Postinstallation Problems


Problems might also occur after installing SUSE Linux. This section addresses several possible postinstallation problems.

Problem: I have a PC with onboard VIA graphics. However, when installation has finished, I cannot boot up into a GUI. Instead, the screen briefly flashes and I see a text login prompt.

Solution: The solution to this problem, as well as for many similar problems regardless of which graphics card is in use, is to run the SaX2 graphical configuration program. In the case of a VIA chipset, you must log in as the root user (that is, type root as the username, and then enter the root password), and then type the following command:

sax2 –m l=via –c 1

See the guide to using SaX2 provided at the end of this chapter.

Problem: When I boot up after installation, the system doesn't boot into a GUI. Instead, I see a text login prompt.

Solution: For some reason, YaST2 was unable to correctly configure your graphics card. The solution is to manually configure the graphics card and input devices. You can do this by running the SaX2 program. To do this, log in as root user (that is, type root as the username, and then enter the root password). Then find out the make and model of your graphics card by typing the following:

sax2 -p

Make a note of these details, and then start SaX2 itself in order to configure your system:

sax2 --vesa 800x600

This will start SaX2. See the guide at the end of this chapter to learn how to use SaX2.

Problem: After installation, SUSE Linux boots and works fine, but I'm no longer able to boot Windows. When I select the option from the boot menu, I see a few lines of text (including "Filesystem type unknown, partition type 0x7"), and then the system hangs.

Solution: This is caused by incompatibilities between the way Linux and Windows access the hard disk's partition table. The easiest solution is to access the BIOS setup program during bootup (by pressing the Delete key, or another key or key combination, to enter setup mode), and then select an option so that the hard disk is manually detected rather than automatically detected. You should also ensure the hard disk access mode is set to LBA or to Large mode (this ensures the hard disk information can be read properly by Windows).

Alternatively, you can use a patch designed to fix the problem, supplied by SUSE Linux. This solution is more complicated, requiring the following steps:

  1. Boot Linux normally.

  2. Visit the following FTP site using Konqueror: ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/i386/update/9.1/misc/parted/.

  3. Download the file named parted.img.gz (right-click and select Copy To). Save it to your home directory.

  4. Insert a blank floppy disk. Open a Konsole window and type the following to write the patch to the floppy disk (replace <username> with your own username or the name of your home directory):

    gunzip c /home/<username>/parted.img.gz >/dev/fd0
  5. Eject the floppy disk.

  6. Boot the computer using the installation DVD-ROM. At the DVD boot menu, press F6.

  7. Use the arrow keys to select Installation from the boot menu. Type the following before pressing Enter to select the Installation option:

    fixpart=1 
  8. A message will appear, asking you to choose the drive update medium. Insert the floppy disk and select OK. In the menu following this, select Floppy, and then select OK. Once the driver update has completed, click the Back button.

  9. You will see a dialog box showing the status of the partition table. Select the hard disk entry in the menu, and then click OK. This will repair the partition table. Once this has completed, click Back.

  10. Reboot your computer by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete.

You should now be able to boot into both Linux and Windows.




Beginning SUSE Linux from Novice to Professional
Beginning SUSE Linux: From Novice to Professional
ISBN: 1590594584
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2005
Pages: 293
Authors: Keir Thomas

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