I could boot up to the screen saying 'Scientific Linux 6' and then get a shell (by CTRL-ALT-F2) and log in. Thus I got to runlevel 3 with no network connection. My problem was how to then get to a state where I could run yum with remote repos. I have solved my problem by downloading the relevant rpm files to my Windows partition and running rpm with suitable arguments, so I am now back to a fully functioning SL with Gnome etc. But it would still have been nice to have instructions that worked 'out of the box'. Malcolm ----- Original Message ----- From: "zxq9" <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] Sent: Monday, 16 July, 2012 10:50:39 PM Subject: Re: X11 server won't start after yum upgrade On 07/17/2012 05:38 AM, Malcolm MacCallum wrote: > The advice about yum downgrade or yum upgrade only works if you already can recall > how to get reconnected to your router when the X window tools for that are not > available. So can somebody post a set of instructions that really work from the > state with no X windows and no network connection, please? (I can still read email > by booting into Windows.....) Can you explain your situation a little further? Are you connecting to your system remotely? Or are you able to boot to runlevel 3 just fine, but you have no network connection? Is SL in a VM that you can't reach?