Other Help Topics :: DSL New GUI



If you were logged into X as root:
rule #1: If you are regularly logged in as root, stop and think about what you're doing.  Root has ultimate power...the power to give and to take away.  One misplaced character in a command can destroy your entire system and all your data files.  Also, the world is filled miscreants and villains who would take advantage of any opportunity to steal or destroy....running as root online gives them a much better opportunity to play at your expense.

Now to your question:
You'll need to give more information about your setup if you are going to continue asking step-by-step questions...it will take forever to set up your system if we're just guessing.
Were you running as another user other than dsl or root?  Does user dsl still have a home directory with config files intact? Did you try the 'startx' command as dsl? Are you running liveCD, frugal, harddrive install, other?  What have you done which might change default settings, such as adding more users, editing config files, entering boot options, or installing/removing software?  There are more things to consider, but basically it would be helpful to know if anything has changed from what a person would experience booting up from a liveCD.

Apparently the myDSL installation began, but didn't finish...that seems like a bug to me.  In any case, edit /home/dsl/.xinitrc.
Change that icewm line to 'fluxbox' and try again.  That should at least get you back into X.

Since you are in console, and I'm guessing you have no knowledge of cli, this might help:
type "vi /home/dsl/.xinitrc"

move to the last line of the file (arrow keys), the one that says /opt/bin/icewm-session (that line looks wrong, by the way).
with the cursor over the first character of that line, type "c$" and then type "fluxbox".  Press Esc, and then type ":wq" to write and quit the file.
Then type in the command "startx"

I understand the risks of running in root, but to tell you the truth, this laptop is so old and crappy I have very little concern about screwing it up, it doesn't hold significant information nor everwill beyond a Ealge Scout project write up which is backed up on three computers and has to personal information.

Second, I'm running DSL installed directly to my hard drive. I have only created one added user (Phil ). The only default setting that I have changed since I installed DSL is the theme, lol. I installed it last night so not much has been changed and nothing else has been added or installed. I will try the startx command I believe I might have tried it already but I will try.

After I edit Line 7 how in the world do i get out of the edit, lol so i type c$ and changed what needed to be changed. Now to save and quite I type :wq but I don't know how to get out of the edit so I can do that!
Read the directions a little more carefully :D
Press "Esc" to get out of insert (edit) mode.

If i knew anything about nano, I'd have suggested that instead of vi, but vim is the only console editor i know.

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