Cannot start X-server
 

Hi

I'm using red hat 7.3. My X-server works fine with the kernel 2.4.20. Ive compiled another kernel 2.4.19 but my X server does not start in this....the screen just flcikers 3 times and i get a message saying that there was problem starting the X-server. Ive isolated the problem as the font server...my font server is basically dead. When i restart it, it gives me a message saying font server restarted, but when i check its status it shows it as dead.

Could anyone tell me how i could solve this problem?

Update the font server to a new version. Can't make it any worse.

Hi, I'm having the same problem. I am using Mandrake 10.1 Community. To login graphically, I use the Gnome Display Manager.

Then at booting, the Gnome Display Manager (GDM) began complaining:

'The system appears to be crashing, I will use another instead' . Then an alternative GUI screen allowed me to login (graphically) in KDE. This happened every time I started my computer.

But one morning, however, It could not get that GDM anymore:" I cannot start the X server. It is likely that it is not set up correctly. Would you like to view the X server output to diagnose the problem?"

While browsing the error message I noticed the most significant: '

"Fatal server error:
Could not open default font 'fixed' "

---Does anyone know what does that mean? Which font ? And how I can fix that? ----

and also this warning (ww):

(ww) option XkbOptions requires a string value


I had the option to run the X configuration program: So I say yes and XFdrake menu appears:

I see that all is correctly identified: My graphics card (RIVA TNT2), my monitor (Optiquest Q71) and the resolution (1152X768 24 bpp). So push OK.

Then Nvidia splash screen appears, goes black, flickers several times, and this sequence is repeated three times, then we go back to the error" I cannot start the X server..etc."


Thanks for helping

Maxei

Now the X server can start again!!!
 

Well. it is really embarrassing. The huge problem that the system could not start X server in my case (and giving that freaking message: Fatal server error: Could not open default font 'fixed',) was caused by......the lack of disk space in the partition /tmp !!!! :scratch:

Can you hear you guys in charge of X development?

It is hard to believe that such a small detail can render the X server totally useless. Is this another Achilles point?

The night before the problem started, I recorded a small (I thought is was small!) piece of TV on /tmp. I didnt realize it took about 10 G (virtually the size of this partition).

So, during booting, I noticed a warning line saying no space in /tmp. When I logged in (of course in console mode; the x server being useless), I deleted that huge .mpg file, then rebooted, yeah, rebooted the whole thing. Then once logged in, fired startx and voila!!!: X is now happily displaying all wonderfull colors and nice graphical windows as it was before.

For all you guys with a similar problem, before looking for fancy commands, misterious setups and chekings, or deep reconfigurations or re-installings: Linuxians of the world, Beware!

(of course, your case may be different; :D
I have a question: if you dont have /tmp partition, where the X server system will look for the disk space it needs so desperately?

Maxei DeVraie

The symptoms are exactly as mentioned by Maxie...but I had already tried clearing my /tmp...and tried updating the font server as suggested but no use...X still remains in its deathbed:(

Hey Clemence, still got the X blues? I'm no expert at all, but I checked many places and found possible solutions, many as diverse as you could imagine (will take you hours to gather all that info scattered in the web)

One promising solution is to run as root xfs -daemon . It seems that xfs works by sharing the font files.

If that doesnt work, one has to build a init script with defined font path.

another point you should troubleshoot is the vcn server, which requires that xfs services runs first (root): #xfs -daemon
(some say use this alternative command instead: #service xfs restart)

then: #service vcnserver start.

If that doesnt work, try checking which fonts are available by typing: #chkfontpath --list

you should have a list of several fonts. Then make sure the paths are correct.

AT the end, if your system was working nicely then suddenly broke, I definitely would not modify my settings or re-install anything yet. It may turn things worst.Try to figure out what was the last thing you did before the problem arrived. It might be just a simple thing such as caused by an unclean shutdown, or wrong paths or a lost/corrupted file (i would check that last thing too.)

good luck

Maxei DeVraie

Hi

Thanx Maxie...But ive already tried this stuff with the VNC server.

These are the messages i get:
# xfs -daemon

#service vncserver start
Starting VNC server [OK]

#service vncserver status
Xvnc is stopped

I checked the font path..they point to the right path.

Is the fixed font supposed to figure in any of the mentioned paths?
i have the following font dirs:
100dpi
75dpi
CID
encodings
local
misc
Speedo
TTF
Type1
util

Am i missing anything? Which font dir is font "fixed" supposed to come under?

Thanx in advance

your fonts are ok, That is not the problem.
 

I have the same fonts you have. It seems to me that these is not the place where the font 'fixed' is found.

Check if you have these files:

/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc/fonts.alias
/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc/fonts.dir
/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc/6x13.pcf.gz

The two files above should contain a string like '-misc-fixed-medium-r-semicondensed--', and point to a .pcf.gz or pcf.z file with the corresponding fixed size font , for example: 6x13 (in fact, there are many 'fixed' size font files. check you have a variety o them, from the list in fonts.alias or fonts.dir files above.

My guess is that your system contains all of them. If so, you can be sure that you dont have a fonts problem. I should be something else.

My name is Maxei.

Check the FontPath in xorg.conf
 

Clementine,
I forgot to ask if you did check the FontPath in the file:

/etc/X11/XF86Config/xorg.conf

I remember someone resolved the X server problem: In my case, I checked this file and it says: FontPath "unix/:-1"
In the guy's problem case, it was: FontPath "unix:7100"

so he changed it to:
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts"

and he reported that X server could start again. I suposse that you can try your particular path case to which the fonts are located.

Good luck

Maxei

Thanx Maxei! and sorry for the earlier typo:D
Your last post really helped

I edited the /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 file
and changed the FontPath to FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts" .

The main problem was that somehow there was an entry "s3" in the driver for my video card, where it should have been "vesa" ( i do not ever remeber changing this manually!)
Also since i have a "vesa" i got a lot of warnings

(WW) VESA(0): Failed to set up write-combining range (0xd8400000,0x2f0000).
Could not init font path element /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo/, removing from list!

(I looked this warning up on the net, but wasnt able to come up with a satisfactory solution ....)

This got my X server working, but with a horrendous resolution. So after tweaking the resolution
further in the XF86Config-4 file, i finally got it running!
:D

R.I.P!

Thanx a lot again!!

Excellent!
 

Good for you Clementine.
Now, I see that my Mandrake 10.1 Comm. does not have that XF86Config-4 file, but its good you checked the alternative in your system. I guess that is what makes the difference with RedHat.

Maxei DeVraie

Thanks!
 

Could not even remember ever being here but it seemd I was registered. Just wanted to drop a quick thanks for this topic, I found it while googling for my X problem wich I was able to solve now :)

Changing the FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts" in /etc/X11/xorg.conf helped me a lot. Thanks maxei

Thanks Maxei
 

Your advice saved my bacon as well. I am running red hat 9, I downloaded all the updated packages which included kernel updates, xserver updates and lots of font updates, shut down and started with the new kernel, and had the "Fixed" font problem... it changed my font path to UNIX:7100 go figure... I was just about to say screw it and install Fedora Core 3. Thanks a LOT!

:D

Glad it worked for you thomaslking. I wasnt that lucky with another computer: I fiddled with the settings of the X server, changing from kdm to gdm, just to silly check the appearance. Oh Mistake and futile vanity! I dont recomend anyone to play arround or change these display managers or switching from lilo to grub boot loaders. You may risk spoiling the X server, like I did, and only a complete new install can put you back to business quickly (imho and etc.).

Maxei DeVraie