X-server failed to start
 

During install of MythDora 3.2 I get the error message "X-server failed to start". I can get to the main screen, but trying to open MythTv setup nothing happens. I guess the error message is to blame. I'm running a Dell laptop(C600) with ATI Mobility Radeon 9000.
During install I selected the "let X-org decide graphics adapter" alternative. Should I make a fresh install and select "ATI Radeon 9200 or older" alternative? I don't think it's a MythTv problem. Perhaps X-org can't find my graphics adaper or driver for it? It states Mobility Radeon 9000 during boot though.

You probably just need to edit your xorg or xf86config file to reflect the correct resolution, or at least one that works so that you can make things right. Remember to first backup anything you decide to edit.

What is the difference between the xorg or xf86config files?

Wikipedia is a great place. Now I know a lot more about xorg and xf86config. I will see what resolution I use. It need to be set to 1024x768 though. I run VGA out to a 1024x768 plasma TV.

I mentioned both files because I don't know which your distro uses. Either way, you need to edit the lines that look like this:
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
and add "1024x768" if it doesn't already exist. Further, it is my opinion that you need to try to use the correct mode lines for your monitor. Here's what they look like, taken from my Ubuntu install:
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Generic Monitor"
HorizSync 31.0 - 82.0
VertRefresh 56.0 - 76.0
Option "DPMS"
EndSection
I refer to the HorizSync and VertRefresh lines here.

No luck. I added the 1024x768 resolution. I also changed the horizontal refresh and vertical sync values, but I always got the "X-server failed to start". I also concluded that I have a C610 and not a C600 that I may have said. The graphics adapter seems to be a ATI mobility M6 (I thought it was a mobility 9000 as picked by the automatic install). Are there other values for the refresh and sync values that should be applied? I also get the message "monitor unknown". Perhaps I should fill in the Vendor and Identifier fileds as well? Glennzo, are the sections you pasted previously ALL lines? Perhaps I could try to copy/paste the whole section(s)?

I don't believe so.It wouldn't hurt, but I don't think it's critical. In the sample below, the monitor is referred to as Generic Monitor. What's important is that it's referred to Generic Monitor throughout the file. The same with Default Screen. It needs to be Default Screen throughout.What I pasted is only part of the file. I'll past the whole thing for you, but you should only use it as reference.
Section "Files"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/misc"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/Type1"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/100dpi"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/75dpi"
# path to defoma fonts
FontPath "/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "i2c"
Load "bitmap"
Load "ddc"
Load "dri"
Load "extmod"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx"
Load "int10"
Load "type1"
Load "vbe"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "kbd"
Option "CoreKeyboard"
Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
Option "XkbModel" "pc104"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "CorePointer"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "NVIDIA Corporation NV34 [GeForce FX 5200]"
Driver "nv"
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Generic Monitor"
Option "DPMS"
HorizSync 31-82
VertRefresh 56-76
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "NVIDIA Corporation NV34 [GeForce FX 5200]"
Monitor "Generic Monitor"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 1
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 4
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1280x1024 "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1280x1024" "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
This is from an Ubuntu install that I have. Here's the one from my Fedora Core 6 install. Big difference.
# Xorg configuration created by pyxf86config

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

Section "Files"
ModulePath "/usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/nvidia"
ModulePath "/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Keyboard0"
Driver "kbd"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Videocard0"
Driver "nvidia"
Option "AddARGBGLXVisuals" "True"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Videocard0"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection

Post the output of ls -l /etc/X11 and cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf.

Failed To Start The X Server PCLinuxOS - PCLOS solution
 

Running PCLinux OS. Running great until I did an update before shutting down. On next boot-up got the message Failed to start the X Server etc. Not having a clue what this is having to use another computer I did a little online search but suggestions did not help me such as going into the terminal and going into sudo etc. That's too much like the old DOS and learning another language. But fortunately in my version of Linux was a box with prompts that was identical to original microsoft windows design and the prompt led me to settings to change which graphics card I am using. I am clueless as to what Hewlit packard uses as a graphics card (or video card) which is integrated into the PC mother board but selecting a different graphics card fixed the problem.

It is a bit frustrating that it was working just fine before the update so whomever made the changes caused a lot of inconvenience for a lot of people. I was extremely lucky I figured this out and I have had a very similar issue once before where an update rendered my OS (kernel) inoperative. I highly suggest buying another hard drive, USB transfer wires, downloading a cloning software like perhaps clonezilla and creating an exact clone or bootable copy of your existing hard drive so that whenever an update disables your computer, which is inevitable, then just switch out hard drives and you are back in business. Then make a copy of the copy and turn off auto updates, turn on manual updates then don't do any updates for awhile.

Yes, that is one option to get things fixed, or you can generate a new xorg.conf with X -configure command, after killing the processes for login manager and X.
Forget about XFree86 most if not all of the distros today only use xorg-xserver.
By the way MythDora has been discontinued, would be better to stick with a active distro I recommend MythBuntu.

Regards