Quick question. Got 3.1 installed, looking good, but X will not start.
It's saying that no screens are found. I checked the cofig file, and
the screen is defined just like it should be. I even went a step
further and ran XF86config but it still won't do jack. I've never had this trouble setting up X (and I was using Linux back in the 90s), so I'm stumped (since I haven't had problems, no experience doing troubleshooting). Any thoughts? Thanks

could you please paste the contents of your X config file?

Also, the error lines of the X output would be quite helpful.

and also, what is the make/model of your video card?

Usually, this message means that you did not supply the correct driver for your video card.

You also shouldnt run xfconfig on debian, but use dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86. As you have run xfconfig, you will find you need to run the md5sum on the file, as dpkg wont reconfigure it now. Look in /var/log/Xfree86.0.log for errors.

Hi,
To configure X properly, you have to run, as root :

which will enable you to choose the driver for your card (Intel based are i810most of the
time except for the latest computers)
Pay attention to your mouse driver, too. dev/psaux for most ones, dev/input/mice for usb ones.

cheers

While getting the log, I looked a little closer and may have found the problem. I have a GeForce 6600 card. It's not listed in the log output for the "nv" driver. I guess now I can go get the nVidia driver. Man, that was just stupid right there. To do that, I just need the kernel sources and headers for the nVidia driver to do its thing, right? I don't need to recompile it, do I? Just to veryify the problem, I'm still going to include the log file and the config real quick. Thanks for your help and my apologies for being an idiot. I need to pay closer attention.

Config file:

Section "Files"
FontPath "unix/:7100" # local font server
# if the local font server has problems, we can fall back on these
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/misc"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Type1"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/CID"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "GLcore"
Load "bitmap"
Load "dbe"
Load "ddc"
Load "dri"
Load "extmod"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx"
Load "int10"
Load "record"
Load "speedo"
Load "type1"
Load "vbe"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "keyboard"
Option "CoreKeyboard"
Option "XkbRules" "xfree86"
Option "XkbModel" "pc104"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "CorePointer"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option "Protocol" "ImPS/2"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Generic Video Card"
Driver "nv"
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Generic Monitor"
HorizSync 31.5-57.0
VertRefresh 50.0-70.0
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "Generic Video Card"
Monitor "Generic Monitor"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 1
Modes "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 4
Modes "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768" "800X600" "640X480"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen "Default Screen"
InputDevice "Generic Keyboard"
InputDevice "Configured Mouse"
EndSection

Section "DRI"
Mode 0666
EndSection


From the log:
(II) NV: driver for NVIDIA chipsets: RIVA 128, RIVA TNT, RIVA TNT2,
Unknown TNT2, Vanta, RIVA TNT2 Ultra, RIVA TNT2 Model 64,
Aladdin TNT2, GeForce 256, GeForce DDR, Quadro, GeForce2 MX/MX 400,
GeForce2 MX 100/200, GeForce2 Go, Quadro2 MXR/EX/Go,
GeForce2 Integrated GPU, GeForce2 GTS, GeForce2 Ti, GeForce2 Ultra,
Quadro2 Pro, GeForce4 MX 460, GeForce4 MX 440, GeForce4 MX 420,
GeForce4 MX 440-SE, GeForce4 440 Go, GeForce4 420 Go,
GeForce4 420 Go 32M, GeForce4 460 Go, GeForce4 440 Go 64M,
GeForce4 410 Go 16M, Quadro4 500 GoGL, Quadro4 550 XGL, Quadro4 NVS,
GeForce4 MX 440 with AGP8X, GeForce4 MX 440SE with AGP8X,
GeForce4 MX 420 with AGP8X, GeForce4 448 Go, GeForce4 488 Go,
Quadro4 580 XGL, Quadro4 280 NVS, Quadro4 380 XGL,
GeForce4 MX Integrated GPU, GeForce3, GeForce3 Ti 200,
GeForce3 Ti 500, Quadro DCC, GeForce4 Ti 4600, GeForce4 Ti 4400,
0x0252, GeForce4 Ti 4200, Quadro4 900 XGL, Quadro4 750 XGL,
Quadro4 700 XGL, GeForce4 Ti 4800, GeForce4 Ti 4200 with AGP8X,
GeForce4 Ti 4800 SE, GeForce4 4200 Go, Quadro4 700 GoGL,
Quadro4 980 XGL, Quadro4 780 XGL, GeForce FX 5800 Ultra,
GeForce FX 5800, Quadro FX 2000, Quadro FX 1000,
GeForce FX 5600 Ultra, GeForce FX 5600, 0x0313, GeForce FX 5600SE,
0x0316, 0x0317, GeForce FX Go5600, GeForce FX Go5650,
Quadro FX Go700, 0x031D, 0x031E, 0x031F, GeForce FX 5200,
GeForce FX 5200 Ultra, GeForce FX 5200, GeForce FX 5200SE,
GeForce FX Go5200, GeForce FX Go5250, GeForce FX Go5200 32M/64M,
0x0329, Quadro NVS 280 PCI, Quadro FX 500, GeForce FX Go5300,
GeForce FX Go5100, 0x032F, GeForce FX 5900 Ultra, GeForce FX 5900,
GeForce FX 5900XT, GeForce FX 5950 Ultra, 0x0334, Quadro FX 3000,
GeForce FX 5700 Ultra, GeForce FX 5700, GeForce FX 5700LE,
GeForce FX 5700VE, 0x0345, GeForce FX Go5700, GeForce FX Go5700,
0x0349, 0x034B, Quadro FX Go1000, Quadro FX 1100, 0x034F
(II) Primary Device is: PCI 05:00:0
(EE) No devices detected.

Fatal server error:
no screens found

Yes. Then:


Change the "nv" driver to "nvidia", and you should be good to go.

Though I think you have your issue resolved, if you are running on a Debian based system and you get stuck, and you just want to get SOMETHING working, you can try something like this:

gtf 1024 768 75

# 1024x768 @ 75.00 Hz (GTF) hsync: 60.15 kHz; pclk: 81.80 MHz
Modeline "1024x768_75.00" 81.80 1024 1080 1192 1360 768 769 772 802 -HSync +Vsync

That is, run the command gtf. I supplied it with a 1024x768 monitor running at 75 Hz., which most monitors and graphics cards can handle these days, (but you could give it 800 600 60 if 1024x768 is too agressive).

What comes back is a comment for the Modeline, followed by the Modeline itself, which you can then copy and paste into your X configuration file. As long as you have the gtf command on your system, this might help get you out of hot water some day.

Thanks for that tip, I'll keep that in mind. Well, I got X up and running...Very nice looking, I must say. I'm still working the nVidia issue (as seen by my other thread), but, it finally dawned on me to change the driver, at least temporarily. I went in the config file and changed it from 'nv' to 'vesa'. Bam! 'startx' and not I'm looking at a beautiful GNOME desktop. I'll take my time on the nVidia deal. I only need graphics acceleration when I start working on getting my emulator working for my games. Until then, I'm very happy. Thanks to everyone for the help, and hopefully I can just work out my recompile issues. No doubt, something stupid again like missing something that's staring right at me. Peace.




----
Running Debian 3.1 on AMD Athlon 64 3700+
1GB RAM
Kernel 2.6.8-11

I had exactly the same problem last saturday when I decided to become a turncoat ( switching from Fedora core 4 to Sarge ).
I own a Geforce 6600 and an AMD64 Nforce4 too on my home system.
Like you I was lucky when after several unsuccessfull trials Xfree86 worked when I selected the vesa driver ( why ? is this abug in the installer ? )
My logic was: If that's doesn,t work with the Nvidia driver, let's try something simpler, like a vesa or a vga driver
At least I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one who has that problem.
I still can't surf the web at home ( I post from work ) because I have problems configuring my NIC.

I don't think it's a bug. If I had to guess, I'd say that the XFree86 version is a little older, since it has no GeForce 6x00 cards covered, that's all. As for your NIC, you have the nForce 4 with the online ethernet, right? If so, you have to use the forcedeth driver (comes with Debian). It's what I use for my nForce4. Peace.

Arrg! My kernal is giving me heck, I need to know how to get the "Support files" mentioned in this readme.

ftp://download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Li...676/README.txt

I'm a complete newb, as you can tell, and don't know what in the heck to do.

By "support files", they mean your kernel headers. First find out which kernel version you are running by using the command
On my system, this command returns
If your version number is lower than 2.6.12 (e.g., you have a 2.6.8 kernel), download a package called kernel-headers-2.x.y-z (with the matching version) using either the 'apt-get' command or, if you already have X running, using the 'Synaptic Package Manager' (you should find it in your app menus). If you have version 2.6.12, the package is called linux-headers-2.6.12-blah-blah-blah.

The Nvidia installer needs the kernel headers to compile an interface for your system. If you suspect that the installer isn't finding your headers. look at the output of
There is an option in there, called --kernel-source-path, that you can use to specify the location of your headers. For instance:


Hope this helps.