X doesn't start!!!!

[moly82]

Hi all! I'm an Italian Linux newbie user, I started using Linux with Mandrake 9.0 about 2 months ago and I had no problems!! But now, I wanted to try Mandrake 9.1 and I installed it, but I had some problems with the X boot, so I also tried installing Debian yesterday: the result is that now I have the same problem with the 2 distros: X doesn't start!!! I'm speaking about KDE (I don't know the version, but for example with Debian I think I have downlaoded the last one...).

I've got a Sapphire 8500LE video card, and a LG795FT+ monitor, how's it possible I have got these problems??

None of you has got a video card and a monitor like me, and was able to start X? I think my problems are due to the monitor settings (it isn't present in the list of the distributors, I had to choose a generic one) like refresh settings and resolution.... please help me!!! Can you tell me your configurations settings?

bye everybody and thanx in advance!

[christos]

Have you checked /var/log/syslog or messages to see what is going on?

Have you tried using the generic VESA driver and seeing if that gives you a picture?
You might need to put the refresh rates in manually, refresh rates might be on the back of the monitor but they should be in the manual for it.

Do you get an X login window?? or are you starting X manually from the command line?

What happens if you try to startx Gnome instead?

the monitor might not be supported but that is not a major problem as the settings can be put in manually, but what about the graphics card? Is that fully supported?

Maybe you should put your X configuration up here.

see if any of these help.

Chris

[crow2icedearth2]

christos:

there is no slackware 8.2 ? your comment at the end ? went from 8.1 to 9.0 explain 8.2 its not the
first time i have seen that....lol

[moly82]

Originally posted by christos
Have you checked /var/log/syslog or messages to see what is going on?

Have you tried using the generic VESA driver and seeing if that gives you a picture?
You might need to put the refresh rates in manually, refresh rates might be on the back of the monitor but they should be in the manual for it.

Do you get an X login window?? or are you starting X manually from the command line?

What happens if you try to startx Gnome instead?

the monitor might not be supported but that is not a major problem as the settings can be put in manually, but what about the graphics card? Is that fully supported?

Maybe you should put your X configuration up here.

see if any of these help.

Chris

hello christos and thanx for your help!

I can tell you that I've already tried vesa drivers, and I can't see the log-in windows, just the command line appears in front of me!

I've already tried a lot of screen resolutions and refresh ranges... If you have some suggestions I'll appreciate them a lot! :) Thank you bye!

[asklepios]

well that seems to be my problem too.
no KDE in MDK 9.1
no idea wat is happening.
i came in to post my problem and rather i m seeing someone have exactly the same problem as mine.
--------------
i installed MDK 9.1 for the first time and the installation completed succesfully but when the time came to login (after reboot) the screen just flashed for 4 times, trying to show me the login screen and then it turned to CLI i.e. i cdn't start any GUI.

then in my next install i selected my default desktop as GNOME and also added a user to login with auto-default feature. this time the install went perfectly fine once again but everything related to KDE cdn't be started, like koffice, konsole etc. whenever i clicked on anything starting with "k" nothing happened. i tried to login to KDE (from the main login screen) but i could just see a red screen trying to log me in to KDE but was never successful. everytime i had to manually restart the PC to get it working again.

i installed again and this time i made KDE as default desktop and also turned the autologin feature "on" but i experienced the same problem. firstly the screen went red, flashed for four times and then i was returned to CLI. when i typed "startx" or "startkde" from CLI it showed me errors like "XLIB could not be started" and things like that (i don't remember the exact errors).

i have a new install now with no KDE in it. i didn't install it from the package selection. GNOME works perfectly fine with out any errors. i tried to see from Xfdrake that whether the drivers for my graphics cards are there or not and i found that it recognised the card perfectly fine.
---------------------------

my monitor is not listed either and i have chosen it to be as default (or generic in other words) too but i have been unable to solve this problem till now.

any help guys? :(

[moly82]

Originally posted by asklepios
well that seems to be my problem too.
no KDE in MDK 9.1
no idea wat is happening.
i came in to post my problem and rather i m seeing someone have exactly the same problem as mine.
--------------
i installed MDK 9.1 for the first time and the installation completed succesfully but when the time came to login (after reboot) the screen just flashed for 4 times, trying to show me the login screen and then it turned to CLI i.e. i cdn't start any GUI.

then in my next install i selected my default desktop as GNOME and also added a user to login with auto-default feature. this time the install went perfectly fine once again but everything related to KDE cdn't be started, like koffice, konsole etc. whenever i clicked on anything starting with "k" nothing happened. i tried to login to KDE (from the main login screen) but i could just see a red screen trying to log me in to KDE but was never successful. everytime i had to manually restart the PC to get it working again.

i installed again and this time i made KDE as default desktop and also turned the autologin feature "on" but i experienced the same problem. firstly the screen went red, flashed for four times and then i was returned to CLI. when i typed "startx" or "startkde" from CLI it showed me errors like "XLIB could not be started" and things like that (i don't remember the exact errors).

i have a new install now with no KDE in it. i didn't install it from the package selection. GNOME works perfectly fine with out any errors. i tried to see from Xfdrake that whether the drivers for my graphics cards are there or not and i found that it recognised the card perfectly fine.
---------------------------

my monitor is not listed either and i have chosen it to be as default (or generic in other words) too but i have been unable to solve this problem till now.

any help guys? :(


yes it's exactly like my problem! :( It seems that the problem is due to the monitor, but I tried a lot of configuration but nothing happen! :(
Like I wrote before I also tried installing DEbian... the problem is the same!!! :(

some suggestions?

byeeeee :)

[asklepios]

well seems to me that it is a known bug.
i just got a reply on another forums and i feel as though we are stuck without KDE...grrrrrrrr....
it offers a resolution but i m not able to make any head or tail out of all that. only thing i was able to understand was that it is a known bug.
please guys can someone point both of us to a direction that what can we do :(
here is what the reply looked like

------------------------
Known bug, with a fix that will upset everyone not affected by the bug. It seems about 1% of users are affected, by the number of reports I have seen.

http://qa.mandrakesoft.com/show_bug.cgi?id=3081

So, you have two options
1)Use XFree86 4.3 (run Mandrake Control Center, select expert mode, and use the Hardware->XFdrake tool).
2)Use the libqt3 RPMs mentioned in the bug report. Fonts will look worse, but no worse than they would have under XFree86-3.3.x
--------------------------

any ideas?

[christos]

As far as SlackWare 8.2 goes - i was feeling hopeful???? LOL

Anyway, enough of my silliness.

Right, basics. Do you all know the horizontal and vertical refresh rates for your respective monitors? You might find the info on the back of the monitor but more likely in a manual or on the website for it. Generic monitor displays i have found are useless. Much better doing a custom monitor and putting in the exact ranges.

As far as missing KDE libs go - manually search and if they are there, there was a problem with the install process. I used to get this with Mandrake 8 and it would not go into x setup during install and would subsequently kill the whole install (it'd be useless.) If found installing again BUT NOT SETTING UP X during the install sorted it (i'd have to do it after with XFdrake or DrakeXF or whatever the hell it is called these days.

Another thing to try would be one of the lighter weight distro's like SlackWare or Vector. See if the same error occurs. If it does then it could be a problem with your hardware.

If you all put you monitor make and model, graphics card make, model and type (pci or agp) and your current XFree86Config files up i'll have a look, see if there is anything obviously wrong.

I had soo much messing around to get my machine running properly in X with sound it must've taken me weeks to sort it. right pain in the butt.

Chris

[AussieJohn]

First a question to all of you. Did you go into the BIOS and disable Plug and Play. This is essential so that Linux can detect your hardware ( especially your monitor). When doing your install don't play around trying to set up the monitor technicalities. let Linux do it for you. After you complete the install then you can go into Control Center to change details (although this shouldn't be necessary) if you feel the need to.

During the install procedure, if it asks "Would you like X to start for you" or some such words then click yes. I've installed all the Mandrakes 8 and onwards and now 9.1. I currently have Win2000 Pro and Mandrake 9.1 as an upgrade on 9.0 and also Mandrake 9.1 as a clean install. Yes, 3 OSs. AND I HAVE NEVER HAD AN INSTALL PROBLEM.
My Monitor is a 21" Mitsubishi Diamond View and is detected as a generic monitor and I have always left it at that. The only thing I select is screen size (1600 x 1200).

Sometimes you can try to be too technical in doing an install. Your OS tries to keep things simple. So should you.

Cheers