competely stuck

[gumby]

Oh I'm really stuck this time. I have been using VL light on a AMD duron 750 MHz with 128 RAM and it has been OK.
Lately it has failed to load a few times so I tried reinstalling.  I thought I might give SOHO a try and the 5.9 worked but had no network connection (I probably disabled it by mistake) Anyway I thought if that works then maybe Gold would run.
installed but won't open - hangs at the starting multiuser GUI stage every time.
I tried to run a reinstall of VL light but the computer won't recognise the CDrom and goes straight to HD and hangs at the same point.  I don't have a rescue disc. is there a way to just get basic commands eg on a floppy to run the CDRom?
Or is there another way to rescue the old machine?
Thanks

[stretchedthin]

It sounds like the CDrom for both your install of Soho 5.9 and your attempted install of Vl Gold (version ??) was working just fine.  It shouldn't be any different for the re-install of vl-light from cd.  You can select the cd-rom device as the primary boot device in your bios and try again, but it sounds like it already is, if you where able to get the two other cd's to boot.

ps...
If you were using the Graphical installer with VL-6.0 Gold you could try typing 'linux' (without the quotes)and press ENTER at the first prompt the install disk gives you when it starts and install via the traditional text installer option.

[sledgehammer]

Gumby,

I would reinstall Vector 6.0 standard (probably same as Gold)  Then open it in TUI mode, go to /etc/X11 and type mc.  Once midnight commander loads, scroll to xorg.conf, open it, and set default depth to a lower level....probably 16 instead of 24. You may have to be root.  Then reboot and come in as a regular user. I suspect that will start your display.  If that doesn't work, try the vesa driver. 

Post the result, OK? 

And I agree with stretchedthin about the linux loader.

[gumby]

thanks. I already tried looking at the bios and it says boot from CDrom first. So I tried to run puppy and DSL just to see if a live disc would run.
It thinks for a while then goes straight to boot from HD and hangs, so I tried putting boot from cd at 1 2 and 3. I tried another disc also.
nada.   

[nightflier]

Sounds like your cdrom is getting flaky, it won't read the boot part of the disc.

Since the install did complete, you may be able to rescue what's there. At the boot prompt, highlight the VL menu entry with the up/down keyboard arrows. Press Tab so you get an editable line. Add "2 vga=normal" and press enter to boot. Let us know if that gets you to the command line login.

[stretchedthin]

Sounds like your cdrom is getting flaky, it won't read the boot part of the disc.

Since the install did complete, you may be able to rescue what's there. At the boot prompt, highlight the VL menu entry with the up/down keyboard arrows. Press Tab so you get an editable line. Add "2 vga=normal" and press enter to boot. Let us know if that gets you to the command line login.

Nightflier's suggestion seems like the 1st choice of action here.  Alternatively, I think you cdrom could be a long term problem.  I imagine this is a desktop. Can you get you hands on an alternative (should be able to pick up a used one for $5.00-$10.00 bucks, even less.) cdrom drive and switch it out. Then try your boot disks again? If no problem then I think it's safe to assume the old cdrom is ready for retirement.