Getting all black screen with Suse 10.3
 

I have windows XP on my main PC. I have PCLinuxOS on my laptop, and like it. I recently put Suse 10.3 on my PC and went into a step by step on how to turn on Compiz (beryl) so I could play with all the neat cube effects. However, now that I have it activated once Suse loads all I get is a blacked out screen that I can tell is supposed to be the cube activated OS. I dont know much about Linux as I am new to it, so is there any way I can fix this problem from the other boot option? I dont understand how to use the console, so, if anyone could give a step by step, it would be much appreciated. Also, If it matters, my graphics card is a GeForce 6800 AGP. It runs WoW, CSS, and Oblivion. I dont see why a card that can run Oblivion wouldnt be able to run beryl?

There are multiple sources for configuring a Nvidia card so that it will work properly with Compiz, the first link may the be the best


http://forum.compiz-fusion.org/showthread.php?t=1682
http://forum.compiz-fusion.org/showthread.php?t=1681
http://en.opensuse.org/Beryl
http://forum.compiz-fusion.org/showthread.php?t=85

I cant get that far. If I try to run regular Suse, I get a black screen that is supposed to be the cube, and I can't open anything. The only thing I can run is windows, or the failsafe option, which is very similar to the windows console. Is there anything I can do in failsafe to fix my problem?

I have the exact same problem you have only I have a Geforce 7950GT OC

I noticed the black screen will only appear once nvidia drivers are installed. I have the same problem with other distributions as well, Ubuntu will do it after I enable restricted drivers and Mandriva 2008 wont even let me get to the desktop with the live cd. I noticed I can get to the terminal by pressing CTRL-ALT-F2.

If anybody can find a solution to this it would be great!

I haven't had any problems like this in the past, Ubuntu Feisty and Fedora 6 worked fine with my card and I had beryl running without a problem... somehow I think this is a kernel problem.

you should search for the detailed compiz-manual on the opensuse.org page. you find a detailed description of installing/running compiz on opensuse with different videocards...

google is your friend*g

by the way: compiz is not beryl and still beta....

I don't think that Compiz is the problem... I think its the video card drivers combined with the new Kernel.

I didn't even install compiz, all I did was install Nvidia drivers and now I get the black screen when I boot it up.

If somebody can tell me how to work around this black screen problems Im sure I can figure out how to get Compiz working. I was able to do it fine with Ububntu Feisty, but now when I use Gusty I get the exact same black screen after I enable restricted drives.

as I said there is a detailed description on the webpage opensuse.org about installing nvidia drivers in combination with beryl! perhaps you should read that?

I found that guide and used it to install nvidia drivers. However, I am still getting that black screen.

nvidia drivers
 

I too am booting to a black screen in 10.3(i.e. X is not starting) with Nvidia drivers. I uninstalled Compiz etc and it made no difference. Using older Nvidia drivers made no difference either so it is definitely only when Nvidia drivers are installed.
X will only start with xorg driver.
To get out of the problem and have X start normally you have to boot in safe mode and edit the xorg.conf file changing "nvidia" to "nv". (at command line prompt login as root and then:
vim /etc/X11/xorg.conf )

I honestly think it has something to do with the new kernel... how would I go back to an older kernel using 10.3?

I am able to get 3D support running, but only when I kill X and then go to a console and from there I type "startx" and I'm set, the driver is then "nvidia"... Nvidia sign shows up and my visualisation program for molecules is showing all the nice things it is supposed to...

BUT: when BOOTING the system, I get the black screen again! Then I can go to console and type startx... Which is some kind of annoying...

Can anyone explain me what happens when the X-Server is started while booting and what happens when I run startx? Are both processes using two different xorg.conf files? Has fvwm2 something to do with this? Is there a way to run startx in the boot process directly?


Section "Module"
Load "freetype"
Load "type1"
Load "dbe"
Load "glx"
Load "extmod"
EndSection

...
...
...

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor[0]"
VendorName "SHP"
ModelName "LCD MONITOR"
UseModes "Modes[0]"
DisplaySize 304 228
HorizSync 30.0 - 78.0
VertRefresh 50.0 - 60.0
Option "CalcAlgorithm" "XServerPool"
Option "DPMS"
Option "DFP"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Device[0]"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "NVidia"
BoardName "GeForce4 440 Go"
Screen 0
Option "NVAgp" "3"
Option "RenderAccel" "TRUE"
Option "AllowGLXWithComposite" "TRUE"
Option "TripleBuffer" "TRUE"
# Option "DFP"
Option "DPMS" "TRUE"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen[0]"
Device "Device[0]"
Monitor "Monitor[0]"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1600x1200" "1024x768" "800x600"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1600x1200" "1024x768" "800x600"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1600x1200" "1024x768" "800x600"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1600x1200" "1024x768" "800x600"
EndSubSection
EndSection