X only works from failsafe, not normal boot

[Kylotan]

I had some problems getting my geforce2 card to work under Mandrake 9.2, as seen in this topic. I've now managed to get the nvidia drivers installed, and can get into KDE, but only if I boot using the failsafe mode. From there, I can choose 'text + network' and then type startx, or 'graphic + network', and both ways it boots into X/KDE just fine. But if I choose 'Linux' instead of 'failsafe' at the bootloader menu, and type startx at the prompt, it says there are "no usable screens". The last few lines of the log look like this:

(II) Setting vga for screen 0.
(II) Loading sub module "vgahw"
(II) LoadModule: "vgahw"
(II) Loading /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/libvgahw.a
(II) Module vgahw: vendor="The XFree86 Project"
compiled for 4.3.0, module version = 0.1.0
ABI class: XFree86 Video Driver, version 0.6
(**) NVIDIA(0): Depth 24, (--) framebuffer bpp 32
(==) NVIDIA(0): RGB weight 888
(==) NVIDIA(0): Default visual is TrueColor
(==) NVIDIA(0): Using gamma correction (1.0, 1.0, 1.0)
(--) NVIDIA(0): Linear framebuffer at 0xC0000000
(--) NVIDIA(0): MMIO registers at 0xCE000000
(EE) NVIDIA(0): Failed to initialize the NVIDIA kernel module!
(EE) NVIDIA(0):  *** Aborting ***
(II) UnloadModule: "nvidia"
(II) UnloadModule: "vgahw"
(II) Unloading /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/libvgahw.a
(EE) Screen(s) found, but none have a usable configuration.

Fatal server error:
no screens found

 

Whereas for a successful run, it looks more like this:

(II) Setting vga for screen 0.
(II) Loading sub module "vgahw"
(II) LoadModule: "vgahw"
(II) Loading /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/libvgahw.a
(II) Module vgahw: vendor="The XFree86 Project"
compiled for 4.3.0, module version = 0.1.0
ABI class: XFree86 Video Driver, version 0.6
(**) NVIDIA(0): Depth 24, (--) framebuffer bpp 32
(==) NVIDIA(0): RGB weight 888
(==) NVIDIA(0): Default visual is TrueColor
(==) NVIDIA(0): Using gamma correction (1.0, 1.0, 1.0)
(--) NVIDIA(0): Linear framebuffer at 0xC0000000
(--) NVIDIA(0): MMIO registers at 0xCE000000
(II) NVIDIA(0): NVIDIA GPU detected as: GeForce2 MX 100/200
(--) NVIDIA(0): VideoBIOS: 03.11.01.30.00
(--) NVIDIA(0): VideoRAM: 32768 kBytes
(II) NVIDIA(0): Connected display device(s): CRT-0
(--) NVIDIA(0): Detected TV Encoder: Chrontel 7007
...etc etc...

 

My XF86Config-4 file is here:

# File generated by XFdrake.

# **********************************************************************
# Refer to the XF86Config man page for details about the format of
# this file.
# **********************************************************************

Section "Files"
   # Multiple FontPath entries are allowed (they are concatenated together)
   # By default, Mandrake 6.0 and later now use a font server independent of
   # the X server to render fonts.
   FontPath "unix/:-1"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
   #DontZap # disable <Crtl><Alt><BS> (server abort)
   #DontZoom # disable <Crtl><Alt><KP_+>/<KP_-> (resolution switching)
   AllowMouseOpenFail # allows the server to start up even if the mouse doesn't work
EndSection

Section "Module"
   Load "dbe" # Double-Buffering Extension
   Load "v4l" # Video for Linux
   Load "extmod"
   Load "type1"
   Load "freetype"
   Load "glx" # 3D layer
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
   Identifier "Keyboard1"
   Driver "Keyboard"
   Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
   Option "XkbLayout" "gb"
   Option "XkbOptions" ""
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
   Identifier "Mouse1"
   Driver "mouse"
   Option "Protocol" "IMPS/2"
   Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
   Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
   Identifier "monitor1"
   VendorName "Generic"
   ModelName "1024x768 @ 70 Hz"
   HorizSync 31.5-57.0
   VertRefresh 50-70
   
   # Sony Vaio C1(X,XS,VE,VN)?
   # 1024x480 @ 85.6 Hz, 48 kHz hsync
   ModeLine "1024x480"    65.00 1024 1032 1176 1344   480  488  494  563 -hsync -vsync
   
   # TV fullscreen mode or DVD fullscreen output.
   # 768x576 @ 79 Hz, 50 kHz hsync
   ModeLine "768x576"     50.00  768  832  846 1000   576  590  595  630
   
   # 768x576 @ 100 Hz, 61.6 kHz hsync
   ModeLine "768x576"     63.07  768  800  960 1024   576  578  590  616
EndSection

Section "Device"
   Identifier "device1"
   VendorName "nVidia Corporation"
   BoardName "NVIDIA GeForce2 DDR (generic)"
   Driver "nvidia"
   Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
   Identifier "screen1"
   Device "device1"
   Monitor "monitor1"
   DefaultColorDepth 24
   
   Subsection "Display"
       Depth 8
       Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
   EndSubsection
   
   Subsection "Display"
       Depth 15
       Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
   EndSubsection
   
   Subsection "Display"
       Depth 16
       Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
   EndSubsection
   
   Subsection "Display"
       Depth 24
       Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
   EndSubsection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
   Identifier "layout1"
   InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"
   InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
   Screen "screen1"
EndSection

 

Any help greatly appreciated. I'd like to be able to have it booting smoothly into KDE automatically.

[spiedra]

When you boot into normal mode as a normal user, from a terminal type:

 

/sbin/lsmod

 

Have a look to see if the nvidia module is getting loaded. If it doesn't load, then type:

 

modprobe nvidia

 

This command loads the driver.

Edited March 6, 2004 by spiedra

[aru]

I think spiedra is right about the nvidia kernel module not being loaded, and I guess that probably you have two different kernel images, one linked to the failsafe lilo tag which probably have support for the nvidia module, and a different kernel image tagged as Linux which don't have nvidia support. To see if I'm right I suggest you to look at /etc/lilo.conf. If I'm right you'll have to compile the nvidia drivers for that second kernel.

 

Note if you don't know what I'm talking about post your /etc/lilo.conf or post the results of "uname -r" after booting either on failsafe and in Linux

 

Ofcourse I might be totally wrong

 

HTH

[Kylotan]

The nvidia module isn't loaded when I boot into text mode whether I'm in failsafe or 'linux'. From looking at the log file, I thought the idea was that it was only loaded when X is starting up anyway? There's a 'loadmodule "nvidia" ' entry in there.

 

uname -r reports "2.4.22-10mdk" in both failsafe and linux boot modes.

 

/etc/lilo.conf:

boot="/dev/hda"
map=/boot/map
default="linux"
keytable=/boot/uk.klt
prompt
nowarn
timeout="100"
message=/boot/message
menu-scheme=wb:bw:wb:bw

image="/boot/vmlinuz"
label="linux"
root="/dev/hda1"
initrd="/boot/initrd.img"
append="quiet devfs=mount hdc=ide-scsi acpi=ht resume=/dev/hda5 splash=silent"
vga=788
read-only

image=/boot/vmlinuz
label="linux-nonfb"
root=/dev/hda1
initrd=/boot/initrd.img
append="quiet devfs=mount hdc=ide-scsi acpi=ht resume=/dev/hda5"
read-only

other=/dev/hdb1
label="windows"
table=/dev/hdb
map-drive=0x81
   to=0x80
map-drive=0x80
   to=0x81

other=/dev/fd0
label="floppy"
unsafe

image="/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.19-16mdk"
label="2419-16"
root="/dev/hda1"
initrd="/boot/initrd-2.4.19-16mdk.img"
append="quiet devfs=mount hdc=ide-scsi acpi=ht resume=/dev/hda5 splash=silent"
read-only

image=/boot/vmlinuz
label="failsafe"
root=/dev/hda1
initrd=/boot/initrd.img
append="quiet failsafe devfs=nomount hdc=ide-scsi acpi=ht resume=/dev/hda5"
read-only

[spiedra]

Well, when you boot into failsafe, the module shouldn't be loading anyhow, but booting into run level 3 should be loading the nvidia module so that it will work when you type startx. I am thinking as aru said looking at lilo that the nvidia driver hasn't been compiled for the new kernel. Guys, what do you reckon? Try booting into normal mode and reinstall the driver, but like Aru, I could be wrong.

Edited March 7, 2004 by spiedra

[Kylotan]

Ok, I reinstalled the driver from normal mode and it appears to be working fine so far. It said it uninstalled the 'existing' driver so it probably won't work in failsafe now! Oh well. :) Thanks all.

[spiedra]

As long as it works now. Ciao!