Arch Linux

martinh

Member

Registered: 2010-05-28

Posts: 4

Can't Install X -- Laptop Crashes Completely

Following the Beginners' Guide, I am trying to get X to work on an Asus M5000 laptop. No matter what I do, when I test X the computer literally crashes with a blank screen. No switching to other console, login blindly and killing/rebooting works, the computer seems completely frozen.

I tried autoconf and I also tried to create a xorg.conf file by using (as written in the beginners' guide)

Xorg -configure
cp /root/xorg.conf.new /etc/X11/xorg.conf

I also followed the steps outlined "In Case of Errors." Nothing seems to work.

To further the problem, /var/log/Xorg.0.log is empty. When I test X, I see some output written still in text mode, but only for maybe half a second. Then the screen goes dark. I suppose it crashes before it can write to the log file.

Interestingly, when I use the Puppy Linux live CD, X works fine! I copied the xorg.conf file from Puppy Linux to Arch Linux, but this also didn't work.

Here are .xinitrc, xorg.conf (created with the code above and modified using "In Case of Errors"), and for comparison xorg.conf from Puppy Linux.

Netsu

Member

From: Poland

Registered: 2009-04-04

Posts: 182

Re: Can't Install X -- Laptop Crashes Completely

Maybe try to install the intel driver and use it instead of vesa? No idea why it doesn't work though.

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martinh

Member

Registered: 2010-05-28

Posts: 4

Re: Can't Install X -- Laptop Crashes Completely

I changed the driver to "intel". Now the computer doesn't crash anymore but complains that it can't find the "intel" module.

/etc/X11/xorg.conf and /var/log/Xorg.0.log

I previously installed the intel module with

 pacman -S xf86-video-intel

but I'm afraid it is for newer video drivers. For some reason I can't find the xf86-video-intel-legacy, maybe it's no longer in the repos?

TigTex

Member

From: Portugal

Registered: 2008-06-19

Posts: 301

Re: Can't Install X -- Laptop Crashes Completely

try pacman -S xf86-input-evdev and add hal to the daemon list (xorg 1.8 shouldn't need hal...).
you dont need a xorg.conf.
reboot and try startx.

is you gpu from intel?which model? gma900?

Last edited by TigTex (2010-05-28 17:25:12)

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.::. TigTex @ Portugal .::.

martinh

Member

Registered: 2010-05-28

Posts: 4

Re: Can't Install X -- Laptop Crashes Completely

# lspci | grep VGA
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 82852/855GM Integrated Graphics Device (rev02)

In installed xf86-input-evdev, deleted xorg.conf, reboot, and loaded HAL (/etc/rc.d/hal start). HAL loaded without error.

startx yields the same error (computer freezes).

Last edited by martinh (2010-05-28 17:43:58)

xangelux

Member

Registered: 2010-05-29

Posts: 73

Re: Can't Install X -- Laptop Crashes Completely

Do you have the dbus running? I think you need that

jeffbuckley

Member

Registered: 2010-05-29

Posts: 5

Re: Can't Install X -- Laptop Crashes Completely

I've got a similar issue.  Only my problem is starting a window manager other than default.  And I don't freeze, I just go black and Xorg fails.

martinh

Member

Registered: 2010-05-28

Posts: 4

Re: Can't Install X -- Laptop Crashes Completely

Got D-Bus running. Problem persists.

I installed Arch Linux and X11 with exactly the same steps on a T40 laptop. X11 works fine there.

In the meantime, I've given up and installed FreeBSD on the M5000. X11 works fine now. Only problem is that the M5000 gets very hot.