones wrote:
> For the record, I would not recommend vi/vim as the first editor to
> try, if they are new to linux. Yes, it might be the only one installed
> by default, but that can be fixed with a simple

I wouldn't recommend it to a new user, either.  But if it's the only
thing already there, and you can't install something else, you'd want to
know how to make use of it.

I never use it beyond the basic level.  I can't remember the way to cut
and paste, even.  I'll use the GUI version for anything other than
simple typing with it.  ;-)

Way back when I used the Amiga I'd tried to have a go at emacs (as
"memacs," on the Amiga).  The hotkeys were horrendous, completely
unintuitive, and the menus weren't crash hot, either.

The edit/command mode switching of vi isn't particularly intuitive, but
then a few other console editors, also, leave you stranded with no way
to figure out how to save or exit.

[Les Mikesell]

Tim wrote:
> The edit/command mode switching of vi isn't particularly intuitive, but
> then a few other console editors, also, leave you stranded with no way
> to figure out how to save or exit.

Think of _everything_ you do in vi as being a command that takes an 
optional count and range, including the command that inserts text and it 
will make more sense than thinking of different modes.  Try:
50itext <esc>