[SOLVED] Black desktop XFCE on Slackware 15.0 after update

thethinker · 02-25-2022, 08:21 AM

I just updated to 15.0 using the UPGRADE.TXT instructions, and things seem to be working fine, but I have a peculiar graphics issue with XFCE....when it starts up on tty1, the desktop image never appears (white mouse on blue background), and it instead remains black. It is actually more dysfunctional than that - while I can open things like the terminal, I cannot type in them, or use the cursor to select them. I can drag the windows around...anyway, some kind of graphical glitch.

However, if I switch to a new tty, log in and start XFCE, it seems to function normally.

Anyone know of a step in the startup process that could cause this, that might not be happening when I switch tty1->5 using the keyboard? Thanks!

anonvet · 02-25-2022, 09:11 AM

Xorg.0.log throws any errors? When you say start are you starting with a login manager or using startx? What graphics card are you using? Need more info.

thethinker · 02-25-2022, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anonvet

Xorg.0.log throws any errors? When you say start are you starting with a login manager or using startx? What graphics card are you using? Need more info.

Thanks for the response. Nothing obvious in Xorg.0.log:

Code:

$ grep "Error" Xorg.0.log
$ grep "Warning" Xorg.0.log
[   331.565] (WW) Warning, couldn't open module fbdev

I also scanned that file by eye, here's the end if that helps:

Code:

$ tail -n 25 Xorg.0.log
[  1865.341] (II) modeset(0): Modeline "1680x1050"x0.0  119.00  1680 1728 1760 1840  1050 1053 1059 1080 +hsync -vsync (64.7 kHz e)
[  1865.341] (II) modeset(0): Modeline "1920x1080"x60.0  172.80  1920 2040 2248 2576  1080 1081 1084 1118 -hsync +vsync (67.1 kHz e)
[  1865.402] (II) event1  - Power Button: is tagged by udev as: Keyboard
[  1865.402] (II) event1  - Power Button: device is a keyboard
[  1865.405] (II) event0  - Power Button: is tagged by udev as: Keyboard
[  1865.405] (II) event0  - Power Button: device is a keyboard
[  1865.407] (II) event14 - Logitech G413 Silver Mechanical Gaming Keyboard: is tagged by udev as: Keyboard
[  1865.407] (II) event14 - Logitech G413 Silver Mechanical Gaming Keyboard: device is a keyboard
[  1865.408] (II) event15 - Logitech G413 Silver Mechanical Gaming Keyboard: is tagged by udev as: Keyboard
[  1865.409] (II) event15 - Logitech G413 Silver Mechanical Gaming Keyboard: device is a keyboard
[  1865.463] (II) event16 - SteelSeries Sensei Raw Gaming Mouse: is tagged by udev as: Mouse
[  1865.463] (II) event16 - SteelSeries Sensei Raw Gaming Mouse: device set to 1000 DPI
[  1865.463] (II) event16 - SteelSeries Sensei Raw Gaming Mouse: device is a pointer
[  1865.465] (II) event17 - SteelSeries Sensei Raw Gaming Mouse: is tagged by udev as: Keyboard
[  1865.465] (II) event17 - SteelSeries Sensei Raw Gaming Mouse: device is a keyboard
[  1865.466] (II) event18 - SteelSeries Sensei Raw Gaming Mouse: is tagged by udev as: Keyboard
[  1865.466] (II) event18 - SteelSeries Sensei Raw Gaming Mouse: device is a keyboard
[  1877.550] (II) event1  - Power Button: device removed
[  1877.556] (II) event0  - Power Button: device removed
[  1877.566] (II) event14 - Logitech G413 Silver Mechanical Gaming Keyboard: device removed
[  1877.573] (II) event15 - Logitech G413 Silver Mechanical Gaming Keyboard: device removed
[  1877.579] (II) event16 - SteelSeries Sensei Raw Gaming Mouse: device removed
[  1877.604] (II) event17 - SteelSeries Sensei Raw Gaming Mouse: device removed
[  1877.621] (II) event18 - SteelSeries Sensei Raw Gaming Mouse: device removed
[  1877.627] (II) AIGLX: Suspending AIGLX clients for VT switch

I'm starting XFCE with startx (in both cases, from startup and from Crtl-Alt-F5 tty changing), so no login manager. Graphics card:

Code:

# lspci | grep "NVIDIA"
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GF106 [GeForce GTS 450] (rev a1)
01:00.1 Audio device: NVIDIA Corporation GF106 High Definition Audio Controller (rev a1)

anonvet · 02-26-2022, 05:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thethinker

Thanks for the response. Nothing obvious in Xorg.0.log:

Code:

$ grep "Error" Xorg.0.log
$ grep "Warning" Xorg.0.log
[   331.565] (WW) Warning, couldn't open module fbdev

I also scanned that file by eye, here's the end if that helps:

Code:

$ tail -n 25 Xorg.0.log
[  1865.341] (II) modeset(0): Modeline "1680x1050"x0.0  119.00  1680 1728 1760 1840  1050 1053 1059 1080 +hsync -vsync (64.7 kHz e)
[  1865.341] (II) modeset(0): Modeline "1920x1080"x60.0  172.80  1920 2040 2248 2576  1080 1081 1084 1118 -hsync +vsync (67.1 kHz e)
[  1865.402] (II) event1  - Power Button: is tagged by udev as: Keyboard
[  1865.402] (II) event1  - Power Button: device is a keyboard
[  1865.405] (II) event0  - Power Button: is tagged by udev as: Keyboard
[  1865.405] (II) event0  - Power Button: device is a keyboard
[  1865.407] (II) event14 - Logitech G413 Silver Mechanical Gaming Keyboard: is tagged by udev as: Keyboard
[  1865.407] (II) event14 - Logitech G413 Silver Mechanical Gaming Keyboard: device is a keyboard
[  1865.408] (II) event15 - Logitech G413 Silver Mechanical Gaming Keyboard: is tagged by udev as: Keyboard
[  1865.409] (II) event15 - Logitech G413 Silver Mechanical Gaming Keyboard: device is a keyboard
[  1865.463] (II) event16 - SteelSeries Sensei Raw Gaming Mouse: is tagged by udev as: Mouse
[  1865.463] (II) event16 - SteelSeries Sensei Raw Gaming Mouse: device set to 1000 DPI
[  1865.463] (II) event16 - SteelSeries Sensei Raw Gaming Mouse: device is a pointer
[  1865.465] (II) event17 - SteelSeries Sensei Raw Gaming Mouse: is tagged by udev as: Keyboard
[  1865.465] (II) event17 - SteelSeries Sensei Raw Gaming Mouse: device is a keyboard
[  1865.466] (II) event18 - SteelSeries Sensei Raw Gaming Mouse: is tagged by udev as: Keyboard
[  1865.466] (II) event18 - SteelSeries Sensei Raw Gaming Mouse: device is a keyboard
[  1877.550] (II) event1  - Power Button: device removed
[  1877.556] (II) event0  - Power Button: device removed
[  1877.566] (II) event14 - Logitech G413 Silver Mechanical Gaming Keyboard: device removed
[  1877.573] (II) event15 - Logitech G413 Silver Mechanical Gaming Keyboard: device removed
[  1877.579] (II) event16 - SteelSeries Sensei Raw Gaming Mouse: device removed
[  1877.604] (II) event17 - SteelSeries Sensei Raw Gaming Mouse: device removed
[  1877.621] (II) event18 - SteelSeries Sensei Raw Gaming Mouse: device removed
[  1877.627] (II) AIGLX: Suspending AIGLX clients for VT switch

I'm starting XFCE with startx (in both cases, from startup and from Crtl-Alt-F5 tty changing), so no login manager. Graphics card:

Code:

# lspci | grep "NVIDIA"
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GF106 [GeForce GTS 450] (rev a1)
01:00.1 Audio device: NVIDIA Corporation GF106 High Definition Audio Controller (rev a1)

Pardon the late response, did you get it working? If not try starting up with rc.4 if you have a display manager installed, you can probably try sddm if not.

enorbet · 02-27-2022, 04:40 PM

I can't help but wonder why you get a "(WW) Warning, couldn't open module fbdev". Why would framebuffer even be involved in X? Are you not using at least nouveau? or better, the nvidia proprietary driver?

thethinker · 02-28-2022, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anonvet

Pardon the late response, did you get it working? If not try starting up with rc.4 if you have a display manager installed, you can probably try sddm if not.

Tried to follow your advice...don't know much about this, but I shouldn't need root access or anything, right?

Code:

$ /etc/rc.d/rc.4 start > rc4.err
$ more rc4.err 
Starting up X11 session manager...
[19:22:21.794] (II) DAEMON: Initializing...
[19:22:21.806] (II) DAEMON: Starting...
[19:22:21.806] (II) DAEMON: Logind interface found
[19:22:21.807] (II) DAEMON: Adding new display on vt 7 ...
[19:22:21.808] (II) DAEMON: Loading theme configuration from ""
[19:22:21.808] (II) DAEMON: Display server starting...
[19:22:21.808] (II) DAEMON: Adding cookie to "/var/run/sddm/{167fdb41-cf4b-4ec9-
9efb-be5231d9ded8}"
[19:22:21.813] (EE) DAEMON: Failed to write xauth file
[19:22:21.813] (EE) DAEMON: Could not start Display server on vt 7
[19:22:28.801] (WW) DAEMON: Signal received: SIGINT

just running

Code:

sddm

had the same effect, looks like the rc.4 script is calling sddm.

EDIT: Ok,I tried rc.4 from root, and got a wacky login manager I've never seen - Plasma I guess? I switch the session to XFCE and logged in, got the broken desktop. I tty5'd to type this, and now when I tty1, I get no X11 but just the terminal window with "Starting up X11....".

EDIT EDIT: Plasma seems to work (slow relative to XFCE....), demonstrating this might be an XFCE problem. Selecting Wayland gets me into some kind of login loop - just keeps asking for password.

thethinker · 02-28-2022, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by enorbet

I can't help but wonder why you get a "(WW) Warning, couldn't open module fbdev". Why would framebuffer even be involved in X? Are you not using at least nouveau? or better, the nvidia proprietary driver?

I can tell you:

Code:

$ lspci -nnk | egrep -i --color 'vga|3d|2d' -A3 | grep 'in use'
	Kernel driver in use: snd_hda_intel
	Kernel driver in use: nouveau

I could switch to the nvidia driver I guess...but I generally don't know why X11 wants to use the framebuffer at that moment.

ReaperX7 · 02-28-2022, 06:59 PM

Try creating a xorg configuration for the display driver using this:

Code:

cat >> /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-kms.conf << "EOF"
Section   "Device"
        Identifier "Xorg KMS Driver"
        Driver     "modesetting"
        #Option     "shadowfb" "booleen" #Default is on
        #Option     "mksdev" "string"    #Default is /dev/dri/card0
EndSection
EOF

This "should" enable the kms driver auto detection system in X and load Nouveau through the EGL system. Even to this day Xorg still tends to hiccup with some video cards, especially Nvidia for any number of reasons.

ReaperX7 · 02-28-2022, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by enorbet

I can't help but wonder why you get a "(WW) Warning, couldn't open module fbdev". Why would framebuffer even be involved in X? Are you not using at least nouveau? or better, the nvidia proprietary driver?

It's because nouveau's DDX driver isn't as developed as it should be. I think the DDX driver only officially supports up to Kepler GPUs with newer stuff passed off to KMS and EGL. Often because of any number of reasons, X will try to load fbdev if it can't get other drivers to work. Generally it's supposed to default to the kms "modesetting" driver unless you purposely disabled kms during boot, or firmware wasn't found.

thethinker · 03-01-2022, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReaperX7

Try creating a xorg configuration for the display driver using this:

Code:

cat >> /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-kms.conf << "EOF"
Section   "Device"
        Identifier "Xorg KMS Driver"
        Driver     "modesetting"
        #Option     "shadowfb" "booleen" #Default is on
        #Option     "mksdev" "string"    #Default is /dev/dri/card0
EndSection
EOF

This "should" enable the kms driver auto detection system in X and load Nouveau through the EGL system. Even to this day Xorg still tends to hiccup with some video cards, especially Nvidia for any number of reasons.

I appreciate the try - but it didn't seem to help. I added that file with those lines, and I get the same behavior when I startx or /etc/rc.d/rc.4 start. I also think those lines are actually being run by Xorg:

Code:

$ grep -B 5 -A 5 "Xorg KMS" /var/log/Xorg.0.log
[   930.173] (==) No screen section available. Using defaults.
[   930.173] (**) |-->Screen "Default Screen Section" (0)
[   930.173] (**) |   |-->Monitor "<default monitor>"
[   930.174] (==) No device specified for screen "Default Screen Section".
	Using the first device section listed.
[   930.174] (**) |   |-->Device "Xorg KMS Driver"
[   930.174] (==) No monitor specified for screen "Default Screen Section".
	Using a default monitor configuration.
[   930.174] (==) Automatically adding devices
[   930.174] (==) Automatically enabling devices
[   930.174] (==) Automatically adding GPU devices

To try to give a better idea of what my X11 looks like I figured out how to get a screenshot without needing to open something like gimp (because as you can see, windows are essentially unusable). That's attached.

slac-in-the-box · 03-01-2022, 07:51 PM

oops...

slac-in-the-box · 03-01-2022, 08:08 PM

xfce4 glitchiness sometimes disappears after moving the session cache:

Code:

mv ~/.cache/sessions ~/sessioncache.backup.d

Of course you'll lose the session cache; but usually that isn't mission critical, and it will just recreate a new session cache the next time you startx. If it was mission critical, just move ~/sessioncache.backup.d back to ~/.cache/sessions, and no harm no foul.

ReaperX7 · 03-01-2022, 09:48 PM

I can actually say, I have a GTX 460 in my old rig and honestly, I had issues too with it testing several times.

The SlackBuilds.org package nvidia-legacy390-driver and *-kernel are probably your best bet to maybe get better support but it's a long shot with some Nvidia cards under any UNIX-like system.

thethinker · 03-02-2022, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slac-in-the-box

xfce4 glitchiness sometimes disappears after moving the session cache:

Code:

mv ~/.cache/sessions ~/sessioncache.backup.d

Of course you'll lose the session cache; but usually that isn't mission critical, and it will just recreate a new session cache the next time you startx. If it was mission critical, just move ~/sessioncache.backup.d back to ~/.cache/sessions, and no harm no foul.

Holy hell, it worked immediately! I figured something like this wasn't the answer, since other ttys were working, and it was just tty1 never working after restart.

Thanks!