[ltp] installing Red Hat on a thinkpad 770Z

K. Holcomb linux-thinkpad@www.bm-soft.com
Thu, 4 May 2000 11:07:47 -0400 (EDT)


>> Hello All,
>>    I'm new to this list and to Linux so pardon my ignorance. I'm installing Red Hat 6.2 on a ThinkPad 770z. I have been using some excellent documentation found at www.anarchysoftware.com to help a windows oriented person through the install. My problem is that after performing a (successful) custom install I don't know how to stop X from starting. Since the XF86Config file must be edited to get X to function properly I end up with a non-viewable screen and have to power of the system. Should I be doing a different type of install? I understand that I need to install the X software but then I be able to edit the XF86Config before starting X.
>> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>> Andrew
>> 
   Unix systems have different runlevels at which different services
   are initiated. It sounds as though your system is set up to boot into
   runlevel 5 (X11) -- I believe the Red Hat installer tends to encourage this.
   If, while the screen is unviewable, typing ctrl-alt-F2 (function key 2)
   gets you to a text virtual console, you can fix this easily.  Log in to
   the console as root and edit the file /etc/inittab.  You should find a
   line 

   id:5:initdefault:

   Change the 5 to a 3 and reboot.  In runlevel 3, X must be started by hand.  
   Once X is configured you may change this line back if you want the machine 
   to boot into X.

   Obviously, to effect this change you will need to be able to use some
   text-based editor.  It doesn't take much to learn the few commands
   necessary to perform basic functions in vi.

   If for some reason this doesn't work and you're reinstalling, pay attention
   when the installer asks whether you want to make X the default at boot
   and say "no." I think RH makes "yes" the default and it's easy to miss this
   as one is merrily clicking along, especially if one doesn't quite know
   the implications yet.
----- The Linux ThinkPad mailing list -----
The linux-thinkpad mailing list home page is at:
http://www.bm-soft.com/~bm/tp_mailing.html