Total noob. Messed up updating 7.04 -7.10. Noob questions + sadness.

[slut4linux]

So I tried to update using that stupid tempting button in "Adept", and everything downloaded and installed ok. Then after the restart I log in and the screen starts to flicker a lot as its loading, then when its loading the desktop, everything freezes up and takes me back to the log in menu - Rinse, lather, repeat.

So here are my stupid questions that I cant find answers to in my state of dismay (since I finally got feisty working awesomely this week)....

1. Is there a way to fix this without doing a clean install easily?
2. If I do a clean install do I use the normal or alternate cd?
3. Please help, dear god, what have I done?!?!

Here are some additional facts that may or may not be useful:

- when installing it asked if i wanted to keep 2 things or update them - the desktop background and the background for the screen when it is loading after log in. I kept them because they had tux on them.

- when it was starting to load everything before it crashed everything was super bright and wonky looking.

If you need more info just post because I'm just going to be sitting around on this laptop all night until i manage to fix this. My MSN is posted on my profile too if someone wants to add me.

THANKS!!

[MoonRise]

Re: Total noob. Messed up updating 7.04 -7.10. Noob questions + sadness.

Do you know what Graphic Display you have? It sounds as though X (the windowing system) isn't happy with the Display Driver. At least that has been my experience with that problem.

[dibl]

Re: Total noob. Messed up updating 7.04 -7.10. Noob questions + sadness.

It might be possible to boot recovery mode (i.e. root mode), and configure a VESA display, and then proceed from that much of a GUI to set up a better display driver.

So (1) boot recovery mode,

(2) log in as root (you may already "be" root -- no login may be needed)

(3)

dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

select "NO" to autodetect, and then on the next screen choose "VESA" for the display type, accept the defaults for keyboard and mouse (no need to detect keyboard), when you get to the monitor choose a comfortable resolution like 1024 x 768, choose refresh ranges that your monitor can handle, and when you get to the end, it dumps you back to the CLI.

(4)

shutdown -r now

And try a normal login when it comes back up.

[MoonRise]

Re: Total noob. Messed up updating 7.04 -7.10. Noob questions + sadness.

Thanks Dibl. That's what I wanted to relay, but I don't have my notes.