I have started to have a problem with startx.

Ubuntu 10.04 Gnome

When I log in and type startx it does not always start up a gui.

Shutting down and restarting 50% of the time gets startx working.

Please can someone "START" me off, where should I be looking and which logs are related etc.

Thanks in anticipation

0. upgrade to 12.04
10.04 is not supported.
1. monitor detection should be automatic.
2. /var/log/Xorg... logs
3 is gdm/kdm installed?

Wrong, 10.04 is a LTS release and supported until l 2013 on desktops and l 2015 on servers.

Doesn't matter if the OP boots to CLI and uses startx

@hdp160: It would be nice to have some more information:
Which graphics hardware?
Which drivers?
What exactly is happening?

Hi thanks for the start.

Unfortunatly 10.04 has to stay for a while.

found /var/log/Xorg.0.log and Xorg.0.log.old (backup copy I guess)

I'll track down the graphics hardware next and post details

edit.
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 82915G/GV/910GL Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 04)


Lines in the log file starting with WW would be those relating to problems (Yes?)

I can see my monitor details in the log file (BTW its been working daily for a month or so)
(Sorry the symptom is..... sometimes after logging in and typing startx I get a blank black screen BUT not everytime though?)

I'm guessing there are versions/update to X.org etc would you suggest I take that route next?

Those starting with WW are only warnings, those starting with EE are errors.

No, the next thing to do is to post the requested information together with the warnings and errors you get in the logfiles, so that we can actually start to help you.
Randomly updating/replacing software is not the way to go.

Excellent this is becoming much clearer.

At the moment startx (the gui) is WORKING so I'm guessing thats why I'm NOT getting any EE (errors) in the logfile.

So I think I need to check the logfile immediately when the gui doesn't work. (or are there by default historical log files relating to startx / Xorg)?

lspci -v produces

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 82915G/GV/910GL Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 04)
Subsystem: Fujitsu Technology Solutions Device 105b
Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 16
Memory at f0080000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=512K]
I/O ports at 1000 [size=8]
Memory at e0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
Memory at f0040000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256K]
Capabilities: [d0] Power Management version 2
Kernel modules: intelfb

I think that the driver is in 2? parts the kernel part and the X server part
I'm not sure how to find the X server part.

find /dev -group video
/dev/dri/card0
/dev/agpgart
/dev/fb0

glxinfo | grep -i vendor
server glx vendor string: SGI
client glx vendor string: Mesa Project and SGI
OpenGL vendor string: Tungsten Graphics, Inc

Yes, the Intel chip has a driver part in the kernel and a part in the X server. I was only asking for the driver in case you have a Nvidia or AMD card, for which proprietary and free drivers exist. Intel only delivers a free driver and the one in 10.04 should support your video card.
So it seems that we in fact have to wait for an error. There should be older versions of the logfiles, Xorg.X.log, replace X with a number, the higher the number the older the logs.

That great, I've had a look and a search ( just in case the previous log files were hidden or elsewhere) but there are no previous log files.

So as you said I will have to wait until I get a failure.

BTW is there a way I can set Xorg to make a log file everytime ( that is until I get this niggle sorted)

It should do that by default, at least it does on my systems.

Thanks I'll do a bit of research into why mine does not keep backup copies.

oops. sorry.