At first the "boot" comes on with the beautiful BackTack 5 display. Then it runs a bunch of stuff ending with "bt Login" rootroot and pasward toor take me to "root@bt" with instrcktions to type "startx". That results in a bunch of stuff ending in two "no shuch" coments and I amm sitll in "root@bt". OK how do I really get BackTrack 5 to boot with the pretty display and the abillity to run the oS?

Wow, you really should check your spell-checker, it seems to not work correctly.
It would really help if you give us some more information:
What graphics hardware are you using?
Which error messages do you get? And no, a bunch of stuff ending in two "no shuch" coments is not sufficient info.

First I am seventy six years old and recovering from a sevier stroke!!!

root@bt :# startx

X.org X server 1.7.6
release date 20:03:17x protocol Version 11. reversion 0
built operating system: Linuc 2.6.24-27-server i686 Ubuntu
curent operating system: Linux bt 2.6.38 :1 SMP Thu Mor 20:52:18 EDT 2011i686

There is the first five lines of thirtymore to follow

I don't want to offend you but I don't see how old age or a medicinal incident prevents you from using a spell-checking software. It is essential that we get the exact commands you typed and the exact error-messages. Typos in that can make it impossible to help you.
Looking forward to your next post.

The main use of the backtrack OS is
system CRACKING and security penetrating
things like breaking into the cia like luz did

Running a OS designed for (legal and illegal) breaking into computer networks , normally tends to be used by computer users that DO know how to do all this stuff

So i would NOT recommend a VERY new to linux user using backtrack .

You might be better off installing Ubuntu .

kernal command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/bootvmlinuz-2.6.38 root=UUID=3f629ffe-4586-4891-a362-b4c859038e46 ro text splash namodeset vga=791
Build date: 08 March 2011 08:22:50AM
xorg-server 2:1.7.62ubuntu7.6 (for technical support please see http://www.ubuntu.com/support}
current version of pixman: 0.16.4
before reporting problems, check htt[://wiki.x.org
to make sure that you have the the lates version

As a retired computer hardwar designer I am "playing" with Linux as a hobby. I just started. I have installed twenty one OSs so far. I am doing this to have something to do and to try to overcome the stroke. I would really like to get BackTrack to boot, please!

then a few things
most ( read almost all ) OS's do not let root start the gui
-- bt is a bit different -- it ASSUMES you ARE a hacker --
so you DID fallow
http://www.backtrack-linux.org/tutor...drive-install/


have you read the backtrack webpage ?
http://www.backtrack-linux.org/tutorials/
or the wiki
http://www.backtrack-linux.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page


but i would NOT recommend this distro for a "new to Linux" user

do a LOT of reading and studying on the backtrack website
is this really what you WANT to do
http://www.offensive-security.com/on...rity-training/

penetration testing and system cracking



also your hardware specs would help
for instance if this is a OLD computer from 2000 then a gui might never work if you have only 256meg of ram .




--------- most distros ------------
fedora,ubuntu,suse,... the root gui HAS BEEN DISABLED .

so there will be a error if you try to login to the gui as root .

also most os's do not use "sartx" anymore
GDM for Gnome
KDM for KDE4

XDM for others


what desktop did you install ? gnmoe ,kde,xfce,... ?

http://www.backtrack-linux.org/wiki/...hp/Basic_Usage
then startx

Great link a lot of the commands listed are very useful & much easier than trying to decipher man pages.
Although I think that I need to spend a little more reading the man pages.
Sometimes it can be a little hard staying focused on 1 aspect of linux when there is so much to learn.