sax2 is loading wrong xorg.conf

mtdew3q · 02-14-2008, 03:43 AM

hi-

when i review /var/log/SaX.log in vim, it tells me that /tmp/sax2-3651/xorg.conf has an error. problem is that in /etc/X11/xorg.conf i have it right and the /tmp/...xorg.conf is messed up. it tries for instance to have 2 of the same section. one section is incomplete. and the other contains data from my SIS graphics instead of the nvidia.

does anyone know how in the world sax2 picks up this errant tmp file instead of the nice xorg.conf i am trying to load?

now i have tried sax like this:
sax2 -r -m 0=nvidia
sax2 -m 0=nvidia
sax2 -s -m 0=nvidia

kind of trial and error. i read the man page but found it a little confusing. the last one is the one i'd pick. i dont know what the -r
means in simple terms.

sax tries to start its own server.

i have been getting a message that glx wont load anyways.
i can see in the file /var/log/Xorg.0.log that it tries
to load i believe a file like libglx.so etc. and no can
do. i saved that error in linux with kate but i am back in
windows and headed to bed.

i will check messages again tomorrow at about GMT -5.

i hope a kernel update didnt break backwards compatibility
with the 10.3 kernel on my dvd. it seems my system runs so much
better when i downloaded all those patches. i may have to give
up on nvidia. kind of frustrating. i wanted better graphics than
SIS.

thanks,
jim

mtdew3q · 02-14-2008, 03:46 AM

typo:

"i hope the kernel update didnt break backwards compatibility
with the nvidia driver"

sorry.

jschiwal · 02-14-2008, 05:52 AM

There were 3 recent kernel upgrades. I had to rerun the NVidia installer on one of them. You could try that and then run the nvidia-xconfig program. You may not need to run sax2 then. I've always have had problems initially until the nvidia driver is installed.

If you need to tweek your xorg config, look at the "gtf" program to generate a custom modeline. This may help if you are using non-standard dimensions. When I first got my laptop with 13:9 resolution I had to use it.

The video installation won't effect the media programs and libraries you are talking about (such as the packman version of xine).

One thing also to try is to go to YaST2 and click in the Community Repositories module. There is an nvidia repo you can add.

mtdew3q · 02-14-2008, 03:02 PM

hi jschiwal-
i will definitely look into the nvidia-xconfig program and check
out your other suggestions.

maybe this weekend i can fool with all of these options.

thanks again,
jim

jschiwal · 02-14-2008, 03:33 PM

I just used the rpm command to see if the installer program or a package supplied the nvidia-xconfig program.
If came from a package from the nvidia repo. It might be supplied by the installer program as well.

Code:

rpm -qf /usr/bin/nvidia-xconfig 
x11-video-nvidia-96.43.01-0.1
jschiwal@hpamd64:~> rpm -ql x11-video-nvidia
/usr/X11R6/lib/libGL.so.1
/usr/X11R6/lib/libGL.so.96.43.01
...
/usr/bin/X.x11-video-nvidia
/usr/bin/nvidia-bug-report.sh
/usr/bin/nvidia-settings
/usr/bin/nvidia-xconfig
...

The package supplies html based documentation as well. If you can add the nvidia repository, that may make life easier for you.

mtdew3q · 02-15-2008, 03:16 AM

hi jschiwal-

the whole key to this is i went and downloaded the
source .rpm file for the version of my kernel and
ran the .rpm. i also had to install gcc.

once i did those i followed instructions for nvidia
in my suse book and it is a snap. and the good thing
is going forward with my next kernel updates for 10.3
i know what to do now.

when i start up suse now and go into the x window
system for kde my card is working. i know this because
i have my bios set to pci instead of onboard agp.

i want to get compiz up and running which is kind
of the point of me fooling with this card (to get
better graphics). well i am already at better graphics
because even without compiz Nvidia is better than
SIS760!

i took a quick try at getting compiz to work but
the windows went funny. there were no menu bars at
the top of the window with min,max, and x to close.
i disabled it and restarted X and am back to the kde
window manager with the right menus on the applications.

i dont have time to fool with it tonight.
have to get ready for another day at pay the bills
job.

this weekend i will definitely fool with getting compiz to
work.

thanks very much again for helping,
jim

mtdew3q · 02-15-2008, 10:46 PM

hi jschiwal-

i decided against fooling with compiz.
i want to learn about KDE. i am excited to check out
the new KDE when 11.0 comes out and i can get ready
by learning a little older KDE version.

this version of SUSE (10.3) is blazing fast compared
to (10.1). i really like it. very cool. i have lots
to learn. I think one thing that drove me away was
i never got past the slowness of 10.1. not anymore!

thanks again,
jim

jschiwal · 02-16-2008, 03:50 AM

I just went back to compiz on my laptop. On SuSE 10.3 look for a package called "opensuse-xgl-settings". You can install needed xgl, compiz, nvidia or ati drivers you want just by clicking a button. It also has a button to configure nvidia for compiz. On one menu you can select if you want any additional effects.

mtdew3q · 02-16-2008, 05:37 PM

hi jschiwal-

i made good progress but had a slight issue.
the compiz manager under system configuration is cool.
i didnt need to install the legacy drivers as i already
have them installed...
x11-video-nvidia and nvidia-gfx-kmp-default.

so when i went to enable compiz and restart X i got this
message: dlopen libnividia-tls.so.1 cannont open shared
object file: no such file

and i was locked out of X until i disabled compiz by
deleting a file in /opt/kde3/env named kdewm.sh and
also running this command:
gnome-xgl-switch --disable-xgl

i am not totally clear on how to get the right file i need
to fix it. a fix was suggested on a yahoo search at this link:
not exactly sure how to proceed.
http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=64534

any ideas? it sounds like it is just a matter of getting the
right file and updating something. i saw a tls package in
my software repository but not sure if it is the right one.
had to do with openssl??? doesnt sound right.

well...anyways i still have KDE up and running with nvidia.
and even if i dont get it running i got to see how easy and
cool it is to switch back and forth between compiz and KDE.
one click.
thanks very much,
jim

jschiwal · 02-16-2008, 05:47 PM

I took a look on my laptop for this file:

Code:

rpm -qf /usr/lib64/libnvidia-tls.so.1
x11-video-nvidia-96.43.01-0.1

mtdew3q · 02-16-2008, 07:51 PM

hi jschiwal-

looked over your last thread.
i see what you mean.
i got the error file not found.
so you have it on your machine and evidently i dont.
so i tried to get it on my machine.
one of the packages from nvidia listed it in description
of files included (the big list of files in yast)
in software repositories. trouble is you go there
to the directory it lists and it is just an empty directory.
cant put it in $PATH if it doesnt exist.

i searched on my system too.

i tried to go around that by going to this place on the web
where you can download linux files. it is a big db of all
kinds.

i found the one i wanted in a package but they wouldnt install. usually
i have no problem installing for yast or at the shell with
sh when i get a binary made for .rpm suse 10.X.
the package name started nvidia-legacy-gfx*

basically i am out of luck until i find that file.
having a legacy card is probably a small source of my problems.
harder to find what you need to get it installed.
walmart sells this card still to this day and it is over 2 years
old! that is ancient when you think about how fast a opensuse
or fedora moves.
thanks anyways. you answered the question which is i am missing a file.
now i will be ready for that message hopefully next time.

hope you are enjoying the weekend.

I will just use KDE for now.
thanks so much for helping.
jim

mtdew3q · 02-16-2008, 10:26 PM

hi again jschiwal-

i came back to this after a break.
2 cool things i learned is you can have a
src.rpm or something that ends in .run
from nvidia that you can do:
sh packagename.run --extract-only

so it was interesting that even though in yast the file shows in the package file list,
on yast install it wasnt unpacked. but if you do an --extract-only you can retrieve
that file that yast didnt install. at least it worked this time.

so i am off to see if i can fire this up now.
thanks,
jim

mtdew3q · 02-17-2008, 01:38 AM

hi Jschiwal-

IT IS WORKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:-)
i had to battle with this one.
before when my computer went into to the desktop,
the nvidia advertisement screen didnt show even though my bios was on pci nvidia.
but now i get the nvidia screen on load and a few effects like fade and wobbly.
i had set the themes and stuff for KDE the night before with how i like my desktop
and now with these fancy graphics laid over top of this it sure looks sharp.

i just try to do what makes sense and listen to everyones tips.
i cant write a tutorial on it but i got it to work.

time to back up that xorg.conf and call it a night.
thanks so much,
jim