How to remove XFree86?

halfpower · 07-31-2005, 08:50 PM

In installed XFree86, but it is not working correctly. I wish now to uninstall it so that I can try installing it again. For some reason when I type

Code:

apt-get remove x-window-system-core
apt-get install x-window-system-core

XFree86 fails to go through the set up process. When I type

Code:

startx

I get an error message that appears to be quite similar to the error message I had gotten earlier. It say something about my mouse not being configured correctly.

How do I remove XFree86 so that I can do a clean reinstall?

cddesjar · 07-31-2005, 09:58 PM

why not just edit the xfree86 file? vi /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 and configure it manually.

Noth · 08-01-2005, 12:39 AM

Generally removing and reinstalling software on Linux will gain you nothing, you'll still have to configure or fix whatever's broken.

If you just want to walk through the debconf configuration for XFree again, run dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86.

halfpower · 08-01-2005, 01:59 AM

When I go through the configuration process I am asked for a BusID for my video card. I have a dual head nVidia MX4000 AGP on an Asus A8V (Via K8T800 Pro) motherboard. Does anybody know what I am suppose to put for the BusID?

I was successfully able to install and run the X Window System in OpenBSD. Is there a configuration file anywhere on that partition which I could use as a guide for configuring the /etc/X11/XF86Configure-4 file on my Linux partition?

pvs · 08-01-2005, 04:40 AM

type
cat /proc/pci
you should see something like "Bus 10, device 0, function 0" for your video card
in this case your BusID is 10:0:0

samael26 · 08-01-2005, 09:01 AM

Hi,
You said yourself you had an issue with your mouse config. Before doing anything drastic, type, in a console, as root :

Code:

dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86

Change your mouse settings when prompted : usb mouse : /dev/input/mice
Other mice, most likely all the others, but choices are provided : ps/aux

X won't start if your mouse isn't set right.

cheers

Biased turkey · 08-01-2005, 02:15 PM

I agree with the previous posters, reinstalling xserver might be overkill .. and might not solve your problem anyway.
I have an Nvidia 660 so when asked to select the video card driver I selected nvidia right ? wrong
Xfree wouldn't start so I tried dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86 and that time selected the ...vesa driver . Guess what, it worked ( go figure ) .
So redefining your mouse might just do the trick.

farpoint · 08-05-2005, 05:52 PM

If it is a genuine mouse problem with X not starting, it could be due to mousedev not being loaded. I had this problem with the 2.6 kernel. Try modprobe mousedev. My next problem was the mouse pointer being frozen. Modprobe psmouse fixed that one and then the system worked ok. if that does fix the problem, you will need to add mousedev and psmouse on separate lines in /etc/modules. All the best, and don't give up. Nigel. aka farpoint.