Hello all,

I did a clean install of Slackware 13.37 and picked the install everything option. I picked KDE during the installation. However, once X windows is loaded the desktop elements, application windows, and the main KDE menu flickers. I tried running xorgconfig but I was unable to locate the file. I ran xorgsetup and let it probe the PC for devices. I picked Microsoft Intellipoint PS/2 mouse and gpm is set to load. I'm pretty lost as a newbie in that I don't know how to troubleshoot and fix the problem.

The following is my hardware:
- P4 (Northwood) 2.4Ghz CPU
- 1GB of RAM
- Nvidia GeForce2 MX/MX 400 video card
- 180GB hard drive (IDE)
- USB 2.0 and Firewire
- CD Burner
- DVDROM drive
- floppy drive (yep this box is old)
- Broadcom 440x 10/100 on-board Ethernet adapter
- on-board AC97 audio support
- MS Optical Mouse Blue USB and PS/2 compatible
- Asus motherboard

The PC is connected to a Belkin KVM switch that uses the PS/2 style ports. Win XP and Ubuntu recognized the devices. However, it was suggested by another forum member that I try Slackware. As a part of the installation I chose DHCP.

have you tried blacklisting the novueau driver and installing the binary driver from nvidia's website? That may fix your problem.

2 members found this post helpful.

Here's the link for Nvidia's legacy driver which supports your card.
http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux-d...20-driver.html
http://us.download.nvidia.com/XFree8...ppendix-a.html (Complete list of support cards for that driver)

You'll want to run this from init 3. (Before startx)

The Nvidia installer will prompt you to blacklist nouveau, create the correct file in the correct location, with the correct options. The blacklist configuration files reside in /etc/modprobe.d/ You'll have to reboot after blacklisting nouveau to complete the installation without errors.

The installer will also offer to create/modify your xorg.conf with sane default options. An upgrade option is available, which will connect to Nvidia's server check for a newer driver, download and install it for you. Just pass the --upgrade option.

Not sure about your Geforce2 mx400, with my Geforce4 mx440, KDE4 performed better than expected on a PIII with 768MiB ram.

1 members found this post helpful.

Thanks guys. I'm able to load up the GUI KDE environment.

For anyone else coming across the same or similar problem, the following is what I did, which may help you:
- The video card in my slackware box is an ASUS V7100 64MB AGP card (nVidia GeForce2 MX/MX400).
- I'm on a Windows 7 box browsing the web, browsing through PDF files, and composing this reply.
- I assumed blacklisting the novueau driver meant "disabling" that driver on the slackware box.
- I installed the 32bit (x86) version of Slackware v13.37 using the install everything option.

- disturbed1's first link will brings one to the download page for the v96.43.20 driver/install file for Linux.
- I downloaded the above driver file to my Win7 box and shared the folder as "\\win7box\linux_drivers\"
- My slackware box has networking up using DHCP. I swapped back to it, which is running in text mode, and I'm logged in as root.
- I created the following folder "/mnt/win7box" and connect to my win7 box share using samba's smbmount command in the form of:
"smbmount <remote UNC share> <local mount folder> -o ip=<win7 box ip address>,user=<win7box username>"
Here is an example:
smbmount //win7box/linux_drivers /mnt/win7box -o ip=192.168.5.50,user=jimmy

The smbmount command will prompt you for the password.
- I created the following folder on the slackware box: "/downloaded", and copied the driver file:
"cp /mnt/win7box/NV* /downloaded"
- I ran the runlevel command to verify that I was in runlevel 3 (init 3 as disturbed1 stated)
- I switched to the downloaded folder and ran the installer file (NVIDIA-Linux-x86-96.43.20-pkg1.run)
- I followed the prompts and let the installer disable the novueau driver.
- The install won't complete because I need to reboot as disturbed1 mentioned so, once back at the command prompt just type reboot.
- After the system restarts I logged in as root, went back to the downloaded folder, re-ran the installer file, followed the prompts, and the installer completed its work.
- I ran "startx" and the GUI environment behaved.

How is the experience with that PC and KDE4? I'm curious if desktop effects work, and if they are fluid or not.

I have a similiar machine (P4, 1GB RAM, nVidia GeForce2 MX/MX 400 video card) that was running as a server. I used the nouveau driver, without the flickering described by the OP. Desktop effects needed to be disabled. Otherwise a useable user experience.

I'm not sure what the desktop effects feature is but it seems to be behaving with 2 minor issues.

First, the Akonadi server gave me an error message stating it failed to startup when I launched the Kmail mail client. One of the issues in the report, which I saved, is that it was being run as root. I just created a normal user account for myself, but I haven't logged into it yet.

The second issue is that after a while of being on my Win7 box, when I switch back to the Slackware box via the KVM I lost mouse functionality. It was though another hidden window or application was consuming my mouse clicks, but the ability to move the mouse around the screen was working. There was no response to clicking on the K menu or desktop space. I tried the following hotkey sequences without success:

CTRL + F1, F2, F3,.... F12
Alt + F1, F2, F3,..... F12
Shift + F1, F2, F3,....F12
F1, F2, F3,...F12

I did get a response from doing CTRL + ALT + DEL, and I was able to logout of the GUI back to text mode.

That seems to be a known problem with some KVM switches.
http://www.idevelopment.info/data/Un...elkinKVM.shtml <-- first link from a Google search.

I've experienced the problem myself with some KVM switches. Lucked out with the current models I use. These are QVS KVM-102. The only reasons I purchased these models were 1) they were cheap $10-%15 2) came with a full set of cables.

With the previous KVM switches, I would have to ctrl-alt-backspace to kill the X-server, then restart the X session for the mouse to work again properly.

I thought the erratic behavior of the mouse was some how related to the prior flickering of the GUI environment or that maybe I picked the wrong mouse setting during the installation. Thus I was looking in other places.
The article set me straight. Thanks again.