Xorg in Mandriva 2006

[réjean]

Hi again!I know! I know! Well the good news is that thanks to Bruno I can now boot into Mandriva 2006. Yippee!!! In text mode only!boohooboohoo!I tried and tried changing settings by running "xorg.config" but nothing seems to work. I know! I know! I have a S3 Video Card. But it works in Mandriva 2005; so why not in 2006? I choose S3 86C368 Trio 3D/2X which is offered to me and is what I've got. Then I select 800X600 @ 56 Khz for my monitor which is more than the less it can do. Then I go for 800X600 16 bpp which is also the bare minimum ( figuring I can always go back and change a few things if I have to). But when I do a test I get"[An error occured: Caught signal 4.Server aborting. Try to change some parameters[/code]I have tried several others like S3 Trio basic or similar ones but nothing works.Is there a way to disable xorg and try figuring out XF86config or something similar?

[burninbush]

Hi again!I know! I know! Well the good news is that thanks to Bruno I can now boot into Mandriva 2006. Yippee!!! In text mode only!boohooboohoo!I tried and tried changing settings by running "xorg.config" but nothing seems to work.

Ahhhh... well, to be clear, the command is 'xorgconfig' with no dot in the middle. If you didn't get asked a series of questions about your hardware, then that's the problem there. I wonder if you have a livecd that you can boot with that produces a gui screen that you like? If so, might be useful to get a copy of the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file the live cd makes -- and save it someplace on harddisk that you can get to later from the Mandriva bootup. For starters, just rename your current non-working xorg.conf file, and copy the one you saved from the live into /etc/X11 -- and then run startx to see if that made a difference.If it still doesn't work [and that may not] then you can at the least look at the live version [with an editor] to see what video driver it is using. I just ran xorgconfig on this 2006 install, and can see three different S3 vid drivers mentioned; S3 Savage, S3ViRGE, and S3 non-virge non-savage. Do any of those sound familiar to you? Just answer yes [in xorgconfig] to look at the card database, and then enter to get to the 2nd page of choices, and there they are. Hope some of that helps. Edited September 20, 2005 by burninbush

[réjean]

sorry again!I did mean xorgconfig! Because I can go into it and when I get to the graphic card I must have the choice between 24 ( not really counting) different S3 cards to choose from. And as I have said I have tried at least half a dozen different ones already.

I wonder if you have a livecd that you can boot with that produces a gui screen that you like? If so, might be useful to get a copy of the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file the live cd makes -- and save it someplace on harddisk that you can get to later from the Mandriva bootup.

Good suggestion! Can I do it from either Mandriva 2005, Kubuntu or Xandros 2.0 which are already installed? Then how would I get that info from a text mode only in Mandriva 2006? I am not that fluent in command line. I will see how much is in to copy and maybe can do it by hand.Thanks for the suggestion, my friend.

[havnblast]

In Mandriva 2005 can u access the Mandriva 2006 partition? If so just copy and paste the xorg file from 2005 to 2006 or use a text editor to view the 2005 xorg file and copy and paste into the 2006 xorg file.

[réjean]

In Mandriva 2005 can u access the Mandriva 2006 partition? If so just copy and paste the xorg file from 2005 to 2006 or use a text editor to view the 2005 xorg file and copy and paste into the 2006 xorg file.

No. I get a permission denied when I try to access /dev/hda10. If I go in console mode and try to do a chmod 777 /dev/hda10 like this:

[root@192 dev]# ./hda10bash: ./hda10: Permission denied[root@192 dev]# chmod 777 hda10[root@192 dev]# ./hda10bash: ./hda10: Permission denied[root@192 dev]#

I still cannot get into it. I even tried as root in 2005 and still no go.

[linuxdude32]

No. I get a permission denied when I try to access /dev/hda10. If I go in console mode and try to do a chmod 777 /dev/hda10 like this:

[root@192 dev]# ./hda10bash: ./hda10: Permission denied[root@192 dev]# chmod 777 hda10[root@192 dev]# ./hda10bash: ./hda10: Permission denied[root@192 dev]#

I still cannot get into it. I even tried as root in 2005 and still no go.

You shouldn't try to access /dev/hda10. You should try to access wherever /dev/hda10 is mounted. If it's not mounted, then you need to do that first.

[Bruno]

Hi RéjeanI am puzzled . . . . what are you trying to accomplish with this command:

[root@192 dev]# ./hda10

Why is there a dot . . . and where is the "cd" or the "ls" ?I think if you would do:

# mkdir /mnt/hda10# mount /dev/hda10 /mnt/hda10# ls /mnt/hda10

You would get to see what is on the hda10 partition ;) Bruno

[réjean]

Hi again!I must have been totally braindead last night after trying so hard to figure out xorg.So here is what I have done so far this morning. I first went into the console and:

[rejean@192 ~]$ suPassword:[root@192 rejean]# cd mnt/bash: cd: mnt/: No such file or directory[root@192 rejean]# cd /mnt/[root@192 mnt]# chmod 777 hda10/[root@192 mnt]# cd hda10/[root@192 hda10]# chmod 777 etc/[root@192 hda10]# cd etc/[root@192 etc]# chmod 777 X11/[root@192 etc]# cd X11/[root@192 X11]# chmod 777 xorg.conf[root@192 X11]#[/paste]Then I renamed xorg.conf as xorg.conf.old. After that I deleted its content. I went into Mandriva 2005 /etc/X11/xorg.conf and copied what was in the file and pasted it within xorg.conf on 2006 and saved it. I then rebooted into 2006 logged in did su and typed "startx" and still a no go.I get something like this:[code]X10: fatal error 104( Connection reset by peer ) on X server ":0.0" after 0 requests ( 0 known processed ) with 0 events rmaining.

I could try again what burninbush has suggested when I have time but I doubt it will work. If anyone else has a suggestion it will be greatly appreciated.Thanks!

[burninbush]

I did mean xorgconfig! Because I can go into it and when I get to the graphic card I must have the choice between 24 ( not really counting) different S3 cards to choose from. And as I have said I have tried at least half a dozen different ones already.>rejean+++++++++++++Sorry, this is not making sense to me; what you see at that vid-card choice menu is a bunch of different brands of vid cards, NOT ALL are S3 cards. There are only 3 choices, on the second screen, that have anything to do with "S3" -- at least on any xorgconfig setup I've run. I have up the same Mandriva 2006 that you are trying to configure, so I imagine your choices are the same as what I see here. Please run that again -- logon as root, enter 'xorgconfig' and then please try the 3 different vid-card items that have "S3" in the name. The answer to that xorgconfig question is a NUMBER, the one beside the vid card choice. Here, for example, I answer '18' to choose Nvidia GF2. Yours would be the number beside one of the S3 choices. As I wrote earlier, the S3 choices are on the second screen of that item. Then at the end where you select which vid modes to allow, given you seem to want 800x600, please read how that question is to be answered CAREFULLY. For example, if you are given 4 choices but only want the last 2, you will probably answer '32' to that question. If you specify something that that your vid card or monitor can't do, it'll probably fail. Here below, I have pasted a snip from my xorg.conf file that details my vid card -- yours will have a similar section, only naming a different brand. This is the result from entering '18' to that xorgconfig question about which vid card I have. ~~~Section "Device" Identifier "device1" VendorName "nVidia Corp." BoardName "NVIDIA GeForce2 DDR (generic)" Driver "nv" Option "DPMS"EndSection

[Bruno]

Sorry 2 mistakes Réjean:1). We do NOT use the command "xorgconfig" in Mandrake . . . . but XFdrake is the tool in AND outside X to configure your X2). And this is what I concentrated on this morning . . the access of the /mnt/hda10: Why are you trying to change permissions ?? This is not needed at all. If you just type exactly the commands I gave you this morning you will be able to access hda10:

# mkdir /mnt/hda10# mount /dev/hda10 /mnt/hda10# ls /mnt/hda10

( No need to use the command "cd" . . . just type the path if you want to copy stuff ) But this whole action of changing permissions to 777 is "not done" . . . this is not the correct way Réjean, so forget about getting to hda10 and just configure your X the "normal" way.Now one piece of additional advice: Do NOT simply copy the xorg file of another distro to Mandrake . . . please use the XFdrake tool I mentioned above. Log in as root in the text terminal, type XFdrake ( case sensitive ) and you will get the wizard that will take you through the motions, it will most likely propose you the correct settings, you only have to confirm them and run the "test" to see if the configuration is correct . . . then all will be okay :DB) Bruno

[réjean]

Hi Bruno!Sorry man. I should have said that the FIRST thing I did this morning was to mount /hda 10. The reason I changed permissions is that I couldn't delete what was in /mnt/hda10/etc/X11/xorg.conf and copy what was in Mandriva 2005.Anyway! I thought that Xorg was "de rigueur now, because I still remember the good old XFdrake ( I even tried it from memory last night but I had 'xfdrake' no wonder it didn't work. I also tried XF86config but I didn't go any further.So I tried and tried XFdrake. It sees my video card S3 Trio 3D/2X and when I get to the monitor part there is a '+' sign on the left of Vendors and Generic. So I tried Plug'n Play but I am told the probing failed. So I go into Custom which is ok because I know the horizontal sync rate to be 30-55 and the Verticl refresh rate to be 50-120. My memory is 2MB and I choose the 800X600@56hz to be on the safe side. When I do a test I get:

Fatal server error. Caught signal 4. Server aborting

So if anyone can thing of something great, otherwise I will stick with Mandriva 2005.

[Bruno]

Hi RéjeanWhen you start XFdrake again . . . .what is the default monitor it selects itself automatically ?? ( So what suggestion does the wizard give you ? ) Bruno

[réjean]

Hi RéjeanWhen you start XFdrake again . . . .what is the default monitor it selects itself automatically ?? ( So what suggestion does the wizard give you ? ) Bruno

None Bruno! That's the weird part. No monitor suggestion and no way to see the vendors or generic. Unless I press on Page Down when either one is selected. Will give that a try in awhile. But still, giving the proper data (horizontal, vertical, memory,resolution) shouldn't it be sufficient?

[burninbush]

...[quietly ...] psssst... speaking xorg-generically, didja try running xorgconfig yet? Did you even look at the xorg.conf file that the XFdrake util produced? Does the Monitor section repeat the values you know to be true about your monitor? What about the vid card? To be very very clear, xorgconfig does not need to know about your particular monitor, if you can only give it accurate info about sweep rates. It'll construct a virtual monitor somewhat like your real monitor. I don't know anything about your particular vid card, but ... does it really only have 2mb of memory? If you were running windows using it, what vid settings would you expect to use?

[réjean]

...[quietly ...] psssst... speaking xorg-generically, didja try running xorgconfig yet? Did you even look at the xorg.conf file that the XFdrake util produced? Does the Monitor section repeat the values you know to be true about your monitor? What about the vid card? To be very very clear, xorgconfig does not need to know about your particular monitor, if you can only give it accurate info about sweep rates. It'll construct a virtual monitor somewhat like your real monitor. I don't know anything about your particular vid card, but ... does it really only have 2mb of memory? If you were running windows using it, what vid settings would you expect to use?

Hi burninbush!To answer your question from the last first; about the video card yes it has only 2MB memory and I would want 800X600 for myself ( on account of my vision) but I know that the monitor and the vid could handle much higher.To answer the 2nd thing; I don't care if xorg cares about the monitor, or XF86 or XFree or XFdrake do or not. My question is why do Mandriva 2005, Mandrake 10, Mandrake 9.1 give me a graphic but this one doesn't ( and once again. The md5sums are all good)?

[burninbush]

My question is why do Mandriva 2005, Mandrake 10, Mandrake 9.1 give me a graphic but this one doesn't ( and once again. The md5sums are all good)?++++++++++++Beats me. But, be aware -- they all *construct* an xorg.conf on-the-fly, to match their [script's] perceptions of your hardware. It's not like they knew from the day the distro was compiled that your particular card and monitor would meet, and so they'd know exactly what to do. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I agree it's curious that 2005 changed so much by 2006 that it won't work at all. If you don't want to give xorgconfig a try, then I'm out of ammo. It seems obvious that the one the 2006 XFdrake is making is not acceptable to your hardware combination. I wonder if you have tried XFdrake with a reduced set of colors? Perhaps specify 256 colors instead of 16-bits/pixel? Or, just a 640x480 mode?

[réjean]

My question is why do Mandriva 2005, Mandrake 10, Mandrake 9.1 give me a graphic but this one doesn't ( and once again. The md5sums are all good)?++++++++++++Beats me. But, be aware -- they all *construct* an xorg.conf on-the-fly, to match their [script's] perceptions of your hardware. It's not like they knew from the day the distro was compiled that your particular card and monitor would meet, and so they'd know exactly what to do. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I agree it's curious that 2005 changed so much by 2006 that it won't work at all. If you don't want to give xorgconfig a try, then I'm out of ammo. It seems obvious that the one the 2006 XFdrake is making is not acceptable to your hardware combination. I wonder if you have tried XFdrake with a reduced set of colors? Perhaps specify 256 colors instead of 16-bits/pixel? Or, just a 640x480 mode?

First thing; I gave xorgconfig a try for at least 8 hours or so,off and on, try this then that, change the video card settings, then the monitor, then the modes ( I didn't go below 640X480 mode but I tried it) so please don't tell me I didn't try it.Second; I haven't try XFdrake with reduced colors or resolution. Will be my next project tomorrow morning.Maybe it will work! Thanks for your perseverence burninbush! Greatly appreciated! Edited September 21, 2005 by réjean

[Bruno]

Good morning RéjeanI see in coocker that there is/was a bug in the CVS version of xorg that RC2 is using . . . . . . it seems to affect only very few people and you might be one of them. The advice is going back to an older xorg version ( not really an option for you because it is no longer available ) or upgrade to the next one ( also a CVS version, but you will need to upgrade to cooker and that is a whole other kettle of fish ).So it is starting to look like you are stuck waiting for either RC3 ( in case there would be an RC3 ) or the "Final". Bruno

[réjean]

Thanks Bruno!I'll wait. At least I've got Mandriva 2005 which I am starting to like and appreciate more and more.