X11 fails with new 11.1 install - experienced, but stumped.

English Install/Boot/Login
1

Howdy,

I am an experienced OpenSuse user and have run into a problem that I have failed to fix. I have been running 10.3 and 11.0 for quite some time on more than 30 systems that I have control over. Most recently on this particular system I was running 11.0. I recently decided to update my desktop to 11.1 and am having problems getting X to work. Install was done with all default options. Install on Dell Precision M6400 laptop worked fine. Laptop has the Nvidia fx3700mobile graphics card.

System Config :

64 bit Gnome install from the install DVD
Dell T7400 Precision Workstation
Nvidia Quadro FX3700
Dual 3.2GHz quad core processors
16GB 1600Mhz memrory
Areca 1680 Disk Controller
4 146GB Seagate 15k.6 SAS drives
Dual 30" Dell Monitors

Problem :

After the initial reboot during the install, X fails to start. When gdm tries to start, the screen flashes four times and gives the errors :

gdm[4297]: WARNING: GdmDisplay: display lasted 0.##### seconds
repeated 4 times with different values.

Then gdm[4297]: WARNING GdmLocalDisplayFactory: maximum number of X display failures reached: check X server log for errors

Interesting errors in my Xorg.0.log file :

(EE) XKB: Couldn’t open rules file /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/base
(EE) XKB: No components provided for device Virtual core keyboard

(EE) XKB: Couldn’t open rules file /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/xfree86
(EE) Error compiling keymap (server-0)
(EE) XKB: Couldn’t compile keymap

Could not init font path element /usr/share/fonts/TFF, removing from list
(repeated 5 times with fonts OTF, Type1, 100dpi, 75dpi)

Fatal server error:
could not open default font ‘fixed’

Nothing interesting in /var/log/messages or dmesg.

When trying sax2 -r -m 0=vesa :

Screen flashes twice then prints

xc: sorry could not start configuration server

in /var/log/SaX.log :

Interesting Server detaction data :

Card is identified properly,
Module : vesa
BusType : AGP
DrvProfile : <undefined>

XStuff detection data :
DDC : <undefined>
Vendor : Generic
Chipset : <undefined>
Modeline : <undefined>
RandR : <undefined>
Module : vesa
Display : CRT

I get lots of warnings saying /usr/shar/fonts/***** does not exist

(–) PCI:*(0@2:0:0) unknown vendor (0x10de) unknown chipset (0x061a) rev 162 …

Then loading the VESA driver I get :
error setting MTRR (base = 0xF9000000, size = 0x00e00000, type = 1) Invalid argument (22)

I also get the same errors that were in my Xorg log.

I then downloaded the latest Nvidia driver version 177.82, installed gcc, kernel source (prepared it), installed the driver and get the same results. The driver installs ok but when running sax (-r -m 0=nvidia) it failes to start the xserver.

In SaX.log, I see a few differences.

Under Server detection data :
Module : nvidia
DrvProfile : Depth24, Nvidia, NoModeLines, Composite

Under XStuff :
Module : nvidia

3D detection data :
Install : <none>
remove : <none>
Active : 0
Answer : no
rest all say <none>

When starting the NVIDIA driver it all looks good. Detects the montior properly EDID Version : 1.3

I get a warning that UBB is incompatible with the Composite extension. Disabling UBB.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Michael Freedman
MIT Lincoln Laboratory

2

More Info :

After installing the Nvidia Driver, it recognizes the vendor and device properly.

Mike

3

Tried removing the Quadro FX3700 and used an older Quadro FX3450. Same results. Trying without the Areca 1680 disk conrtoller now.

Mike

4

Removing disk controller fixed nothing. I’m out of options at this point.

Mike

5

I’m getting several errors similar to the above. Been using versions of SUSE since 9.2 but after upgrading to 11.1 I cannot get a graphical login (well, rarely it does happen but for no obvious reason). I can, however, simply ‘startx’ to get back into KDE.

I have an ATI card so I’m not sure your problem is Nvidia related. I’ve seen quite a few posts here and on other forums recently about people having problems with X in 11.1 so I suspect it’s an issue either with the Xorg version or some other SUSE-specific implementation. Such problems seem to be spread across all desktop environments.

Let us know if you have any joy.

6

Just a shot in the dark . . . I seem to recall in forums discussions re driver issues, there were mentions of significant changes in the version of X that was forthcoming (then) in 11.1. Ubuntu users ran into X issues with their late-Oct release which incl the newer X. Perhaps try installing a diff version, even downgrading it to what’s in 11.0 (I have no idea if that would break other dependencies, but not hard to check)?

7

Wondering if anyone has any insight into this post.

Mike

8

Another shot in the dark . . . while working with the 11.1 install and livecd media I have seen a kernel message roughly to the effect of “compared mtrr - matches”. It caught my eye not having seen it before, and because it displayed in color rather than white - and because it reminded me of years ago having to set mtrr in the kernel framebuffer boot argument.

I have only done 1 upgrade so far, and can’t find this message in dmesg or any of the var logs after the upgrade. But unless I all of a sudden went senile, I know I’ve seen it several times at least.

So I googled “kernel mtrr 2.6.27” and got quite a few hits. Might be worth taking a look at this, as 2.6.27 is the 11.1 kernel.

9

just an idea.

Slightly different, but I changed nvidia drivers recently on 11.0. And X wouldn’t start. sax2 couldn’t start the server either (frustrating)

It turned out the nvidia drivers were mismatched (handn’t uninstalled properly). I had to rmmod nvidia drivers and used yast to uninstall and then reinstalled the newer drivers and phew it came back up.

10

You didnt’ mention which version of the nvidia driver you are using. They released version 180.22 last week. This fixed the pixelated problems I was having, as wells as disappearing icons and menus.

I don’t use yast to install the driver, as very often I need the beta version which is not downloadable from yast. The instructions for installing it manually are very simple and are described at nvidia’s web site. Also, you can’t use yast if you have multiple kernels, incl custom kernels.

11

I have tried the latest version. Still no luck. Looks like I’m stuck in 10.3 land.

Mike

12

Have you searched bugzilla (there is an “advanced” search option that allows granular queries)? I’ve added myself to the mailing list because I’m finding issues being raised on these forums that sometimes are also being discussed/addressed/fixed there. Perhaps worth a look, for even filing a bug report.