Upgrade 13-37 to 14, xserver won't start
 

I have always done clean installs, this is my first attempt to upgrade with Slackware. I followed the UPGRADE.TXT file on the install CD, this is a 32 bit system. On my main system, ( my desktop ) I used the CD to install Slackware 14, 32 bit, a clean install without problems. ( different video hardware ).

The failing system is a HP Netbook 210-1000. The video hardware is listed as,
'Intel Corp N10 Family Integrated Graphics Controller'. BTW, I can't copy and paste from the system yet, I haven't got to fixing up the config files yet.

I can boot to run level 3 with either the huge kernel, or the generic-smp kernels.

When I try to startx, I get an error 'failed to load fbdev - module does not exist'.

Ran updatedb, and I can not find it.

I believe I followed UPGRADE.TXT to the letter. It appears as something is not installed I need to make the xserver run.

I ran xorgsetup, and startx, same problem. Also tried Xorg -config with the same 'module not found' error.

Looked through Changes and Hints text, did't see anything that applied.

Suggestions on how to find, install fbdev?

May be is related to "Now that KMS (Kernel Mode Setting) for graphics cards has (mostly) stabilized, it is enabled by default for intel, ati, and nvidia graphics chipsets."

Don't know much about KMS, this system ran well on 13.37. I'll look into KMS.

Don't think KMS has anything to do with this problem; my best guess.

Here is what I see in a terminal when I startx.

I do not have a xorg.conf file in /etc/X11/.

From reading through some posts I found, I saw one post stating fbdev was removed from 13.0. I have no idea if that is correct, or not. If it is correct, I have no idea why the system is looking for fbdev.

Anyone?

Does it only happen with xfce or other DE/WMs. As you can see, there have been some package changes in xfce version upgrade. Try running xwmconfig again to update the xinitrc file. Are you starting X as root?

I ran xwmconfig, just before I got the e-mail for your post. When I ran xwconfig, I had only a very few window managers to choose from. On 13.37, I had xfce and kde installed. I use xfce most of the time. I chose blackbox, and xserver is now running blackbox.

It appears to me as if the xfce packages for 14 are not installed, probably the same for kde.

Tried both as root, and user. There are some differences, when I do a startx as user, I see a white square appear in the top left quarter of the screen. It lasts about 20 seconds or so. ( This was before I ran xwconfig. ) If I startx as root, I get the messages as I posted in post#4. I do see the little clock appear for a very short time, before I was back in a command prompt.

I guess the question now, is how do I go about installing xfce packages, and kde packages? Something ran a-muck during the upgrade.

Did you install-new?

This is step 3 from UPGRADE.TXT file.

I did not run 'upgradepkg --install-new /root/slackware/*/*.t?z'. I read the next paragraph, I don't need KDEI ( english only ) so I ran the listed script.

Did I read this wrong???

I think you did:). The note about KDEI is just an addition. Some packages have been removed, some added. To have a functional system you need to install the ones that have been added to the system. There's quite a long list of additions in the CHANGES_AND_HINTS.TXT.

O.K., thank-you. I will run the install-new and see if things improve. I'll post back.

Well, I feel really dumb. It was a while ago I installed Slack14 for the 3 CD set on my desktop. I forgot.... there are 3 CD's. I only copied the directories from the first CD.

These are the dir's I installed from. The two .sh files are from the UPGRADE.TXT file. So, I didn't copy the kde or x directories.

Not sure what else I have missed. My plan now is to copy over the missing dir's and install their contents.

I copied the install directories from install CD's 2 and 3 to the netbook and ran . After the install, I ran xwmconfig and am now able to select xfce and kde as well.

This is now fixed.

Glad to hear it. Enjoy your "complete" Slack 14 system.