Help X will not start
 

I have just installed debian 3 r1 (Woody) for the first time however x server will not start using GDM (Gnome Display Manager).

Installed using cd 1 that had been downloaded from debian ftp site.

Hardware:
CPU: Intel P3 550MHZ 512KB cache Slot 1
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-BX2000 Revision 1 (Latest Bios F9)
Motherboard chipset: Intel 440BX
Graphics card: 3D Power TNT2 M64 32MB AGP (Nvidia Riva TNT2 Chipset)
Monitor: LG Flatron 775FT (Hs 30-70KHZ) (Vs 50-160KHZ)
Memory: 224Mb
Hard drive: 26GB
Mouse: Trust Optical Mouse

Error message:
"I can not start x server (your graphical interface). It is likely that it is not setup correctly. Would you like to view the x server output to diagnose the problem?

Clicking yes gets me the following:-

...
XFree version 4.1.0.1/x window system
(Protocol version 11, revision 0, vendor release 6510)
Release Date: 21 December 2001
Build Operating System: Linux 2.4.17 i686 [ELF]
module loader present
(==) logfile:"var/log/xfree86.0.log"
(==) using config:"etc/X11/xf86config-4"
(==) ServerLayout "Default Layout"
(**) |-->Screen"Default Screen" (0)
(**)| |-->Monitor "Generic monitor"
(**)| |-->Device "Generic video card"
(**)|--> Input Device "Generic Keyboard"
etc....
(--) Chipset RIVATNT M64 FOUND
(--) NV(0): Chipset "RIVA TNT M64"
(**) NV(0): Depth 16 (--) Framebuffer bpp16
(**) NV(0): Using framebuffer device
(II) Loading /usr/X11R6/Lib/Modules/Linux/Libfbdevhw.a
(II) Module fbdevhw: vendor=" The Xfree86 project"
Complied for 4.1.0.1, module version = 0.0.2
(II) Unloading /usr/X11R6/Lib/Modules/Libvgahw.a
(EE) Screen(s) found, but none have a usable configuration

Fatel Server Error
no screens found
----------------------------------
- I configured all screens up to 1024x768 16 bpp being the default.

- what have I done wrong?

- This is my first install of linux

- What can i do to fix this? I have tried vga and other modes via the graphical config of xfree86 I have also tried using the text only config as well.

- How can I copy the log file to a windows system I have fdd access but could I use samba to share with a ntfs system (windows and linux sytems are linked to a router) from command line?

- How can I upgrade Xfree86 if I needed to from a windows system ? i.e how can i get files on to the linux system i have a cd writer (in the windows system and cdrom drive in linux system) but don`t know how to mount cds on the linux system from command line.

Thanks in advance

try commenting the line in your xf86config file that says:
Option "UseFBDev" "true"
by putting a # in front of Option.
or download and install the nvidia drivers from www.nvidia.com

Thanks for your help I`m going to try and download and install the nvidia drivers.

Before I do how do I check that I have

MINIMUM SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS
o Kernel modutils 2.1.121 # insmod -V


I know my kernel and xfree86 requirements are ok.

Also as it is an AGP card how can I check to see if AGP is enabled or not.


Also

how do I edit the xf86config ie what editor do I use and what command do I use to start it.

I am a newbie.

The installation of the nvidia drivers failed:-

-> No precompled kernel interface was found to match your kernel

-> No matching recompiled kernel interface was found on the NVIDIA ftpsite, this means the installer will need to compile a kernel interface for your kernel.

ERROR: Unable to find the kernel header files for the currently running kernel.

ERROR: Installation has failed.

Help I don`t know what to do next .

Please help

- How do I install the latest (for woody) :-

Kernel
Xfree86
Kernel headers or interfaces

I have the install and upgrade cds 7 in all I think.

I also have a working internet connection I`m new to this and need to know what file to extract and where they are located.

Once I have done this I will install the latest Nvidia drivers.

Unless someone knows of a trick to get NVIDIA TNT 2 M64 drivers to work with woody and Gnome or KDE. By default I dont seem to get KDE without installing it via dselect or though .deb files. Is it possible for me to install KDE instead of Gnome at this stage. Which is the best GUI KDE or Gnome?

Thanks

Today I have started again from scratch with the install.

I still have the same problem.


I can not get the NVIDIA drivers to work.

How can I install kernel headers for woody?

Thanks

ok I want to recomplie the kernel to 2.4.21 the debian way and then install latest Nvidia drivers.


I want to know are these steps correct?

Recompiling the kernel

1. update source-list

2. apt-get install modutils kernel-package binutils bzip2 coreutils libc6-dev debhelper libcurses5 libcurses5-dev gcc

3. apt-get install kernel-source-2.4.21

4. apt-get install fakeroot

5. switch to root
cd /usr/src

6. tar --bizp -xvf kernel-source-2.4.21

7. cd /kernel-source-2.4.21

8. cp /boot/config-2.4.21-686.config

9. make menuconfig

10. Setup options in xconfig

11. make-kpkg clean

12. fakeroot make-kpkg --append_to_version -686 --initrd \ --revision=rev.01 kernel_image \ modules_image

13. cd..

14. dpkg -i kernel-image*.deb

15. Shutdown -r now

Then reboot

Install Nvidia drivers

sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-4496-pkg2.run

Look at how someone solved his problem....
Read below...........
"Thank you all for the fast reply on my problem. I finally figured it out
when I looked at the system log. The NVdriver kernel module was
complaining that an IRQ was not set for the VGA adapter. So, I rebooted,
enabled the IRQ for my video adapter in the BIOS, and X windows launched
right up. The 3D acceleration is working great. I installed and fired up
Quake III: Arena, and was getting as good a results as I can expect from
my PII 400."

Thanks again,

Ben Diedrich
Benjamin Diedrich <nebrich@u.washington.edu>


http://www.neko.it/tvlug/HOWTO/mini/...on.html#AEN111


HTH