FC4 Installation - X won't start

[Mike McMullen]

Jim,

This is great advice. Thanks!

Mike

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Cornette" <fc-cornette at insight.rr.com>
To: "For users of Fedora Core releases" <fedora-list at redhat.com>
Sent: Friday, June 24, 2005 3:43 PM
Subject: Re: FC4 Installation - X won't start


Mike McMullen wrote:

>Hi All,
>
>I have a test box I use to install new FC releases. I've used it to
>install FC1-FC3 successfully.
>
>When I try to install FC4 from the CDs (which all passed mediacheck)
>the install craps out as it tries to bring up the graphical installation screen.
>
>It probes and successfully finds the video card (TridentCyberBlade), the
>monitor (Envision) and the generic 3 button mouse.
>
>It then tries to start the X server and I get the following errors:
>
>_X11TransSocketINETConnect() can't get address for localhost:6001 Name
>or service not known
>
>(mini-wm:560): Gtk-WARNING **: cannot open display: :1
>
>Anyone have any insight on why X won't start?
>
>I have tried the text install. I use the graphical install because it's so easy
>to get s/w raid devices setup.
>
>Any help appreciated!
>
>Mike
>
>
>
There is a file that brings the X server to an instable state for
several video cards. Your video card is one of the listed cards.
libvgahw is the filenane.
Between the two versions, diff says that they ar indeed different files.
cmp shows they differ as pointed out from the below output.

]$ cmp libvgahw.a  libvgahw.a.fromfc3
libvgahw.a libvgahw.a.fromfc3 differ: byte 28, line 2

Do a Linux text install, but first save a copy of libvgahw to a disk
that will not be formatted after install, a floppy or jumpdrive. You
will not be running X unless you change the driver to vesa in
/etc/X11/xorg.conf - The file can be saved from
/usr/X11R6/lib/modules/libvgahw.a of a current FC3 installation or from
ftp://people.redhat.com/mharris/libvgahw.a

If you follow the steps below, you should be able to do the text
install, start the computer in single mode, copy your saved file to your
system and reboot.
On your reboot, you should get firstboot to come up, where you can do
the user selection resolution and other firstboot tasks.

Put the first disc or DVD in the drive, start your computer as before.
When the first prompt comes up, type the below:
linux text

Follow the text installer prompts and install your system with the
desired programs or model (desktop, workstation, server, ...)

After the install is complete, reboot your system and press the spacebar
to unhide the grub menu. Highlight your desired kernel entry. Press the
"a" key for the append mode. Backspace out rhgb quiet and enter a space
followed by a 1 or the word single. Press enter to start the booting
into runlevel 1. (single user)
Once you are in runlevel 1, perform the steps below.

mv /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/libvgahw.a /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/libvgahw.a.fc4
cp <location of saved fc3 libvgahw.a> /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/libvgahw.a
chmod 444 /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/libvgahw.a
chown root:root /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/libvgahw.a

Reboot your system and allow your computer to boot like if you had no
problems. The firstboot process should start. If it doesn't, then
removing rhgb quiet from the grub file might be needed. (hopefully not
needed)
Setup your user, video modes and other system parameters. Do not lose
the libvgahw.a file that you downloaded before starting the install. If
or when you upgrade your xorg-x11 version during updating, you will have
to replace the file and chmod and chown the file as root using the above
commands. Libvgahw.a will be replaced with each upgrade. Once the
problem is resolved, you won't need to keep replacing the file.

No warranties, but this should be an adventure.

Alternative methods include changing to the vesa driver. Booting into
runlevel 1 (single) editing /etc/X11/xorg.conf and changing the driver
entry to veas would be possible also. This is just one idea.

Jim

-- 
There *__is* intelligent life on Earth, but I leave for Texas on Monday.

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