x wont start, need to edit xf86config.....knoppix root pwd?

**jamesgf** · 03-25-2003, 03:48 PM

Hello all-

I installed the nvidia drivers last night, and things went ok, but i changed my default color depth to 32 (supported in winXP) but x wouldnt start telling me that the color depth was not supported. So i shutdown, popped in the knoppix CD and went to edit my xf86config file. I couldnt save any changes as i didnt have 'permission'. The partition was mounted correctly, enabled write and everything. I assume it was because i was not logged in as root, since under permissions of the file only root was listed. I opened a shell and tried to login as root, but it kept asking for a password.

Do i have to change the root password first? Open a root shell, type passwd, change it then login as root?

Its a 2 second change i have to make to my xf86congif file but 20 minutes to figure out how to save it correctly

any help would be great, thanks again!
-jamie

**RockMumbles** · 03-25-2003, 04:01 PM

You will have to log in as root to edit your XF86Config-4 file.

There is no root passwd, if you want to set one as knoppix user use:

sudo passwd root

rock

**jamesgf** · 03-25-2003, 04:14 PM

rock-

When i tried to login as root (in knoppix via CD) it asked me for a password. How do i get around this part? Change the password by using sudo passwd root (in the root shell)?

-jamie

**rickenbacherus** · 03-25-2003, 06:03 PM

If you're booting from the cd as far as I know there is no root password, you simply have to execute commands as root like so:

sudo mcedit /etc/X11/XF86Config-4

for example.

Using sudo is "superuser do" or "root do" essentially.

**RockMumbles** · 03-25-2003, 06:35 PM

jamesgf,

It appears you have done a hd install, am I correct?
If so during the install you should have been asked to provide a password for the root user and also user knoppix. You will have problems with your hd install if you don't know these.

I'm a bit confused regarding your system, and what you have done...

rock

**jamesgf** · 03-25-2003, 06:59 PM

rock-

I have done an hd install on a second drive. Last night i decided to load the nvidia drivers, all went fine. I changed the default color depth to 32 from 16 (when editing my xf86config-4 for the new drivers) and rebooted. x would not start, gave me a message about the color depth not supported. I shut down and restarted with the knoppix cd thinking i could get in and edit my xf86config-4 file and change it to 24 from 32. Using kate i couldnt save the changes to the file (on hdb3 partition, file indicates root permission only). Tried to figure out how to login as root when running from the cd so i could make the change. The drive (hdb3) was mounted and given permission to write.

thanks for your help thus far!

-jamie

**RockMumbles** · 03-25-2003, 09:13 PM

jamie,

start from the cd with:

knoppix 2

then from the root prompt (#) use the following command:

startx

then mount your hd partition read/write, and with kate edit your /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 file, save it and you should be good to go.

As you use linux more, you really need to be able to use terminal /console applications so you can fix your system without X. Although a knoppix cd does this quite nice if you startup in runlevel 2 or even if running as user knoppix use <CTRL><ALT><F2> to get to a console then use:

startx -- :1

which will also start up a root kde session.

keep us posted

HTH

rock