[Fixed] Re: Now working... gdm??? Re: Couldn't load XKB keymap... Can't switch to terminal mode
On Sat, 2007-02-17 at 11:37 -0500, cga2000 wrote:
> On Sat, Feb 17, 2007 at 02:49:23AM EST, Kenward Vaughan wrote:
> > On Sat, 2007-02-17 at 01:09 -0500, cga2000 wrote:
>
> [..]
>
> > > You're going to think I am persistent .. and probably talking through my
> > > *ss as well .. but did you try the "vesa" driver? It's as simple as
> > > duplicating the stanza that specifies the nv/nvidia driver and replacing
> > > your full-featured nvidia driver(s) by the vesa generic .. I think it's
> > > called "vesa" .. in Xorg's conf file .. and naturally, restarting X.
> >
> >
> > Gave it a try just now, but still no go. I reconfigured console-tools
> > and console-data as well, but no help there either.
> >
> > :(
>
> My understanding was that this also occurs when you do an Alt+Ctrl+Fn to
> try switching from an X session that was started outside of gdm to
> another X session.
>
> If this is the case, it strongly suggests that the problem lies with X
> configuration rather than with the linux console. So I'm not sure how
> console-tools would make a difference. But then again I have missed
> some of the posts in this thread.
The thought was that console-tools, in which the keyboard data/layouts
are set (to be used by X, as I understand things), may have been
misconfigured or had bad files.
I certainly had nothing pointing at a specific package or configuration
that I could recognize (/etc/xorg.conf is fine), so I decided to do two
things.
> > > Mind you, I know _nothing_ of X's internals and this is very likely not
> > > going to work .. The only reason I suggested this is that I once had a
> > > box with a low-end embedded SiS video chip that was behaving likewise
> > > and switching from the alpha-beta sis driver to the generic "vesa" let
> > > me work around the problem.
> >
> > I appreciate the thought and suggestions. I'm feeling quite stretched
> > on this, with seemingly less and less that I can try.
>
> I know the feeling.
>
> Unfortunately, I don't understand the mechanisms involved when the
> switch occurs apart from a vague idea that there must be quite a lot
> going on in terms of freeing up resources -- and saving the current
> context in order to be able to restore your sessions and resume where
> you left off.
>
> If I had the same problem ... and provided you can set up an empty
> partition somewhere on your HD .. I would be tempted to do a minimal
> console-only install and then manually add Xorg .. no gnome, kde,
> fluxbox ..etc. and just start a couple of bare bones X sessions .. see
> if you still have the problem .. the strategy being to try to break down
> the problem into something smaller where fewer components are involved.
>
> Might be easier to get help after taking gdm out of the picture?
>
> > Is the kbd package a replacement for console-tools? I'm looking for
> > replacements now...
>
> Yes, that's the one I use on my new etch system. console-tools is
> installed by default because supposed to be either more mature or have
> more features than kbd but it is less versatile where font sizes are
> concerned.
I took the route of deleting gdm from the system, as well as install kbd
in place of console-tools. Funny thing was, when I went into aptitude
to do this, aptitude had already decided to delete a good chunk of gnome
for some crazy reason. Probably comes from bouncing back and forth
between apt-get and aptitude...
I let it all go, and --presto!-- ...things are back to normal.
Gnome session was then reinstalled (my wife is used to that) without any
deleterious effect.
While I'm uncertain what the cause was, at least it is working as it
should be.
Many thanks for the thoughts, suggestions, etc. from you and Florian!
Kenward
--
In a completely rational society, the best of us would aspire to be
_teachers_ and the rest of us would have to settle for something less,
because passing civilization along from one generation to the next
ought to be the highest honor and the highest responsibility anyone
could have. - Lee Iacocca
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