Cannot login into GDM, KDM, XDM anymore (X issue)

robbbert · 10-15-2006, 12:17 PM

Cannot login into GDM, KDM, XDM anymore (X issue)

Hi, I cannot login into Gnome, KDE, or Xfce anymore. After providing user name and password in the login manager, the screen instantly turns black.

- It is to do with the screen resolution. At first, logging in into KDE and Xfce still worked (but not into Gnome) - until I tried to change the screen resolution there.
Some screen resolution modes apeared to work while changing to others would instantly produce a black screen.
- It is related to the monitor I'm using. On another monitor, logging in still works.
- It is to do with the personal settings. Logging in as another user works.
I can't find where those settings are stored.

I guess it's all about finding those settings.

Any help would be greatly appreceated. Thanks.

Additional information attached below:

This is an NVidia GeForce MX 400 graphics card.
/etc/X11/xorg.conf hasn't changed.
Xorg.0.log looks inconspicuous.

.xsession-errors of the user that cannot login:

Code:

/etc/gdm/PreSession/Default: Registering your session with wtmp and utmp
/etc/gdm/PreSession/Default: running: /usr/bin/sessreg -a -w /var/log/wtmp -u /var/run/utmp -x "/var/lib/gdm/:0.Xservers" -h "" -l ":0" "robert"
/etc/gdm/Xsession: Beginning session setup...
SESSION_MANAGER=local/ubuntu:/tmp/.ICE-unix/8114
Gnome-Message: gnome_execute_async_with_env_fds: returning -1

(gnome-panel:8186): GdkPixbuf-CRITICAL **: gdk_pixbuf_scale_simple: assertion `dest_width > 0' failed

(gnome-panel:8186): Gtk-WARNING **: gtk_widget_size_allocate(): attempt to allocate widget with width -3 and height 24

(gnome-panel:8186): GdkPixbuf-CRITICAL **: gdk_pixbuf_scale_simple: assertion `dest_width > 0' failed

** (nautilus:8188): WARNING **: file already in tree (parent_ptr: (nil))!!!


** (nautilus:8188): WARNING **: file already in tree (parent_ptr: (nil))!!!


** (nautilus:8188): WARNING **: file already in tree (parent_ptr: (nil))!!!


** (nautilus:8188): WARNING **: No description found for mime type "x-special/socket" (file is ".gnome-launch-box.robert"), please tell the gnome-vfs mailing list.

** (nautilus:8188): WARNING **: No description found for mime type "x-special/fifo" (file is ".kaxclient.ts"), please tell the gnome-vfs mailing list.

.xsession-errors of the user that is able to login:

Code:

/etc/gdm/PreSession/Default: Registering your session with wtmp and utmp
/etc/gdm/PreSession/Default: running: /usr/bin/sessreg -a -w /var/log/wtmp -u /var/run/utmp -x "/var/lib/gdm/:0.Xservers" -h "" -l ":0" "test"
/etc/gdm/Xsession: Beginning session setup...
SESSION_MANAGER=local/ubuntu:/tmp/.ICE-unix/4851
Gnome-Message: gnome_execute_async_with_env_fds: returning -1

(gnome-panel:4928): GdkPixbuf-CRITICAL **: gdk_pixbuf_scale_simple: assertion `dest_width > 0' failed

(gnome-panel:4928): Gtk-WARNING **: gtk_widget_size_allocate(): attempt to allocate widget with width -9 and height 24

Parts from xorg.conf:

Code:

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier     "Generic Monitor"
    Option         "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "NVIDIA Corporation NV11 [GeForce2 MX/MX 400]"
    Driver         "nvidia"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier     "Default Screen"
    Device         "NVIDIA Corporation NV11 [GeForce2 MX/MX 400]"
    Monitor        "Generic Monitor"
    DefaultDepth    24
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       1
        Modes      "1600x1200" "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       4
        Modes      "1600x1200" "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       8
        Modes      "1600x1200" "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       15
        Modes      "1600x1200" "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       16
        Modes      "1600x1200" "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       24
        Modes      "1600x1200" "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
    EndSubSection
EndSection

rickyvt · 10-16-2006, 10:17 AM

I had a similar problem. It was due to my home folder which was full. After deleting lots of downloaded rpm and some useless files in the /home/me/tmp folder I could login again. It's rather strange since there were some Mb/Gb left on the hard disk. Maybe something to do with user quota?

KenJackson · 10-16-2006, 10:31 AM

Not sure, but I would look for these files in your home directory:

.xinitrc
.xserverrc
.desktop
.Xdefaults

Also, when the display is blank, try CTRL-ALT-KP_- and CTRL-ALT-KP_+. That is, hold down CTRL and ALT and press the - or + keys on the keypad. These are supposed to change the display resolution at runtime, if enabled.

robbbert · 10-16-2006, 11:36 AM

Thanks.

Quote:

I had a similar problem. It was due to my home folder which was full.

OK, I made sure there's at least 1 GB of free disk space on each partition.

Quote:

.xinitrc
.xserverrc
.desktop
.Xdefaults

These files appear not to exist on my PC (Ubuntu 6.06).
Ctrl+Alt++ didn't work for me; the screen would stay black.

-----
I've installed the newest commercial NVidia driver (using Automatix; I had installed it before, but there's been a newer version in the meantime) but the symptoms are still the same.

- One remarkable thing is, in Xfce, the Screen Resolution Dialog has "Default" pre-selected (which appears to be 1600 x 1200). The GNOME Screen Resolution Dialog does not have a "Default" selection. There, "1600 x 1200" is pre-selected, with a refresh rate of 75 Hz.

Now, the refresh rates for lower screen resolutions are offered as 85 Hz, resp. 88 Hz, - one only for each screen resolution.

Why doesn't it offer lower refresh rates? This is an old monitor, which, I believe, might not be capable of rates > 75 Hz.

As mentioned, everytime I select a lower screen resolution than 1600 x 1200 - and/or a higher refresh rate than 75 Hz, the screen will turn black, and I have to restart X.

-----
Edit: And, now there's been the second time (within two days, after half a year) that the screen + mouse + keyboard freezes without any reason.

KenJackson · 10-16-2006, 12:29 PM

When the screen is black or appears to be frozen, try CTRL-ALT-Backspace to kill the Xserver and dump you to a virtual (text) console.

Alternately, you should be able to press CTRL-ALT-F1 (or -F2 .. -F6) to get to a virtual console without killing the Xserver (CTRL-ALT-F7 should take you back to X).

In either case, as root look at /var/log/Xorg.0.log for errors and hints as to why X does what it does and what the problem is.

robbbert · 10-16-2006, 05:45 PM

KenJackson, thanks -- I've been already using Ctrl+Alt+Backspace (that's the key combination I use at most, since recently), also, I've looked at xorg.0.log.

- Why will changing the screen resolution and/or refresh rate kill the X server?

Why there are only refresh rates fromon 85 Hz available (except using that 1600 x 1200 screen resolution, where there's 75 Hz available)?

KenJackson · 10-16-2006, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robbbert

Why will changing the screen resolution and/or refresh rate kill the X server?

Don't know, though it may be that the Xserver is working fine but your display just can't display it.

The file /etc/X11/xorg.conf has a "Monitor" section that has to be right for your actual monitor. I've been lucky and been able to find the right information by googling for my monitors. You may be able to do the same.

Also, the NVidia drivers now come with a utility, nvidia-xconfig, that creates an xorg.conf file for you. It may or may not do a good job.

BTW, does your "Device" section have 'Driver "nvidia"' or 'Driver "nv"'? Not that I understand the issues involved, but "nvidia" always does better for me than "nv".

robbbert · 10-17-2006, 01:52 PM

Quote:

nvidia-xconfig

Thanks Ken. That changed "nv" to "nvidia". [EDIT]I just read that "nv" is the Open Source driver, while "nvidia" is the Closed Source one.[/EDIT] - Nevertheless, X is still crashing when I try to change the screen resolution.

Does anyone know where the "possible refresh rates" are stored, and taken from? - I'ld really like to try 1280 x 1024 pixel, with a refresh rate of 75 Hz (like my previous settings, if I remember well).

rickyvt · 10-18-2006, 01:42 AM

In /etc/X11/XF86Config there is a section "Monitor" with VertRefresh. Maybe you should look there

robbbert · 10-18-2006, 12:03 PM

Strange! There is no file containing the term "XF86" on the partition. Also, I looked at the "installed files" for all packages that contain "nvidia" in their name or description, but didn't find such a file being installed.

KenJackson · 10-18-2006, 03:56 PM

There are two common implementations of Xwindow on GNU/Linux. X.org is now the most common, which uses configuration file xorg.conf. And XFree86 previously was most common, which used configuration file XF86Config.

Fortunately, both files use the same format. In fact, some distros install a symbolic link named XF86Config that points to xorg.conf.
Edited typo.

rickyvt · 10-19-2006, 08:04 AM

Well in my xorg.conf file, there is this Section :

Section "Monitor"
DisplaySize 406 305
HorizSync 30-62
Identifier "Monitor[0]"
ModelName "MULTISYNC 4FGE"
Option "DPMS"
VendorName "NEC"
VertRefresh 51-90
UseModes "Modes[0]"
EndSection

Maybe you can add some values to your Monitor section which lacks some of these values