XFree86 will not start

phinaliumz · 09-02-2003, 07:21 AM

Hello fellow Mandrakers. I am a Linux newbie and I don't have much of crasp what I am doing from time to time, but I succesfully installed Mandrake 9.1 on P4, Asus P4P800 Deluxe and Sapphire Radeon 9800 Pro.

Well, I liked the system, and started to think about gaming, so I went and fetch Wine from winehq.org. I installed it, no probs. Then I started installing Half-Life (CS 4ever m8), and manuals said I need DRI-support for Radeon for better graphics quality. So I downloaded DRI from dri.sourceforge.net and installed it by instructions. No problems.

And on to the subject. After I installed DRI, restarted X, and after that XFree86 4.0.3 won't start. Screen blings a bit, and then I just got "Waiting X server to shutdown"

I had backup of XF86Config-4, so I used it. Same result. I tried XFdrake, same result.

Have any of you an idea I could try next? I'm terrible sorry if this question is too stupid or I didn't give enough information for you to help me, but hey I am a

Thank you for your time.

fancypiper · 09-02-2003, 10:11 AM

Did you install the driver for that card?

# Configuring X
Linux Hardware Compatibility HOWTO - video cards
The Linux XFree86 HOWTO
Configuring XFree86 for a Non-Specific Linux Distribution
Common X configuring tools:
Mandrake - XFdrake
You may have these tools:
XF86Setup
XFree86 -configure
Xconfigurator
xf86cfg
xf86config
xconf
ATI Linux drivers

# Compiling/installing kernel modules
You will need to have installed:
1. The developmental packages (compiler)
2. The kernel source code that matches your running kernel
3. The module source or install code

Check out your system and look under the hood and see if you installed the stuff you need to do the job. Open an x terminal and type in this sequence of commands to see what kernel we are running and see if you have the kernel source installed:

Code:

[fancy@tinwhistle fancy]$ su -
Password: 
[root@tinwhistle root]# uname -r
2.4.18-3

I am running kernel version 2.4.18-3. Do I have the proper source code?

Code:

[root@tinwhistle root]# cd /usr/src
[root@tinwhistle src]# ls -alc
total 3
drwxr-xr-x    4 root     root          136 Jun 12 14:53 .
drwxr-xr-x   16 root     root          424 Jun  4 12:04 ..
lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     root           14 Jun  4 12:11 linux-2.4 -> linux-2.4.18-3
drwxr-xr-x   16 root     root          584 Jun  4 12:11 linux-2.4.18-3
drwxr-xr-x    7 root     root          168 Jun  4 12:08 redhat
[root@tinwhistle src]#

I do have the same kernel version source code installed in the directory /usr/src/linux-2.4.18-3 and there is a symbolic link named linux-2.4 pointing to it.

If you don't see something similiar to this (but in color), you will need to install the kernel source.

NOTE: I noticed that Red Hat didn't make the symbolic link /usr/src/linux that all of the INSTALL files that I have read mentioned that I need, so I may as well make one now to save editing the files in the source code to install.So, I'll make it just now:

Code:

[root@tinwhistle src]# ln -s linux-2.4.18-3 linux         
[root@tinwhistle src]# ls -alc
total 3
drwxr-xr-x    4 root     root          160 Jun 12 15:46 .
drwxr-xr-x   16 root     root          424 Jun  4 12:04 ..
lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     root           14 Jun 12 15:46 linux -> linux-2.4.18-3
lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     root           14 Jun  4 12:11 linux-2.4 -> linux-2.4.18-3
drwxr-xr-x   16 root     root          584 Jun  4 12:11 linux-2.4.18-3
drwxr-xr-x    7 root     root          168 Jun  4 12:08 redhat
[root@tinwhistle src]#

Ah, there it is, so that's done.

Next, did I install the compiler?

Code:

[root@tinwhistle src]# gcc -v          
Reading specs from /usr/lib/gcc-lib/i386-redhat-linux/2.96/specs
gcc version 2.96 20000731 (Red Hat Linux 7.3 2.96-113)
[root@tinwhistle src]#

Yes, I have a compiler installed.

If you don't have those two things installed, you have to install them first off your install CD.

If they are installed, download the source and happy comiling.

Make sure you carefully read the README and INSTALL files after extracting and before compiling/installing.

# Guides to software management
LNAG - How do I install a program I downloaded from the Internet?
Rute Guide's software explanation
You might want to check out CheckInstall to manage source code installations/uninstallation

# Mandrake links
Mandrake home page
Mandrake Users website
Easy urpmi config for Mandrake
urpmi mini-HOWTO
Easy software management: Red Carpet
Maximum RPM
rpmfind
You didn't install the developmental packages? As root, command:
urpmi gcc
An Introduction to the Midnight Commander. You can install it by commanding:
urpmi mc
Midnight Commander home page

phinaliumz · 09-02-2003, 02:12 PM

fancypiper, I thank you for long and informative post

I did install ATI drivers, and followed instructions. I always read INSTALL and README files which come with source code.

I ran DRI's install.sh -uninstall which should remove all changes it made. No luck. I ran xf86config and tried to use vesa -driver. No luck. With vesa X will start for short time, screen is red and uppercorner has a pick of Asus welcoming message which is shown when I start up the machine.

I tried everything in your post, but I always have same message: Waiting X server to shutdown.

I did read "man Xfree86" and all the following documents. With no luck.

Now I'm thinking to Gates; reinstall Mandrake

fancypiper · 09-02-2003, 02:39 PM

Since the package from dri.sourceforge.net messed it up, it would be nice if you could do a make ininstall with it.

That is one reason that I am very cautious about using other than packaged files for basic system stuff and the underlying X for the gui in Mandrake and Red Hat.

Have you tried all the other config tools to see if anything might work? It's a shame to have to re-install, but I admit I installed maybe 6 times until I was satisfied with my partitioning scheme after screwing up once and not being able to figure out how to back out of it.

XF86Setup
XFree86 -configure
Xconfigurator
xf86cfg
xf86config
xconf

It wouldn't hurt to try them all, since it's broken.

If you don't have any of them, try

urpmi XF
urpmi xf8
etc
and install it if it comes up in the list.

phinaliumz · 09-07-2003, 04:52 PM

I did read DRI manual bit more accuracy and there it was. It won't work for 9800, so it was my own fault. A good lesson to be learned, next time I read manual more carefully.

Now I have XFree again working, I re-installed Mandrake cos I started having "kernel panic" messages.

I'm very sorry I bothered you with this problem. Thank you for your help