Can anyone offer advice on configuring X Windows?

CJohnM · 03-09-2006, 10:07 PM

Hi,
I'm a newbie trying to dual boot Ubuntu Breezy with XP on a Dell Dimension 3000. A few weeks ago I attempted to do a net install of Debian, but because I couldn't configure the network I only managed to get the base system installed with no packages. I reconfigured the system recently using a Breezy CD, and have now installed the Ubuntu Desktop from that after including it in my sources list. However, now I can't get X configured properly. This is what I got after trying to start it -

Code:

    Failed:
modprobe: Can't locate module i915
[drm] failed to load kernel module "i915"
(EE) i810:[dri]DRIScreenInit failed. Disabling DRI.
(EE)xf86OpenSerial: Cannot open device /dev/input/mice.
    No such device.
(EE) Configured Mouse: cannot open input device
(some code deleted...)
Fatal server error:
failed to initialize core devices
X10: fatal IO error 104 (Connection reset by peer) on X server  ":0.0" after 0 requests (0 known processed) with 0 events remaining.

I'm using dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg to reconfigure. I understand there is often a problem with i810 video cards when configuring X, because these cards have to get memory from the system (I think I understand what that means). I've googled for possible memory sizes, but found very little on the topic. I tried 32768kB but it didn't work. There also seem to be other things that have gone wrong. The following is from my (incredibly long!) configuration log -

Code:

(ACRES of code deleted...)
(II)1810(0):detected 892kB stolen memory.
(II)1810(0):1830CheckAvailableMemory: 448508kB available
(II)1810(0):Will attempt to tell BIOS that there is 12288kB VideoRAM
(WW)1810(0):Extended BIOS function 0X5f11 not supported.
(II)Loading sub module "init10"
(II)Loadmodule: "init10"
(ii)Reloading /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/linux/libint10.a
(II)1810(0):initializing int10
(WW)1810(0):Bad V_BIOS checksum
(some more code deleted...)
(II)1810(0):Broken BIOSes cause the system to hang here.
(a lot of code deleted...)
(II)1810(0):HorizontalSync 31-80
(II)1810(0):VertRefresh 56-75
(WW)1810(0):config file hsync range 28-51kHz not within DDC hsync range 31-80kHz
(WW)1810(0):config file vrefresh range 43-60kHz not within DDC hsync range 56-75Hz

Also there was some later stuff about problems with the mode clock, whatever that is...

Sorry, I had to input all that code by hand, as I'm on a dual boot and writing this from XP now. Anyone with any suggestions on how to fix this?

Many thanks

smiley_lauf · 03-09-2006, 10:55 PM

What specs of your video card? 855 chiptset?? 915?? Have you had this xserver configured successfully before or is this the firts time after booting? there is a patch for these 855 915 resolutions, that you may have to install. In the mean time to get into GUI mode, try config xsever by selecting VESA card and login. use synaptic to install the patch. once installed you will have to follow instructyions here to set up the resolution: start herehttp://www.geocities.com/stomljen/

CJohnM · 03-10-2006, 12:01 AM

Don't know a lot about chipsets and video cards etc, but what I have is an intel 82865G Graphics Controller. Thanks a lot for the link: I found another link for what looks like the same thing -

http://www.chzsoft.com.ar/855compat.php

Unfortunately, though, even if I manage to get a GUI up and running I'm going to have to get a working network before I could use Synaptic. Gonna take quite a bit of work, as I'm such a newbie, but perhaps I could stick a package on to a CD and apt-get it? I saw a link to a Debian patch in the above, so perhaps that might work.

No, I've not had the thing up and running at all. This is my first attempt at installing a Linux system on a hard drive. Previously I've used live CDs (Knoppix), something called WinLinux (which installs as just another application ontop of Windows - crap) and recently Ubuntu through VMware player. I made a copy of the xorg.conf file from the live CD of Breezy Badger, so perhaps I could edit by hand? Just a thought.

Many thanks

masonm · 03-10-2006, 12:18 AM

Try using the VESA config and check the sync rates for the hardware you have. That's usually where the bug is.

CJohnM · 03-10-2006, 12:43 AM

Just tried it again selecting vesa and no luck. What exactly are sync rates?