Re: X Windom System will not start
Hoyt Bailey wrote:
3) ethernet configuration issues ("eth0"). I'm unaware of any
ethernet-related questions during a "dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86"
session, so I'm confused about this.
Frankly so am I. I expected that from your comment "You need to experiment
with your resolution, color depth, and/or video driver." that the video card
would show up with something about resolution, color, or etc. I do not have
any idea why eth0 is even involved with video. The eth0 card should be about
network items since I dont have one it should be quite instead its in
promiscuous mode. One apparantly is attempting to run the video(not
working).
The only thing I can guess is that you do have an ethernet "card" (run
"lspci" and look for a line referring to an Ethernet controller) built
into your motherboard, and you're just not using it so are not aware of
its existence. I'm further guessing that when you run "dpkg-reconfigure
xserver-xfree86", dpkg is seeing that some other packages (ie something
relating to ethernet) needs to be configured first, and is running that
routine. When reconfiguring the xserver, the top of the screen should
say something like "Configuring Xserver-xfree86". Does your screen that
refers to "eth0" say that, or something different?
I'm also confused about what file
will have to be deleted or moved, or to what "spot" you're referring.
The file referd to is XF86-Config-4. The spot is the panel in
dpkg-reconfigure where the eth0 card appears.
RE: moving/renaming/deleting /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 -- when you run
"dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86", this file should be recreated.
If we're still talking about X issues and not ext3 or eth0 issues (which
should really go in separate threads), I would suggest trying the "do
not use Framebuffer" option (by answering accordingly the question
during "dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86" - although you could manually
change /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 and set "UseFBDev" to "false"). I assume
Huh. There isnt a UseFBDev in XF86Config-4.
According to your earlier post, yes, there is:
Next XF86Config-4
Section "Device"
Identifier "Generic Video Card"
Driver "vesa"
Option "UseFBDev" "true" <---- HERE IT IS
EndSection
This is why I listed my system on the original post the card is nVIDIA
GeForce-4 MX-440.
Sorry; it didn't register I guess.
so I haven't had any experience with this card; perhaps others can help.
Using the VESA or VGA setting should at least get you something going,
however.
I agree but eth0 isnt going to do it.
I hope this answers your questions. I believe that this all relates to the
same problem X Window System will not start. I might add the following
which dosent show up in the log, but is on the screen just before the login
prompt:
<huge snip>
Starting GNOME Display manager: gdm
Not starting K Desktop manager (kdm); It is not the default display manager.
Not starting X Desktop manager (xdm); It is not the default display
manager.
sic.
I dont know what it all means but I'm betting on the video card. Or I
suppose the motherboard could be involved.
xdm/gdm/wdm/kdm are session managers. They are basically graphical login
screens; when you log in via a session manager, it starts up an X
session for you. This is opposed to logging in at a text console, and
then manually starting X with "startx".
You have three session managers installed (gdm and kdm and xdm), but
since you can only use one at a time, Debian has a system for making one
active and the others dormant. kdm and xdm are dormant ("It is not the
default display manager."); this is perfectly normal. You can switch
between the three with some Debian command (I believe it's
"update-alternatives"), but I'm unfamiliar with its use. I generally
just uninstall the session managers I don't want to use, and if I want
to change later, I just install the new one and get asked then -- hey,
that's a thought: try "dpkg-reconfigure kdm" and see if that asks which
session manager you want to use.
But of course, none of these session managers will work until you have a
working /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 file.
--
Kent
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