FC3 Boot Problems

[Jonathan Berry]

On Mon, 14 Feb 2005 10:08:03 +1300, Tarn McDonald
<tarn.mcdonald at natlib.govt.nz> wrote:
> Hi -
> 
> I'm trying to install FC3 on an AMD 64 system, with Windows XP already
> installed. FC3 has stopped xp from booting (I installed grub on the MBR)

I doubt that.  One purpose of GRUB is to boot multiple operating
systems.  Try pressing a key when it says "Booting Fedora Core in X
seconds..." or something like that.  You should get a menu that will
allow you to boot Windows.  To always show this menu, edit
/etc/grub.conf as root and comment out the line:
hiddenmenu
like this:
#hiddenmenu

> and although FC3 worked alright for a while, it now won't boot properly
> itself. Either i get strange pixel patterns at the top of the screen
> after I log in, or it logs in and then the mouse freezes and I have to
> reboot.

Okay, let us differentiate booting and logging in.  Booting is the
process that loads the operating system.  Once it is booted, you
should see a graphical login screen, or perhaps a virtual login
terminal.  If you make it to this, you have booted successfully.  Now,
it sounds like you are having trouble with X.  After booting, try
pressing Ctrl+Atl+F1 and logging in there.  If you can, you are
definitely having trouble with X (the graphical system).  What kind of
graphics card do you have?  What driver are you using?  What does your
xorg.conf (in /etc/X11/) look like?

> Can anyone help - should I reinstall the MBR with windows and try again
> - I've already reinstalled FC3 3 times, but I want to keep plugging away
> at it.

For most things, re-installing is probably going overboard.  You have
something setup wrong if it isn't working and re-installing will only
do the same thing.  Of course, this is a computer, so all of this is
"most of the time." : )  Please provide more info (hardware and
setup), and don't waste you time with another re-install : ).

> thx
> 
> Tarn

Jonathan