there seams to be many reasons why xserver does not start and I have tried quite some suggestions - but without success

I run debian originally coming from a ct magazin knoppix distribution. Unforturnately I couldn't stop myself from running apt-get dist-upgrade. This causes now xserver not to start anymore. I have tried to reconfigure and reinstall, found a site that said my Radeon 7000 should run with xserver-xfree86 - nothing seams to help.

I get the following output on my screen

----------------------------
startx

X: warning; process set to priority -11 instead of requested priority -10

This is a pre-release version of XFree86, and is not supported in any
way. Bugs may be reported to XFree86-XFree86.Org and patches submitted
to fixes@XFree86.Org. Before reporting bugs in pre-release versions,
please check the latest version in the XFree86 CVS repository

XFree86 Version 4.2.1.1 (Debian 4.2.1-12.1 20031003005825 james-nocrew.org) / X Window System
(protocol Version 11, revision 0, vendor release 6600)
Release Date: 18 October 2002
If the server is older than 6-12 months, or if your card is
newer than the above date, look for a newer version before
reporting problems.
Build Operating System: Linux 2.4.21-rc1-ac1-cryptoloop i686 [ELF]
Module Loader present
Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
(++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(==) Log file: "/var/log/XFree86.0.log", Time: Sun Feb 22 10:09:42 2004
(==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/XF86Config-4"
Skipping "/usr/X11R6/lib/modules/extensions/libGLcore.a:debug_xform.o": No symbols found
Skipping "/usr/X11R6/lib/modules/fonts/libspeedo.a:spencode.o": No symbols found

waiting for X server to shut down
--------------------

check the contents of /var/log/Xfree86.0.log, there are no real errors in what you have posted there.

the logfile is quite big, no (EE) lines existing

here are the last lines:
-----------------------------
(**) Configured Mouse: Protocol: "PS/2"
(**) Option "CorePointer"
(**) Configured Mouse: Core Pointer
(**) Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
(**) Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
(**) Configured Mouse: Emulate3Buttons, Emulate3Timeout: 50
(**) Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
(**) Configured Mouse: ZAxisMapping: buttons 4 and 5
(**) Configured Mouse: Buttons: 5
(II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "Configured Mouse" (type: MOUSE)
(II) RADEON(0): [drm] removed 1 reserved context for kernel
(II) RADEON(0): [drm] unmapping 8192 bytes of SAREA 0xd4ae7000 at 0x40018000
---------------------------

Juerg

Hard to tell from that information...
looks like the radeon drm bits and the installed
Glcore don't like each other ...


Have you tried running
XFree86 -configure
and see what it comes up with? Even if it didn't
pick up the radeon, you might at least get X
up and running in framebuffer or vesa mode and
tackle it from there...


Cheers,
Tink