Can't get into X...Video card problem??

[PopcornBuzzard]

I just installed Red Hat 7.3 on my 300 MHz machine with 128 MB RAM. WinNT is already on the machine and I eventually want to set it up to dual boot.

Here's what happened: right after the install, I was able to go right into Gnome and play around for a while (it looked awesome!) but after leaving X & turning off machine, I can't get back into X when I re-start. I managed to find my way to this file: /var/log/XFree86.0.log and within this file was:

Warning: Open APM failed (/dev/apm_bios) (No such device)

Warning: MGA(0): Unable to probe memory amount due to hardware bug. Assuming 4096 kb.

Note: I have an 8 MB Matrox Millenium II card which is supposed to be supported by Linux...Windows has no problem with this card.

Error: MGA(0): Static buffer allocation failed, not initializing the DRI.

Error: MGA(0): Need at least 9216 kb video memory at this resolution, bit depth.

Note: I set my resolution at 1024 X 768.

Later on, this note is in the file: Could not init font path element unix/:7100, removing from list!

Fatal Server error: could not open default font 'fixed'

I'm really excited about trying Red Hat, but I'd really love to get back into Gnome again! During the Red Hat 7.3 install, I let the installer handle pretty much everything for me, and I don't recall seeing/getting any errors at that point. I know there's an application called /etc/X11/XF86Config. I thought the Red Hat installer would have already run this, but do I need to re-run it and give it some additional info??

One more strange thing...might also be related to video card: Whenever I try to boot Linux with my boot floppy I made during install, the monitor (outside of X) just clicks on and off, every several seconds. So I've only gotten into Linux so far with the rescue mode of the CD (haven't configured ntldr to dual boot yet).

Does anyone have any ideas?? Thanks so much! Whew!

[ntt.]

Well the fatal error seems to be that it can't find a crtitical font because it doesn't like the unix socket entry - this is a path telling to make a network style connection to a font server (on the local machine). Recently, however, XFree has built in support for fonts so you don't need font servers.

XF86Config is text config file, not a configuration app, so try finding your font files (mine are in /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts) and adding that directory (all the subdirectories) to the XF86Config file you mentioned (make a backup first!!). Mine looks like this:

Section "Files"
RgbPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/rgb"
ModulePath "/usr/X11R6/lib/modules"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/CID/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/truetype/"
EndSection

You can see all those font path entries - the top two are irrelevant. Also, still in the same file, there should be this section:

Section "Module"
Load "freetype"
Load "speedo"
Load "type1"
EndSection

It loads modules into XFree86 - I only included the ones needed for fonts so just make sure those are there.

Also, there was another warning about apm - you could try loading the 'apm' module with the command: modprobe apm

I don't have a redhat install to play with right now, so I don't know how redhat sets up fonts by default - the necessary modules for the method I've suggested may not even be there, but it's worth a shot.

[PopcornBuzzard]

OK, thanks a lot! I'm going to try out what you suggested when I get home.

[fancypiper]

Linux Hardware Compatibility HOWTO (http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Hardware-HOWTO/)
The Linux XFree86 HOWTO (http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/XFree86-HOWTO/)
Common x configuring tools:
Redhat - setup utility leads to several config tools
Debian - dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86
You may have these tools:
XF86Setup
XFree86 -configure
Xconfigurator
xf86cfg
xf86config
xconf

[PopcornBuzzard]

Ok, I've done the following:

I went to my XF86Config file and noticed that there were no FontPath lines, nor was there a Section "Module". So, I went to /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts and the subdirectories here are:

100dpi
75dpi
CID
Speedo
Type1
encodings
local
misc
util

(Are these all the fonts that are supposed to come with Red Hat 7.3??)

I added a FontPath line for each of these subdirectories, and I added this:

Section "Module"
Load "freetype":
Load "speedo"
Load "type1"
EndSection

I then tried to go into X by running this:
./X
because, I forgot to mention above that when I type ./startx, I get error message saying:
./startx: xauth: command not found (repeated several times)

The permissions on startx look ok, though...(??)

After running ./X, I get the same error messages I posted above in the XFree86.o.log file.

Question: Should I be worrying about configuring the file: XF86Config-4 (think that's what it is, at least) as WELL as XF86Config?

Also, let me say this. I somehow managed to miscalculate the hard disk space on the / partition during the install. I had ~3.7 GB on /, and I thought the install program said I installing only 2.0 GB worth of apps on /, but after install, it appears / is full! :eek: So, I wonder if RedHat didn't configure XF86Config right because it simply ran out of space?!

Ok, I'm feeling kind of silly right now...probably I've goofed, haven't I? :o

fancypiper, thanks for the links, I read over those and I might just try to run XConfigurator and see what happens.

Please keep bringing the ideas and thanks a ton! :D

[PopcornBuzzard]

Well, I ran XConfigurator, but still get the same errors (from my first post) when I try to get into X.

I ran ./X to try to get into X, and NOT startx. When I run startx, I get this error:

./startx: xauth: command not found

Anyone know why this is and whether it's ok to use ./X to get into X, instead??

XConfigurator seemed to have no problem...it correctly probed both my monitor AND video card (Matrox Millenium II). After XConfigurator finished, it went into X to test the display (using Gnome) and so suddenly, there was X again!! Yay! A test box was on the screen asking if I could view the display properly at a resolution of 1152x864, so I answered yes. But then, after XConfigurator dumped me back into a terminal window, I couldn't start X (same errors) anymore.

Important note: I am doing this ALL from the Linux Install cd in RESCUE mode...Is it even possible to get into X from rescue mode?? Could this be my problem??

Could anyone here take a guess at why I can't get into X??

I can provide any other info about what I've done...just ask.

Thanks!

[fancypiper]

You can't run x from a rescue (chroot) environment as far as I know.

[PopcornBuzzard]

Oh, wow, so that is it, then? Thanks fancypiper, I've actually got a problem dual booting...I'll throw up a new post for that. Thanks!