Thanks Mike, Yes, i have loaded the modules for the specific cdrom (mirosolutions backpack). The final (i think final) parameter that must be set fails however, with the default settings (drive0=0x378). The installer responds "failed to mount cdrom" when i attempt to go ahead with the install. Do i need to manually mount the cdrom? Do i have to tell the kernel that the drive is there? It seems to know, but if i'm missing something, do tell. One thing i'm kind of uncertain of is how to use the root prompt to give instructions to the kernel. Only some of the commands seem to work, and i'm quite unfamiliar with the procedure. For instance "fdisk" returns "not found". Attempting to run certain commands that i do find in some of the various folders has no effect, or returns "not found". One thing that did work was "swapon", thereby enabling me to activate swap for loading of the network module. I did, however, need to use a boot disk from another dist to create the partition table in order to create a swap partition to activate. Is all this normal, or unusual? If it's normal i won't worry too much. Should it be this difficult to install on an older machine though? I can install windows with a standard dos boot disk without any hassle whatsoever. insert bootdisk, fdisk, partition, format, insert cdrom driver floppy, load driver, install from cdrom. Very simple. Is it normal for linux to be quite a bit more difficult? Can anyone recommend any Good Reference Books for what i am attempting to do? Something that explains what is going on, and why we need to make each step? So far the manuals i have read on linux's do not touch on any of the issues i am experiencing. Thank you again for all correspondence. Proctor.

i booted from a slackware disk, and enabled the swap partition i made. that fixed that. however the network module is not found. hmmm.

can't find the network card or the external cdrom.

any suggestions?

You will need to know some information about both the CD-ROM and Network card, as in make and type. You should see a listing for Modules during the install process, select this, and load the modules (with any info they require) and then proceed with the installation. It's been some months since I've done this so I apologize for not remembering quite where that point in the install process is. It was required for a network install on two computers, I needed to know the NIC maker and type in order to load the correct module, which unfortunately I had to do by trial and error, but in the end it did work. Mike -- and then I lost it because Norton Anti Virus fixed the MBR

Nothing. I am sorry it went to the wrong thread man. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Patrick Shanahan" To: Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2004 20:12 Subject: Re: [SLE] how to log in as root?

* Proctor [05-20-04 20:33]:

...

Thanks Mike,

Yes, i have loaded the modules for the specific cdrom (mirosolutions backpack). The final (i think final) parameter that must be set fails

And this has *what* to do with the message Subject/Thread, Subject: Re: [SLE] how to log in a root

-- Patrick Shanahan Registered Linux User #207535 http://wahoo.no-ip.org @ http://counter.li.org HOG # US1244711

-- Check the headers for your unsubscription address For additional commands send e-mail to suse-linux-e-help@suse.com Also check the archives at http://lists.suse.com Please read the FAQs: suse-linux-e-faq@suse.com

It works OK--the error seems to be a WordPerfect problem. I can mount the CD (as /media/cdrecorder/) and _I_ can see the file on the CD, but when I tell WP where it is, WP can't see it. And WP does know I am in su mode. I'm trying to install additional fonts, as per their README.font file. The right-hand key-pad, with num-lock turned off, is also dead in WP, which is a darned nuisance, since the del key in the rh k/p is right next to my track-ball, and I can't use it! (It works in WP/Win.--and in everything else I've run on Linux. On Friday 21 May 2004 02:24, g.lams@itcilo.org wrote:

What is exactly the error when you perform a "su -"?

Doug McGarrett wrote on 21/05/2004 02.45.41:

...

How to get to root? su doesn't seem to do it. --doug