Neither slackware 14 nor salix will run on my new hardware
 

I run Mint 14, 64-bit, without problems on a new machine with the following specs:

1. Intel® Core™ i5-3470 CPU @ 3.20GHz × 4
2. Dual: Bios/UEFI; hybrid HDD; Intel graphics generic

The Problem
Two linux OS will not run properly on my machine:

1. Slackware 14.0, 64-bit version
2. Salix (latest version for 64-bit)

Symptoms:

1. both Slack and Salix fail to render the gui** properly: patchy quality exhibited: menu items are missing letters, as if something else is trying to render the screen over these items;
   
2. both Slack and Salix crash when I launch an application like firefox or thunderbird;
   
3. konsole works perfectly in both; not so with terminal emulator, which exhibits same patchy behaviour as explained above at #1.

Question: What element, common to both above-mentioned linux OS, might be responsible for this problem?


Many thanks and big respect in advance to anyone who can shed some light on this for me.

PS
(holding myelf at the ready to re-install everything, since with last install I tried the option of a GPT Partition Table, instead of the straightforward option of Bios, which now means I can't "see" my slack files from my mint install, making it hard for me to produce the kinds of things one would need to really diagnose the problem: ie: var/log/xlog.0; lspci -vnn output; lsusb output etc, etc; though, if someone reading this would like to see a bit of history to this, including xlog.0 and lspci output, please go to
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...tx-4175465855/)

** using any and all of the available DE, from KDE to flux, produces the same problems

Hi, I have an i5-3550 and have no problems. Perhaps our differences will highlight the problem that you are having.

I use traditional bios.
I use nvidia graphics.

After reading your other thread I would tend to agree with them that the problem is with the integrated graphics.

Searching the forum pulls up some useful threads, the simplest potential fix can be found here

samac

You don't state why you use a full blown gui when you don't need to. You get the same problems with Salix as in Slackware (Full blown gui ?) I assume Archbang and Mint run fine so it is not a hardware problem. Therefore problem IS with the software and providing you have i5 drivers (see below) possibly lies in the components of X server which are used for the two which don't work properly and/or don't work together with a particular package used in conjunction. As an experienced user your only GUI requirements are a Window Manager, File Manager and Terminal Emulator and as a Slackware user you are perfectly capable of setting this up properly provided you can find the right combination of packages and they are available. So I would try:

1: A minimal Slackware setup using Fluxbox, Thunar and Rxvt with just the minimal X server BUT using GDM instead of XDM or KDM (Fluxbox seems to work best with GDM but that is just an opinion). So you just need Xorg, GDM, Fluxbox, Thunar and Rxvt. That's it. It should narrow down any possible causes of the problem if it still occurs to one of those items and in fact probably just some aspect of the Xorg packages. This is probably a reinstall.

If this completely fails to solve anything at all then just out of curiousity I would try

2: A minimal network installation of Centos 6 with again the same setup as above, Xorg, GDM, Fluxbox, Thunar and Rxvt. This RHEL clone is very stable and the setup above is about as fast as you can get. Not that you probably need it but there is a guide to installing this at http://minimallinux.blogspot.com

I have run this on a variety of machines without any drama whatsoever and I would not expect to have any problems with any of the hardware you are using. Does Slackware have drivers for i5 cpu ? Centos does, some notes on it http://support.reliablesite.net/KB/a...e-i5-3550.aspx

The above seem to be a reasonable approach if you haven't already solved the problem.

All the best.

Nice idea and much appreciated.

One major problem looms large: i quote from your highly readable tutorial:

"Make sure you have an ethernet connection as although there is some wireless support, it is not guaranteed. Boot the disk taking the default option of install or upgrade existing."

I'm using a usb dongle to connect wirelessly to internet.

But I'm looking into your other suggestions and your frugal approach to the whole thing interests me, though I must say I'm rather keen on seeing the full power of KDE before dropping my bags and making my final home.

thanks again

You should still be able to load the wireless drivers. If samacs suggestion is not it, then it has to be something in the Xorg/Kde unless BOTH Salix and Slackware are short of i5 drivers.
I would try first suggestion though, you obviously prefer Slack and are able to use your wireless with it, so if you cant fix the KDE you might at least be able to get the Fluxbox/Thunar/Rxvt thing going providing its i5 compatible. In fact now I got on the sublect I might try that on a spare machine. There is LinuxQuestion thread on it also.

That link by Terminator3000 suggests that the BIOS version may be a factor. Is your machine using the latest available BIOS?

I would also install the latest video drivers (probably Intel ?).

Just an idea. I have a couple of Intel-based Dell desktop PCs that won't boot Slackware unless I build an Initrd and configure the generic kernel before the initial reboot.

THanks, but my installation of slack boots and only when i launch X does it show the problems discussed in my initial post.

But isn't this line of inquiry obviated by the fact that my machine runs Mint 14 perfectly?

Edit: that just shows my profound ignorance and confirms my new-born status (premature, on life-support):
you are suggesting that slackware 14 might not have the driver support for my in-built video card , right?
But wouldn't the fact that the motherboard is released before the release of slack14 put this question to rest?

Thanks Allend.
My machine uses megatrend american dual bios/uefi.
I have the setting for "Legacy Only" set to on, out of a possible 3 choices:

1. UEFI only
2. Legacy only
3. UEFI and Legacy

I don't think it is the very latest, as the release date is 8 months old.

Here is output for

That is mighty nice of you Terminator; mucho gratias.

I'm still waiting to receive, process and organize all these responses before making a move.

Your BIOS version is F12, with the latest being F14 (changes to improve USB device compatibility). I expect that the cause of the problem is not the BIOS version though, as the F12 version appears to be the next to last stable version. I would _not_ advise trying a BIOS upgrade at this stage.

Looking back at the original thread http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...tx-4175465855/ , I am unclear on whether you have tried the libdrm and intel driver packages from /testing in Slackware 14.0

I had to update my Intel drivers on Slackware 14.0 and my Intel card is much much older.

If I was to take a final shot seeing as everything needs to be digested (which means that some of the less labour intensive suggestions have maybe not been tried) and assuming we dont think it is a motherboard/graphics drivers issue then I would go with the minimal install Fluxbox logging in with GDM. With that you could even cut out xorg completely and use Xvesa. I know it is not KDE but sometimes it is best to start light. More checking on the driver issue is probably needed though.