Using both OpenSuse 11.0 and 11.1, I can get all the way through the installation and configuration fine. Upon first boot, I get the boot loader, splash screen, and if I hit ‘Esc’ I can watch the usual jargon fly by. Then, the screen flickers and goes blank. I can switch consoles with ctrl+alt+f#. I can also get video if I choose the failsafe option on the boot loader, but using “X11failsafe” as a boot option normally is unsuccessful. I have reinstalled the driver (BTW I’m using an ATI Mach64) I have re-adjusted the sync and refresh settings, and I have tried using ‘generic’ drivers and options. Any advise would be greatly appreciated
Update:
I can get it to boot to the normal OS option if I use “noapic” and “x11failsafe”
Try the following to get a vesa driver. May be all you can hope for. Have a read up later in the HCL Hardware - openSUSE
Pause the boot by moving the down arrow, then back up to the default boot. But now press backspace, it should delete any text where you can see VGA=.
Remove all text and now type just the number:
3
and hit enter
at the login type your user name and then password
now type:
su
then the root password
now type this:
sax2 -r -m 0=vesa
(N.B. the 0 is a zero not a letter)
now reboot
if you don’t get a gui login
login as user and try this at the cli
startx
the repsonse to “sax2 -r -m 0=vesa”
SaX: initializing please wait...
SaX: your current configuration will not be readin
SaX: no X-Server is running
SaX: will start own server if needed
SaX: startup
Then the screen goes blank. I can CTRL+ALT+F1 to get back to the first console, but it is still stuck on “startup”
it’s been about 10 minutes…
How does that compare to using the xorg.conf.install file ? ie boot to run level3, and backup your current xorg.conf, and then replace it with the xorg.conf.install file …
ie type “3” (no quotes) in grub menu so you boot to run level 3. Login as a regular user. The type “su” (no quotes) to get root permissions. Enter root password. Then copy and paste this:
cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.lastestbackup
cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf.install /etc/X11/xorg.conf
exit
startx
Is that worse? or better?
Also, you noted “sax2 -r -m 0=vesa” did not work for you. Did you also try:
sax2 -r -m 0=radeon
or
sax2 -r -m 0=ati
Note - the above assumes you only have 1 and not 2 graphics hardware (ie you do not have onboard graphics AND a separate graphic card).
I am using only 1 video device: an onboard ATI Mach64 8mb card.
For “sax2 -r -m 0=radeon”:
SaX: initializing please wait...
SaX: your current configuration will not be read in
SaX: no X-Server is running
SaX: will start own server if needed
SPP: prepare device [0] profile: Depth24
SPP: prepare device [0] profile: Radeon
SPP: calling device [0] profile script: Radeon
SPP: including prepared profile(s)...
SaX: startup
xc: sorry could not start configuration server
xc: for details refer to the log file:
/var/log/SaX.log
xc: abort...
For “sax2 -r -m 0=ati”:
SaX: initializing please wait...
SaX: your current configuration will not be read in
SaX: no X-Server is running
SaX: will start own server if needed
SaX: startup
And then it just hangs.
For
cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.lastestbackup
cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf.install /etc/X11/xorg.conf
exit
startx
The response was:
(EE) open /dev/fb0: No such file or directory
(EE) No devices detected.
Fatal server error:
no screens found
waiting for X server to begin accepting connections
giving up
xinit: Connection reset by peer (errno 104): unable to connect to X server
xinit: No such process (errno 3): Server error.
Hmmm… You could try those options, but force a lower resolution … I’m not at a Linux PC right now, so I can only guess at the syntax, but I think it is “dash lowercase-L”, … ie
sax2 -r -l -m 0=ati
… if my memory is correct, you could add the “-l” (dash lowercase-L) to each of the attempts you made (ie vesa, radeon … ). You can check on my horrible memory by typing (with root permissions) “man sax2” and see if there is a “-l” option.
If nothing else works, you could install the proprietary drivers, … but it requires some commmand line knowledge, and I don’t know how strong your knowledge is there.
You could also try the above sax2 ideas where upon booting you also apply ONLY the “noapic” option (ie vesa, radeon, ati … ). The idea being to create (with sax2) an xorg file that does NOT need “x11failsafe”.
A dumb question … How long do you give it before you conclude it “hangs” ? I’ve seen this take up to 45 seconds at times.
OLD CPU- Thank you so much! Adding the -l switch got me up and running. I’m so grateful thank you!
and, on a post script note, i was waiting upwards of 10 minutes for the SaX config to work
Super ! I’m curious, which one worked for you? ATI ? Vesa? Radeon? And did you have to specify “noapic” ?
0=ati and i no longer need ‘noapic’
Thanks. Thats interesting to learn.