new to ubuntu - problems with Dell precision m65 laptop

[Dan Meiron]

I'm new to ubuntu and would like to learn more about it. I've used Suse 
and mandrake.

I have 2 questions:

1. I installed edgy and it seemed to go fine but upon starting the 
system the progress bar simply stops - sometimes another screen comes up 
showing it finished fsck but that is all. Strangely - when I type 
ctrl-alt-delete I get messages about rc5 and rc 6 and then the system 
comes up and seems OK (including the wireless). I have seen messages 
that this laptop has some issues particularly with its wireless card - 
an Intel Pro wireless 3945abg card but I don't know if this is the issue 
I am having. So this brings me to my next question:

2. How do I enable a detailed summary of boot messages and init 
messages? On other Linus systems this seems to be shown to you but not 
by default on Ubuntu.

Any help in this regard would be much appreciated

thanks, Dan Meiron