SuSE 10.0 graphics and Dell Optiplex GX620
A previous thread (lists.suse.com/archive/suse-linux-e/2005-Oct/0896.html) reports graphics problems with SuSE 10.0 and a Dell laptop (Inspiron 5160). I have experienced similiar problems with SuSE 10.0 and Dell Optiplex GX620 computers (desktops) using ATI Radeon X600 SE 128MB graphic card and standard Dell LCD screen and optical (HID compliant) mouse. The SuSE 10.0 installation works without any problems. But when the install is completed and the computer reboots, the computer hangs with a black screen. The mouse and keyboard don't respond and the computer doesn't answer network contact attempts (I tried to log in with ssh from another computer, without any success). After that I started the computer in failsafe text mode and logged in with ssh from another computer (I hoped to be able to keep in contact with the computer if it hanged again). Then I tried both to run startx and to run Sax2, both attempts ended with the computer hanging and the ssh link broken (Sax2 started, the start screen was rendered ... and froze). The fact that the remote connection didn't work made me a little bit astonished because I'm used to be able to keep contact with computers with graphics problems through ssh (and study the problem that way). The problem is not linked to a certain computer (several have been tested with the same result), so the cause shouldn't be "bad hardware". I made a bugzilla report on this problem 1 september (SuSE beta 3, bug id=114665), but I haven't got any answer (besides the auto answer from bugzilla_noreply@novell.com). Anyone having a clue what is the cause and how to fix the problem? MF
On Tuesday 11 October 2005 11:57 am, martin@m-fahlgren.com wrote:
A previous thread (lists.suse.com/archive/suse-linux-e/2005-Oct/0896.html) reports graphics problems with SuSE 10.0 and a Dell laptop (Inspiron 5160). I have experienced similiar problems with SuSE 10.0 and Dell Optiplex GX620 computers (desktops) using ATI Radeon X600 SE 128MB graphic card and standard Dell LCD screen and optical (HID compliant) mouse.
The SuSE 10.0 installation works without any problems. But when the install is completed and the computer reboots, the computer hangs with a black screen. The mouse and keyboard don't respond and the computer doesn't answer network contact attempts (I tried to log in with ssh from another computer, without any success).
<snip>
After that I started the computer in failsafe text mode and logged in with ssh from another computer (I hoped to be able to keep in contact with the computer if it hanged again). Then I tried both to run startx and to run Sax2, both attempts ended with the computer hanging and the ssh link broken (Sax2 started, the start screen was rendered ... and froze). Anyone having a clue what is the cause and how to fix the problem?
MF
Either boot back into Failsafe or just type in a 3 on the kernel boot command line. Login as root and then do a 'sax2 -l' without quotes for low resolution 640x480. That should allow you to configure X with the correct video card and resolutions, monitor and parameters, etc. Whenever you want to run sax2 it is best to exit the GUI, switch to a text console via Ctrl+Alt+F1-6, login as root, do an init 3 to shut down X, run sax2 and when finished, logout of root, init 5 to get X and the GUI going again. Whenever I try to run sax2 in KDE/GNOME/whichever it always messes up my xorg.conf to make it unusable - but that's just me and my system, YMMV. Most often this is some combination of video card, video card driver and or monitor spec that sax2 can't get right for the first time boot. Some systems also manage to involve acpi/apm, BIOS settings and other Linux boot time options as well. Once you figure out what the problem is you should give feedback to SUSE to get it fixed long-term via their bug reporting. Stan
On 10/11/05, Stan Glasoe
On Tuesday 11 October 2005 11:57 am, martin@m-fahlgren.com wrote:
[snipped previous post]
Whenever I try to run sax2 in KDE/GNOME/whichever it always messes up my xorg.conf to make it unusable - but that's just me and my system, YMMV.
No, it's not only you and your system. My video setup (graphics and monitor) is completely misconfigured everytime I start sax2. [Please go ahead with original discussion. Don't want to go OT, just add my 2 cents.] \Steve
On Tue, 11 Oct 2005, Stan Glasoe wrote:
Either boot back into Failsafe or just type in a 3 on the kernel boot command line. Login as root and then do a 'sax2 -l' without quotes for low resolution 640x480. That should allow you to configure X with the correct video card and resolutions, monitor and parameters, etc. Whenever you want to run sax2 it is best to exit the GUI, switch to a text console via Ctrl+Alt+F1-6, login as root, do an init 3 to shut down X, run sax2 and when finished, logout of root, init 5 to get X and the GUI going again. Whenever I try to run sax2 in KDE/GNOME/whichever it always messes up my xorg.conf to make it unusable - but that's just me and my system, YMMV.
Thanks for the proposal, but it doesn't work. The result is the same as before, the computer hangs during the initialisation of Sax2. I'm beginning to think that this is a x.org problem, because Fedora 4 has simliar problems (the difference is that the computer hangs early during the install process). On the other hand graphics works OK with Knoppix 4.0 (uses XFree86). Best regards MF
On Thursday 13 October 2005 1:34 am, Martin Fahlgren wrote:
On Tue, 11 Oct 2005, Stan Glasoe wrote:
Either boot back into Failsafe or just type in a 3 on the kernel boot command line. Login as root and then do a 'sax2 -l' without quotes for low resolution 640x480. That should allow you to configure X with the correct video card and resolutions, monitor and parameters, etc. Whenever you want to run sax2 it is best to exit the GUI, switch to a text console via Ctrl+Alt+F1-6, login as root, do an init 3 to shut down X, run sax2 and when finished, logout of root, init 5 to get X and the GUI going again. Whenever I try to run sax2 in KDE/GNOME/whichever it always messes up my xorg.conf to make it unusable - but that's just me and my system, YMMV.
Thanks for the proposal, but it doesn't work. The result is the same as before, the computer hangs during the initialisation of Sax2. I'm beginning to think that this is a x.org problem, because Fedora 4 has simliar problems (the difference is that the computer hangs early during the install process). On the other hand graphics works OK with Knoppix 4.0 (uses XFree86).
Best regards MF
That is another issue I've run into also. Last one was a framebuffer driver issue that was cleared up in a later update. X ran but I couldn't do Sax2 no matter what parameters I used. Knoppix uses different versions of almost all software versus the latest SUSE. So as a test of hardware functionality it is good and it may help narrow down which specific software group to investigate. Have you gone through the BIOS settings very carefully? Are the BIOS and various firmwares up to date on this system? Stan
On Thu, 13 Oct 2005, Stan Glasoe wrote:
Have you gone through the BIOS settings very carefully? Are the BIOS and various firmwares up to date on this system?
Yes. The computers are new (from may/june this year). Best regards MF
On Thursday 13 October 2005 11:31 am, Martin Fahlgren wrote:
On Thu, 13 Oct 2005, Stan Glasoe wrote:
Have you gone through the BIOS settings very carefully? Are the BIOS and various firmwares up to date on this system?
Yes.
Good. Did you do that yesterday or today?
The computers are new (from may/june this year).
And have you actually checked for BIOS and firmware updates that are newer than May/June of 2005? And installed them if there are newer?
Best regards
And to you and yours also.
MF
On Tuesday 11 October 2005 12:57 pm, martin@m-fahlgren.com wrote:
Anyone having a clue what is the cause and how to fix the problem?
At boot up, enter init 3 on the command line. This way, 10.0 will bootup to a konsole and not GUI. Then, as root, run SAX2 and properly define your video card, monitor, etc. Fred -- Paid purchaser of ALL SuSE Linux releases since 7.x
On Tuesday 11 October 2005 12:57 pm, martin@m-fahlgren.com wrote:
Anyone having a clue what is the cause and how to fix the problem?
MF
In my case (Inspiron 5160) it was an ACPI problem. Used acpi=off and everything works fine. -- Best wishes, Alberto +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ Alberto Santana, PhD Department of Chemistry University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez P.O. Box 9019 Mayaguez PR 00681-9019 Phone: (787) 832-4040 x2293 http://www.uprm.edu/~asantana +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ Powered by SuSE Linux 10.0 (http://www.novell.com/linux/suse)
participants (6)
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Alberto Santana -
Fred A. Miller -
Martin Fahlgren -
martin＠m-fahlgren.com
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Stan Glasoe -
Steve Graegert