startx results in blank screen

[davidmaxwaterma]

Hi,

I am sure I've seen a solution to this before, but I can't find it, so sorry to duplicate.

I am running FC2 (yummed upto date), on a Compaq ProLiant server. It has an ATI Rage :

00:03.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc 3D Rage IIC 215IIC [Mach64 GT IIC] (rev 7a) (prog-if 00 [VGA])
        Subsystem: ATI Technologies Inc Rage IIC
        Flags: bus master, stepping, medium devsel, latency 64
        Memory at c5000000 (32-bit, prefetchable)
        I/O ports at 2c00 [size=256]
        Memory at c6cff000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
        Capabilities: [5c] Power Management version 1

but when I startx as root (remotely), it looks like it is working, but I don't get anything on the monitor.

Some interesting messages during startx:

/var/log/messages
Oct 20 13:30:07 truth modprobe: FATAL: Error running install command for sound_slot_0

/var/log/Xorg.0.log
(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(WW) Open APM failed (/dev/apm_bios) (No such device)
(II) Loading extension MIT-SCREEN-SAVER
(WW) ATI(0): Failed to set up write-combining range (0xc5000000,0x400000)
(WW) ATI(0): Cannot shadow an accelerated frame buffer.
(WW) ATI(0): config file hsync range 30-85kHz not within DDC hsync ranges.
(WW) ATI(0): config file vrefresh range 50-160Hz not within DDC vrefresh ranges.
(WW) ATI(0): Failed to set up write-combining range (0xc5000000,0x400000)

I also cannot get to the F1, F2, etc terminals, while X is running.

Any advice?

Thanks.

Max.

[tashirosgt]

That's good info except for the part about starting X "remotely". Do you mean that you run the machine as a server without X and you are starting X from a terminal window on the machine? Or are you on another machine, remotely logged-in to this server?

Post /etc/X11/xorg.conf. The errors look like they have to do with the monitor versus the requested screen resolution.

[davidmaxwaterma]

By remotely, I mean I log in using ssh from another computer and 'setenv DISPLAY :0.0', then run 'startx'.

I will post xorg.conf tomorrow, since I am not at the office. However, I have made no changes since I installed FC2 - unless the yum upgrades have changed it.

I can beleive that it could be a resolution/video timing issue. Perhaps I should install a more modern monitor and see what happens. It would be an quick and easy test.

I am confused about the alt-f1 etc terminals not working. Do they use the same video timings as X when it starts? They work fine w/o X running.

Max.

[CrystalCowboy]

(WW) ATI(0): config file hsync range 30-85kHz not within DDC hsync ranges.
(WW) ATI(0): config file vrefresh range 50-160Hz not within DDC vrefresh ranges.

Sounds like it's not finding a resolution suitable for both the graphics chip and the monitor. You said the graphics controller is ATI Rage. We also need to know the make & model of the monitor, and a printout of your /etc/X11/xorg.conf file, specifically the "Monitor", "Device" and "Screen" sections.

[tashirosgt]

Another detail is whether the X Windows display on the machine is working for users who log in from its keyboard. Is this only a problem when a remote user logs in? (It's confusing because a remote user would generally want the display to be on the machine he logged-in with, not on the server machine's display. )

[crackers]

setenv DISPLAY :0.0 means you're setting the DISPLAY variable to the local server, not the remote server. If you're using ssh, you don't need to set the DISPLAY variable as ssh handles that for you and forwards X requests to your X server. To be sure, you can use the -X option.

[davidmaxwaterma]

Originally Posted by CrystalCowboy

Sounds like it's not finding a resolution suitable for both the graphics chip and the monitor. You said the graphics controller is ATI Rage. We also need to know the make & model of the monitor, and a printout of your /etc/X11/xorg.conf file, specifically the "Monitor", "Device" and "Screen" sections.

I tried another monitor (Compaq S710) and it worked fine. The monitor I want to use which isn't working is a Compaq V510c.

Come to think of it, I bet I installed FC2 with an S710 connected....yup, xorg.conf seems to confirm that.

Using system-config-display to select monitor....hrm, no V510c listed...trying V50....yeah, it works!

Simple as that....thanks guys!

Max.