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I can't run GNOME or KDE on Squeeze!

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s3a
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I can't run GNOME or KDE on Squeeze!

#1 Post by s3a »

When I try to run GNOME, X gives me "Failed to start the X-server" etc and something about "not detecting screens." and if I try to run KDE it just hangs with the _ blinking waiting for the next command. I only tried out KDE to see if it was a GNOME problem. I uncommented the stuff in /etc/X11/xorg.conf (because I had them previously commented out) but that doesn't help. I'm stuck with a GUI-less computer now :(. What can I do about this? If more information is needed, do not hesitate to ask.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance!
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Re: I can't run GNOME or KDE on Squeeze!

#2 Post by craigevil »

What video card? Are there any errors in Xorg.0.log?

How are you trying to start Gnome or kde?

Do you have either gdm or kdm installed ?
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Re: I can't run GNOME or KDE on Squeeze!

#3 Post by s3a »

The video card is ATI's Radeon HD4850. I have gdm installed and I had kdm installed temporarily while I tested it but have since removed it. The way I always had started those GUIs through the console was to just type "gdm" or "kdm" without the quotes as root. And as the following output shows (I ssh-ed into my computer), I don't seem to have an Xorg.0.log (is it located elsewhere?) but I have included my xorg.conf file. By the way, I have xserver-xorg-input-radeonhd installed.

Code: Select all

deniz@debian:~$ cat /etc/X11/Xorg.0.log
cat: /etc/X11/Xorg.0.log: No such file or directory
deniz@debian:~$ cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf
# xorg.conf (X.Org X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
#   sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "InputDevice"
	Identifier	"Generic Keyboard"
	Driver		"kbd"
	Option		"XkbRules"	"xorg"
	Option		"XkbModel"	"pc104"
	Option		"XkbLayout"	"us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
	Identifier	"Configured Mouse"
	Driver		"mouse"
EndSection

Section "Device"
	Driver		radeonhd
	Identifier	"Configured Video Device"
#EndSection

Section "Monitor"
	Identifier	"Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Identifier	"Default Screen"
	Monitor		"Configured Monitor"
EndSection
deniz@debian:~$
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Re: I can't run GNOME or KDE on Squeeze!

#4 Post by milomak »

by means of testing, what happens when you change radeonhd to vesa?
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Re: I can't run GNOME or KDE on Squeeze!

#5 Post by AMLJ »

I had the very same problem, and I have another problem too... It's my memory! :mrgreen:
I wish I could remember better, but I don't. I just remember what I installed. I checked my bash history. Try this one out, I guess this must be it. Let me know what happened:

Code: Select all

apt-get install system-config-display gdm xterm gnome-desktop gnome-session x-window-system-core xserver-xorg gnome-desktop-environment
Post what happened please right after you tried this out. You might have to reboot in order to see what happened. Hope that helps you.
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Re: I can't run GNOME or KDE on Squeeze!

#6 Post by higgins »

s3a wrote:I don't seem to have an Xorg.0.log (is it located elsewhere?)
it's located in /var/log/

Code: Select all

cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log

You are missing parenthesis around radeonhd in the "Device" section of your xorg.conf and you still have the EndSection line commented
s3a wrote:Section "Device"
Driver radeonhd
Identifier "Configured Video Device"
#EndSection

Code: Select all

Section "Device"
Driver  "radeonhd"
Identifier  "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

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Re: I can't run GNOME or KDE on Squeeze!

#7 Post by higgins »

s3a wrote:The way I always had started those GUIs through the console was to just type "gdm" or "kdm" without the quotes as root

[Insert standard warning here]

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Re: I can't run GNOME or KDE on Squeeze!

#8 Post by BioTube »

Comment out the section calling for radeonhd; it's deprecated. To get acceleration, you'll need to make sure the firmware-linux-nonfree package is installed.
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Re: I can't run GNOME or KDE on Squeeze!

#9 Post by s3a »

First of all, I'd like to say that adding the "" around radeonhd and removing the # from EndSection fixed it (thanks for pointing that out). Those typos were an accident. Secondly, running gdm or kdm as root; does that mean the whole GUI is running as root and is vulnerable? If so, how do I start my GUIs without using root? Lastly, what is deprecated? Xorg? Or is it the radeonhd driver?? Also, why do I suddenly need the proprietary firmware-linux-nonfree package in order to get 2D/3D acceleration?
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Re: I can't run GNOME or KDE on Squeeze!

#10 Post by BioTube »

Only the display manager itself runs as root; I'm not sure whether that includes the drawing routines or not. radeonhd is deprecated and no longer developed since radeon subsumed its features and surpassed it; as for the firmware, it's needed because the kernel team started stripping out the blobs it shipped with.
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Re: I can't run GNOME or KDE on Squeeze!

#11 Post by milomak »

is the preferred method not /etc/init.d/gdm/kdm start?
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Re: I can't run GNOME or KDE on Squeeze!

#12 Post by s3a »

Is what milomak said the preferred method? (It seems to be since it doesn't seem to require root privileges, but it'd be great to have a confirmation.)

@BioTube: Also, for my ATI RADEON HD4850, what is better at the moment; the radeon or radeonhd driver? Does the fact that radeon is trying to support the HD series actually make radeonhd deprecated? Sorry for questioning you again but according to this article (http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=a ... onhd&num=1), it sounds like radeonhd developpers are not out but are instead having a friendly competition with the developpers of the radeon driver if you will.
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Re: I can't run GNOME or KDE on Squeeze!

#13 Post by BioTube »

radeon's not 'trying' to support the HD series; it does. It also supports KMS and the Evergreen family.
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Re: I can't run GNOME or KDE on Squeeze!

#14 Post by s3a »

Ok but does the radeon driver support my HD 4850 equally well as the radeonhd driver (or better)? Also, is it being deprecated in the Linux world as a whole or in Debian (and possibly certain other distros) only?
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Re: I can't run GNOME or KDE on Squeeze!

#15 Post by BioTube »

s3a wrote:Ok but does the radeon driver support my HD 4850 equally well as the radeonhd driver (or better)?
Better, although some of those features(such as IRQ support) require KMS.
Also, is it being deprecated in the Linux world as a whole or in Debian (and possibly certain other distros) only?
It's no longer actively developed; it's been Linux-wide deprecated ever since AMD decided to back radeon more or less directly.
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Re: I can't run GNOME or KDE on Squeeze!

#16 Post by s3a »

Not that I don't believe you but do you have some kind of article (preferably by AMD/ATI) that states this? It's ok if you don't but I'm interested in this decision that seems to me to be an unspoken truth.
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Re: I can't run GNOME or KDE on Squeeze!

#17 Post by BioTube »

I'm not sure there was ever an announcement; radeonhd just kind of withered and died.
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Re: I can't run GNOME or KDE on Squeeze!

#18 Post by s3a »

Ok thanks just one more thing though: Is the "radeon" driver the same thing or part of the "ati" driver?
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Re: I can't run GNOME or KDE on Squeeze!

#19 Post by BioTube »

ati is a wrapper that loads mach64, r128 or radeon as appropriate; upstream, radeon's part of the xf86-video-ati package.
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