mandrake video problem...or perhaps hardware, not sure

[e_storm]

This has been an ongoing saga since I installed mandrake 9 on my dually system. Wondering if anyone here has any suggestions..

http://www.justlinux.com/forum/showt...threadid=87087

I am phite11 on this board. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get this video to work?

[Kaitain]

OK, just a couple of things:

The X server log file for your SMP config looks fine. This indicates that it's now neither an SMP problem, nor a driver problem, but rather a fault with KDE. First thing's first: try Gnome - it might not be as pleasant to work in (IMO) but at least you'll have an easier time of things.

If you can't load Gnome, then I'll be eating my words

[e_storm]

thanks for the reply Kaitan...

I never even thought of that even though I have heard of problems wiht KDE and mandrake 9. I am out of town at the moment and do not have access to my computer, but I will definitely give this a shot when I get home.


How would I go about changing the defaul windows manager to Gnome?

[Kaitain]

Tell me you didn't enable automatic login? If so, I really don't know. You could try logging in on runlevel 3, then typing startgnome to start an x session with gnome as the WM.

I've not heard of any problems with KDE and Mandrake 9, however I have heard, and experienced, many problems with trying to use Mandrake update directly from the initial installer. I always tell it to skip this stage and only ever use Mandrake Update directly from the complete mandrake system. Ditto for setting up printers etc.

You might be well advised just to hose that system and try again, this time skipping the stage of installation where Mandrake searches for updated packages. My guess is that, because you're using a 2-cpu system, a lot of the wrong updates were installed, since the installer is compiled for single cpus only.

[e_storm]

Originally posted by Kaitain
Tell me you didn't enable automatic login? If so, I really don't know. You could try logging in on runlevel 3, then typing startgnome to start an x session with gnome as the WM.

I've not heard of any problems with KDE and Mandrake 9, however I have heard, and experienced, many problems with trying to use Mandrake update directly from the initial installer. I always tell it to skip this stage and only ever use Mandrake Update directly from the complete mandrake system. Ditto for setting up printers etc.

You might be well advised just to hose that system and try again, this time skipping the stage of installation where Mandrake searches for updated packages. My guess is that, because you're using a 2-cpu system, a lot of the wrong updates were installed, since the installer is compiled for single cpus only.

I do not use autologin, also I am at runlevel 3 by default now because of the GUI problems (I changed the inittab file for default level 3). I did however use the autoupdate feature and guess what? right after it finished autoupdating is when I froze at the boot sequence. It sounds like you may have hit it right on the head on that one.

On a side note, the installer is compiled for single cpus only? Which installer do u mean, the one for the autoupdates? I'm still new and don't know what you mean exactly.

e_storm

[Kaitain]

The actual Mandrake installation procedure (the 3 cdroms you downloaded to put Mandrake on there in the first place) uses a generic kernel compiled for 1 cpu. Now, it's a fault I've noticed before that when the initial installation procedure completes, and it asks for the first time whether you'd like to update, then it'll download updates that aren't always correct for the target system.

The thing to do is wait until the initial procedure is up and running, set it up to run 2 cpus, then try Mandrake update.

[e_storm]

Ok, I hosed the first system. Reinstalled the OS from the cdrom and skipped the update portion at the very end of the install.

Same problem as last time, when I boot into "linux-smp" mode, it freezes at the "loading windows manager" portion of the boot. I can boot into "linux" (single proc mode) mode just fine though.

What now? If your still thinking that I should set it up to run dual processors now and then update it, how do I do that (set it up for dual processors when I'm running single proc mode I mean)?

[e_storm]

I just thought of something. I"m gonna try the expert install and enable dual proc support.

*edit* never mind that, I can't find anything relating to dual proc support in the expert mode.

[Kaitain]

Did you try starting Gnome instead of KDE?

[e_storm]

worked fine in gnome and smp. Thanks for the help.

*edit* wait a sec, not out of the woods yet... I had a lockup there. lemme see if it happens again.

[Kaitain]

Well, it got further than the loading section. This suggests to me that the KDE and possibly Gnome packages shipped with MDK 9.0 are not coping with whatever smp does. Could well be that you need to build your own from source. OR it could be some other service that Gnome and KDE both start that's causing the problem.

[Kaitain]

Just another thought. If the "big" desktops are bailing out, try a smaller one like IceWM or Windowmaker

[e_storm]

ok, I'll give those other ones a shot.

gnome started hanging right after i got the gnome splash screen, but on the positive side, it did boot once or twice into gnome before it started hanging and I was messing around with some settings so perhaps I'll try gnome by itself first, then if i get problems, I'll try one of those others.

Also, I did try to compile my own kernel today, which seemed to work fine but the instructions I had were for non-smp because in my lilo.conf file, the smp boot still pointed to the same place as before, instead of the newer kernel (2.4.20). there were no instructions on which files to bring over from the /usr/src/linux-2.4.20 to the /boot for smp operation. I'll have to research it some more.

[Kaitain]

I wouldn't worry about the kernel so much as the window managers.

[e_storm]

You were right, i chanced to IceWM and have had no problems since (exept whenever I start a game like Tuxracer or something, it hangs).

I must say that I miss all of the functions of Gnome and KDE, I wish there was some way to get back to them.

[Kaitain]

Originally posted by e_storm
You were right, i chanced to IceWM and have had no problems since (exept whenever I start a game like Tuxracer or something, it hangs).

I must say that I miss all of the functions of Gnome and KDE, I wish there was some way to get back to them.

Ah, now this is interesting:

I know for a fact, that both KDE and Gnome2 either make use, or have compiled-in support for OpenGL actions (as I've compiled them myself). I know for a fact (for the same reasons) that IceWM does not. Now, Tuxracer is an OpenGL game. It may be that the fault does lie with your drivers after all. You could send an email to nVidia, but I doubt you'll see results. You might also try compiling your own GLX core (source is on nVidia's page). EDIT: I've just found that both the "kernel" and the GLX part have source files available from nVidia. You might be able to compile your own with better success.

I guess as a final effort, you could remove the nVidia drivers, and try KDE on the open-source "nv" drivers supplied with Mandrake. No OpenGL, but you get the desktop.

[e_storm]

I have not installed the Nvidia drivers yet, still the mandrake default ones.

I'll try installing them the next time I boot up the machine.