Unable to go into graphics mode after update

[ianw1974]

Chances are a lot of this is due to not configuring the graphics card correctly during installation. This isn't a major showstopper and is easy to reconfigure and set up. This is why you've been posting, and this is why we have been replying to help you.

 

This then saves the reinstall. However, if you feel more comfortable reinstalling than trying to solve what's currently causing you issues, then please feel free to reinstall.

 

If you do take this route, and choose LE2005 over 2006, no problem. A few things to bear in mind is this:

 

1. Always install LILO to MBR.

2. When you get the summary screen at the end of the install, make sure that ALL items are configured. In particular your graphics card.

 

Anything marked as not configured is going to cause you problems later on. Configuring the graphics card and choosing "TEST" will allow you to make sure the graphics is configured correctly before you reboot.

[arctic]

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.

Oh, sorry. Sometimes I forget that not everyone has the same knowlegde on Linux. Nano is an editor, like emacs or vi which will work without a working graphical user interface. As such it can be used from a command line in order to fix config-files. Usage: nano /folder/filename-to-open. Nano can be downloaded in a hurry with "urpmi nano" (some 100KB or so...) and is imho the easiest to use command line editor.

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.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A good question. If 2005 did everything you wanted it to do and don't really need the "latest and greatest", then stick to the proven 2005. If you had hardware issues in 2005 or lacked some things that are available e.g. only in newer software versions then go for 2006. An old saying says: Never change a running system unless you really need to.

 

You want a working system for work and don't want to spend your time fixing it. Good point. But then, why did you mess around with a working system? ;) I know... it's tempting to upgrade. :D

[RVDowning]

Well, actually I did stay on LE2005 because I couldn't get xinerama working with my Matrox G400 video card. But I was trying to convert my friend to Linux, and he had no prior Linux system, and was only using a single screen.

 

He did purchase a new nvidia video card after his original installation, and it was configured without any problem.

 

Problems only started with urpmi -- auto --auto-select. However, changing nvidia to nv in the Devices section of xorg.conf fixed the video issue.

 

But the remaining issue is his inability to boot into a working logon screen, or even better (from his perspective) to boot directly into kde.

 

In addition, when he does ctrl/alt F1 and goes through the process to log on and does a startx his icons appear as little black square.

 

We were hosed by the urpmi. In some fashion it damaged kde. and the logon process. I had never had any such issues with my LE2005 when doing the same urpmi statements.

[ianw1974]

Sometimes upgrading with urpmi --auto-select --auto doesn't always give a clean upgrade.

 

The best upgrades are done via the CD/DVD media, I've found some of my upgrades using urpmi to be OK, but not the greatest.

 

I however, prefer clean installations, they are much better than the upgrades, and much more stable too.

 

I have found that you have to do this after a urpmi --auto-select --auto:

 

updatedb
slocate rpmnew

 

replace all .conf files with the .conf.rpmnew files that appear in the list found by slocate.

[RVDowning]

I'll have to try this later after work.

 

You say that "The best upgrades are done via the CD/DVD media, I've found some of my upgrades using urpmi to be OK, but not the greatest."

 

However on your "My Mandriva Tips" page you say "If you've already downloaded updates for your system, the only ones you'll need are main, contrib, jpackage, plf-free and plf-nonfree. If you've not already downloaded updates, then I would advise doing this first, and then coming back to this."

 

So, it seems you do think that one should do the updates, unless I'm missing something here.

[arctic]

Usually, updates are recommended for a system as they include bugfixes most of the time. There is a risk however with nvidia imho, so one should take a bit of care before doing a wild update. But that's just my opinion.

 

Now to your problem: IF your problem is striclty related to the KDM login manager (Maybe a faulty package you downloaded), you could try to reinstall that app. Or try GDM as an alternative. Maybe it works instantly. If GDM behaves exactly the same way, then there is still something wrong with your gfx settings, I guess.

[ianw1974]

Yes, updates should be done. The problem I'm referring to is UPGRADING to a newer version of Mandriva.

 

Upgrading is a completely different ballgame to that of updates. Updates are for the existing system that you have installed, and are for security updates, etc, as arctic mentions.

 

Whilst urpmi upgrades using all repositories to go from LE2005 to 2006 for example, can and will work, in my opinion, they aren't the cleanest upgrades. As I mentioned, I prefer clean installations. At least you know then that there is nothing left that is relating to LE2005 and likely to give you conflicts.

 

I have tried upgrading with urpmi and with CD media, and always encountered little problems. Nothing that stopped me using the machine, but when I did a clean install, I never had the little problem that was affecting me from upgrade.

[RVDowning]

Agreed, with regard to upgrading. I wouldn't consider doing an upgrade using urpmi. I was just trying to do an update of his existing 2006 system.

 

I haven't been able to try your last suggestion. He was booted into the Dark Side last night to do some actual work. Can't keep him in Linux until he can find an MSAccess replacement that allows subqueries. (Kexi is closest but doesn't allow the latter.) Trying to use mysql for these purposes is like using an h-bomb to kill a mosquito.

[ianw1974]

OK, good luck for when you get chance :D

[RVDowning]

Well, just to close this out, we did a fresh reinstall, and all is well. We also got the backup working using mondo/mindi.

 

Don't know if and when we'll be brave enough to try an update again. Because of the problems we encountered I tend to think that one should modify the system to boot into a consol instead of kdm before doing an update. It might be easier to fix stuff that way, if it breaks.