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Old 09-23-2004, 01:30 PM   #1
icisyd
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Cannot start xdm, kdm or gdm


For some reason I keep getting the error:

Screen(s) found, but none have a usable configuration.

This happens when the system tries to start gdm, kdm or xdm. I am a total linux n00b and I have just installed Debian 3.0r2. My video card is a nVidia GForce 3 Ti200, and the nv kernal appears to load correctly.

Currently I am stuck with a command line.

Any help would be much appreciated.

icisyd
 
Old 09-23-2004, 01:55 PM   #2
Ateo
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Post your X config file please. It'll either be /etc/X11/XF86Config (if you're using x11) or /etc/X11/xorg.conf (if you're using X.org)..
 
Old 09-23-2004, 02:17 PM   #3
icisyd
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The replies that I am posting are on a Win2k machine and I am trying to take the file accross from the linux system on floppy with the cp command. This does not seem to be working. How would I get this to work?

Sorry this is an extremely stupid question but I am really new to linux.
 
Old 09-23-2004, 02:32 PM   #4
greg108
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I think you should download nvidia driver
http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux_d..._1.0-6111.html
and install it.

Then edit your /etc/X11/XF86Config or /etc/X11/xorg.conf
the way the README file says.

that should help.


About the floppy:
Did you mount the floppy first?

mount -t auto /dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy

or something like that
 
Old 09-23-2004, 02:36 PM   #5
icisyd
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Fantastic thank you. I will try doing that. Once I can start a GUI everything should be fine.
 
Old 09-23-2004, 02:44 PM   #6
Ateo
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You stated in your original post that it seems the nvidia driver loads fine. Have you installed the nvidia driver?

Don't forget to mount your floppy (as suggested above) before trying to copy anything over.
 
Old 09-23-2004, 02:49 PM   #7
greg108
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he mentioned a generic nvidia driver 'nv'
 
Old 09-23-2004, 02:51 PM   #8
Ateo
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Quote:
Originally posted by greg108
he mentioned a generic nvidia driver 'nv'
Yeap. I realized that right after I posted. DOH!
 
Old 09-23-2004, 03:00 PM   #9
macondo
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"Screen(s) found, but none have a usable configuration."

Read this:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...hreadid=224547


From the above thread:

THE X PROBLEM
"No Screens Found" means you did a bad configuration for the X server during the installation, either your video card, mouse, monitor, etc is badly configured either for lack of knowledge or lazyness. Yes, some people do not want to read, they want easy, fast answers that only solve their problems momentarily, and the next day they are back asking similar questions.


On kernel 2.4, read sections 9 and 10 of the following article, or better yet, read the whole article, even reinstall if you have to, in order to do it right:

The Very Verbose Debian Installation Walkthrough
http://osnews.com/story.php?news_id=2016

On kernel 2.6, read this wiki:

Unofficial #debian channel FAQ on freenode (irc.debian.org)
http://www.linuks.mine.nu/debian-faq-wiki/

You will save yourself a lot of headaches by reading all this.

Usually a well done:

#dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86

will solve the problem.

Last edited by macondo; 09-23-2004 at 03:04 PM.
 
Old 09-23-2004, 03:14 PM   #10
icisyd
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This stuff sounds extremely interesting, I will certainly read it. Could a mouse problem really cause that error message? I have a cordless logitec mouse and keyboard which both plug into the PS/2 ports so I set the mouse to psaux(followed by PS/2) and keyboard as a uk qwerty layout(which I think it is).

Other than that I know the graphics card driver nv is correct and that my moniter is a standard(if a little old) 15inch.

There should not be a problem with any of this I think?
 
Old 09-23-2004, 03:21 PM   #11
greg108
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I had the same error once.
The problem was somewhere in the Section "Screens" in XF86Config file

You might want to check this section.
Check your Default Depth
and check if you have you have correct subsections with specified depth and resolutions.
 
Old 09-23-2004, 04:59 PM   #12
icisyd
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Thanks, I will try this.
 
Old 09-23-2004, 05:17 PM   #13
bobbens
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Did you check [ ]Desktop Enviromente when installing Debian? I had problems doing it manually: apt-get install gdm/GNOME/kde/x-window-system and reinstalled checking the desktop enviroment and it worked well (it's a 441 MB download though :P). Now all I have to do is install my graphic card driver.
But before you reinstall just try apt-get install x-window-system (unless you already have), that sometimes fixes the problem.
 
Old 09-23-2004, 06:38 PM   #14
icisyd
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Talking

Thanks to everyone who replied. The problem has now been resolved.

I had reinstalled several times with different settings but eventually it was running the command line:

#dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86

and re-entering all the settings that finally did it. I think the Debian instal did not generate the xfree86 config file in the correct way or atleast with all the availible information; the reconfigure was certainly more comprehensive. It now works perfectly.
 
  


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