Linux NOOB & Redhat 9 issues (modem, GRUB, Gnome etc.)

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Fothermucker

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Just installed Redhat 9 publishers ed. tonight. It came with Mastering Red Hat Linux 9 by Michael Jang. Installed to my 40gb maxtor using the ext3 file sys. WinXP is installed on an 8gb partition on my 160gb Seagate drive.

1. No matter what, GRUB comes up when I start up my system. I've tried screwing with the Boot options in the CMOS but it changes nothing. If I physically take out the 40gb drive will this eliminate GRUB and allow XP to load normally?

2. Red Hat didn't detect my modem during installation (diamond supramax) so it shows up as a generic modem if I go into network settings. I am unable to get it to connect to my ISP. There's a drop down list of /dev/blah/ stuff I dont know what it means.

3. Graphic performance blows. I am using GNOME and it just seems really slow. Open GL screen savers run at 20fps or slower. Anaconda did detect my video card and I had to manually select my monitor from a list.
 
1) Grub installs itself on the primary master's MBR, which means if your 40GB drive is the primary master, you're screwed. Generally, the Anaconda installer that RedHat uses should detect the WinXP install, and make it one of the boot options, and you shouldn't have to fsck with anything to get into XP. Did you remove the XP entry from the GRUB entries available during the install? I have however, had issues with Compaq machines in particular, and GRUB installing itself even on secondary masters. (Compaq refuses to admit there's a bug in their BIOS, even after they send their people to my work and we demo'd it to them. IBM was better to work with.) You may experience problems in this area. If you do, simply pop in your XP disk, and do a repair, running a 'fixmbr' at the recovery console. This usually works for me.

2) Linux and PPP are a royal pain. Try running wvdial - it should help you setup your connection. BTW - if you have a WinModem - (Non hardware 56K), then you might be screwed. Try doing an 'lspci' at the command line in LInux. If your modem is correctly identified, try finding out if your modem is currently supported by the default kernel in RH 9.0. If it is, you're set. If it's not, you might have to recompile your kernel with a newer version to get support, or you might have to search for drivers. :D

If it turns out you do have a WinModem, then you can try the following website for help:

www.linmodems.org

3) What kind of video card do you have? If you are using the generic VESA driver, for example, which is the default for unsupported cards, then you'll want to download the ATI/Nvidia/other drivers from their site. Don't forget that RH 9.0 uses XFree86 4.3.0 when you download drivers - you cannot use XFree86 4.2 or 3.3.6 drivers in XFree86 4.3.0, AFAIK. Without installing the proper drivers, your X experience will be very slow, as you've described.

Best of luck, and enjoy Linux.
 
well, i guess i'm not of much help hear having no experience with either grub or modems under linux, let alone red hat.
what i can tell you is that with ati's 3.7.0 drivers, Xfree86 4.3.0 and a Radeon 9000 Pro 128MB i get around 40fps in most OpenGL screensavers.
you need to setup grub with chainloading, see the man pages for more info:
http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual/html_mono/grub.html#DOS/Windows
you might however find the following more useful/easier to understand:
http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/gentoo-x86-install.xml#doc_chap23 (yes it's gentoo docs, but they'll work for any grub install)
 
Originally posted by Josh_B
1) Grub installs itself on the primary master's MBR, which means if your 40GB drive is the primary master, you're screwed.
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The 40gb drive is my primary slave. I am using an ATI Radeon 8500 64mb video card. Grub shows XP as "DOS" so I can still get into XP that way.
 
just a quick plug for newegg.. they have a nice hardware modem that would make great use for linux. USRobotics one.. its only like 50$.. OEM packed, great modem.
 
Originally posted by meinzorn
just a quick plug for newegg.. they have a nice hardware modem that would make great use for linux. USRobotics one.. its only like 50$.. OEM packed, great modem.
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Um, yeah this doesn't help me. My modem is a hardware modem anyway.
 
Originally posted by Fothermucker
Um, yeah this doesn't help me. My modem is a hardware modem anyway.
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You never specified if your modem was hardware or not, just attempting to offer you a hand. Now you lost my help :)

have a nice day. :)
 
Originally posted by meinzorn
You never specified if your modem was hardware or not, just attempting to offer you a hand. Now you lost my help :) have a nice day. :)
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If your help consists of telling me to buy new hardware then I can do without your help. I specified my modem was a Diamond Supramax, a 56k hardware modem. Don't post in my thread again.

I thank everyone else for their help - I am still in the process of researching. :(
 
A search on Redhat.com for supported hardware yielded no results for Diamond Multimedia - guess I'm screwed.
 
Originally posted by Fothermucker
If your help consists of telling me to buy new hardware then I can do without your help. I specified my modem was a Diamond Supramax, a 56k hardware modem. Don't post in my thread again.
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Wow, is it just me, or do people who ask for help seem to be getting incredibly more arrogant then they used to be.

*shrug* Regardless, you lost my help too. And the bitch of that is, I know the answers you need.
 
Originally posted by XOR != OR
Wow, is it just me, or do people who ask for help seem to be getting incredibly more arrogant then they used to be.

*shrug* Regardless, you lost my help too. And the bitch of that is, I know the answers you need.
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I agree, wouldn't it be nice for people to just greatfully accept your help? *sigh* oh well.
 
if you are still having problems getting grub to dual boot to windows xp:
login as root and type
mount /boot
then open it with your favorite editor, try xedit if you dont know, and open /boot/grub/grub.conf, or menu.lst as long as its not just a symlink back to grub.conf. Post it here and i will help you get your system to dual boot right.

Sorry, no expirence with ppp and linux. Did you download and install the ati drivers? I think they are rpms so you shouldnt have any problems. That will speed up performance a bit.
 
Please explain to me how "go to newegg and buy an x-brand modem" is helping me with my problem? Then make some statement like "well now im not going to help you"... and then you call ME arrogant? Cut the foolishness & go crap on someone else's thread, your vast knowledge is wasted here.

I suppose it's true: if you dont have anything nice to say then say nothing. When you're done feeling superior any help is appreciated.
 
Originally posted by Fothermucker
Please explain to me how "go to newegg and buy an x-brand modem" is helping me with my problem? Then make some statement like "well now im not going to help you"... and then you call ME arrogant? Cut the foolishness & go crap on someone else's thread, your vast knowledge is wasted here.
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Kids today...:rolleyes:

YOU are asking for help from US. You WANT something from us, and someone took the time and effort to try to HELP you, and you threw it back in their face.

Let me explain how this is done, in case there was any confusion on your part. You ask for help, and whether or not you like the advice that is offered, you thank them. Someone is kind enough to give you a hand, being a jerk to them is generally frowned on.
I suppose it's true: if you dont have anything nice to say then say nothing.
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Excellent advice. I suggest you follow it.
 
Originally posted by XOR != OR
YOU are asking for help from US. You WANT something from us, and someone took the time and effort to try to HELP you, and you threw it back in their face.

Let me explain how this is done, in case there was any confusion on your part. You ask for help, and whether or not you like the advice that is offered, you thank them. Someone is kind enough to give you a hand, being a jerk to them is generally frowned on.
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Gee, sorry I dont see it your way.
 
lol man forget any more help from me at least :rolleyes:
and i dont think XOR != OR is going to want to help you either ;)
 
Originally posted by cloaked
lol man forget any more help from me at least :rolleyes:
and i dont think XOR != OR is going to want to help you either ;)
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Nonsense. I have shown that I am more than happy to help him.

He is in sore need of a lesson in manners. By the way I see it, I'm just the person to give it to him.
 
fother

....i don't like your name...just thought i'd let you know.

;) teasing.

and even though i only came to this thread to learn how to fix such a problem, i must make a post..

dude, the way people on [H] are..why would you even put up this much of a fight even if you disagreed? just apologize and move on..it's just an internet forum, you aren't losing face...you don't even know most of these people!

i had a similar incident a couple of months ago when i called a guy a flamer...just get over it, man..... you'll get help sooner.
 
Originally posted by nameless_centurian
fother

....i don't like your name...just thought i'd let you know.

;) teasing.

and even though i only came to this thread to learn how to fix such a problem, i must make a post..

dude, the way people on [H] are..why would you even put up this much of a fight even if you disagreed? just apologize and move on..it's just an internet forum, you aren't losing face...you don't even know most of these people!

i had a similar incident a couple of months ago when i called a guy a flamer...just get over it, man..... you'll get help sooner.
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I'm not upset. I just think people are rude on here. They think they're holier than thou because they possess some knowledge that I have not yet acquired on my own. Some people are helpful but this guy is telling me to go buy a new modem is totally not solving my problem and I let him know it. Suddenly everyone is jumping on the shitwagon when all I want is a simple and direct answer... which seems impossible on here. Now I know why the Anandtech forums are more popular for tech issues.
 
Originally posted by Fothermucker
I'm not upset. I just think people are rude on here. They think they're holier than thou because they possess some knowledge that I have not yet acquired on my own. Some people are helpful but this guy is telling me to go buy a new modem is totally not solving my problem and I let him know it. Suddenly everyone is jumping on the shitwagon when all I want is a simple and direct answer... which seems impossible on here. Now I know why the Anandtech forums are more popular for tech issues.
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Then the question begs...why are you still here?
 
Originally posted by XOR != OR
Then the question begs...why are you still here?
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I could ask the same question. I started this thread to get help with my modem. So far all you've managed to do is piss me off. I've seen your posts in other threads & you come off like a condescending a-hole. You do not own these forums - and so far you've contributed NOTHING to this thread so the best idea for you would be to stop posting in here altogether.
 
Originally posted by Fothermucker
I could ask the same question. I started this thread to get help with my modem.
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And you recieved it. You didn't like one of the answers, so you decided to be rude about it. Gotcha.
So far all you've managed to do is piss me off.
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Some random person in some random forum can piss you off? Take a deep breath, count to ten.
I've seen your posts in other threads & you come off like a condescending a-hole.
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*blushes* The only reason I seem condescending ( is that spelled correctly? ) is because I don't sugar coat the truth. Most get upset by this, and I admit there was a time when I got upset when someone told me I didn't know what I was doing. Now, I accept that gracefully and look for ways to correct that.

As to me being an asshole: Guilty as charged.
You do not own these forums - and so far you've contributed NOTHING to this thread so the best idea for you would be to stop posting in here altogether.
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a) No, i don't. And I never claimed to.
b) On the contrary, I contributed something you desperately needed.

You can lead a horse to water....

Anyway, this is bordering on ( well, has gone quite a bit beyond actually ) a private discussion, so if you want to continue it, feel free to email me at [email protected].
 
Arguing is just going to drag this thread on even longer. Some just be the bigger man here and post the answers he needs.
 
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