Re: FC4 Installation - X won't start

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Mike McMullen wrote:

Hi All,

I have a test box I use to install new FC releases. I've used it to
install FC1-FC3 successfully.

When I try to install FC4 from the CDs (which all passed mediacheck)
the install craps out as it tries to bring up the graphical installation screen.

It probes and successfully finds the video card (TridentCyberBlade), the
monitor (Envision) and the generic 3 button mouse.

It then tries to start the X server and I get the following errors:

_X11TransSocketINETConnect() can't get address for localhost:6001 Name
or service not known

(mini-wm:560): Gtk-WARNING **: cannot open display: :1

Anyone have any insight on why X won't start?

I have tried the text install. I use the graphical install because it's so easy
to get s/w raid devices setup.

Any help appreciated!

Mike



There is a file that brings the X server to an instable state for several video cards. Your video card is one of the listed cards. libvgahw is the filenane.
Between the two versions, diff says that they ar indeed different files. cmp shows they differ as pointed out from the below output.


]$ cmp libvgahw.a  libvgahw.a.fromfc3
libvgahw.a libvgahw.a.fromfc3 differ: byte 28, line 2

Do a Linux text install, but first save a copy of libvgahw to a disk that will not be formatted after install, a floppy or jumpdrive. You will not be running X unless you change the driver to vesa in /etc/X11/xorg.conf - The file can be saved from /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/libvgahw.a of a current FC3 installation or from ftp://people.redhat.com/mharris/libvgahw.a

If you follow the steps below, you should be able to do the text install, start the computer in single mode, copy your saved file to your system and reboot.
On your reboot, you should get firstboot to come up, where you can do the user selection resolution and other firstboot tasks.


Put the first disc or DVD in the drive, start your computer as before. When the first prompt comes up, type the below:
linux text


Follow the text installer prompts and install your system with the desired programs or model (desktop, workstation, server, ...)

After the install is complete, reboot your system and press the spacebar to unhide the grub menu. Highlight your desired kernel entry. Press the "a" key for the append mode. Backspace out rhgb quiet and enter a space followed by a 1 or the word single. Press enter to start the booting into runlevel 1. (single user)
Once you are in runlevel 1, perform the steps below.


mv /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/libvgahw.a /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/libvgahw.a.fc4
cp <location of saved fc3 libvgahw.a> /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/libvgahw.a
chmod 444 /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/libvgahw.a
chown root:root /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/libvgahw.a

Reboot your system and allow your computer to boot like if you had no problems. The firstboot process should start. If it doesn't, then removing rhgb quiet from the grub file might be needed. (hopefully not needed)
Setup your user, video modes and other system parameters. Do not lose the libvgahw.a file that you downloaded before starting the install. If or when you upgrade your xorg-x11 version during updating, you will have to replace the file and chmod and chown the file as root using the above commands. Libvgahw.a will be replaced with each upgrade. Once the problem is resolved, you won't need to keep replacing the file.


No warranties, but this should be an adventure.

Alternative methods include changing to the vesa driver. Booting into runlevel 1 (single) editing /etc/X11/xorg.conf and changing the driver entry to veas would be possible also. This is just one idea.

Jim

--
There *__is* intelligent life on Earth, but I leave for Texas on Monday.


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