If you prefer to have the system boot without X11, then you might want to edit the /etc/inittab file so that the default runlevel is 3. Here's what the last line of the stock /etc/inittab file on Fedora Core 9 might look like: id:3:initdefault: I believe the default is to boot in runlevel 5. For machines without monitors or those without a working X11 setup, runlevel 3 works great. Once you're able to boot in runlevel 3 successfully, you should be able to configure X11 by running 'setup' and then selecting 'X configuration'. I hope this helps, --Scott Kidder