Screen Goes Black after running Xserver
Hello Everyone; I have a problem running Debian on a Acer TravelMate 260 laptop: The system boots up and I can login in the command prompt and change to different screens (ctrl-alt-f1 to f7). But, Once I startx I CANNOT change screens. I know I can "kill" X by pressing ctrl-alt-backspace but when I do this the monitor just goes black and I cannot do anything else. The only choice I have here is to ctrl alt del and restart the system. I've done some searches in google but no help. I am running: kernel 2.6.15 on a Acer TravelMate 260 Laptop; 1Ghz over 200 Meg of ram Debian 3.0 Thanks in advance for your help. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
--- Linux Rocks wrote:
Hello Everyone;
I have a problem running Debian on a Acer TravelMate 260 laptop:
The system boots up and I can login in the command prompt and change to different screens (ctrl-alt-f1 to f7). But, Once I startx I CANNOT change screens. I have noticed that if you are running X.org instead of XFree86 that for some stupid reason the screen switching is disabled. At least by default. Therefore the first thing I do with a debian install is remove X.org and install the older XFree86. There may be some configuration thing that can be done to make X.org re-enable screen switching, but I have no desire to waste time figuring out something that should be on by default.
I suspect this is the cause of you non-functioning VT switching. It is a feature, not a machine specific problem. Brian JD
Is this on Debian stable where you cannot switch VT's with xorg? I'm running unstable and it has always worked for me. Matt On 1/16/06, Jack <quiet_celt@yahoo.com> wrote:
--- Linux Rocks wrote:
Hello Everyone;
I have a problem running Debian on a Acer TravelMate 260 laptop:
The system boots up and I can login in the command prompt and change to different screens (ctrl-alt-f1 to f7). But, Once I startx I CANNOT change screens. I have noticed that if you are running X.org instead of XFree86 that for some stupid reason the screen switching is disabled. At least by default. Therefore the first thing I do with a debian install is remove X.org and install the older XFree86. There may be some configuration thing that can be done to make X.org re-enable screen switching, but I have no desire to waste time figuring out something that should be on by default.
I suspect this is the cause of you non-functioning VT switching. It is a feature, not a machine specific problem.
Brian JD _______________________________________________ Kclug mailing list Kclug@kclug.org http://kclug.org/mailman/listinfo/kclug
-- Got gmail? I do hahaha
--- crash3m <crash3m@gmail.com> wrote:
Is this on Debian stable where you cannot switch VT's with xorg? I'm running unstable and it has always worked for me.
I'm running the stable version. Can I install xorg along side with xfree86? Is xorg the same as X11? __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
--- Linux Rocks wrote:
--- crash3m <crash3m@gmail.com> wrote:
Is this on Debian stable where you cannot switch VT's with xorg? I'm running unstable and it has always worked for me.
I'm running the stable version. Can I install xorg along side with xfree86? Is xorg the same as X11?
Yes and no. You can both installed, but you will have to choose which one to use. This is a configurable thing, that you can change. XFree86 is the original opensource implementation of X11 . Xorg is a splinter group from XFree86. They have an internal dispute in philosophy and forked off a new X11. They aren't identical. Xorg is susposedly lighter-weight and faster. I've not played with it, because of the VT switching problems I've had. Brian JD
At least on my Ubuntu desktop machine, I can verify for you that x.org is nice and snappy. I don't know if Ubuntu has changed the x.org configs at all; I suspect not, because the guy who does the Debian packages appears to also be heavily involved with both x.org and Ubuntu. I haven't been able to find any specs for a Travelmate 260 although I did find specs for a 2600. The 2600 appears to have a fairly new ATi card. If you're running the ATi binary drivers, a certain amount of displeasure can be expected. ATi seems to be improving their drivers a lot recently, although whether they're really catching up to nvidia in quality is another question entirely. So definately upgrade if you can. On a side note: Debian 3.0 stable? You're quite accomplished to keep that up to date with the kernel. I'd take jclinton's advice and see what that kernel option fixes. It also might be time to consider an upgrade to sarge. Justin Dugger On 1/18/06, Jack <quiet_celt@yahoo.com> wrote:
--- Linux Rocks wrote:
--- crash3m <crash3m@gmail.com> wrote:
Is this on Debian stable where you cannot switch VT's with xorg? I'm running unstable and it has always worked for me.
I'm running the stable version. Can I install xorg along side with xfree86? Is xorg the same as X11?
Yes and no. You can both installed, but you will have to choose which one to use. This is a configurable thing, that you can change.
XFree86 is the original opensource implementation of X11 . Xorg is a splinter group from XFree86. They have an internal dispute in philosophy and forked off a new X11. They aren't identical. Xorg is susposedly lighter-weight and faster. I've not played with it, because of the VT switching problems I've had.
Brian JD _______________________________________________ Kclug mailing list Kclug@kclug.org http://kclug.org/mailman/listinfo/kclug
--- Justin Dugger wrote:
On a side note: Debian 3.0 stable? You're quite accomplished to keep that up to date with the kernel. I'd take jclinton's advice and see what that kernel option fixes. It also might be time to consider an upgrade to sarge.
That one slipped by me. After all debian stable is now "sarge" (aka Debian 3.1). I'm currently running stable/testing. I'd prefer to run testing/unstable but I need certain functionality in OpenOffice that isn't possible in testing or unstable, unless I make my own debs. Which I suspect I will need to do sooner or later. I'm pushing for as later as I can. Also, Ubuntu does something to the base x.org config that turns the control-alt-fn back on. By default the debian package shuts it off. I'm running a bare metal debian, because of other issues. which is a bit of a pain because I like the "commercial" releases because they don't go in for all the purist bs that debian does (read desktop functionality). So your confirming that x.org works fine for you doesn't apply to anything but the Ubuntu distribution. All this freedom of choice stuff gets in the way of basic system support. But I don't have any better answers than anyone else. Brian JD
Jack <quiet_celt@yahoo.com> wrote: --- Justin Dugger wrote:
On a side note: Debian 3.0 stable? You're quite accomplished to keep that up to date with the kernel. I'd take jclinton's advice and see what that kernel option fixes. It also might be time to consider an upgrade to sarge.
That one slipped by me. After all debian stable is now "sarge" (aka Debian 3.1). I'm currently running stable/testing. I just upgraded debian to 3.1 sarge and still facing the same problem. By the way TravelMate260 has ati's i810 driver. That was the only driver I my machine would work with. --------------------------------- Yahoo! Photos Ring in the New Year with Photo Calendars. Add photos, events, holidays, whatever.
On Thu, 2006-01-19 at 11:30 -0800, Linux Rocks wrote:
I just upgraded debian to 3.1 sarge and still facing the same problem. By the way TravelMate260 has ati's i810 driver. That was the only driver I my machine would work with.
Wow, there's a lot of mis-information in this thread. First, Debian has NOT disabled CTRL+ALT+F switching in ANY release. I suspect that Brian has a problem with keymaps. Second, there is no such thing as an ATI i810. There's an INTEL i810 but not ATI. We need to know more information. Who makes your motherboard? Who makes your integrated video chipset? Have you installed the proprietary drivers? Are you having any other troubles? (We need to know if any other problem is releated.)
--- Jason Clinton wrote:
On Thu, 2006-01-19 at 11:30 -0800, Linux Rocks wrote:
I just upgraded debian to 3.1 sarge and
still facing the same
problem. By the way TravelMate260 has
ati's i810 driver. That
was the only driver I my machine would
work with.
Wow, there's a lot of mis-information in this thread. First, Debian has NOT disabled CTRL+ALT+F switching in ANY release. I suspect that Brian has a problem with keymaps.
I never said debian disabled ctrl-alt-f functioning. I did say that by default x.org disables the ctrl-alt-f functionality in X. This is a well known issue that has seen some discussion on debian boards. If there is anything wrong with my keymaps then it is specific only to x.org, and it has to do specifically with the debian packages. I am running a stock debian release and packages. I have tweaked nothing on my system and have no unusual hardware hooked up to this system. As far as the ATI vs. Intel, Jason is right there. Your video chip is an Intel chip, but you may have an ATI chipset for everything else. I also suspect the chip is an i830. I would suggest you "apt-get install xserver-xfree86" and make that your default X and see if that fixes things. If it does we know it is x.org. If not then it is something else. Something you might also try is to open an xterminal and try to kill your display manager and X, to see if you get your terminals back. Or try it from the remote connection. If none of that works try posting your ps list and X log. Brian JD
On Sat, 2006-01-21 at 22:55 -0800, Jack wrote:
I would suggest you "apt-get install xserver-xfree86" and make that your default X and see if that fixes things. If it does we know it is x.org.
This is very bad advice. xfree86 is abandoned and lacks a number of patches which have subsequently been applied to x.org.
If not then it is something else. Something you might also try is to open an xterminal and try to kill your display manager and X, to see if you get your terminals back. Or try it from the remote connection. If none of that works try posting your ps list and X log.
By display manager he means either 'gdm' or 'kdm'. In a stock Debian install that will be 'gdm'.
--- Jason Clinton <me@jasonclinton.com> wrote:
On Sat, 2006-01-21 at 22:55 -0800, Jack wrote:
I would suggest you "apt-get install xserver-xfree86" and make that your default X and see if that fixes things. If it does we know it is x.org.
This is very bad advice. xfree86 is abandoned and lacks a number of patches which have subsequently been applied to x.org.
Hunh!? XFree86 in stable is still very much supported and a security patch was released last month. Perhaps in "testing" or "unstable" it is abandoned, but patches don't always happen as fast in testing and unstable as in stable. I'm quite happy using XFree86, but I wasn't necessarily proposing to use XFree86 permanently. I was primarily trying to offer troubleshooting tips to determine the problem and to get X up and working. It doesn't do any good to have only the X.org server installed if it doesn't function as needed. Brian JD <reposting, first attempt rejected>
Jack <quiet_celt@yahoo.com> wrote: --- Justin Dugger wrote:
On a side note: Debian 3.0 stable? You're quite accomplished to keep that up to date with the kernel. I'd take jclinton's advice and see what that kernel option fixes. It also might be time to consider an upgrade to sarge.
X starts succesfully and I can work with either kde or gnome but, I cannot switch to any other consoles. When I try to switch the other consoles just stay black but, I can switch back to X. Now, if I exit or kill X I'm screwed; all the consoles are black. I can login from a remote machine but that's it. --------------------------------- Yahoo! Photos Showcase holiday pictures in hardcover Photo Books. You design it and well bind it!
Hi, On Thu, Jan 19, 2006 at 11:36:04AM -0800, Linux Rocks wrote:
X starts succesfully and I can work with either kde or gnome but, I cannot switch to any other consoles. When I try to switch the other consoles just stay black but, I can switch back to X. Now, if I exit or kill X I'm screwed; all the consoles are black. I can login from a remote machine but that's it.
Get to a command line and do ps waxu | grep gett and tell us what you see. -- Jim
--- crash3m <crash3m@gmail.com> wrote:
Is this on Debian stable where you cannot switch VT's with xorg? I'm running unstable and it has always worked for me.
For me it has been the same on stable, testing and unstable. As soon as I switch back to XFree86, I can switch out of the GUI again. I run kdm and KDE is my desktop. Xorg may behave differently with different managers. While, I'd like to try out Xorg, it too much of a hastle to try to figure it out. Especially, since I run two GUI desktops (one for me and one for my wife).
participants (7)
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crash3m -
Jack -
Jason Clinton -
Jason Dewayne Clinton
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Justin Dugger -
Linux Rocks -
Uncle Jim