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Unable to go into graphics mode after update


RVDowning
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Well, it looks like the update screwed me. I was helping a buddy last night and doing the update via ssh. Just got this message from him this morning.

 

"I rebooted and got a screen full of error msgs. Brings me to a system prompt from which I can do nothing. Seems like I'm screwed since I don't have a backup. What do I do now?"

 

Well, I guess it is reinstall time. I knew better than to try to do an update without a backup. (had problems trying to get mondo/mindi back to work.) I didn't have this problem when I installed 2006. There were no update problems, signature issues or otherwise, and mondo/mindi worked fine. I had to back off 2006 because I couldn't get my dual monitors to work, but at lease the backup and update worked.

 

I'm probably too much of a newbie myself to try to muddle through this.

 

Well, one of the many error messages is the following:

 

"Nvidia kernel module is version 1.0.8174. X Module is version 1.0.7616. Ensure that kernel and nvidia driver files have same driver version. Fatal server error. No screens found.

 

This was just after doing the first update after a fresh install.

 

[moved from Software by spinynorman]

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Hardware specs, please. Especially graphics. It seems as if you need to build the nvidia module into the kernel. Try to set up a simple vesa based or simple nvidia based gui (without 3D-rendering enabled) using XFdrake as root from the command line first. Maybe that brings you back to a usable gui, before downloading and compiling the rest.

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Reinstalling for a plain xorg failure isn't a particularly good idea. Xorg failures are rather easily curable, and not worth a whole system reinstallation.

One simple thing you can do: Login as root on the X-less environment, and then edit /etc/X11/xorg.conf and substituting "nvidia" with "nv" or "vesa" or even "fbdev". Then you can "startx" and take care of the nvidia issue. usually curable by removing old driver instances, and installing the fresh one.

I guess that thing happened because the dist-upgrade was performed with X running at vc7, which is a mistake.

You should install the nvidia driver with X running only if you use the dkms-nvidia thing, else you are much safer using telinit 3 first!

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Well, a response on another forum almost addressed the issue:

 

"There is no need to reinstall. It is quite easy to get the graphics working again.

 

The problem was caused by installing a new version of nvidia-kernel which is tied to the nvidia-glx. You probably got it from the club download site when you upgraded since that package is not on the update server. The moral is when doing an update use the --update switch or else stuff you do not want updated might get updated.

 

To get X working again all you have to do is install Midnight Commander if it is not already with

urpmi mc

 

Then 'mc' to start midnight commander. mc is a text based file manager. Use it to edit

/etc/X11/xorg.conf and find the line Driver "nvidia" in the "Devices" section and replace the word nvidia with nv

 

Then 'service dm restart' and X should come up.

 

You will be using the open source 'nv' driver instead of the nvidia driver, but then we can show you how to update the nvidia driver and get this box straight again."

 

After following these instructions by buddy sent the following email"

 

"I followed the steps you gave me and I was brought to a login screen that I have never seen. It has a list of names (users) on the left and two entry fields; 1. Login name 2. Password. I could not get past it. None of the login/pw combos worked."

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Okay, you got into a GUI.. or at least you got your login manager to start. Now, what you need to find out is if you can till log in as root. Usually the problem of being unable to login is due to some config files in your /home folder. Try to create a new user. If that works okay, you will be back in your old account in a hurry. Copy your /home files to an /home/username/old directory and try to log in. If everything works okay, go to the /old folder and move the things you still need into the basic /home/username folder (e.g. mail folders). Then feel free to delete the rest.

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I don't believe there is an option to login in as root on that screen.  It just shows existing users.

It should be- "root" does not show by default for GUI login, but it's still there (although hidden).

Else, when you are at CLI without X, login as root and then:

adduser blahblah

Set up the new users' details, and you're ready to go.

Normally settting all the files at the /home/RVDowning directory to user ownership should be enough, but creating a new user won't harm and will work 100%.

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Well, I added a user and password via ssh. When he boots into linux he sees that username. He selects kde from the dropdown menu on that login screen, keys in the username and password, hits enter, and it just loops back around to the login screen.

 

He was able to login as root on another consol, but there was not much for him to do there, since I had already added a user for him.

 

Reinstalling from scratch is beginning to seem the most reasonable option. In fact, I wonder if the home directories can be retained, because of the hidden directories/files related to the window manager.

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Something you can try. Press CTRL-ALT-F1, this will give you a console prompt. Login with a username/password. Then type:

 

su (supply root password when prompted)
init 3

 

this will stop X/GUI whichever you prefer to call it, and then you can login as regular user from console and then type:

 

startx

 

See if you get any further this way, if not, post any error messages. X errors usually begin with EE.

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Reinstalling from scratch is beginning to seem the most reasonable option.  In fact, I wonder if the home directories can be retained, because of the hidden directories/files related to the window manager.

If you really decicide for a reinstall, the /home folder can only be kept, IF you have placed it on a separate partition. If you have all files on one partition, all data will get lost. You can however try backup the data you have there with a Live-CD, copying files to a CD/DVD or USB sticks.
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Well, my friend followed these steps after booting and getting the login prompts that seem to be non functional:

 

1. Ctrl+Alt+F1

2. Login as userid/pwd

3. keyed "su" there was no prompt for pw

4. keyed "init 3"

5. Pressed "Enter" key

6. login userid/pwd

7. startx

 

Things seem to come up mostly ok. However, icons appear as black rectangles with the correct text underneath.

 

Now, how to get him back so that he just boots either into a login prompt that works, or to come straight into kde.

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Your succinct answers such as using "nano" may be good for those who know what you are talking about. I did a man on nano and there was no such item.

 

We will do a full reinstall, including his home directory. The only question at the moment is whether we'll bother with 2006 which has many known problems, or revert to LE2005 which seems to be much more stable.

 

Some of us would like to use the system, and not spend all of our time "fixing" it.

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