X Configure problems?

Firewielder · 10-31-2005, 04:57 PM

This afternoon I installed Fedora Core 4 on my main desktop, and as far as I can tell, everything is working correctly, but I cannot get any GUI sessions started, and I get a message "I cannot start the X server (your graphical interface). It is likely that it is not set up correctly. Would you like to view the X server output to diagnose the problem?" when I reboot; choosing <Yes> leads to a text login prompt; <No> does the same. I have not used Linux in a few years (due to being on a restrictive DoD network), but the Suse 9.0 that was on my computer before worked fine with my hardware -- relevant parts listed below.

ABIT NF7-S v2.0 motherboard, bios 27
3x 512MB Corsair PC3200 ram
ATI Radeon 9800XT video card
Western Digital WD740GB and WD2500JB hard drives

Any ideas would be tremendously appreciated!

acid_kewpie · 11-01-2005, 05:29 AM

login on a text console and firstly try running "init 3" and when you're left with a normal prompt, run "startx" this should give you the same errors as normal, but you should be able to see them, and see what the errors are. errors start (EE) normally. you can also see more detailed information in the log file, by running "cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log" and seeing again for the (EE) lines. if you need to set it up again, there's a redhat-config-something tool to do it for you, although i forget the one that it is off hand. type "redhat-config-" then press tab a few times to see all the potential options, then pick the best sounding one!

Firewielder · 11-01-2005, 06:44 AM

Running "init 3" gives:
INIT: Switching to runlevel: 3
INIT: Sending processes the TERM signal
Starting pcmcia: [ OK ]
Starting lm_sensors [ OK ]
Starting anacron [ OK ]

Running "startx" from there outputs:
-bash: startx: command not found

When I cd to / and try it, I get the same thing; "cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log" returns:
cat: var/log/Xorg.0.log: No such file or directory

Thanks for the attempt...

acid_kewpie · 11-01-2005, 08:08 AM

wow, ok then.. looks like X is not even installed!! FC4 uses oxrg, not xfree86, so run an rpm query:

Code:

piggy ~ # rpm -qa | grep xorg
xorg-x11-libs-6.8.1-23.EL
xorg-x11-xfs-6.8.1-23.EL
xorg-x11-Mesa-libGL-6.8.1-23.EL
xorg-x11-font-utils-6.8.1-23.EL

that lists X packages installed. note that you should have more than this... this example box doesn't run a full X server. if you get none back, use redhat-config-packages to install the X Windows section from your cd, or yum to install from the interweb.

Firewielder · 11-01-2005, 10:41 AM

Running "rpm -qa | grep xorg" from / as root (the only user thus far) yields:

xorg-x11-Mesa libGLU-6.8.2-31
xorg-x11-xauth-6.8.2-31
fonts-xorg-base-6.8.2-1
xorg-x11-Mesa-libGL-6.8.2-31
xorg-x11-twn-6.8.2-31
fonts-xorg-75dpi-6.8.2-1
xorg-x11-libs-6.8.2-31
xorg-x11-font-utils-6.8.2-31
xorg-x11-xfs-6.8.2-31
fonts-xorg-100dpi-6.8.2-1
error: rpmdbNextIteraror: skipping h# 516 Header V3 DSA signature: BAD, key
ID 4f2a6fd2

Seems to say it's missing something, but I've no idea what...
Also, running "redhat-config-packages" yields "command not found".

acid_kewpie · 11-01-2005, 10:48 AM

well there's no base xorg-x11 there. just checked my FC4 VM, i have xorg-x11-6.8.2-37 .FC.49.2 installed. that error towards the end might relate to an RPM database error, but see if installing it again helps. there's also an xorg-x11-tools package you're missing.

Firewielder · 11-01-2005, 01:10 PM

I've reinstalled FC4 in total 4 times now, same error each time; the media test before install always says my DVD is good to go. How do I install just the xorg-x11 packages from the text-based login? I'm not usually a console user.

acid_kewpie · 11-01-2005, 03:22 PM

primarily as i said, try redhat-config-packages. but if that doesn't work:

insert cd1
type "mount /mnt/cdrom"
type "rpm -Uvh --force /mnt/cdrom/Redhat/RPMS/xorg-x11-6.8.2.whatever.rpm"

or rather, never type file names, instead use the tab key to automatically complete. e.g. "/mnt/cdr[tab]Re[tab]R[tab]xorg[tab]6[tab]" that way you know the file is there, and it's quicker. note that /mnt/cdrom is only a guess at where your cdrom would mount. "cat /etc/fstab" to see exactly where it is.

also though, yum should be working, so just try to grab it from the net: "yum update xorg-x11"

Firewielder · 11-01-2005, 05:53 PM

"yum update" seems to run correctly, but there are often instances of the following error as it executes:

error: rpmdbNextIterator: skipping h# 516 Header V3 DSA signature: BAD, key
ID 4f2a6fd2

By often, I mean several hundred (from what I can see). It hasn't finished yet, but does anyone know what that error might refer to and how I can fix it?

acid_kewpie · 11-02-2005, 05:21 AM

not an issue i've had to deal with, but google brought me back to LQ for one possible solution, and another from redhat's lists.

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...468#post896468
http://www.redhat.com/archives/rpm-l.../msg00118.html