Arch Linux

splippity

Member

Registered: 2010-05-25

Posts: 144

problem with kde locking up and ctrl alt f1 showing nothing

I have other distros and if something happens like excesive mem usage over time in kde I can ctrl alt f1 or 2 or whatever to get a prompt and restart kdm.
running into a problem with my arch install where it wont do that for me..........
it will just show a blank screen with nothing in it.

my inittab looks like

#
# /etc/inittab
#

#  Runlevels:
#    0    Halt
#    1(S)       Single-user
#    2    Not used
#    3    Multi-user
#    4    Not used
#    5    X11
#    6    Reboot

## Only one of the following two lines can be uncommented!
# Boot to console
id:3:initdefault:
# Boot to X11
#id:5:initdefault:

rc::sysinit:/etc/rc.sysinit
rs:S1:wait:/etc/rc.single
rm:2345:wait:/etc/rc.multi
rh:06:wait:/etc/rc.shutdown
su:S:wait:/sbin/sulogin -p

# -8 options fixes umlauts problem on login
c1:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty -8 38400 tty1 linux
c2:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty -8 38400 tty2 linux
c3:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty -8 38400 tty3 linux
c4:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty -8 38400 tty4 linux
c5:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty -8 38400 tty5 linux
c6:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty -8 38400 tty6 linux

# Hypervisor Virtual Console for Xen and KVM
#h0:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty -8 38400 hvc0 linux

ca::ctrlaltdel:/sbin/shutdown -t3 -r now

# Example lines for starting a login manager
x:5:respawn:/usr/bin/xdm -nodaemon
#x:5:respawn:/usr/sbin/gdm -nodaemon
#x:5:respawn:/usr/bin/kdm -nodaemon
#x:5:respawn:/usr/bin/slim >/dev/null 2>&1

# End of file

on no other distros I have does kde lockup like on this one......... the text and everything will almost like go out of alignment and then the screen freezes followed by the screen going blank.

thanks.

demian

Member

From: Frankfurt, Germany

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 709

Re: problem with kde locking up and ctrl alt f1 showing nothing

does it show a blinking underscore in the top right corner when the screen is "blank"?

if it's not a system freeze (can't do anything about that) you can do one of two things:
a) switch to a different console like you described and type blindly your username, password and  killall x && startkde or something
b) use magicsysrq (alt + print + s and then e first syncs to disk and then kills all processes). this is kinda rough though.

It might be a driver problem you're facing here. Try other versions (legacy, vesa, aur, older repo versions, ...). It also might be worth a try to use a different version of Xorg.

Last edited by demian (2010-06-07 17:38:26)

---

no place like /home
github

splippity

Member

Registered: 2010-05-25

Posts: 144

Re: problem with kde locking up and ctrl alt f1 showing nothing

well after doing a reboot with kde working perfectly fine I tried ctrl alt f1 f2 and on with no results........... screens blank but nothing on screen. no underscore or curser or anything.

splippity

Member

Registered: 2010-05-25

Posts: 144

Re: problem with kde locking up and ctrl alt f1 showing nothing

Im using X.Org X Server 1.7.6

frigger908

Member

Registered: 2010-05-20

Posts: 24

Re: problem with kde locking up and ctrl alt f1 showing nothing

does it show a blinking underscore in the top right corner when the screen is "blank"?

if it's not a system freeze (can't do anything about that) you can do one of two things:
a) switch to a different console like you described and type blindly your username, password and  killall x && startkde or something
b) use magicsysrq (alt + print + s and then e first syncs to disk and then kills all processes). this is kinda rough though.

It might be a driver problem you're facing here. Try other versions (legacy, vesa, aur, older repo versions, ...). It also might be worth a try to use a different version of Xorg.

Like he said you will probably have to change your drivers and or just blindly login and kill x and or reboot in the virtual console - because more than likely the console is there you just can't see it

Last edited by frigger908 (2010-06-08 03:33:13)

splippity

Member

Registered: 2010-05-25

Posts: 144

Re: problem with kde locking up and ctrl alt f1 showing nothing

well I nvidia drivers installed..........195.36.15
I have a 8700gt mobile video card.

what else would I want to try??