XFree86: "bad inconsistent state" of xserver-vga?

[carlf@panix.com (Carl Fink)]

I'm trying to install XFree86 3.2 from the Cheap*Bytes disk for Debian
1.2.

I can't.

The first time, I was able to partially install.  That is, dselect
worked flawlessly, but XF86Setup couldn't configure properly and
everything locked.

I decided to try to install version 3.3.  I downloaded the .tgz files
directly from xfree86.org, and it completely failed to work, either.

So, I deleted all files in any directory related to X and tried again
with the .deb files from ftp.debian.org.  Unfortunately, I can't use
dselect for this, and without that I can't tell what the dependencies
are!  Would dftp help?

Since this failed, I used dpkg -i to remove them all again, and tried
dselect and my CD-ROM again.

However, dselect is now incapable of installing.  I get error messages
that xinitrc is not found -- but in that case, why can't the installer
(xbase-configure) create it?

Here's the message, which appears in a very attractive dialog box:

   Not all of the configuration and application default files are
   installed. The file /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xinit/xinitrc is
   missing

Odd.

I also can't uninstall -- dselect informs me that xserver-vga is in a
"bad inconsistent state" and suggests reinstalling, which doesn't
work.

What's up?  Would it help to purchase a new (1.3.1) CD-ROM?  I was
hoping to wait for 1.4 and the dselect replacement, but I can probably
spare ten bucks if it'll solve this problem.

I'm using a clone system, AMI BIOS supporting an AMD 5x86-75 (really a
486-133), a 500 MB IDE hard drive (DOS/Win3) and a 1 GB IDE drive (2
OS/2 partitions, 1 HPFS data, 1 Linux swap, 1 Linux ext2), 48 MB of
RAM, and a Jaton 57-P (Trident TGUI 9680) video card with 1 MB of
VRAM.

Thanks in advance for any help.


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