Re: new to the list - XFree86 on Woody problems

["Donald R. Spoon" <dspoon@satx.rr.com>]

Rachel Andrew <lists@rachelandrew.co.uk> wrote:

> 
> 
> Hi
> 
> I'm new to the list and am having problems with the XFree86 set up in 
> Woody. I recently upgraded from Potato to Woody and have also grabbed the 
> KDE2.2 packages from Sid but I'm having trouble getting the x-server up and 
> running.
> 
>---snip---<
> If I try to startx it begins to load KDE but halts at the point where it is 
> starting peripherals and in /var/log/XFree86.0.log I have this as the final 
> few lines:
> 
> PEXExtensionInit: Couldn't open default PEX font file Roman_M
> (II) Keyboard "Generic Keyboard" handled by legacy driver
> (**) Mouse0: Protocol: "PS/2"
> (**) Mouse0: Core Pointer
> (==) Mouse0: Buttons: 3
> (**) Mouse0: Emulate3Buttons, Emulate3Timeout: 50
> (II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "Mouse0" (type: Mouse)
> 
> Fatal Server Error:
> Caught Signal 11. Server aborting
> 
> 
> any idea what might be causing this?
> 
> Rachel

Rachel,

I have made the jump from XFree86 v.3.6 to v.4.1 several times via an
upgrade from Potato to Woody.  About six times out of ten, I have had
similar problems and here is what I have been able to deduce so far:

1.  If you have a mouse config problem, the server rarely crashes on
startup.  You will get a screen but the mouse will not work
properly...i.e. no movement or erratic movement.

2.  The server crashes of the type you are experiencing have ALWAYS been
due to a missing or improperly installed font package.  In your case, I
would suspect the "xfonts-pex" package is either missing or improperly
installed based on the snippet of your log file above.  If you recall,
somewhere during the config screens you were probably asked about which
server you wanted to use.  You could stick with the old XFree v. 3.3.6
server you were using, OR you could use the newer one from v. 4.1 .  If
you chose to keep the older one and you have the xext program, then you
MUST have the xfonts-pex package installed.  If you go with the newer
server, all that stuff is already there as a module, so you don't need
it.  Probably the easiest for you is to install the xfonts-pex package
for now.

3.  Once you start getting the screen, future upgrades within the major
version (ie v. 4.1)go quite smoothly.

4.  A M$ "Wheel" mouse will work off the /dev/psaux port, and with the
PS/2 protocol as you have used.  It will have more functions if you use
the "ImPS/2" protocol.  Here is my mouse section I am currently using:

 Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier      "Configured Mouse"
        Driver          "mouse"
        Option          "CorePointer"
        Option          "Device"                "/dev/gpmdata"
        Option          "Protocol"              "ImPS/2"
        Option          "Emulate3Buttons"       "true"
        Option          "ZAxisMapping"          "4 5"
EndSection

Note, I am using the gpm package.  I had to configure gpm-config to set
the "Repeat-type: raw" to make it work...in case you are interested.  If
you don't use gpm, then set the "Device" to "/dev/psaux". 

I suggest you run a "apt-get install xfonts-pex" and see what happens. 
If this doesn't improve things, try "apt-get --reinstall install
xfonts-pex".  After this I would also check the other "basic"
fonts....xfonts-base, xfonts-75dpi, xfonts-100dpi, and xfonts-scalable. 
I "think" these are "standard" in the basic install...there may be
others...dunno.

HTH.

Cheers,
-Don Spoon-