XFree 4.2.1 yeah!!.. damn, no more X!!

[Vdubjunkie]

I have gone without a real X on my workstation for some time now..

how do I know this? I can't even be certain why I originally decided I needed to upgrade XFree.

Anyway, I did upgrade XFree, and used xf86config/xf86cfg, and the other one with the -config switch.. Each time the XF86Config-4 file seemed to turn out the same, which looks ok to me. I have dug around in there before as I attempted to set up dual monitor and am always just very curious.

when I run

startx

I get to icewm I think. Puts up 3 ugly green terminals.. I guess that is a gui, but... well, I'd like something a bit more familiar like WindowMaker or kde and watch my vids, learn to encode in nix, etc..

So, I used my pre-existing .desktop file in ~ with both desktop=kde and desktop=WindowMaker, but always to icewm.

Next I decided to run

startkde

which pops up several errors..

Please forgive me as I have very little time at home (at the terminal that is!) and could only transfer a couple of what I believe to be the most important looking errors to pass along such that they could be accessed from work (where I am now).

Heck, if I get the fix from my first posting I'll sh*t a brick anyway.

..anyway, my errors are as follows:

• $Display is not set

cannot connect to x server

I also installed all new kde packages, and I believe all of what's important installed ok, but..

if somebody could please HELP!!!!

[Ixthusdan]

It is a configuration problem with your monitor in /etc/X11/XF86Config-4. I would like to see all of the errors that are reported. Also, I would like to see the above mentioned file and could you tell me what your monitor/vid card are?

 

It would be helpful.

 

Having played alot with kde, I can tell you that it is easy to miss some key files, unless you installed with urpmi.

[Guest ndeb]

Vdubjunkie,

Are u using mandrake-9.0 ? If yes, u already have XFree 4.2.1.

What version did u upgrade to ? Also, what video card do u have ?

[Vdubjunkie]

I knew I wouldn't have everything the first go round.. plus I did leave out some detail..

yes I am running 9.0, and knew that I already had 4.2.1, but in my ignorance of these types of issues, my system(s) seem to misreport an awful lot, and when I go to install something else, it tells me I need to install this or that even though it's already there.

I do have a seperate posting questioning that whole issue, but..

anyway, that is done, and I'm trying to move forward from it. XFree got installed a second time.. Anyway, I have an onboard ATI 128 chip. I yanked my AGP card prior to installation of 9.0. The following is my XF86Config-4 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)

    AllowMouseOpenFail # allows the server to start up even if the mouse doesn't work

    #DontZoom # disable <Crtl><Alt><KP_+>/<KP_-> (resolution switching)

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" "us"

    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 "1600x1200 @ 70 Hz"

    HorizSync 31.5-88.0

    VertRefresh 50-90

 

    # 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 "ATI"

    BoardName "ATI Mach64 Utah"

    Driver "ati"

    Option "DPMS"

EndSection

 

Section "Screen"

    Identifier "screen1"

    Device "device1"

    Monitor "monitor1"

    DefaultColorDepth 24

 

    Subsection "Display"

        Depth 8

        Modes "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"

    EndSubsection

 

    Subsection "Display"

        Depth 15

        Modes "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"

    EndSubsection

 

    Subsection "Display"

        Depth 16

        Modes "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"

    EndSubsection

 

    Subsection "Display"

        Depth 24

        Modes "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"

    EndSubsection

EndSection

 

Section "ServerLayout"

    Identifier "layout1"

    InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"

    InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"

    Screen "screen1"

EndSection

I ripped out the initial comments about being created by XFcfg, etc. for sake of brevity..

Until I get back to the machine, I won't be able to post the rest of the errors, but perhaps this will spark some more thoughts until then..

[aru]

It is a configuration problem with your monitor in /etc/X11/XF86Config-4.

why? I'm not an expert of KDE, but he said that he can start X with 3 odd terminals, that means that X works. So it is not a problem with the server.

when I run

startx

 

I get to icewm I think. Puts up 3 ugly green terminals.. I guess that is a gui, but... well, I'd like something a bit more familiar like WindowMaker or kde and watch my vids, learn to encode in nix, etc..

So, I used my pre-existing .desktop file in ~ with both desktop=kde and desktop=WindowMaker, but always to icewm.

Nope, if you run startx the file to look at is ".xinitrc"; edit it or create a new one. This one will launch widowmaker:

#.xinitrc

exec /usr/X11R6/bin/wmaker

 

Next I decided to run

startkde

 

which pops up several errors..

Please forgive me as I have very little time at home (at the terminal that is!) and could only transfer a couple of what I believe to be the most important looking errors to pass along such that they could be accessed from work (where I am now).

...

 

Obviously the problem is with KDE probably due a messing with installed packages or maybe with some configuration files, but not a problem with the X server.

[Ixthusdan]

aru

 

You are right, as I somehow missed the part about some wm actually launching. I also think that, if a wm is launching, the x server is fine, and something is missing from kde. That said, I would recommend:

 

Boot up in text mode, not into x, and type:

su

password

urpme kde

This should remove all kde the urpmi can find.

 

When that is done, type:

urpmi kde

This will install kde, with all the correct depends.

 

Urpmi should ask for the installation cd's, I think 1 & 2, depending on what you did or did not install the first time around. Uninstalling kde will assure that urpmi will tell you to load all of the appropriate files.

[Vdubjunkie]

Nope, if you run startx the file to look at is ".xinitrc"; edit it or create a new one. This one will launch widowmaker:

#.xinitrc

exec /usr/X11R6/bin/wmaker

 

Ok, ALL of your help has been very good. However, ultimately it was this piece that got me rolling again. aru.. you seem to be my beacon of light in linux such far. I had spent quite a bit of time (with my limited knowledge) reading through scripts following the files they looked at...

My /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc file for one was not even executable, and for another was very different looking than the one on my server. The fix was the following:

scp xinitrc root@Medusa:/etc/X11/xinit

phew!! that was cool. So, now the next dillema..

With a working X, do I still plunge into a new distro!! :?

 

Ixthusdan: I don't want you to feel overshadowed. I am not yet terribly rpm savvy, and that urpme came in handy. I just ripped out kde altogether. Maybe I'll try installing again another time.

:P

[Ixthusdan]

Who knows what evil lies in the hearts of men?

.........The (over)Shadow(ed) Knows

 

:lol:

[Vdubjunkie]

oh yeah.. one last thing. In my haste and excitement I left a command out there with no explanation as to what it really did..

 

 

scp xinitrc root@Medusa:/etc/X11/xinit

phew!!  that was cool.  So, now the next dillema..

 

basically my xinitrc file on the "afflicted" machine wasn't "doing the job" so I used scp (a great utility) to copy the xinitrc file from my other linux box to the afflicted machine.

 

If I could have found it I would have quoted it directly, but I read someone recently mentioning how it is good to have one machine you don't alter, and one to "play" with. How true that is. Definitely a good secondary to good backups and even knowing what to backup :P

 

However, I can say that when everything above the level of the ~/.desktop file is in place, the .desktop file does a very good job of switching window managers. I used to alter that file directly quite regularly to switch between kde and WindowMaker.

 

Now that I have my gui back, my task lists has grown significantly!!

[AA]

Instead of using "startx", install "Xtart".

 

Basically it is a simple menu system that allows you to choose which WM you want to use by simply entering a number. Allows you to start all of your WM's without any hassles.