im a noob

[chorb]

Try to hold back your laughter...
This is my first ever attempt to use linux.
I installed Fedora Core 4 onto my computer which went fine, then I was messing around with some video settings and changed a few things (dont remember exactly) then it said I had to restart to take effect. Upon loading up again it goes through all the normal loading and then when I get to the part where it asks for the username the screen goes out and says out of range ( 35kHz/79Hz). So I have googled it a few times and tried some of the recomended fixes such as changing my xF86Config file but I cannot get into the command line prompt to even get there.

So far linux has me beat, any suggestions? besides not use linux.

 

[scottish144]

Reinstall? Sounds like you set ur monitor refresh rate too high, and Fedora doesn't load the driver till the end. Chances are ur monitor has some firmware that shuts it off when overloaded (try disabling?) You can probably still type, you just won't be able to see anything 😛

 

[MadRat]

You can use a live CD to reset your config files.

 

[P0ldy]

Fedora may have installed multiple runlevels into grub or lilo (guessing--I've never used it). Try booting to another entry in your boot loader.

If that doesn't work, you should be able to Ctrl+Alt+F1-F6 to get into console. Log in, and hopefully you made a backup of XF86Config to restore it. (I'm surprised they're not using Xorg...) If that doesn't work, you can probably run the XF86 configurator (isn't there one? there is for xorg) and see if you can get the settings back to what Fedora used at install.

Always backup a config file you're going to edit.

 

[kamper]

I believe it will be xorg.conf and not XF86Config.

 

[TGS]

Do a "CTRL-ALT-BACKSPACE" which should kill X, and give you a terminal. Then VI, PICO, (Editor of choice) "/etc/X11/xorg.conf" and make the change to the appropriate settings.

edit:
Also, always make a copy of your configuration files prior to making changes you are uncertain of. That way you can just copy the older file over the modified ones, and get back to defaults.

edit2:
It looks like "system-config-display" is the way to configure your display settings in a safer fashion, though it's a graphical driven menu only.

 

[Nothinman]

Do a "CTRL-ALT-BACKSPACE" which should kill X, and give you a terminal.

That won't work because gdm is monitored by init, it'll be restarted right after it's killed. Hitting ALT+F1 will get a terminal without the need to kill gdm.

 

[nweaver]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

Do a "CTRL-ALT-BACKSPACE" which should kill X, and give you a terminal.

That won't work because gdm is monitored by init, it'll be restarted right after it's killed. Hitting ALT+F1 will get a terminal without the need to kill gdm.

might need a CTL+ALT+F1 to break out of GDM. Either way, one will get you back to a command line.

 

[Nothinman]

might need a CTL+ALT+F1 to break out of GDM. Either way, one will get you back to a command line.

Yea, that's right, I forgot the CTRL.