X won't start

**etagloc** · 19-Jun-2010, 05:40

Hi,
I'm working on a Lenovo SL510 with an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4500. After I tried to update my graphic-card driver I can't start X anymore. I installed the driver the like it was described on the ATI webside.
The computer starts in the non graphic mode. When I type in "startx", I get the message:

Fatal server error:
Caught signal 11. Server aborting.

giving up.
xinit: Connection refused (errno 111): unable to connect to X server
xinit: No such process (errorno 3): Server error.

Its the same with both, my standard login an the root.
When I login with my standard account, I get the same message, plus:

xauth: /home/"my profile name"/.Xauthority not writable

My Linux version is: openSUSE 11.2 (x86_64)

Is there any chance I could fix this?
I'm a total Linux newbee by the way.

thanks

**caf4926** · 19-Jun-2010, 06:01

openSUSE Forums - View Single Post - openSUSE Graphic Card Practical Theory Guide for Users

**dvhenry** · 19-Jun-2010, 06:10

Fatal server error:
Caught signal 11. Server aborting.

giving up.
xinit: Connection refused (errno 111): unable to connect to X server
xinit: No such process (errorno 3): Server error.

Its the same with both, my standard login an the root.
When I login with my standard account, I get the same message, plus:

xauth: /home/"my profile name"/.Xauthority not writable

Do you log into a GUI as root often? Or just to test in this case alone?

**etagloc** · 19-Jun-2010, 06:42

Originally Posted by dvhenry

Do you log into a GUI as root often? Or just to test in this case alone?

Justin in this case. Never logged in as root before.

**oldcpu** · 19-Jun-2010, 07:17

Originally Posted by etagloc

After I tried to update my graphic-card driver I can't start X anymore. I installed the driver the like it was described on the ATI webside.

Can you be more specific?

What web site URL/address?

Updating from what driver to what driver?

Typically, to recover from a failed ATI proprietary graphic driver install, one MUST remove the *fglrx* rpm and then try again the update (with corrections as appropriate).

**etagloc** · 19-Jun-2010, 07:33

Originally Posted by oldcpu

Can you be more specific?

What web site URL/address?

Updating from what driver to what driver?

Typically, to recover from a failed ATI proprietary graphic driver install, one MUST remove the *fglrx* rpm and then try again the update (with corrections as appropriate).

it was this website: ATI Catalyst™ Proprietary Display Driver

what do you mean by remove the *fglrx* rpm?

**etagloc** · 19-Jun-2010, 07:44

Edit: I don't need the ati driver, just want to use my notebook again without loosing the linux installation on it. If you have any advice how I could install any working driver and adjust my system to make X start again, thats what I'm looking for.

**oldcpu** · 19-Jun-2010, 07:47

Originally Posted by etagloc

it was this website: ATI Catalyst�„� Proprietary Display Driver

what do you mean by remove the *fglrx* rpm?

How often have you done this before?

Typically, before installing the proprietary driver from the site you reference, one needs to first install kernel-source and kernel-syms of the EXACT same version as one's kernel. And also install linux-kernel-headers.

One has to remove any old rpm with *fglrx* by running (all with root permissions):

Code:

rpm -e $(rpm -qa '*fglrx*')

Then one has to build the NEW *fglrx* rpm using the .run file from the ATI site you referenced with:

Code:

sh ati*.run --buildpkg SuSE/SUSE112-AMD64

and then one has to install the new *fglrx* rpm with:

Code:

rpm -Uvh fgl*.rpm

and then ensure various links updated

Code:

ldconfig

and then create a custom xorg.conf file with:

Code:

aticonfig --initial

Is that what you did ?

**etagloc** · 19-Jun-2010, 07:53

No, thats not what I did.
I just startet the driver's .run-file from the terminal (in GUI mode). As i said, I'm new to Linux and thought it would be like installing a driver in Windows.

Should I do the steps you just posted, or will I make it worse by doing so now?

**oldcpu** · 19-Jun-2010, 08:00

Originally Posted by etagloc

No, thats not what I did.
I just startet the driver's .run-file from the terminal (in GUI mode). As i said, I'm new to Linux and thought it would be like installing a driver in Windows.

Should I do the steps you just posted, or will I make it worse by doing so now?

Its up to you. I do not know what you have now. I do not know your expertise. I do not know what are are afraid of losing. I started using Linux in 1998 and from then until around 2007 I never used the proprietary graphic drivers. I did NOT want to risk my desktop being messed up.

My financial situation changed around then, and I had more than one PC, and hence had a backup, so I became a bit more adventurous and started using proprietary drivers and I was AMAZED at how easy it was (doing things like what I described above). But by then I had 8 years Linux experience.

Of course I probably could have done the above immediately when I first started using Linux, but I am incredibly conservative, and it was NOT important to me at the time (in 1998), and I had things that WERE important that I did not want to risk losing, and I had little time then to debug/experiment.

This is your call.

I think it is easy.

I think I outlined the steps adequately.

But I have no idea as to your assessment.

Sorry, I can't answer your question.