Hello. I am a fairly new user to Linux. I am currently using an ihawk server from concurrent Computer systems, with Redhawk on it (Redhat). I have a problem, I think, with my monitor. Every time I boot, the system tries to load the GUI desktop but fails and returns an error of something like "failed to start display server - disabling display :0" and then it falls back to the command prompt. I am not sure what is wrong, I tried messing with XF86Config (monitor settings) but to no avail. People around my work are telling me it's something with the monitor settings in that config file but I don't know. Any help please?

try to start your X server, then when it fails, issue this command:

This command will ouput any warnings or errors that were encountered upon initiating the X server.

Then, try to fix what the warnings/errors, and/or post the output of that command here for more help.

Here is errors from XFree86.0.log, I am not sure what some of them mean:

(WW) Open APM failed (/dev/apm_bios) (No such device)
(WW) ATI(0): Cannot shadow an accelerated frame buffer.
(WW) (1600x1200,DELa014) mode clock 162MHz exceeds DDC maximum 140MHz
(WW) (1400x1050,DELa014) mode clock 151MHz exceeds DDC maximum 140MHz
(EE) Failed to initialize GLX extension (NVIDIA X driver not found)


THat's it...fyi, "DELa014" is my monitor identifier.

Thanks!

Can you post also your X conf file ?

You are talking about xorg.conf? If so and if it's suppose to be in /etc/X11 I don't have one there. I did a system search for it and nothing came up.

perhaps it is named xfree86.conf ...

try:

No, but I do have a file called "XF86Config" which I think has the information in it that you are looking for:

# XFree86 4 configuration created by redhat-config-xfree86

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0
InputDevice "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
InputDevice "DevInputMice" "AlwaysCore"
EndSection

Section "Files"

# RgbPath is the location of the RGB database. Note, this is the name of the
# file minus the extension (like ".txt" or ".db"). There is normally
# no need to change the default.
# Multiple FontPath entries are allowed (they are concatenated together)
# By default, Red Hat 6.0 and later now use a font server independent of
# the X server to render fonts.
RgbPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/rgb"
FontPath "unix/:7100"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "dbe"
Load "extmod"
Load "fbdevhw"
Load "glx"
Load "record"
Load "freetype"
Load "type1"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

# Specify which keyboard LEDs can be user-controlled (eg, with xset(1))
# Option "Xleds" "1 2 3"
# To disable the XKEYBOARD extension, uncomment XkbDisable.
# Option "XkbDisable"
# To customise the XKB settings to suit your keyboard, modify the
# lines below (which are the defaults). For example, for a non-U.S.
# keyboard, you will probably want to use:
# Option "XkbModel" "pc102"
# If you have a US Microsoft Natural keyboard, you can use:
# Option "XkbModel" "microsoft"
#
# Then to change the language, change the Layout setting.
# For example, a german layout can be obtained with:
# Option "XkbLayout" "de"
# or:
# Option "XkbLayout" "de"
# Option "XkbVariant" "nodeadkeys"
#
# If you'd like to switch the positions of your capslock and
# control keys, use:
# Option "XkbOptions" "ctrl:swapcaps"
# Or if you just want both to be control, use:
# Option "XkbOptions" "ctrl:nocaps"
#
Identifier "Keyboard0"
Driver "keyboard"
Option "XkbRules" "xfree86"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Mouse0"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "IMPS/2"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

# If the normal CorePointer mouse is not a USB mouse then
# this input device can be used in AlwaysCore mode to let you
# also use USB mice at the same time.
Identifier "DevInputMice"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "IMPS/2"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "DELa014"
VendorName "Monitor Vendor"
ModelName "DELL E176FP"
DisplaySize 340 270
HorizSync 31.0 - 80.0
VertRefresh 56.0 - 75.0
Option "dpms"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Videocard0"
Driver "ati"
VendorName "Videocard vendor"
BoardName "ATI Mach64"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Videocard0"
Monitor "DELa014"
DefaultDepth 16
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1280x1024" "1280x960" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "DRI"
Group 0
Mode 0666
EndSection

Backup that file and try putting this as the contents of XFree85Config ...
Then, as root,

It still didn't load:

(WW) Warning, couldn't open module GLcore
(EE) Failed to load module "GLcore" (module does not exist, 0)
(WW) ATI(0): Cannot shadow an accelerated frame buffer.
(WW) ATI(0): Monitor0: Using default hsync range of 31.00-80.00kHz
(WW) ATI(0): Monitor0: using default vrefresh range of 56.00-75.00Hz
(EE) Failed to initialize GLX extension (NVIDIA X driver not found)

Change your module section to:

Any luck?

No, the GLX and other errors are gone, naturally, but it still doesn't load up.