Debian Newbie Needs Help

I decided to try a Linux system on this decaying machine.

I've installed Debian, v2.2 Linux Kernel and a system of utilities, X Windows, KDM, KDE.

When the window manager boots, it's all very pretty and seems to work well..untill..

Well the ps/2 KB and Mouse don't work. Can anybody tell me why? They work as Linux starts up, but not when I enter the desktop environment. As in, I am stuck at a debian login dialog and cannot move the mouse or enter login information. It hasn't frozen as the login prompt is flashing away, waiting..

Any ideas? Can I stop the X Window system from booting and enter a hardware config system?

Well first, make sure you didn't install a beta/old versin of x windows. I don't know a whole lot about linux, im still just learning, going to be doing my first install of it within the week. But i'd say if you can't figure out how to uninstall X and put a newer stable version of it in then just format, start over with a different windowing system.

How can I bypass the window manager loading at startup?

well, erm, im kinda going out on a limb here. You installed it, isn't there documentation on it floating out there somewhere? Google has all of lifes answers my friend.

Not sure how you'd do stuff in Debian, but in any other Linux out there (well, at least most), and also assuming that Debian is not that different from others, if you're using LILO, Ctrl + X to skip the GUI login and at the prompt type linux 3.

If it's GRUB, press e twice and append linux 3 at the end of the entry which points to linux, enter and press b.

Thanks everyone, I managed to bypass KDE, and could get it to work by installing a bus mouse driver.

The OS is blisteringly fast, as I expected. The only problem I have, using KDE2, is that I can't get the PCI64 soundcard and old Motorola SM56 modem to work. Any help on getting these two PCI devices to work would be great.


Also, someone on another board mentioned I should upgrade the kernel to ~2.4 rather than keep 2.2. How would I go about doing this. (Given I get the modem working for dialup 'net)?

Basically it involves downloading the latest kernel (make sure it's a stable one) and compiling it for use w/ your Linux.

Here's some documentation from Debiam.com.

Install FreeBSD. Better hardware support than linux. Can run anything linux can, probablly faster. Older code, so its alot more stable. Ports > apt-get.

Basically I need a better emvironment for coding in than Win32. Any other reasons for dropping Linux for FreeBSD?

Your OS is a matter of preference. For coding use whatever, however C++ is C++ and works equally well on either OS. From a coders standpoint i suppose its not a big deal unless you were a stability geek or ran weird hardware.