Hey guys,
I recently built a machine that runs an Intel Core i3-2100. The processor has integrated graphics, and I was wondering how I could use the X Window System that's on the LiveCD with my computer?

Before, on my computer that had a dedicated video card, I could just run "startx" and it would start up. But now, if I do that, I just get a black screen that I can't exit out of.

Does anyone have any experience with modifying the X configuration files to work with an Intel processor that has integrated graphics?

Your post lacks essential information. Which live-CD do you use in which version?

I'm using the LFS LiveCD 6.3, the most recent one. I'm attempting to build LFS 6.8, but that's not relevant, since I haven't done anything yet that is specific to this version of the book.

Hi,

Have you tried what is mentioned in the LFS LiveCD Documentation (the CONFIGURING X and/or PROPRIETARY VIDEO DRIVERS sections).

Hope this helps.

Thanks for answering, Druuna. I've check out that section, but they only give a couple of examples (for NVidia graphics and Fglrx graphics). After checking out the /drivers directory, there are indeed only NVidia and Fglrx files.
Do I have to download a specific Intel driver? I've tried just replacing 'vesa' in xorg.conf with 'intel', but that just made it crash.

Hi,

The vesa driver that is used as default by the LFS liveCD should work, it is the most generic driver available.

We need to know which errors are shown to tackle this problem. Have a look at /var/log/Xorg.0.log and the output that is send to the screen.

You mention not being able to exit the black screen; Did you try ctrl-alt-backspace? If that does not work try ctrl-alt-F2 to switch to a different terminal. From there you can access /var/log and possibly kill the startx process.

Hope this helps.

Once again druuna, thanks for answering. To answer your questions, no, once I start 'startx', I am not able to start a new terminal. I've checked, and I can do this at other times. Ctrl-Alt-Back didn't work either.
After rebooting, I decided to look in /var/log to see if there were any logs, but there were no logs pertaining to Xorg. Are these deleted on reboot or do I have a real problem here?

CDs are read only. So your logs can't be saved.

Ah, great point. So, if I can't access the logs before rebooting, there's no way to know what's going on? Before the screen goes black, I've noticed that a couple of lines appear quickly saying where the log file should be and where the configuration files is, that's all.

Hi,
This makes resolving your problem a lot harder. It seems that your integrated intel graphics isn't supported in this setup.

What does the following command show:There has been another thread that dealt with intel i915 graphics and problems that arose (don't think that it was solved).

I could mention that building LFS does not need a graphical environment (CLI is all you need), but I'm not sure if you will be able to build a fully working X (that is done in BLFS and not in LFS, not sure if you want to do that).

As already mentioned by TobiSGD; The logs aren't saved. They are created, but if you aren't able to switch to another terminal you cannot access them.

Hope this helps.

There is a SSH-server on the live-CD. If you have another machine, you can try to start the SSh server, then startx, then SSH into that machine and copy over the logs.

Alright Druuna, that command outputs:

00:02:00 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Unknown device 0182

[...]

About 10 lines of additional output, but I think what's above is all that matters; the fact that it knows the vendor name but doesn't recognize the device can't be good, right?

And yes, I am aware that I don't need to necessarily use the GUI to build LFS, but after having tried LFS (and gotten to the last step) several times, I've decided that copy-pasting could now be acceptable And, as you said, I eventually want to build a GUI system, so if my computer can't support X now, it obviously won't later.


Thanks for the suggestion TobiSGD, but for some reason, when I try to ssh into the machine, I get the connection was refused, immediately. Am I missing a setting here or something?

Hi boopyman I to had a problem with this graphics card as druuna said I never got to the bottom of it we spent alot of time on it still no joy. I am trying again see if things turn out diff DONT look like it will

Thanks for the heads up, I'm starting to think I might have to go for the dreaded Windows...

I just found out that the integrated graphics of your CPU is supported from driver version 2.14. I doubt that this rather new driver is integrated into the live-CD. You have to use the vesa-driver.

Going back to Windows because drivers for your new hardware aren't integrated into an old live-CD is rather poor reasoning in my eyes.