Display woes

[Ben Lancaster]

>> # init 5
>> # tail /var/log/messages
>> Jun  2 23:56:46 benlancaster init: Switching to runlevel: 5
>> Jun  2 23:56:47 benlancaster kernel: NVRM: not using NVAGP, kernel
>> was compiled with GART_IOMMU support!!
>
> That isn't an X failure, its an AGP driver failure, but shouldn't be
> fatal to starting X.  Is X running?

Immediately after the switch to init 5, the nvidia logo appears for a  
second, then the GART_IOMMU appears in my messages log. Xorg runs OK,  
but is not using the nvidia drivers (no XvMC for mpeg2 content, poor  
OpenGL performance for example).

> What does your X log look like?

/var/log/Xorg.0.log is clean, the only nVidia reference is on boot:

(II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "NVIDIA Event  
Handler" (type: Other)

...and that's it.

Weird one, huh?

>> 2) I can't seem to disable DPMS (screen blanking). My xorg.conf
>> contains:
>> Option      "dpms" "false"
>> ... in the right section, and I've also used:
>> /usr/X11R6/bin/xset -dpms
>> ...in my ~/.Xclients startup script (which is being successfully
>> executed)
>
> The dpms option in xorg.conf can only be used to turn it on, not off.
> xset is the right command, however what you're running is missing the
> parameter for the dpms option, so its likely doing nothing.  The
> command you likely want is:
> xset dpms force off

Ah hah, thanks. I also noticed that (for some reason) the xset script  
has moved changed location on the jump between FC4 and FC5, so /usr/ 
X11R6/bin/xset is now /usr/bin/xset - guess I should have checked  
that in the first instance!

FWIW, according to the docs, you can use xset +/-dpms to enable/ 
disable dpms respectively.

Thanks!