StartX causes blank screen, new kernel

Eyecannon · 09-14-2002, 01:07 AM

I am a linux newb, and I have just today learned the joys of kernel recompiling... I did it successfully (at least I think so) to where it boots up fine, but when I go 'startx', it just gives me a blank infinite screen until I ctrl-alt-del like mad. I have tried reconfiguring XF86Config a few different ways, with no success

I'm a Sager 5650 btw: http://sagernotebooks.com

GT I.N.C · 09-14-2002, 01:27 AM

you might need a newer version of XFree86.....

NSKL · 09-14-2002, 03:28 AM

But it worked before you recompiled the kernel? If so maybe you forgot some option in compiling the kernel, or you might want to try to re-configure X from scratch. Try xf86config or any other tool your distro offers to do this. Also check you have a window manager in ~/.xinitrc
Are you using Nvidia drivers? If so you need to recompile them every time you recompile the kernel.
Hope that helps
-NSKL

finegan · 09-14-2002, 03:57 AM

You have an ATI mobile Radeon 7500, most likely when you compiled the kernel you left out, and this is from a "menuconfig":

Character Devices: ---> /dev/agpgart support ---> flavor of chipset, compile support for all of em if you're worried, but you can find out from "lspci" AND Direct Rendering Manager AND DRM 4.1 drivers ATI Radeon

That's all I can think of from a kernel recompile... except possibly framebuffering devices, but I've never really played with those.

Cheers,

Finegan

Eyecannon · 09-14-2002, 04:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by finegan
You have an ATI mobile Radeon 7500, most likely when you compiled the kernel you left out, and this is from a "menuconfig":

Character Devices: ---> /dev/agpgart support ---> flavor of chipset, compile support for all of em if you're worried, but you can find out from "lspci" AND Direct Rendering Manager AND DRM 4.1 drivers ATI Radeon

That's all I can think of from a kernel recompile... except possibly framebuffering devices, but I've never really played with those.

Cheers,

Finegan

Wow, thanks for all the quick responses!

I have the ATI Radeon in there, and agpgart on, and DRM...

I'll check on the windowmanager... now, I changed around the kernel some more and it won't boot now... trying again...

Eyecannon · 09-14-2002, 04:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by NSKL
But it worked before you recompiled the kernel? If so maybe you forgot some option in compiling the kernel, or you might want to try to re-configure X from scratch. Try xf86config or any other tool your distro offers to do this. Also check you have a window manager in ~/.xinitrc
Are you using Nvidia drivers? If so you need to recompile them every time you recompile the kernel.
Hope that helps
-NSKL

I was wondering, isn't there only one xfree86 config for the system, and all kernels work with it? Because (this is redhat 7.3 btw) yes it works perfectly off the one kernel, but not when I boot to the other...

I have other problems too, like /dev/pts won't initialize correctly ever....

Eyecannon · 09-14-2002, 03:19 PM

OK, I guess I just hadn't compiled it all properly... I hadn't been mkinitrd'ing, and when I finally did, it worked perfectly...

Thanks guys!