Everything freezes when XWindows starts
 

G'Day,

I'm currently trying to install Debian 3.0r1 on a K6-2 500MHz machine. As soon as xwindows goes into the gnome login screen, everything freezes including the keyboard. I'm currently using an ATI Rage Pro Turbo AGP card, but I have also tried a 3Dfx Voodoo3 PCI card as well, and the same problem persists.

What may be causing this problem and how can I fix it?

Thanx in advance.

For starters, post your /etc/X11/XF86Config file....

Boot to run level 3 to give you a text logon....

if you are using lilo, hit Ctrl + x at the lilo screen and type linux 3 to get there, if you are using grub, someone else is gonna have to help you there.....

Also, when your system freezes, see if you can use Ctrl+Alt+F5 to get to another terminal..... it might not be your whole system that is freezing.....

I'm using lilo, and I've already removed gdm from my boot up sequence, so no problems there. I am using a USB Mouse, with kernel 2.2, I've now heard this may cause problems? Here's xf86config:

### BEGIN DEBCONF SECTION
# XF86Config-4 (XFree86 server configuration file) generated by dexconf, the
# Debian X Configuration tool, using values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the XF86Config-4 manual page.
# (Type "man XF86Config-4" at the shell prompt.)
#
# If you want your changes to this file preserved by dexconf, only make changes
# before the "### BEGIN DEBCONF SECTION" line above, and/or after the
# "### END DEBCONF SECTION" line below.
#
# To change things within the debconf section, run the command:
# dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86
# as root. Also see "How do I add custom sections to a dexconf-generated
# XF86Config or XF86Config-4 file?" in /usr/share/doc/xfree86-common/FAQ.gz.

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/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 "pex5"
Load "record"
Load "speedo"
Load "type1"
Load "vbe"
Load "xie"
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 "ATI Rage Pro Turbo AGP"
Driver "ati"
Option "UseFBDev" "true"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Samsung SyncMaster 950b"
HorizSync 28-50
VertRefresh 75-85
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "ATI Rage Pro Turbo AGP"
Monitor "Samsung SyncMaster 950b"
DefaultDepth 16
SubSection "Display"
Depth 1
Modes "1280x1024" "1280x960" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 4
Modes "1280x1024" "1280x960" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1280x1024" "1280x960" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1280x1024" "1280x960" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1280x1024" "1280x960" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1280x1024" "1280x960" "1152x864" "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

### END DEBCONF SECTION


Thanx,

I would set your display settings to a low level, like 640x480 for testing purposes. It may be that the level you selected requires to much memory. Worth a shot..

check /var/log/XFree86.* and ~/.xsession-errors

for any relevant info which may have been printed before the freeze occurred.