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**nilsA** · Oct 16, 2008, 04:22 AM

Re: First install issues

[quote=mahutchinson ]

1. Boot-up options shows each Kubuntu option twice now as if it has been installed twice.

From the K menu run command (or what it is called in English):

Code:

kdesu kate

You will be asked for your password, and then Kate, a friendly editor will open in super user mode.

Open the file

Code:

/boot/grub/menu.lst

Make a backup of that original (menu.list.original -or whatever.

Go to the bottom - you will find the boot options for each kerenel.
There should be three lines for each kernel - Windows.

If you have some double triplet of these lines, just delete so you have just one.

Save as /boot/grub/menu.lst

reboot.

**dibl** · Oct 16, 2008, 04:34 AM

Re: First install issues

Originally posted by mahutchinson

This time the installation hung at 94% and i had to start again.

Usually when I see "installation hung at xx%" it is because of a bad burn of the CD. It appears you got through it anyway, eventually, but for future reference, the downloaded ISO should be burned to the CD (after verifying the md5sum) at 4X speed, and using "DAO" mode if available.

1. Boot-up options shows each Kubuntu option twice now as if it has been installed twice.

Fix this as nilsA has said.

2. When I boot up again after installation Kubuntu hangs on a screen "Starting K Display Manager: kdm", with a list of processes underneath.

Sound like a video issue. Searching this forum should turn up some suggestions. Among others, take a look at the file /etc/usplash.conf. Make sure the X and Y values are set for a resolution that is appropriate for your CRT or LCD. Here's mine:

# Usplash configuration file
# These parameters will only apply after running update-initramfs.

xres=1280
yres=1024

Note the necessity to run

Code:

sudo update-initramfs

if you change the values.

3. When I do get into the desktop, I have the nvidia resolution problem - I can only use 640 maximum. I have seen posts on this topic but have not understood the solution so far. There are a number of nvidia installation files and I don't know which ones to use. The hardware manager keeps flashing on the screen saying that proprietary drivers are needed to run the PC properly. I have a 7800 GS card.

There are multiple methods available to install the appropriate proprietary driver. The easiest is to install the package EnvyNG. So, here's the steps:

1. Exit the X server with Ctrl-Alt-F1, and log in to the tty console that you see, aka "text console", or "command line interface".

2.

Code:

sudo apt-get install envyng-core

and let it install.

3. When the prompt reappears

Code:

sudo envyng -t

to run EnvyNG in text mode

4. Choose #1 "Install Nvidia Driver" and follow the prompts.

5. Choose #5 "Start X Server".

Enjoy your new system.

**mahutchinson** · Oct 16, 2008, 04:50 AM

Re: First install issues

Thanks to both for the tips. I was surprised at the CD as I burned it on CDex and it checked it as fine. I thought that was pretty much the top software for that sort of thing. Maybe I didn't burn it at the right speed. I wasn't sure whether the dual entries in boot options was causing a problem but it did look odd. Would like to get this up and running as being asked to validate XP due to a new motherboard was the last straw with Microsoft !

**mahutchinson** · Oct 16, 2008, 02:58 PM

Re: First install issues

3. When I do get into the desktop, I have the nvidia resolution problem - I can only use 640 maximum. I have seen posts on this topic but have not understood the solution so far. There are a number of nvidia installation files and I don't know which ones to use. The hardware manager keeps flashing on the screen saying that proprietary drivers are needed to run the PC properly. I have a 7800 GS card.
[/quote]

There are multiple methods available to install the appropriate proprietary driver. The easiest is to install the package EnvyNG. So, here's the steps:

1. Exit the X server with Ctrl-Alt-F1, and log in to the tty console that you see, aka "text console", or "command line interface".

2.

Code:

sudo apt-get install envyng-core

and let it install.

3. When the prompt reappears

Code:

sudo envyng -t

to run EnvyNG in text mode

4. Choose #1 "Install Nvidia Driver" and follow the prompts.

5. Choose #5 "Start X Server".

Enjoy your new system.
[/quote]

Sorry to have to come back again but I am stumped on the login - I have a username and password but what is my login ? I tried username and it didn't work, I'm not sure I have anything else. Also, why do you log out of the server rather than simply download the file with adept ? Is it to avoid rebooting afterwards ?

**dibl** · Oct 16, 2008, 03:14 PM

Re: First install issues

When you installed Kubuntu, it asked you to choose your user name. That is the name you use to log in. It is the same whether you log in via the GUI screen, or at the tty console prompt which looks like a "$" after the name of your system.

By the way, Linux is "case sensitive" -- "Joe" is different than "JOE" and that is different than "joe". So you need to log in with the name exactly as you gave it to yourself during installation.

The reason to exit the GUI is to ensure that the running X server does not interfere with the installation of the video driver. Kind of a "eye surgery on yourself" situation there. It is usually successful without exiting the GUI, but I prefer the lowest-risk approach available.

**mahutchinson** · Oct 17, 2008, 05:16 AM

Re: First install issues

Well I seem to be getting somewhere now. I managed to follow all the instructions although was confused at the login/username alternative descriptions. My username seemed to be rejected a couple of times before working and I am a bit disorientated in the command mode - never quite sure what I am typing as you can't see it and it brings back memories of deleting hard disks in DOS by mistake. I now have resolution options and everything seems stable but am a bit puzzled as to why hardware manager still shows that I am not using proprietary video drivers as my card is showing and I thought that proprietary drivers were what envyng had installed. I also have a peculiar issue in that my keyboard " and @ have swapped places - not sure where that has come from ? I also cannot save passwords in Thunderbird but am guessing this is nothing to do with Kubuntu as it happens in Windows too (thought I'd mention it though just in case it is).

**nilsA** · Oct 17, 2008, 06:34 AM

Re: First install issues

Originally posted by mahutchinson

. I also have a peculiar issue in that my keyboard " and @ have swapped places -

Have a look at:

Code:

Kmenu -> System Settings -> Regional and Language - Keyboard.

(The actual words in English may be a little different, I am retranslating from Norwegian.)

At the top right you will find the type of keyboard. I had to experiment a little to find one that would work for me.

**dibl** · Oct 17, 2008, 07:23 AM

Re: First install issues

Originally posted by mahutchinson

I am a bit disorientated in the command mode - never quite sure what I am typing as you can't see it

I hope it is ONLY your password that does not show on the screen -- right? You should see the login prompt which looks like this:

dibl@ibex:~$

And, after you enter your password which is deliberately not shown on screen, you should see all commands afterward, and the output from the commands. If this is not the case, then there is more to be worried about on your system.

I also have a peculiar issue in that my keyboard " and @ have swapped places - not sure where that has come from ?

Keyboard issues ....

Yes, as nilsA has said, look at the keyboard setup in System Settings > Regional & Language > Keyboard Layout. My Microsoft "Comfort Curve" USB keyboard is happy to be set as "Generic 104-key PC". Possibly yours was not detected correctly during installation.

**mahutchinson** · Oct 17, 2008, 07:30 AM

Re: First install issues

OK - having looked at layouts on Wikipedia I think I have chosen UK when my keyboard is US. Didn't occur to me as I always used to choose UK in Windows without a problem. However, I did find that Word used to constantly default back to US - maybe it was trying to tell me something. Probably this was wrong from the start but I only just got round to testing email yesterday and hence using the "@".

Regarding login, yes I think it is just unfamiliarity with the procedure - everything seems to work as it should. I will stop worrying about the video drivers on the grounds that everything looks right at the moment !

By the way, another thing I am very impressed with is the complete lack of hard disk churning when the PC is (theoretically) not doing anything. There is hardly a moment's peace with Windows as the disk seems to be carrying out all kinds of work constantly (maybe it had just been hijacked

).

**dibl** · Oct 17, 2008, 07:48 AM

Re: First install issues

Originally posted by mahutchinson

being asked to validate XP due to a new motherboard was the last straw with Microsoft !

YES, I remember very well. Your reason for adopting Linux is exactly the same as my reason. The person who paid for my computer is the one who should control the configuration and use of it!

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