How to update XFree86

malcolmBl · 04-10-2006, 12:10 AM

I cant get into KDE ATM and it says i need the latest version of XFree86. I went to their site and have no idea how to get all the files from their website when im using winxp to my linux OS on another partition of same hdd.
Can someone please talk me through it in simple terms. First step i need to know what kind of linux i am using:
glibc20, glibc21, glibc22, glibc23 or libc5.

vmlinuz.gz · 04-10-2006, 12:23 AM

To determine the version of your glibc, try running:

Code:

$ /lib/libc.so.6

After that, it should just be a matter of reading the installation documentation - http://www.xfree86.org/4.5.0/Install.html.

malcolmBl · 04-10-2006, 01:16 AM

when i tried running libc.so.6 it said bash command not found and when i tried opening it in emacs i just got rubbish.

vmlinuz.gz · 04-10-2006, 01:43 AM

It probably just wants a program to run it. Try

Code:

$ sh /lib/libc.so.6

malcolmBl · 04-10-2006, 02:58 AM

It said: cannot execute binary file.

MasterC · 04-10-2006, 03:52 AM

Mornin!

Sounds like you are trying to fly a 757 passenger jet when all you really want to do is pedal a bike across the road

You could go the route you are heading, and figure out which glibc/libc version you have installed:
rpm -qa | grep libc

Or you could use your distro as it expects you will along with it's package manager (urpmi, assuming mandrake of course).

Graphically it's called rpmdrake and can be launched from any graphical environment. But since you seem to be running into a snag getting to the gui, you'll probably want to use urpmi, the command-line equivilent.

You'll be in a little over your head, but not nearly as deep as if you go the route your were headed. You can probably optionally toss back in your install CD, choose 'upgrade' (might be called update, it's been a while since I've seen it) and choose to install KDE packages there to get them refreshed enough to get you into a gui.

Assuming that doesn't work, or you don't want to try that route, then read on.

So after you login at the command line (CTRL + ALT + F1) change to your root user:
su -
And enter the root user's password. Now, we can give urpmi a whirl:
urpmi kde

And see what gets returned. Alternatively, we can get something light running and then do KDE once we are back in the gui, so another window manager that may be helpful:
urpmi fluxbox

And lastly, if this is just a problem with your login manager (kdm IIRC) you can bypass it from the command line. Once logged in via the command line type:
startx -- :1
And see if you are able to actually get to a GUI via that route. If so, it's probably just a glitch in the KDM login manager and might be easily fixed by removing a corrupt file in root's home:
su -
ENTER ROOT PASS
cd /root
rm -r .kdm

And see if that gets it back on it's feet.

Hope that helps you head in the right direction at least, re-installing/installing KDE from scratch is FAR more work than one should set out for in this situation.

Good Luck!

Cool

malcolmBl · 04-10-2006, 05:31 AM

Thanks for your help MasterC. I was stuck for a moment but you helped get the ball rolling again. Here are the results:
1. Typed: urpmi kde
result: List of files (I think they were files).

2. typed: urpmi fluxbox
result: no package named fluxbox

3. typed: rpm -qa | grep libc
result: list of 6 or 7 files including glibc-2.3.2-14mdk (does this mean i have glibc23?

4. typed : startx --:1
result: crashed like it always does with the message:
(WW) RADEON: no matching Device section for instance (Bus PCI:1:0:1) found.
(EE) No devices detected.
Fatal server error
No screens

The main reason i want to update XFree86 is for the video drivers as I had a look in the card database using command x -configure and my card (PowerColor ATi Radeon 9600 Pro 256Mb wasnt there).

gmcmaster · 04-10-2006, 05:51 AM

Check ATI's site, they support Linux and provide drivers for it.

malcolmBl · 04-10-2006, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmcmaster

Check ATI's site, they support Linux and provide drivers for it.

I looked at the drivers here: https://support.ati.com/ics/support/...ge&folderID=27
So i download the ATi driver installer but it is in .run format. How do i get this to run at the command prompt in linux? Burn it onto cd? What commands do i use to access the cd from the command prompt?

/bin/bash · 04-10-2006, 06:35 AM

HOWTO install Xorg X11R7.0 on Slakware 10.2
The above was written for Slackware but should work for most any distro. The only problem you may have is that Mandrake-9.2 is so old you may need to update some libraries or other utilities.

malcolmBl · 04-10-2006, 07:37 PM

I bought "The Complete Linux Handbook" with Mandrake 9.2 from the newsagent just 3 weeks ago so I thought 9.2 would be relatively new. If i downloaded the latest version of Mandriva would I have the same problem with the video drivers?

I tried to install Xorg X11R7.0 but when I typed:
tar cjvf X11R6.tar.bz2 X11R6
it said permission denied

/bin/bash · 04-10-2006, 10:38 PM

Code:

Mandriva Linux 10.1 features the following major softwares:

    *      Linux Kernel 2.6.8 (and various fixes from 2.6.9rc)
    *      Xorg 6.7.0
    *      KDE 3.2.3
    *      GNOME 2.6
    *      Glibc 2.3.3, GCC 3.4.1
    *      Apache 2.0.50, PHP 4.3.8
    *      MySQL 4.0.18, Samba 3.0.6
    *      Mozilla 1.7.2, GIMP 2.0.4
    *      OpenOffice.org 1.1.3

So yes with xorg 6.7 that would be an upgrade from xfree86.

/bin/bash · 04-13-2006, 04:30 AM

Quote:

I tried to install Xorg X11R7.0 but when I typed:
tar cjvf X11R6.tar.bz2 X11R6
it said permission denied

That step plus just about everything in that in that HOWTO after step 15 needs to be done as root.