Getting an error: Failed to start the X server

Fasn8n · 02-07-2006, 10:14 AM

I get this error and I've no idea why. I installed FC4 and got it... I installed Ubuntu 5.1 and got this... What's the deal?
Grub loads fine, gives me my options of OS, but whenever I select a Linux it loads up all fine but then stops here...

See, loads up fine, all "ok"

Then it comes up with this garbage...

And if I click "yes" it shows me this...

If I click "no" it just lets me run in terminal, but no GUI.
Any ideas?

trickykid · 02-07-2006, 10:19 AM

Well, what type of hardware (video card) are we dealing with? And have you actually configured X before trying to start it?

Fasn8n · 02-07-2006, 10:29 AM

No, I'm relatively a newb here... I can typically follow instructions though hence I'm even getting these installed with Grub.

I've an onboard video card (S3 Graphics UniChrome Pro IGP)

krisbee · 02-08-2006, 11:36 AM

Fasn, with no real experience.. try this.. run xorgconfig as root from the console... reboot.. see if it works then. You can also try startx from the console and see if it will load... then you will know if it is in the startup login, or what.

Im a newbie too, so I might be giving bum advice...

--Kris

Fasn8n · 02-09-2006, 06:39 AM

Thanks Kris, I'll definitely try that. Problem is, with Ubuntu I don't know the root password. It asked me to create a user on install which i did but never asked me to set a root password. Does anyone know of the default root password for Ubuntu 5.1?
When I installed Fedora Core 4 it prompted me for a root password, but currently Ubuntu is installed.

qanopus · 02-09-2006, 09:05 AM

just login as root without giving an password. See what happens, maybe you'l get in.
Also, post the contents of the file "/etc/X11/xorg.conf". Assuming you have windows installed, copy this file to you windows partition, start windows and open the file with a text editor.
Aslo post the contents of "/var/log/Xorg.0.log". This is the log file of X.org