X fails to start - locks up completely, won't install graphically
Total lock up with two different nvidia cards (fx5500, followed by 5200), won't install graphics on installation of Suse 10 (Linux Magazine UK version DVD - good on Linux Mag!!). Installing system to boot into runlevel 3 sax2 locks up - screen flicks blank once, comes back with cursor at left top, fixed not blinking, nothing works except reset switch. What do I do? This has occurred both before installing updates and after online update, including downloading nvidia drivers. Only oddity I can think of is second video card - a PCI matrox millenium. But works OK in 9.3 with that. How to solve? Beware non tekkie user - spell it out and don't make basic knowledge assumptions!! Many thanks
On Saturday 14 January 2006 17:17, M.Blackmore wrote:
Total lock up with two different nvidia cards (fx5500, followed by 5200), won't install graphics on installation of Suse 10 (Linux Magazine UK version DVD - good on Linux Mag!!).
Installing system to boot into runlevel 3 sax2 locks up - screen flicks blank once, comes back with cursor at left top, fixed not blinking, nothing works except reset switch.
What do I do? This has occurred both before installing updates and after online update, including downloading nvidia drivers.
Only oddity I can think of is second video card - a PCI matrox millenium. But works OK in 9.3 with that.
How to solve? Beware non tekkie user - spell it out and don't make basic knowledge assumptions!!
Many thanks
--------------------------------------------------------------------- Have you tried removing the Matrox card to see if things begin to work normally? You might also check your /var/log/messages file or the Xorg.0.log for errors/help in what's happening. Are you saying the setup doesn't work with either the SuSE supplied nv driver or nVidia's driver?
regards, Lee
On Sat, 2006-01-14 at 18:10 -0500, BandiPat wrote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------- Have you tried removing the Matrox card to see if things begin to work normally?
I've had cards in and out of this slot like a ... well, a lot. I think I did .. need to double check that. Had meant to! Got to look after a toddler between times so its been a bit fragmented today!
You might also check your /var/log/messages file or the Xorg.0.log for errors/help in what's happening.
Ah, ha, right I'll look into those. Nice to know of their existence.
Are you saying the setup doesn't work with either the SuSE supplied nv driver or nVidia's driver?
Exactly....!!
M., On Saturday 14 January 2006 15:14, M.Blackmore wrote:
On Sat, 2006-01-14 at 18:10 -0500, BandiPat wrote:
Xorg.0.log for errors/help
I forgot to ask - where do I find that?
Most log files files, including both that Lee mentioned, are in /var/log or a sub-directory thereof. Packages not specifically configured by the people who prepare the SuSE software may place their logs elsewhere. Many of those files or directories (including /var/log/messages) require root privileges to be read. Randall Schulz
On Sat, 2006-01-14 at 18:10 -0500, BandiPat wrote:
On Saturday 14 January 2006 17:17, M.Blackmore wrote:
Total lock up with two different nvidia cards (fx5500, followed by 5200), won't install graphics on installation of Suse 10 (Linux Magazine UK version DVD - good on Linux Mag!!).
I've had mixed success so far.
The systems also got a matrox millenium pci card for a second display, which I have had in and out of the box, and played with pic slot irq assignations etc.
--------------------------------------------------------------------- Have you tried removing the Matrox card to see if things begin to work normally?
Nope, doing that didn't work initially using sax2/yast tools - lockup. I did, however, set up a basic nvidia generic driver using xf86config, and that seemed to enable something enough to run sax2, and I was then able to set up the nvidia card and monitor using the pointyklikky tools that lusers like me like... however, no second card with this.
You might also check your /var/log/messages file or the Xorg.0.log for errors/help in what's happening.
Had a look at those but didn't mean anything to me - a reflection of my ignorance. But didn't seem to be anything saying "failed" or whatever. System just hangs on running sax2.
Are you saying the setup doesn't work with either the SuSE supplied nv driver or nVidia's driver?
Yes, problem was with both. OK, now if I was able to, with both the matrox card in and out of the system, do something with xf86config that enabled sax2 to run, how can I set up the second PCI slot card as well using the same method - it might work?? Sax2 isn't recognising the existence of the second card now that I've taken it out. I did have a system running with both cards recognised but the monitor settings were all wrong and I couldn't run the yast control panel to change them without locking the system. At least I can get a single monitor system running, which is an improvement. I like GUIs - as thick as two short planks when it comes to command lines... Yours in bafflement
Oh, I've just noticed something - Monitor 1 (there is no monitor two mentioned!) doesn't have any name attached to the video card setting, tho' its recognsied the IIyama LCD monintor model correctly. Hmmm. On Tue, 2006-01-17 at 21:14 +0000, M.Blackmore wrote:
On Sat, 2006-01-14 at 18:10 -0500, BandiPat wrote:
On Saturday 14 January 2006 17:17, M.Blackmore wrote:
Total lock up with two different nvidia cards (fx5500, followed by 5200), won't install graphics on installation of Suse 10 (Linux Magazine UK version DVD - good on Linux Mag!!).
I've had mixed success so far.
The systems also got a matrox millenium pci card for a second display, which I have had in and out of the box, and played with pic slot irq assignations etc.
--------------------------------------------------------------------- Have you tried removing the Matrox card to see if things begin to work normally?
Nope, doing that didn't work initially using sax2/yast tools - lockup.
I did, however, set up a basic nvidia generic driver using xf86config, and that seemed to enable something enough to run sax2, and I was then able to set up the nvidia card and monitor using the pointyklikky tools that lusers like me like... however, no second card with this.
You might also check your /var/log/messages file or the Xorg.0.log for errors/help in what's happening.
Had a look at those but didn't mean anything to me - a reflection of my ignorance. But didn't seem to be anything saying "failed" or whatever. System just hangs on running sax2.
Are you saying the setup doesn't work with either the SuSE supplied nv driver or nVidia's driver?
Yes, problem was with both.
OK, now if I was able to, with both the matrox card in and out of the system, do something with xf86config that enabled sax2 to run, how can I set up the second PCI slot card as well using the same method - it might work??
Sax2 isn't recognising the existence of the second card now that I've taken it out. I did have a system running with both cards recognised but the monitor settings were all wrong and I couldn't run the yast control panel to change them without locking the system.
At least I can get a single monitor system running, which is an improvement. I like GUIs - as thick as two short planks when it comes to command lines...
Yours in bafflement
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On Tuesday 17 January 2006 16:14, M.Blackmore wrote: [...]
OK, now if I was able to, with both the matrox card in and out of the system, do something with xf86config that enabled sax2 to run, how can I set up the second PCI slot card as well using the same method - it might work??
Sax2 isn't recognising the existence of the second card now that I've taken it out. I did have a system running with both cards recognised but the monitor settings were all wrong and I couldn't run the yast control panel to change them without locking the system.
At least I can get a single monitor system running, which is an improvement. I like GUIs - as thick as two short planks when it comes to command lines...
Yours in bafflement
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, it seems the problems persist no matter if one or two cards are installed, so go ahead and put the Matrox back in for this test. Let's try this then and it will require a bit of command line stuff for a moment, but it's painless. ;o) ctrl-alt-F1 login as root at root prompt type: init 3 (this stops X, kills all graphics) now type: sax2 -m 0=nvidia (this should start sax2 gui using the nvidia card as the base) If all goes well, sax2 should start, make your settings for both cards, be sure to test when it asks, save and finish. back at your prompt, if everything worked correctly type: init 5 (this will restart X & KDE) Lee
On Tue, 2006-01-17 at 17:05 -0500, BandiPat wrote:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, it seems the problems persist no matter if one or two cards are installed, so go ahead and put the Matrox back in for this test. Let's try this then and it will require a bit of command line stuff for a moment, but it's painless. ;o)
<feels molar gingerly>
ctrl-alt-F1 login as root at root prompt type: init 3 (this stops X, kills all graphics)
Already in there - not booting to gui
now type: sax2 -m 0=nvidia (this should start sax2 gui using the nvidia card as the base) If all goes well, sax2 should start,
Whoops... SaX: ups lost card during probing ... abort pooter:~# Which card I wonder, did it lose? I stumbled across something in yast which indicates that the OS knows about the matrox millenium card, under system>pci drivers>pci card setup The matrox is listed as being in there, but I don't know what to do with it (add it? What criteria/settings?)... Ooohh, I suppose this is character forming. So is trying to run a gui (xfce4) on a 128mb P350 - but, hey, at least that one works! Well, with patience.
On Tuesday 17 January 2006 19:03, M.Blackmore wrote:
On Tue, 2006-01-17 at 17:05 -0500, BandiPat wrote:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, it seems the problems persist no matter if one or two cards are installed, so go ahead and put the Matrox back in for this test. Let's try this then and it will require a bit of command line stuff for a moment, but it's painless. ;o)
<feels molar gingerly>
ctrl-alt-F1 login as root at root prompt type: init 3 (this stops X, kills all graphics)
Already in there - not booting to gui
now type: sax2 -m 0=nvidia (this should start sax2 gui using the nvidia card as the base) If all goes well, sax2 should start,
Whoops... SaX: ups lost card during probing ... abort pooter:~#
Which card I wonder, did it lose?
I stumbled across something in yast which indicates that the OS knows about the matrox millenium card, under system>pci drivers>pci card setup
The matrox is listed as being in there, but I don't know what to do with it (add it? What criteria/settings?)...
Ooohh, I suppose this is character forming. So is trying to run a gui (xfce4) on a 128mb P350 - but, hey, at least that one works! Well, with patience.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, remove the Matrox card and rerun the steps I suggested. If it works then, it's quite likely the new nVidia driver just doesn't like sharing things. If you get the same "lost card" thing, then try: sax2 -r That command will make it do a new search. You can also do sax2 -p, which will give you info on what sax2 has found in the system either in PCI or AGP or both. Might be a good idea to try that first just to see if it's finding your card/s. Since you are using a LCD monitor and I've found those can be somewhat problematic for sax2, you might also try sax2 -l, to see if using a lores screen will get into the setup gui. Lee
On Tue, 2006-01-17 at 22:18 -0500, BandiPat wrote:
That command will make it do a new search. You can also do sax2 -p,
Well, the mga card is there listed, as 0, with the nvidia as 1
which will give you info on what sax2 has found in the system either in PCI or AGP or both. Might be a good idea to try that first just to see if it's finding your card/s.
Since you are using a LCD monitor and I've found those can be somewhat problematic for sax2, you might also try sax2 -l, to see if using a lores screen will get into the setup gui.
Playing with variations, -m 0=mga,1=nvidia or nv at least things didn't lock up, but sax2 exited without being able to proceed. Varying the input to -m 0=mga brought up both screens and identified the cards properly and allowed me to configure, both from the command line in runlevel 3,and also from within the gui as a yast module. So we make some progress. BUT this sets up the mga screen to be the primary video screen - which I don't want, I want the AGP slot nvidia to be the primary screen. Even more oddly, when running xwindows session on the mga card, that screen is in the xwindows, and the nvidia monitor is still showing the command prompt login, which I can switch back to using ctrl-alt-fx key - I started x windows from a user login on alt-f2 in this case. Now I can see this being occassionally useful >;) setup in such a way (allowing one to have a gui display with say a help manual displayed and a nice command line on the other monitor) but it is not, generally, how I would like to have things when I run the twin monitor. I set up the two monitors to be two independent displays, then I use a kvm switch onthe second monitor to be able ti display independently the output from a second computer, when I want to. Works nicely like that. I've had a look at the yast modules and there seems to be no option for telling it which monitor to use as the default, but I'm sure I've seen this in the past! Wheres it gone?? Also now that I remember it, when I did the yast setup, it didn't show any display on the nvidia despite it being identified as an active display. Hmmm. Its all gotta be in some config files somewhere - but where? And in what form?
On Wednesday 18 January 2006 12:24, M.Blackmore wrote:
On Tue, 2006-01-17 at 22:18 -0500, BandiPat wrote:
That command will make it do a new search. You can also do sax2 -p,
Well, the mga card is there listed, as 0, with the nvidia as 1
which will give you info on what sax2 has found in the system either in PCI or AGP or both. Might be a good idea to try that first just to see if it's finding your card/s.
Since you are using a LCD monitor and I've found those can be somewhat problematic for sax2, you might also try sax2 -l, to see if using a lores screen will get into the setup gui.
Playing with variations, -m 0=mga,1=nvidia or nv at least things didn't lock up, but sax2 exited without being able to proceed.
Varying the input to -m 0=mga brought up both screens and identified the cards properly and allowed me to configure, both from the command line in runlevel 3,and also from within the gui as a yast module.
So we make some progress.
BUT this sets up the mga screen to be the primary video screen - which I don't want, I want the AGP slot nvidia to be the primary screen.
Even more oddly, when running xwindows session on the mga card, that screen is in the xwindows, and the nvidia monitor is still showing the command prompt login, which I can switch back to using ctrl-alt-fx key - I started x windows from a user login on alt-f2 in this case.
Now I can see this being occassionally useful >;) setup in such a way (allowing one to have a gui display with say a help manual displayed and a nice command line on the other monitor) but it is not, generally, how I would like to have things when I run the twin monitor.
I set up the two monitors to be two independent displays, then I use a kvm switch onthe second monitor to be able ti display independently the output from a second computer, when I want to. Works nicely like that.
I've had a look at the yast modules and there seems to be no option for telling it which monitor to use as the default, but I'm sure I've seen this in the past! Wheres it gone??
Also now that I remember it, when I did the yast setup, it didn't show any display on the nvidia despite it being identified as an active display. Hmmm.
Its all gotta be in some config files somewhere - but where? And in what form?
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, sounds as if you have made some progress. Well, I guess the next thing to do is again remove the Matrox card, setup the nVidia as 0, then try reinstalling the Matrox. l would have thought the AGP port would always come first, but it seems not to be the case. Which slot did you put the Matrox card in? Be sure you don't put it in the first slot next to the AGP as they tend to use some of the same addresses. I always try to leave that first slot empty, if there is an AGP card installed. I'm not sure if you can designate which should be 0 or 1 or not. Someone with experience with that sort of thing will have to weigh in on the discussion. Lee
On Thursday 19 January 2006 01:53, BandiPat wrote:
l would have thought the AGP port would always come first, but it seems not to be the case. Which slot did you put the Matrox card in? Be sure you don't put it in the first slot next to the AGP as they tend to use some of the same addresses.
Do you have a bios option concerning the graphics device? Sometimes your bios lets you choose which slot (AGP or PCI) to initialise first. Maybe this helps you to get your nvidia card into "pole position". hth, -- Oliver Koch Systems Administrator Institute of Computational Mathematics Altenbergerstr. 69 Johannes Kepler University Linz 4040 Linz, Austria oliver.koch@numa.uni-linz.ac.at Tel. +43 70 2468 9166
On Friday 20 January 2006 06:39, Oliver Koch wrote:
On Thursday 19 January 2006 01:53, BandiPat wrote:
l would have thought the AGP port would always come first, but it seems not to be the case. Which slot did you put the Matrox card in? Be sure you don't put it in the first slot next to the AGP as they tend to use some of the same addresses.
Do you have a bios option concerning the graphics device? Sometimes your bios lets you choose which slot (AGP or PCI) to initialise first. Maybe this helps you to get your nvidia card into "pole position".
hth, =========== Ahhhh, very good point Oliver. This had completely slipped my thoughts! The bios does have a setting for such things and it sounds as if Mr. Blackmore's is set to PCI first.
Lee
participants (4)
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BandiPat -
M.Blackmore -
Oliver Koch -
Randall R Schulz