Help. Startx gives black screen!

sl4ckw4r3 · 01-26-2010, 05:00 PM

Hello everyone.
I have very annoying problem.
I have just installed slackware. I have done

Code:

Xorg -configure

, and chosen kde for init program while installing slackware.
But when I type

Code:

Xorg -config -retro

or

Code:

startx

i get black screen with blinking button on monitor and keyboard.
obviusly kde doesn't start -.- help pls

oh yes i have already checked similar threads on forum but no succes

?????????????????????

linus72 · 01-26-2010, 05:03 PM

did you install X?

did you just install the first cd?

dugan · 01-26-2010, 05:06 PM

Knowing your video card would help too. Also, I assume this is Slackware 13.0?

samac · 01-26-2010, 05:07 PM

What video driver are you using? Modify /etc/X11/xorg.conf so that the driver reads vesa and then try to startx. If you get a screen then it is a driver problem, if you don't then it is probably an installation problem, and WELCOME to Slackware.

samac

Didier Spaier · 01-26-2010, 05:17 PM

I suggest you run xorgsetup as root to setup /etc/X11/xorg.conf, that gives generally good results. Then "startx". And you can try another desktop or windows manager with the "xwmconfig" command, ran as a regular user.

damgar · 01-26-2010, 06:06 PM

Blinking keyboard lights = kernel panic? (not sure, it's a question)

sl4ckw4r3 · 01-27-2010, 03:39 AM

yes, it is slackware 13.0 and yes i have X installed because I downloaded full slackware dvd.iso and during the installation process i chose to install EVERYTHING. so i'm pretty sure that it is installed.
My video card is ATI Radeon X1600.

I've also tried xorgsetup but still nothing.
I'm going to try samac's solution and I'll keep you in touch.

Oh and one more question.
Does this xorg.conf file (which i got from command:

Code:

Xorg -configure

) needs to be in /etc/X11 under the name xorg.conf or xorg.conf.new.
In my case it is xorg.conf.new in /etc/X11 .

EDIT: Thanks to everyone for such great and lighting fast answers. You are really GREAT!

Didier Spaier · 01-27-2010, 03:42 AM

Should be /etc/X11/xorg.conf

zordrak · 01-27-2010, 04:40 AM

The bigger question is why you are generating an X configuration file at all. In Slackware 13.0 it is unnecessary in most cases because hald detects your peripherals and passes the info to X.

sl4ckw4r3 · 01-27-2010, 04:56 AM

GOOD NEWS!
I edited xorg.conf. The driver that was loaded was radeon. I changed it to vesa and now i can startx.
But, how to load propriate driver for my graphic card?

adamk75 · 01-27-2010, 05:14 AM

You can't use the proprietary driver for your video card on Slackware 13.0. The last version of fglrx that supports that GPU is from March of 2009.

Either the radeon or radeonhd driver should work with your GPU, providing 2D and 3D acceleration in Slackware 13. Is this an AGP video card? Does the black screen occur if you use the radeonhd driver? Have you tried ssh'ing into the machine after X fails to start properly to see if the entire machine really is locked up?

Adam

dugan · 01-27-2010, 09:23 AM

Linux drivers for the X1600 are available on ATI's website.

adamk75 · 01-27-2010, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dugan

Linux drivers for the X1600 are available on ATI's website.

Again, the proprietary drivers for his GPU will not work on Slackware 13.0.

sl4ckw4r3 · 01-28-2010, 04:07 PM

If I use radeon driver i get situation as i described in first post, but if i use radeonhd driver i get error message.

adamk75 · 01-28-2010, 04:12 PM

Well without the error messages, there's not much help I can give regarding radeonhd.

As for radeon... You could try following the information in this thread to try upgrading to the latest development versions of the radeon driver:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...-works-760963/

Adam