SuSE Linux 8.0 Problems

[VampyreUK]

Hi,

OK ... so I downloaded jus about every distro under the sun (well 5 or 6 of them) I've finally chosen my distro (SuSE Linux 8.0) mainly on the basis that I knew it would support my dual 30Gb HD RAID array.

However I still have a number of teething problems:

Powering It Down: I assume this is a bit like Windows where (somewhere) a configuration change must be made to switch the machine off automatically ... it's strange though that it's the first time it has happened and, on a system at work, it's works perfectly ... only at home does it fail. The difference appears to be that on my one at home, it says something about "skipping run level 0" (can't confirm that until I get home) a message that doesn't appear on the one at work.

Root Configuration: I can't seem to change things like the Root users desktop, I know it's not much but I'd like to get rid of the awful background that SuSE, by default, supply. I log on as "root", right click the desktop, select configure desktop and then select background. I switch to no wallpaper and give the desktop an nice vertical gradient colour but when I log off and on again it switches back to the original desktop. This also happens on my Linux machine at work.

Naff Graphics: I get a darker band down on the left side of my screen when I try to use 1280 x 1024 mode video. I am using a Diamond V770U (nVidia TNT2 Ultra, 32Mb) and Belinea 103070 monitor (17&quot and it worked fine on SuSE Linux 7.1 at that Res. Unfortunately the monitor isn't quite the same as 2years 11months into its 3 year guarantee it gave up the ghost (coincidence, honest Guv) so, whilst it is the same type of monitor, it isn't the same one. The system seems to work at 1600 x 1200 but is too small for a 17" screen. Writing this, however, has made me think ... I'll try another 17" monitor when I get home and I could even try reinstalling SuSE 7.1 to see if that works still?

That's about it for now :-)

VampyreUK

[Schotty]

Well for teh power down, I dont know other than maybe a service is not getting killed properly. Even at that -- it should still halt. Try getting me the info on what it says as it iomproperly shuts down, and I can help.

Root configuration -- I had this problem a bit ago with KDE 2.1. KDE 3 however has been behaving quite well and the solution I normally would give is update to the newest revision. However, we know that that wont exactly help First step I would reccomend is to see if the KDE config files are allowed to be modified. If so, try editing them by hand and see if the cange is applied. Once you get to that poiint, there is more than likely a goofy setting that is preventing you from saving you changes thru Kontrol Panel. If all else fails, vape your /root/.kde/ directory and start fresh. That happened to gnome a few times on me. One of the files got corrupt and required my user account to get a fresh gnome directory.

For your video -- check the size settings on the monitor. I recall back when 15" was gargantuan, my monitor when the size and position of the view area was wayyyy off, there would be very odd graphical mutations.

HTH!

[VampyreUK]

Hi Schotty,

> Well for teh power down, I dont know other than maybe a service is
> not getting killed properly. Even at that -- it should still halt. Try
> getting me the info on what it says as it iomproperly shuts down, and
> I can help.

The last three lines:

The system will be halted immediately
Master Resource Control: run level 0 has been ....... reached
Skipped services in runlevel 0 ........ personal firewall initial

Ignore the dots they just mean it's on the other side of the screen and the “firewall” bit is in orange rather than black and appears more like a ghosted characters i.e. I'm not sure it's relevant.

> Root configuration -- ....

Thanks for your advice on this, I searched the SuSE site and eventually found a document that told me that they (effectively) didn't see why I would want to but said that if you created a specific file (“touch /root/.skel/kdebase3” in the console) it would resolve the issue :-)

> For your video -- check the size settings on the monitor. I recall back when
> 15" was gargantuan, my monitor when the size and position of the view
> area was wayyyy off, there would be very odd graphical mutations.

The only thing I can add to this right now is that SuSE 7.1. doesn't have the same problem i.e. I set the same moniotor & resolution .. perfect display :-(

VampyreUK

[VampyreUK]

... and 7.1 in the same system does power it down (but I disabled the raid).

VampyreUK

[Schotty]

The system will be halted immediately
Master Resource Control: run level 0 has been ....... reached
Skipped services in runlevel 0 ........ personal firewall initial

Ignore the dots they just mean it's on the other side of the screen and the “firewall” bit is in orange rather than black and appears more like a ghosted characters i.e. I'm not sure it's relevant.

Hmm, okay. Well, runlevel 0 is a halt. Are you sure that the system is not all the way halted?

[quote[

The only thing I can add to this right now is that SuSE 7.1. doesn't have the same problem i.e. I set the same moniotor & resolution .. perfect display :-(
[/quote]

perhaps, you misuderstood me. I was not talking about any of the software. I was referring to the monitor's settings in the OSD. I mean the buttons and stuff on the monitor itself.


Well, at least 1 out of three is definitely fixed

[VampyreUK]

Hi Schotty,

The power down issue is the only issue outstanding ... well until I get some more (and they're lining up already) :-)

> Hmm, okay. Well, runlevel 0 is a halt. Are you sure that the system is not all the way halted?

Yes I think the system has “halted”, I left it for a considerable period and it takes only a few seconds on the machine at work.

> > The only thing I can add to this right now is that SuSE 7.1. doesn't have the same
> > problem i.e. I set the same moniotor & resolution .. perfect display
> perhaps, you misuderstood me. I was not talking about any of the software. I was
> referring to the monitor's settings in the OSD. I mean the buttons and stuff on the
> monitor itself.

Oh, well it's set the same for 7.1, 8.0 & Windows.

It's academic now though as I have found a solution ... I ran “sax2” and mucked about with the horizontal & vertical frequency ranges reducing them from 30-95 to 30-85 & 50-160 to 50-120 respectively and, lo & behold, it was fine.

> Well, at least 1 out of three is definitely fixed

2 :-)

VampyreUK

[VampyreUK]

... (on the basis that 7.1. works OK) I should just rebuild the system anmd see if it was some kind of install glitch?

VampyreUK

[carlywarly]

The power-down problem - I had this with SuSE 7.3 It was sorted by messing about in the BIOS with the APM support, I seem to remember. Try it, maybe.

[VampyreUK]

Hi Carlywarly,

I've mucked about with the BIOS APM settings and nothing seems to be changing ... although it is not crucial it is irritatiing (and I am irritated at SuSE because their so-called "90 days Installation Support" appears to be a lot of a sham, basically covers nothing a newbie would want & which is a big part of the reason I chose their distro).

That in mind I am seriously considering using the Red Hat 7.3 ISO's I downloaded last week as it (apparently) supports my RAID config & my new GeForce 2 MX card and may well power down properly. Frustratin gthough coz all I have is SuSE manuals :-(

VampyreUK