Updated today can't startx - xinit: giving up xinit: unable to connect to X server
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Updated today can't startx - xinit: giving up xinit: unable to connect to X server
Once again I'm in need of help.
I'm running -current. Today I installed the update with the new kernel 6.1.20.
I'm using GRUB to boot.
When I tried to run startx I get the following:
xinit: giving up
xinit: unable to connect to X server: connection refused
xinit: Server error
I've tried looking into this but so far I've heard that it's a driver issue but I'm using nouveau so nothing is changed.
I've also seen a couple of posts regarding making some changes to the /etc/default/grub file. I'm a little afraid of changing things and I don't want to make things worse.
Is it possible that this has something to do with GRUB?
I've looked at the /var/log/Xorg.0.log file and it says:
Caught signal 11 (Segmentation Fault). server aborting
I'm at a loss for competent help. So many of the posts online are really old and I know the method of fixing things can evolve over time.
I've tried looking into this but so far I've heard that it's a driver issue but I'm using nouveau so nothing is changed.
If you did a kernel update something did change. As a user of the stable version of Slackware you are supposed to read and follow the important text in the changelog for kernel upgrades:
Code:
Be sure to upgrade your initrd after upgrading the kernel packages.
If you use lilo to boot your machine, be sure lilo.conf points to the correct
kernel and initrd and run lilo as root to update the bootloader.
If you use elilo to boot your machine, you should run eliloconfig to copy the
kernel and initrd to the EFI System Partition.
As a beta user of Slackware current you don't even get that text, you are supposed to know that.
With a kernel upgrade the kernel and all the modules (drivers) gets updated (replaced). As different Slackware users choose different boot loaders each Slackware user will have to make sure that the boot loader is updated to point to the new kernel.
Until you reboot, your old kernel will still be running, but it will no longer have modules for its version installed. Unable to load any drivers it might not be able to start X.
Once you reboot, if you have done everything right, your new kernel will be booted and it will use its new modules.
If you didn't do everything right with your boot loader you might still be running the old kernel which no longer will be able to load any modules from /lib/modules. You can check which kernel version you are running by looking at the output of:
If you did a kernel update something did change. As a user of the stable version of Slackware you are supposed to read and follow the important text in the changelog for kernel upgrades:
Code:
Be sure to upgrade your initrd after upgrading the kernel packages.
If you use lilo to boot your machine, be sure lilo.conf points to the correct
kernel and initrd and run lilo as root to update the bootloader.
If you use elilo to boot your machine, you should run eliloconfig to copy the
kernel and initrd to the EFI System Partition.
As a beta user of Slackware current you don't even get that text, you are supposed to know that.
With a kernel upgrade the kernel and all the modules (drivers) gets updated (replaced). As different Slackware users choose different boot loaders each Slackware user will have to make sure that the boot loader is updated to point to the new kernel.
Until you reboot, your old kernel will still be running, but it will no longer have modules for its version installed. Unable to load any drivers it might not be able to start X.
Once you reboot, if you have done everything right, your new kernel will be booted and it will use its new modules.
If you didn't do everything right with your boot loader you might still be running the old kernel which no longer will be able to load any modules from /lib/modules. You can check which kernel version you are running by looking at the output of:
Code:
uname -r
or
Code:
cat /proc/version
regards Henrik
Thanks for your reply. I did update GRUB and I did reboot. uname -r shows the new kernel. I'm using the huge kernel.
Stop using the huge kernel and switch to the generic kernel with an initrd.
Quote:
So what is the Huge kernel for? Because it has 'huge' support for many drivers built right into the kernel file, it is ideal for use in installing on a wide range of hardware. After installation a Huge kernel is no longer needed, which is why we should make the switch.
Things just got worse. I tried to just reinstall slackware and now I get:
WELCOME TO GRUB
error: unknown filesystem.
Entering rescue mode...
grub rescue>
So I've done some searching and this SEEMS to be what's recommended:
From the prompt type "ls" which gives me (hd0) (hdo,msdos2) (hd1) (hd1,msdos4) (hd1,msdos3) (hd1,msdos2) (hd1,msdos1)
From there I typed "set prefix=(hd0,msdos2)/boot/grub" then
"set root=(hd0,msdos2)"
Then when I type "insmod normal" I get "error: unknown file system"
These are the commands from several web sites. I'm not sure what to try next. I'm am puzzled by this SEEMING to point to /boot/grub when all I've done is a fresh install and selected elilo.
OK. I may have answered my own question regarding the booting problem. In my BIOS I have two entries one that says SLACKWARE-15.0+ and another says SLACKWARE.
I've been trying SLACKWARE-15.0+. When I use SLACKWARE it starts. Makes sense. SLACKWARE+15 must be for GRUB. I needed elilo.
I still can't get startx to work! Bummer after reinstalling Slackware it still has the same problem. I'm still stuck.
BTW I formatted the / partition during the install hoping to wipe out what ever was causing my initial problem.
Last edited by NakedRider; 03-18-2023 at 10:25 AM.
Thanks for your reply. I did update GRUB and I did reboot. uname -r shows the new kernel. I'm using the huge kernel.
So did you find the modules for the new kernel below /lib/modules? Could you find a nouveau module with:
Code:
ls -l /lib/modules/`uname -r`/kernel/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau.ko
Sorry I can't help you with your grub issues, hope someone else has more experience from grub.
If you are reinstalling your system you might want to consider running stable Slackware 15.0 instead of current which often updates software for people to test if it is useful. Once the current version gets a release candidate status you could say that it has become a beta version. Before that, it should more be considered an alpha version.
Stop using the huge kernel and switch to the generic kernel with an initrd.
That would probably not solve his problem with the nouveu driver as both the huge kernel and the generic kernel uses the same kernel module below /lib/modules for those nVidia chipsets. As OP is not comfortable changing the boot system it might be a bad idea to add the complexity of an initrd to the boot process.
If you are reinstalling your system you might want to consider running stable Slackware 15.0 instead of current which often updates software for people to test if it is useful. Once the current version gets a release candidate status you could say that it has become a beta version. Before that, it should more be considered an alpha version.
regards Henrik
It may come to that, using 15.0 for the install. I've tried starx as me, then added another user - same problem - I even tried useing root (I know it's not recommended) - same error.
Well henca gave me a thought in recommending using 15.0. I'm really, really, really anal about backups. I just so happened to have a previous .iso file on another USB.
I installed from that and...I have a working X server!!!
My very special thanks to henca for staying with me on this. Help like yours is why I visit this forum so often.
This is solved but I'm still not sure what happened. For now I'm going to blacklist the kernels in my updates.
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