Starting Out With Linux Problems

Hi, I've just recently started messing with linux and am trying to install it on my machine. I decided upon SuSE linux. The install runs very smoothly, however, when I try to run the installed system it errors out and will not run the GUI interface. I know that everything with the machine runs fine without error and I get this problem with both desktop eviroments. With gnome it reads that an insufficent memory window was requested and with KDE it gives an error that it was "Unable to connect to the X server." and "Connection Failed: directory does not exist". I've reinstalled the system at least twice with each desktop and the same result occurs so I know it's not that and the media is alright and checked out perfectly. So what is wrong? Has this problem happened before and how can I solve it?

Originally Posted by andrew285 Hi, I've just recently started messing with linux and am trying to install it on my machine. I decided upon SuSE linux. The install runs very smoothly, however, when I try to run the installed system it errors out and will not run the GUI interface. I know that everything with the machine runs fine without error and I get this problem with both desktop eviroments. With gnome it reads that an insufficent memory window was requested and with KDE it gives an error that it was "Unable to connect to the X server." and "Connection Failed: directory does not exist". I've reinstalled the system at least twice with each desktop and the same result occurs so I know it's not that and the media is alright and checked out perfectly. So what is wrong? Has this problem happened before and how can I solve it?:confused:

Hi,

And welcome to LQ!

As for the problem: in assessing the possible causes a detailed list of
the hardware involved (most importantly the video-adaptor) would be
very helpful.

As far as the installed system goes: it completes to boot to a command-line
with no problems? If so, log-in as root and run
sax2

Even if it doesn't manage to set-up X correctly we may at least get some
sensible error messages back from it.


Cheers,
Tink

As far as the installed system goes: it completes to boot to a command-line with no problems?

Correct.

As for the problem: in assessing the possible causes a detailed list of the hardware involved (most importantly the video-adaptor) would be very helpful.

Okay here's the semi-detailed list (The computers currently at a different location than I am so I'm recalling this from memory.)

Processor: Intel PIII 1.0 Ghz

MB: It's an alton with a via chipset. I'll get the specific specs what I get back with the machine.

Memory: 256 MB PC133 SDRAM

Video Card: ATI Raedon Rage6 32MB

Network Card: Dcom Network card (model number is long and I don't remember it)

Harddrive: 40GB WD caviar

CD/DVD Drives/Burners: 1 DVD+R burner (brand unknown currently) and 1 Asus 48x CD-Rom Drive.

Floppy: Standard Floppy drive.

Other than that there's nothing much left to add. I'll try the suggestion you gave and will report back with results.

And don't forget the "running sax2" bit :}


Cheers,
Tink

Sorry I'm taking so long. I wasn't able to acess the computer with linux on it yesterday but I hopefully will get to it today.

Okay, I've finnaly gotten to look at the computer and I've run sax2 and here's what I got:

Sax:Initalizing please wait
Sax:your current configuration will not be read in

Sax: no x-server is running
Sax: will start own server if needed
SPP: prepare device [0] profile: Depth24
SPP: prepare device [0] profile: Radeon
SPP: calling device [0] profile script: Radeon
SPP:Including prepared profile(s)...

Sax: Startup

xc: sorry could not start configuration server
xc: for details refer to the log file:

/var/log/SaX.log

xc: abort

I can't access the log file for some reason. ( It says I don't have permission to access it even though I'm logged in as root.)

Hope this clears up some questions.

Can you please post the output of
ls -l /var
ls -l /var/log

?

Cheers,
Tink

okay here's the "ls -l /var" log...

drwxr-xr-x 8 root root 224 2006-06-06 12:52 adm
drwxr-xr-x 11 root root 272 2006-06-06 13:44 cache
drwxrwxr-x 2 games games 48 2006-06-06 20:51 games
drwxr-xr-x 40 root root 1072 2006-06-06 13:14 lib
drwxrwxr-t 4 root uucp 96 2006-06-06 9:55 lock
drwxr-xr-x 10 root root 1130 2006-06-06 9:54 log
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 2006-06-06 12:39 mail -> spool/mail
drwxr-x 1 root root 72 2006-06-06 12:44 opt
drwxr-xr-x 17 root root 944 2006-06-06 9:55 run
drwxr-xr-x 11 root root 296 2006-06-06 12:48 spool
drwxrwxrwt 6 root root 176 2006-06-06 9:56 tmp
drwxr-xr-x 5 root root 152 2006-06-06 12:47 x11r6
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 104 2006-06-06 12:48 yp

Annnnd here's the other one...

-rw-r----- 1 root root 2075 2006-06-06 13:48 mail.warn
-rw-r----- 1 root root 556493 2006-06-06 11:54 messages
drwxr-x--- 2 news news 136 2006-06-06 12:46 news
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 2006-06-06 12:48 ntp
drwxr-r--- 2 root root 48 2006-06-06 3:42 samba
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 44377 2006-06-06 9:39 SaX.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 560 2006-06-06 13:53 scpm
drwxr-x--- 2 root dailout 112 2006-06-06 14:00 smpppd
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 91 2006-06-06 14:00 susehelp.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 4361 13:14 suspend2ram.log
-rw-r----- root root 16720 2006-06-06 10:00 warn
-rw-rw-r-- 1 root tty 54144 2006-06-06 9:56 wtmp
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 2006-06-06 12:48 XFree86.0.log->Xorg.0.log
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 14 2006-06-06 12:48 XFee86.0.log.old ->xorg.0.log.old

-rw-r--r-- root root 34041 2006-06-06 9:54 Xorg.0.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 34586 2006-06-06 9:39 Xorg.0.log.old
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 15 2006-06-06 9:39 xvt
drew------ 3 root root 448 2006-06-06 13:54 YaST2
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1600039 2006-06-06 9:56 zmd-backend.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 42487 2006-06-06 9:30 zmd-backend.log-20060612bz2 <- (this text was red)
-rw------- 1 root root 3854 2006-06-06 10:00 zmd-messages.log
-rw------- 1 root root 6106 2006-06-06 14:08 zmd-messages.log.2006-06-06
-rw------- 1 root root 5781 2006-06-06 12:45 zmd-messages.log.2006-06-07


Thats all of the log that I could see (There appears to be more above whats written but I can't find out what it is) I really hopes this helps.

So, what happens if you try
less /var/log/SaX.log
from a shell?

Cheers,
Tink

It tells me that "no such file or directory exits".

You're using the right capitalisation, yes? Actually typing SaX.log,
not sax.log?


Cheers,
Tink

Ah hah! i forgot to run it as a shell. Okay, I got a huge list of files hex addresses and the like. I hope you don't want me to put all that here but at the very bottom I did see one thing.

Fatal Server Error:
Caught signal 11. Sever Aborting

Thats the only thing I found that looked suspisous.

How about the 5 to 10 lines above that? :}


That definitely indicates that there WAS a problem but doesn't give us a clue as
to WHAT the problem was ...


Cheers,
Tink

ok here's the 7 lines that were above the error. (I'm assuming the you want the "Backtrace")

0 /usr/sbin/xw(xf86SigHandler + 0x87) [0x80881f7]
1 [0xffffe420]
2 /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/drivers/savage_drv.so [0xb7949398]
3 /usr/sbin/xw(InitOutput + ox9ee) [0x80719fe]
4 /usr/sbin/xw(main + 0x22f) [0x80d448f]
5 /lib/libc.so.6(__libc_start_main + 0xdc) [0xb7d7687c]
6 /usr/sbin/xw [0x8070081]

There you are.

Btw I'm heading home now. I won't have the computer again untill tomorrow.

Any ideas yet?