Because my FreeBSD6 system was old and unsupported,
I upgraded to FreeBSD7, and, when I did so, I re-made
my ports, since that is what one is told to do. Ever
since I did that, I have had no functioning X server
on my computer. When you run X in any form except for
"X -configure" (more on that soon), the screen goes
blank, and then, shortly afterward, the computer
reboots.

Reluctant to upgrade from FreeBSD7 to FreeBSD8 until
I had a fully functioning FreeBSD7, I nevertheless did
so, because I could not get X working on FreeBSD 7.
It is still not working in FreeBSD8.

I then freed up a slice of disk on another computer,
downloaded, and burned onto a CD, the FreeBSD9 install
ISO, and installed a virgin FreeBSD9 system. I then made
x11-servers/xorg-server, x11-drivers/xorg-drivers, and,
succumbing to the optimistic notion that I would be able
to make use of it, x11/gnome2. Xorg still crashes and
forces a reboot, even on a freshly-installed FreeBSD9
system with no past. It was working great on FreeBSD6.

(May I an insert a parenthetical comment here? What kind
of operating system does not include even a minimal
graphical user interface in its base installation? Even
OpenBSD, which has the smallest install ISO I have ever
seen, gives you an option to install X when you install
the system, and, if you select that option, the X system
actually works. How does it happen that FreeBSD does not
include something that has been available on Linux and
Solaris for more than 10 years? That it considers a
graphical user interface something extra that you have
to compile from source if you want it? And then doesn't
work?)

The "find /" command reports that there is no xorg.conf
file anywhere in the system, so the problem cannot be
a malformed xorg.conf file. When I run "Xorg -configure"
to create /root/xorg.conf.new, the program does not crash,
and it creates a /root/xorg.conf.new file. An empty one.
"Xorg -config /root/xorg.conf.new" then crashes and
causes a reboot.

I have tried the above both after building
x11-drivers/xorg-drivers with every driver selected, and
after rebuilding it following a "make rmconfig" which
gives me only the default set of drivers. The same is
true of x11-servers/xorg-server, which only has 3 config
options. I built it with all 3 options turned on, and
then deinstalled it, did a make distclean, and then
rebuilt it with only the setuid option turned on. It
made no difference.

If you can tell me how to get a functioning X server on
a FreeBSD system, and by "functioning" I mean "one that
does not cause the computer to crash and reboot within
seconds", or even if you can advise me how to go about
pinpointing the problem, I shall be most grateful. I
thank you all in advance for any and all replies.

jay at m5 dot chicago dot il dot us
773/7613784 landline
410/9964737 GoogleVoice

Post here the generated /root/xorg.conf.new file.

>
> Post here the generated /root/xorg.conf.new file.
>

As I wrote in Paragraph 5, Line 5, it is empty.

jfs

What graphics card You got there?

>
> What graphics card You got there?
>

How do I determine that?

Paste dmesg and pciconf -l -v outputs here.

In the mean time, try that config as /etc/X11/xorg.conf file: http://paste.org/46893

>
> Paste dmesg and pciconf -l -v outputs here.
>

Here is the output of dmesg (are you sure you want it? -- it's long):


Copyright (c) 1992-2012 The FreeBSD Project.
Copyright (c) 1979, 1980, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
FreeBSD is a registered trademark of The FreeBSD Foundation.
FreeBSD 9.0-RELEASE #0: Tue Jan 3 07:15:25 UTC 2012
root@obrian.cse.buffalo.edu:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/GENERIC i386
CPU: Intel(R) XEON(TM) CPU 2.20GHz (2186.81-MHz 686-class CPU)
Origin = "GenuineIntel" Id = 0xf24 Family = f Model = 2 Stepping = 4
Features=0x3febfbff<FPU,VME,DE,PSE,TSC,MSR,PAE,MCE,CX8,APIC,SEP,MTRR,PGE,MCA,CMOV,PAT,PSE36,CLFLUSH, DTS,ACPI,MMX,FXSR,SSE,SSE2,SS,HTT,TM>
real memory = 2147483648 (2048 MB)
avail memory = 2086400000 (1989 MB)
Event timer "LAPIC" quality 400
ACPI APIC Table: <DELL PE4600 >
FreeBSD/SMP: Multiprocessor System Detected: 4 CPUs
FreeBSD/SMP: 2 package(s) x 1 core(s) x 2 HTT threads
cpu0 (BSP): APIC ID: 0
cpu1 (AP/HT): APIC ID: 1
cpu2 (AP): APIC ID: 2
cpu3 (AP/HT): APIC ID: 3
ioapic0: Changing APIC ID to 4
ioapic1: Changing APIC ID to 5
ioapic2: Changing APIC ID to 6
MADT: Forcing active-low polarity and level trigger for SCI
ioapic0 <Version 1.1> irqs 0-15 on motherboard
ioapic1 <Version 1.1> irqs 16-31 on motherboard
ioapic2 <Version 1.1> irqs 32-47 on motherboard
kbd1 at kbdmux0
acpi0: <DELL PE4600> on motherboard
acpi0: Power Button (fixed)
Timecounter "ACPI-safe" frequency 3579545 Hz quality 850
acpi_timer0: <32-bit timer at 3.579545MHz> port 0x808-0x80b on acpi0
cpu0: <ACPI CPU> on acpi0
cpu1: <ACPI CPU> on acpi0
cpu2: <ACPI CPU> on acpi0
cpu3: <ACPI CPU> on acpi0
pcib0: <ACPI Host-PCI bridge> port 0xcf8-0xcff on acpi0
pci0: <ACPI PCI bus> on pcib0
fxp0: <Intel 82559 Pro/100 Ethernet> port 0xecc0-0xecff mem 0xfe203000-0xfe203fff,0xfe000000-0xfe0fffff irq 19 at device 4.0 on pci0
miibus0: <MII bus> on fxp0
inphy0: <i82555 10/100 media interface> PHY 1 on miibus0
inphy0: 10baseT, 10baseT-FDX, 100baseTX, 100baseTX-FDX, auto, auto-flow
fxp0: Ethernet address: 00:b0:d0:fc:e8:66
ahc0: <Adaptec aic7890/91 Ultra2 SCSI adapter> port 0xe800-0xe8ff mem 0xfe202000-0xfe202fff irq 18 at device 6.0 on pci0
aic7890/91: Ultra2 Wide Channel A, SCSI Id=7, 32/253 SCBs
uart0: <Non-standard ns8250 class UART with FIFOs> port 0xe400-0xe4ff,0xe000-0xe0ff,0xecb8-0xecbf mem 0xfe204000-0xfe2040ff irq 16 at device 8.0 on pci0
vgapci0: <VGA-compatible display> port 0xdc00-0xdcff mem 0xfd000000-0xfdffffff,0xfe201000-0xfe201fff at device 14.0 on pci0
atapci0: <ServerWorks CSB5 UDMA100 controller> port 0x1f0-0x1f7,0x3f6,0x170-0x177,0x376,0x8b0-0x8bf at device 15.1 on pci0
ata0: <ATA channel 0> on atapci0
ata1: <ATA channel 1> on atapci0
ohci0: <OHCI (generic) USB controller> mem 0xfe200000-0xfe200fff irq 5 at device 15.2 on pci0
usbus0: <OHCI (generic) USB controller> on ohci0
isab0: <PCI-ISA bridge> at device 15.3 on pci0
isa0: <ISA bus> on isab0
pcib1: <ACPI Host-PCI bridge> on acpi0
pci1: <ACPI PCI bus> on pcib1
pci0:1:6:0: invalid VPD data, remain 0xfeff
bge0: <Alteon BCM5700 Altima, ASIC rev. 0x007104> mem 0xfcf00000-0xfcf0ffff irq 22 at device 6.0 on pci1
bge0: CHIP ID 0x00007104; ASIC REV 0x07; CHIP REV 0x71; PCI
bge0: firmware handshake timed out, found 0x4aa71899
bge0: firmware handshake timed out, found 0x4b657654
miibus1: <MII bus> on bge0
brgphy0: <BCM5401 1000BASE-T media interface> PHY 1 on miibus1
brgphy0: 10baseT, 10baseT-FDX, 100baseTX, 100baseTX-FDX, 1000baseT, 1000baseT-master, 1000baseT-FDX, 1000baseT-FDX-master, auto, auto-flow
bge0: Ethernet address: 00:b0:d0:fc:e8:67
pcib2: <ACPI PCI-PCI bridge> at device 8.0 on pci1
pci2: <ACPI PCI bus> on pcib2
ahc1: <Adaptec aic7899 Ultra160 SCSI adapter> port 0xcc00-0xccff mem 0xfcdff000-0xfcdfffff irq 20 at device 6.0 on pci2
aic7899: Ultra160 Wide Channel A, SCSI Id=7, 32/253 SCBs
ahc2: <Adaptec aic7899 Ultra160 SCSI adapter> port 0xc800-0xc8ff mem 0xfcdfe000-0xfcdfefff irq 21 at device 6.1 on pci2
aic7899: Ultra160 Wide Channel B, SCSI Id=0, 32/253 SCBs
pcib3: <ACPI Host-PCI bridge> on acpi0
pci3: <ACPI PCI bus> on pcib3
pcib4: <ACPI Host-PCI bridge> on acpi0
pci8: <ACPI PCI bus> on pcib4
pcib5: <ACPI Host-PCI bridge> on acpi0
pci13: <ACPI PCI bus> on pcib5
attimer0: <AT timer> port 0x40-0x5f irq 0 on acpi0
Timecounter "i8254" frequency 1193182 Hz quality 0
attimer0: Can't map interrupt.
fdc0: <floppy drive controller> port 0x3f0-0x3f5,0x3f7 irq 6 drq 2 on acpi0
atkbdc0: <Keyboard controller (i8042)> port 0x60,0x64 irq 1 on acpi0
atkbd0: <AT Keyboard> irq 1 on atkbdc0
kbd0 at atkbd0
atkbd0: [GIANT-LOCKED]
psm0: <PS/2 Mouse> irq 12 on atkbdc0
psm0: [GIANT-LOCKED]
psm0: model Generic PS/2 mouse, device ID 0
uart1: <16550 or compatible> port 0x3f8-0x3ff irq 4 on acpi0
uart2: <16550 or compatible> port 0x2f8-0x2ff irq 3 on acpi0
ppc0: <Parallel port> port 0x378-0x37f,0x778-0x77f irq 7 drq 1 on acpi0
ppc0: Generic chipset (ECP/PS2/NIBBLE) in COMPATIBLE mode
ppc0: FIFO with 16/16/8 bytes threshold
ppbus0: <Parallel port bus> on ppc0
plip0: <PLIP network interface> on ppbus0
lpt0: <Printer> on ppbus0
lpt0: Interrupt-driven port
ppi0: <Parallel I/O> on ppbus0
atrtc0: <AT realtime clock> port 0x70-0x7f irq 8 on acpi0
Event timer "RTC" frequency 32768 Hz quality 0
pmtimer0 on isa0
sc0: <System console> on isa0
sc0: VGA <16 virtual consoles, flags=0x300>
vga0: <Generic ISA VGA> at port 0x3c0-0x3df iomem 0xa0000-0xbffff on isa0
p4tcc0: <CPU Frequency Thermal Control> on cpu0
p4tcc1: <CPU Frequency Thermal Control> on cpu1
p4tcc2: <CPU Frequency Thermal Control> on cpu2
p4tcc3: <CPU Frequency Thermal Control> on cpu3
Timecounters tick every 1.000 msec
usbus0: 12Mbps Full Speed USB v1.0
ugen0.1: <0x1166> at usbus0
uhub0: <0x1166 OHCI root HUB, class 9/0, rev 1.00/1.00, addr 1> on usbus0
uhub0: 2 ports with 2 removable, self powered
ses0 at ahc1 bus 0 scbus3 target 6 lun 0
ses0: <PE/PV 1x8 SCSI BP 0.25> Fixed Processor SCSI-2 device
ses0: 3.300MB/s transfers
ses0: SAF-TE Compliant Device
cd0 at ata0 bus 0 scbus1 target 0 lun 0
cd0: <SAMSUNG CD-ROM SN-124 q009> Removable CD-ROM SCSI-0 device
cd0: 33.300MB/s transfers (UDMA2, ATAPI 12bytes, PIO 65534bytes)
cd0: Attempt to query device size failed: NOT READY, Medium not present
SMP: AP CPU #1 Launched!
SMP: AP CPU #3 Launched!
SMP: AP CPU #2 Launched!
da0 at ahc1 bus 0 scbus3 target 0 lun 0
da0: <SEAGATE ST373207LC 0005> Fixed Direct Access SCSI-3 device
da0: 160.000MB/s transfers (80.000MHz DT, offset 63, 16bit)
da0: Command Queueing enabled
da0: 70007MB (143374744 512 byte sectors: 255H 63S/T 8924C)
da1 at ahc1 bus 0 scbus3 target 1 lun 0
da1: <SEAGATE ST373207LC 0005> Fixed Direct Access SCSI-3 device
da1: 160.000MB/s transfers (80.000MHz DT, offset 63, 16bit)
da1: Command Queueing enabled
da1: 70007MB (143374744 512 byte sectors: 255H 63S/T 8924C)
da2 at ahc1 bus 0 scbus3 target 2 lun 0
da2: <SEAGATE ST373207LC 0005> Fixed Direct Access SCSI-3 device
da2: 160.000MB/s transfers (80.000MHz DT, offset 63, 16bit)
da2: Command Queueing enabled
da2: 70007MB (143374744 512 byte sectors: 255H 63S/T 8924C)
da3 at ahc1 bus 0 scbus3 target 3 lun 0
da3: <SEAGATE ST373207LC 0005> Fixed Direct Access SCSI-3 device
da3: 160.000MB/s transfers (80.000MHz DT, offset 63, 16bit)
da3: Command Queueing enabled
da3: 70007MB (143374744 512 byte sectors: 255H 63S/T 8924C)
da4 at ahc1 bus 0 scbus3 target 4 lun 0
da4: <SEAGATE ST373207LC 0005> Fixed Direct Access SCSI-3 device
da4: 160.000MB/s transfers (80.000MHz DT, offset 63, 16bit)
da4: Command Queueing enabled
da4: 70007MB (143374744 512 byte sectors: 255H 63S/T 8924C)
da5 at ahc1 bus 0 scbus3 target 5 lun 0
da5: <SEAGATE ST373207LC 0005> Fixed Direct Access SCSI-3 device
da5: 160.000MB/s transfers (80.000MHz DT, offset 63, 16bit)
da5: Command Queueing enabled
da5: 70007MB (143374744 512 byte sectors: 255H 63S/T 8924C)
GEOM_PART: integrity check failed (da2s1, EBR)
Trying to mount root from ufs:/dev/da0s4a [rw]...
WARNING: / was not properly dismounted



and here is the output of pciconf -l -v:




hostb0@pci0:0:0:0: class=0x060000 card=0x00000000 chip=0x00111166 rev=0x22 hdr=0x00
vendor = 'Broadcom'
device = 'CMIC-HE'
class = bridge
subclass = HOST-PCI
hostb1@pci0:0:0:1: class=0x060000 card=0x00000000 chip=0x00111166 rev=0x00 hdr=0x00
vendor = 'Broadcom'
device = 'CMIC-HE'
class = bridge
subclass = HOST-PCI
hostb2@pci0:0:0:2: class=0x060000 card=0x00000000 chip=0x00111166 rev=0x00 hdr=0x00
vendor = 'Broadcom'
device = 'CMIC-HE'
class = bridge
subclass = HOST-PCI
hostb3@pci0:0:0:3: class=0x060000 card=0x00000000 chip=0x00111166 rev=0x00 hdr=0x00
vendor = 'Broadcom'
device = 'CMIC-HE'
class = bridge
subclass = HOST-PCI
fxp0@pci0:0:4:0: class=0x020000 card=0x01061028 chip=0x12298086 rev=0x08 hdr=0x00
vendor = 'Intel Corporation'
device = '82557/8/9/0/1 Ethernet Pro 100'
class = network
subclass = ethernet
ahc0@pci0:0:6:0: class=0x010000 card=0x01061028 chip=0x001f9005 rev=0x01 hdr=0x00
vendor = 'Adaptec'
device = 'AHA-2940U2/U2W / 7890/7891'
class = mass storage
subclass = SCSI
uart0@pci0:0:8:0: class=0x078000 card=0x04801668 chip=0x048011c1 rev=0x00 hdr=0x00
vendor = 'Agere Systems'
device = 'Venus Modem (V90, 56KFlex)'
class = simple comms
vgapci0@pci0:0:14:0: class=0x030000 card=0x01061028 chip=0x47521002 rev=0x27 hdr=0x00
vendor = 'ATI Technologies Inc'
device = 'Rage XL'
class = display
subclass = VGA
hostb4@pci0:0:15:0: class=0x060000 card=0x02011166 chip=0x02011166 rev=0x93 hdr=0x00
vendor = 'Broadcom'
device = 'CSB5 South Bridge'
class = bridge
subclass = HOST-PCI
atapci0@pci0:0:15:1: class=0x010182 card=0x02121166 chip=0x02121166 rev=0x93 hdr=0x00
vendor = 'Broadcom'
device = 'CSB5 IDE Controller'
class = mass storage
subclass = ATA
ohci0@pci0:0:15:2: class=0x0c0310 card=0x02201166 chip=0x02201166 rev=0x05 hdr=0x00
vendor = 'Broadcom'
device = 'OSB4/CSB5 OHCI USB Controller'
class = serial bus
subclass = USB
isab0@pci0:0:15:3: class=0x060100 card=0x02301166 chip=0x02251166 rev=0x00 hdr=0x00
vendor = 'Broadcom'
device = 'CSB5 LPC bridge'
class = bridge
subclass = PCI-ISA
hostb5@pci0:0:16:0: class=0x060000 card=0x00000000 chip=0x00101166 rev=0x03 hdr=0x00
vendor = 'Broadcom'
device = 'CIOB30'
class = bridge
subclass = HOST-PCI
hostb6@pci0:0:16:2: class=0x060000 card=0x00000000 chip=0x00101166 rev=0x03 hdr=0x00
vendor = 'Broadcom'
device = 'CIOB30'
class = bridge
subclass = HOST-PCI
hostb7@pci0:0:17:0: class=0x060000 card=0x00000000 chip=0x00101166 rev=0x03 hdr=0x00
vendor = 'Broadcom'
device = 'CIOB30'
class = bridge
subclass = HOST-PCI
hostb8@pci0:0:17:2: class=0x060000 card=0x00000000 chip=0x00101166 rev=0x03 hdr=0x00
vendor = 'Broadcom'
device = 'CIOB30'
class = bridge
subclass = HOST-PCI
bge0@pci0:1:6:0: class=0x020000 card=0x000312ae chip=0x000312ae rev=0x00 hdr=0x00
vendor = 'Alteon Networks Inc.'
class = network
subclass = ethernet
pcib2@pci0:1:8:0: class=0x060400 card=0x00000000 chip=0x03098086 rev=0x01 hdr=0x01
vendor = 'Intel Corporation'
device = '80303 I/O Processor PCI-to-PCI Bridge'
class = bridge
subclass = PCI-PCI
ahc1@pci0:2:6:0: class=0x010000 card=0x01061028 chip=0x00cf9005 rev=0x01 hdr=0x00
vendor = 'Adaptec'
device = 'AIC-7899P U160/m'
class = mass storage
subclass = SCSI
ahc2@pci0:2:6:1: class=0x010000 card=0x01061028 chip=0x00cf9005 rev=0x01 hdr=0x00
vendor = 'Adaptec'
device = 'AIC-7899P U160/m'
class = mass storage
subclass = SCSI



I shall now try to run X with the xorg.conf file that was provided.

After installing the posted xorg.conf file, Xorg ran without
crashing and forcing a reboot. The xinit command worked as
soon as xterm was installed (a large number of X clients had
been installed when I did "make install" in /usr/ports/x11/gnome2,
but xterm was not one of them). The xdm command worked as
soon as xsm was installed.

I still do not know why Xorg was crashing and forcing a reboot
before. I consider it a bug if a supported program crashes and
causes a system reboot if it fails to find a configuration file
to its liking. Hopefully I shall keep a copy of the posted
configuration file in a safe place, and never lose it, so that
I can produce it if the problem should recur on other systems.

Two problems still remain, and one is quite serious:

The X virtual screen goes permanently black if I leave it
(with, e.g., CTRL-ALT-F1) and then return to it (with
CTRL-ALT-F9). How do I know that CTRL-ALT-F9 is the screen
that I want to return to? Because it is the one that does
not beep. CTRL-ALT-F1 thru F8 give me the eight low-resolution
character-cell displays that you always get with FreeBSD.
CTRL-ALT-F10 thru F12 beep (and CTRL-ALT-F9 beeps when X
is not running). CTRL-ALT-F9, if typed from the X virtual
screen, does not beep, and does not change the display,
presumably because it has sent me where I already am.
But if CTRL-ALT-F9 is typed from one of the eight low-resolution
character-cell screens, the screen goes black. It is not black
because of the screensaver, because the behavior occurs long
before the screensaver is due to arrive, and because the screen
remains black despite keyboard or mouse input. I can return
back from the netherworld to which I have been sent, by again
typing, e.g., CTRL-ALT-F1, but I cannot again see the X virtual
screen. I have to login as root on one of the low-resolution
screens, and then type, e.g., "pkill xdm", and then restart xdm.
This is not satisfactory behavior.

The xsm program crashes and burns when I click on "Session Log".
It exits abruptly, without removing the session lock, so that
the next time I log in, I am presented with a locked session,
and invited to break the lock. This is not a serious problem,
because I can avoid clicking on "Session Log". But it is annoying.

As always, thank you in advance all any and all replies.

You have ATI RageXL on the Dell PowerEdge 4600 server which is a VERY low end graphics card (8 MB memory).

You will be limited to 2D and no acceleration at all (if needed).

From what I know there are no open source drivers for that card, so Xorg -confgure did not recognized it.
Check this one then, it may help, it may not: http://paste.org/46995

Check /etc/ttys then, its configured there.

The ttyv0 is F1 and ttyv8 is F9.

You can enable 2 text terminals and put X11 on the F3 like that for example:



Welcome mate.

Replacing xorg.conf with the version posted to http://paste.org/46995
did not fix the problem. The screen is still irreversibly black
when I leave the X screen with CTRL ALT F1-8 and then return to it
with CTRL ALT F9.

I changed blanktime to "NO" in /etc/defaults/rc.conf and rebooted
and that made no difference either.

Other than the irreversibly black screen, the X windowing system is
working correctly on tty8. In particular, whenever I type CTRL ALT F9
the X server begins delivering input events to the X clients that have
created windows on that (now invisible) screen. If I move the mouse
into an xterm window (i.e., where I remembered the xterm window to be)
and type "echo Hello > /tmp/Hello" the command is executed, as evidenced
by the creation of /tmp/Hello. If I move the mouse out of the xterm
window (i.e., where I remembered to xterm window to be) and type
"echo Hello1 > /tmp/Hello1" the command is not executed. I built and
installed the xev program and determined that xev correctly reports
(or, I should say more precisely, appears to correctly report, I can't
say for sure because I can't see what's going on) all the keyboard and
mouse events that occur inside of it.

This is the last bit of information needed before I can mark this
discussion thread as "SOLVED", which I would like to do, but I cannot
claim that the windowing system is working, if I cannot usefully return
to it with CTRL ALT F9 after leaving it with CTRL ALT F1-8. The experiments
described above have proven beyond doubt that CTRL ALT F9 is the correct
sequence -- after I type it, the X server unquestionably begins delivering
input events to its clients -- but the screen is black, as black as a
black hole (blacker than a black hole, actually, because it does not emit
Hawking radiation).

As always, I thank you in advance for any and all replies.

Jay F. Shachter
jay at m5 dot chicago dot il dot us
+1 773 7613784

1. What window manager are You using there?
2. How are You starting the X11?
3. What are the contents of Your ~/.xinitrc file?

Irrespective of the window manager, irrespective of the contents of .xinitrc,
irrespective of how I was starting the X server (e.g., whether thru xdm, or
gdm, or xinit, or startx, or even manually), if I left the graphics screen
with a CTRL-ALT-Fkey combination, and then returned to the graphics screen
with CTRL-ALT-F9, the screen was always completely and permanently black.
None of the above things made a difference.

I'll tell you what made a difference. I replaced my former monitor with
an Olevia monitor (I think there's supposed to be an umlaut in there somewhere).
Then I was able to leave the graphics screen, and then return to it. For
over two years, I had a FreeBSD computer with a functioning windowing system.
I upgraded to FreeBSD 9 (I did this, actually, around the same time that I
got the Olevia monitor, so that at first I did not know which factor was
responsible for the change in behavior) and the windowing system continued
to function.

Recently the Olevia monitor was reclaimed by someone else, I connected the
computer to a different monitor, and now we are back to the behavior that was
reported over two years ago. X no longer crashes the system and causes it to
reboot (thanks to the xorg.conf posted on http://paste.org/46995 -- without it,
the former crash-and-reboot behavior returned also, with the restoration of the
old monitor) but it is once again impossible to leave the graphical screen and
return to it. Everything else seems to be working (although I do not actually
know if the xsm problem reported earlier still exists; I run gdm now), but it
is still impossible to leave the graphical screen and then return to it with
the appropriate CTRL-ALT-Fkey combination. When I had the Olevia monitor, the
graphical system worked.

As always, thank you in advance for any and all replies.

jay at m5 dot chicago dot il dot us
+1 773 7613784 (landline -- voice only)
+1 410 9964737 (GoogleVoice -- voice or text)