Problem installing GRUB in Gentoo 2005.0

[mehulved]

Hi
I am installing Gentoo 2005.0. I had downloaded it quite a while back and do know that its a bit outdated. I got around for most of the part till now without problems. But, while trying to install GRUB, this version of Gentoo asks for grub-0.95.20040823. Now, since this is a very outdated version, whenever I type emerge for it, it searches all the mirrors in vain as the file is either not found or it is deleted. I guess the file hasn't been provided in the cd (or is it?).
So, any ideas now, how do I go about it as I am still in the middle of the installation.

[Satissh S]

I assume that you are using minimal installation cd mehul, Have you specified the following correctly, If not copy paste them now,

GENTOO_MIRRORS="http://gentoo.seren.com/gentoo http://pandemonium.tiscali.de/pub/gentoo/"
SYNC="rsync://rsync.asia.gentoo.org/gentoo-portage"

Now do a
# emerge --sync
and a
# emerge search grub
# emerge grub
Or if you are having problems, you can use lilo
# emerge lilo
Refer to the gentoo handbook Here

[mehulved]

I will try that out. But, if someone could point me to latest version of GRUB available for gentoo, that would be gr8. I did search a few gentoo mirrors but none of them have GRUB or LILO in there! Now, I don't know where to search for them. I want to avoid LILO as my bootloader. I prefer GRUB.
Satish can you tell me where do I put the code you gave me?

[Satissh S]

Oh! I forgot to mention that, Put it in /etc/make.conf. Thats what you get bu doing mirrorselect.
# emerge grub
shud work!

[mehulved]

Originally Posted by Satissh S

Oh! I forgot to mention that, Put it in /etc/make.conf. Thats what you get bu doing mirrorselect.
# emerge grub
shud work!

That's what I searched for but I can't find make.conf out there. Nither did I find links installed. I had to boot back from cdrom as I couldn't even get anything working. I am installing links now. And I guess I will move to installing X.org now. Or should I use XFree86? Which is recommended?
Thanks for your help.

[Satissh S]

XFree86 support has been removed from gentoo portages, type
# emerge xorg-x11
to install X.

[mehulved]

I installed LILO for the tiem being as I couldn't find GRUB anywhere. But, then I did

emerge links

. Now, this showed that links had 12 dependancies and needed to download 13 packages including links. It proceeded to download 12 packages including Xorg but never downloaded links giving me an error. I will give u that error when I boot into my gentoo system. I can't downaload links or lynx. When I run gentoo from my hard drive I can't get connected to the net. I can't even use emerge. My network configurations are OK, I checked them all.
Satish can you tell me what did you do after installing GRUB, I am still struggling with getting x started too, I keep on gettting errors.

[Satissh S]

Do a
# emerge elinks
Links shud be installed. Then if your network configurations are OK, recheck /etc/conf.d/net if you want,
Follow the desktop documentation resources provided in the gentoo website. There is a guide on X configuration Here

# emerge xorg-x11
The if you wan't you can choose fluxbox. There is a fluxbox guide

[mehulved]

Is there any other file that should be configured for DNS settings besides /etc/resolv.conf? I have added all the DNS server names there but still my DNS servers aren't accessible after I start using gentoo from my hard disk but the same DNS settings work when I am using live cd.

[Satissh S]

Modprobe the following, modules
modprobe 8139too, provided you have specified in the kernel. If you have used genkernel, i think you have to reconfigure and recompile the kernel again.
AFAIK there is no other file apart from /etc/resolv.conf that you have to edit to specify dns.

[mehulved]

Originally Posted by Satissh S

Modprobe the following, modules
modprobe 8139too, provided you have specified in the kernel.

I can't remember properly whether or not I did but I guess I did.
If you have used genkernel, i think you have to reconfigure and recompile the kernel again.
AFAIK there is no other file apart from /etc/resolv.conf that you have to edit to specify dns.[/quote]
I haven't used genkernel thankfully. If I get it to work by sunday good, or else I will download the latest version of gentoo and give another try, this time learning from the mistakes. Or on second thoughts give FreeBSD another try cos my headache in FreeBSD also starts at configuring the X server.

[mehulved]

I got to configuring Xorg but it still is asking for xterm which I tried emerge but it doesn't seem to be available with any mirrors.

[Satissh S]

xterm?? :roll:
Ok try emerging aterm, another good looking terminal emulator
# emerge aterm

[mehulved]

Xorg asked for xterm but as you suggested I got aterm and edited /etc/x11/xinit/xinitrc to use aterm as it was giving me errors. Now, when I give startx my monitor suspends for a few seconds then I get error message "can't open pseudo-tty".I guess I will download the latest version of Gentoo today itself instead of waiting as I am unable to find many files which depend on each other.
Thanks a lot for your help.

[Satissh S]

It's just a 59 Mb D/L. Good Luck this time.
BTW Fluxbox Rocks!!

[mehulved]

Yeah it will be done by the time I get up 1.5 hrs later. Let me see how fluxbox is. I have only used enlightenment and it was gr8. I will use it again too.

[praka123]

I too installed Gentoo last week,though an older version.i have Gentoo 2004.3 Universal Cd and the packages CD [no need for downloading].its really a gr8 experiance installing (i did a stage3 install)and using it.i am yet to install a DE for it;but text mode too is gr8 8).though i use debian sarge 3.1 as basic system,i jus added the root and kernel paths to my sarge's menu.lst.I have one doubt,i compiled using "develepoment-sources" (2.6kernel) and it was successfull.but how do i make initrd image for the kernel..using mkinitrd? and whats the exact syntax..Thanks all of You

[Satissh S]

AFAIK Actually, If you compile the kernel by genkernel, only then an initrd image wud be created, If manual configuration, then no initrd image.

[mehulved]

I have installed gentoo 2005.1 now, I got X server started but the mouse still doesn't seem to move. I have an IBM USB mouse. Also, while installing KDE I get into a problem at this point

Compiling source in /var/temp/portage/libidn-0.5.20/work/libidn-0.5.20...
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/bin/java-config", line 14, in ?
from java_config import jc_options
ImportError : No module named java_config
!!! ERROR:net-dns/libidn-0.5.20 failed
!!! Function src_compile, Line 25, Exitcode 0
!!! You need to use java-config to set your JVM to JDK!

I am clueless here.
BTW is there anyway I can copy paste the error messages displayed on the screen from one terminal to other?

I edited /etc/rc.conf and made enlightenment as my default X session. Then I gave startx command. I could see a horrible screen that was only in the bottom half of my screen, the top half was fully black also the resolution seemed to be pretty low. I have configured the monitor proerly as per its manual. ANy idea what is the problem. Once this is done I can atleast get into GUI mode atlast.

[Satissh S]

Set mouse device in /etc/X11/xorg.conf to "/dev/usb", Shud work.
Have you specified horizsync and vertrefressh settings correctly?? :roll: :clueless:
To copypaste;- Select the text, and do a [shift] + [ins] to paste it.
BTW, I didn't install kde.There are kde desktop docs that can help you. Here

[mehulved]

I got the mouse working, I was selecting the wrong type. I used ImPS/2 mouse and it started working.
I entered horizontal and vertical sync manually as per my monitor's manual.
The problem with copy-pasting is how do I select it, so I can copy it?
I will do some more googling on KDE error since I am running knoppix right now.