installation and configuration problems

[joe]

Sorry to put multiple items in this message, but I'm running into a bunch of
problems trying to add a new Mandriva 2006 installation to my work station on
which I now have Mepis and Xandros (neither of which is entirely satisfactory). 

So I'm hoping you good folks can provide some answers and some guidance.  I
got it install in a dual boot with XP on a laptop at the last install fest,
but it is working very differently on my console work station. 

I've tried several times to RE-format the target partitions and RE-install
again, and it seems I run into new issues (obstacles) with each new attempt. 
For example (in no particular order): 

#1. It says entering "vgahi" at boot will give ahigh resolution graphical
installer, but that does not work.  Instead, I just get an old low-res version
in which one has to use a combination of <tabs>, <up>/<down> arrows, and the
<space-bar> to try to negotiate through everything.  And, there is often no
way to go back to a previous step when it jumps ahead to a new step when I
didn't want it to do so.  Anybody know how to get to the graphical installer? 

#2. When going through the endless list of questions, there are frequently
items for which the options are not at all or very poorly described, and there
is no "help" option and no explanation.  So, how is one supposed to know what
to choose? (some examples follow below). 

#3. How can I determine what video card I have and what driver to choose from
the endless list?  When I boot up the info on the screen flashes by so fast it
is impossible to read.  After retrying several times, I finally determined
that it is saying S3 - 86375 ViRGE/DX which I assume is the video card, but
when I enter that during the install, it asks how much memory the video card
has and I don't know.  How can I determine that? 

#4. On my other distros, I have a clean display, but the Xandros image is too
small (I guess it is 1280x...) and the Mepis image is too big (I think it is
1024x...) I find 1152x864 seems to be a good size for my 20" flat panel, but
that is not an option on either Mepis or Xandros. On some Mandriva install
attempts, I've had a fairly clean display, but on the latest, it has some
"noise" in the image. I've tried re-running drakx11 from the command line
several times, but cannot seem to get the right settings. 

#5. How to get the hardware clock to display the right time? There is an
install option displays two options to check or not check: 
-- Hardware clock set to GMT 
-- Automatic time synchronization (using NTP) 
What do these mean and which should I choose, if either? 

#6. I installed everything from 3 cds for a desktop installation, but 
after installation, there is no 'kppp' so I can't connect to the 'net 
and it can't find my printer which is connected and turned on and works 
with the installed Mepis and Xandros distros. 

#7. I have been able to boot to the Mandriva partition, but the display is all
garbaged up with icons that don't work and when I right click on the desktop
it adds multiple additional banks of icons that don't do anything. 

Amazing. 

There are lots more issues, but I'll stop here for the moment. 

Help ... 

joe at actionline.com