SuSE Linux: Versions since 6.4
XFree86: Version 3.3.6
Following the installation, the graphical user interface is not displayed properly or not displayed at all. Therefore, you want to reconfigure the components (mouse, keyboard, graphics card, and monitor) and try different settings.
This article draws attention to problems that may result in connection with the configuration of the X11 system and how you can eliminate these problems.
If the X server is active, press the key combination:
CTRL+ALT+F1
to switch to the text console. If the text console is black, refer to the following SDB article::
http://sdb.suse.de/de/sdb/html/blackconsole.html
Subsequently, log in as root and execute the command:
init 3 (init 2 for SuSE Linux 7.0)
to change to runlevel 3. When runlevel 3 is reached, you receive the following message:
MASTER RESSOURCE: CONTROL LEVEL 3 HAS BEEN REACHED
Confirm this message by pressing any key, after which you will see the input prompt.
When starting the system with SuSE 7.1 or higher, you will see the LILO boot screen. Press the ESC key to terminate this screen. Then you will see:
boot:
Now enter the following:
linux 3
As users of version 7.0 do not have this LILO boot screen, they should start with the command:
linux 2
at the boot prompt. Users of version 7.2 or higher should just select
the requested entry from the lilo menu and add 3 to it (the entry
linux
is already available).
Subsequently, the system will be started in runlevel 3 and you can log in as root.
Once you reach runlevel 3, you can start with the configuration. All
newer graphics cards (Radeon, Rage Fury Maxx, GeForce 2 GTS/MX, Matrox
G450, etc.) should only be configured with SaX2. Some older
graphics cards (such as ATI Rage128er Serie, Mach64, S3-Karten, Matrox
G100-G400, Nvidia Riva128 as well as TNT and TNT2, etc.) are still
supported by XFree 3.3.6. Therefore, problems with the XFree 86 4.x.x
driver in connection with older cards can be avoided by using SaX
.
Since SuSE Linux 8.1, XFree 3.3.6 is no longer included in our standard installation. Select the necessary packages yourself if XFree 4.x.x does not support your graphics card. Install the packages:
Most graphics cards are supported with the xsvga server. If this one does not support your card, check at:
http://www.xfree86.org/cardlist.html
which server supports your graphics adapter and install it with YaST2.
You can easily determine the chipset of your graphics cards by entering the following command:
/sbin/lspci
When you receive the output of this command, look for the line that begins with "VGA compatible controller":
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation NV11 (rev a1)
In this example, the card has an Nvidia chipset. If you want even more information, you may also use the command:
sax2 -pThis command produces the following output: Chip: 0 is -> Nvidia GeForce 2 MX 1:0:0 0x10de 0x0110 AGP nv
In this way, we obtain detailed information about the graphics card. An explanation of the output details follows:
Chip: 0 = First encountered graphics chipset Nvidia GeForce 2 MX = graphics card model. Under certain circumstances, unknown may be displayed here. If fbdev is placed in the last position, your card has been classified as not supported and the system tries to set up the frame buffer. 1:0:0 = Describes in which slot the card is inserted. This is only relevant if you plan a configuration with several graphics cards. Installation support does not cover such issues. 0x10de 0x0110 = Manufacturer and card number AGP = This is an AGP card nv = The driver module SaX starts with if no other parameters are assigned
Now that you have identified your graphics card, you can start the programs SaX and SaX2 with various parameters.
The configuration file XF86Config is stored in /etc/.
To start the configuration, enter the command:
sax
If the card does not respond or SaX crashes, start with the option:
sax -s vga16
or
sax -s svga
These options cause the card to be started in simple VGA16 or SVGA mode. However, before you do this, check the home page http://www.xfree.org/#news to see whether your card is supported by the SVGA server. A list of manufacturers is available under the link "Driver Status Document". If your card is not listed as supported or previous attempts have failed, you can try to set up the graphics cards by means of the framebuffer.
http://sdb.suse.de/sdb/en/html/wessels_easy_fbdev.html
First, your mouse is set up, usually automatically. If you are able to move the mouse pointer, click "OK" then "Next".
If the mouse pointer does not move, you need to do some manual work with the keyboard. Switch fields with the tab key (|<-- -->|) and select the options with the cursor keys. Press RETURN to confirm the selection. The following list shows the most common mouse types and suitable settings:
Type Device File Driver ---- ----------- ------ Normal PS2 mouse = /dev/psaux PS/2 Wheel PS2 mouse = /dev/psaux IMPS/2 USB mouse = /dev/input/mice PS/2 or IMPS/2You can also start SaX with the following options:
sax -d (input device) -p (protocol)If no mouse is available, you can assign the respective parameters when starting SaX from the command line:
sax -d /dev/input/mice -p ps/2
This option is especially useful if the mouse was detected with the wrong protocol and therefore does not react or is stranded in the top right corner. The options for SaX2 are somewhat different. For USB mice (SuSE 7.0), check the following SDB article:
http://sdb.suse.de/de/sdb/html/mlasars-mbanse_usbmouse.html
This article may be especially interesting for laptop users. It describes, among other things, how to configure two mice.
To activate wheel support, the following entries need to be made in XF86Config for XFree86 4.x.x in the section "Input Device". The first section of "Input Device" refers to the keyboard and the second section refers to the mouse. The entries look like this:
Section "Pointer" Protocol "PS/2" Device "/dev/psaux" SampleRate 60 BaudRate 1200 EndSectionAfter the modification:
Section "Pointer" Protocol "IMPS/2" Device "/dev/psaux" SampleRate 60 BaudRate 1200 ZAxisMapping "4 5" EndSection
It is important to change the protocol to imps/2, since this activates the wheel support. The entry ZAxisMapping defines the wheel function as keys 4 and 5.
The manual configuration for XFree86 4.x.x should look like this: Before the modification:Section "InputDevice" Driver "mouse" Identifier "Mouse[1]" Option "Device" "/dev/psaux" Option "Emulate3Buttons" "on" Option "Name" "AutoDetected" Option "Protocol" "ps/2" Option "Vendor" "AutoDetected" EndSectionAfter the modification:
Section "InputDevice" Driver "mouse" Identifier "Mouse[1]" Option "Device" "/dev/psaux" Option "Emulate3Buttons" "on" Option "Name" "AutoDetected" Option "Protocol" "imps/2" Option "Vendor" "AutoDetected" Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5" EndSectionThe right entry for USB devices is /dev/input/mice or /dev/usbmouse
You can either edit the file /etc/XF86Config manually (using an editor such as pico, emacs, or vi) once the file has been written by finishing the configuration or edit the entries directly in SaX. For this purpose, when you are in the menu for the mouse settings, click "Settings" then "Edit current configuration". Now enter the following into the lower field:
ZAxisMapping "4 5"
Subsequently, press "Apply" then "OK". The wheel function will be activated when you start the program imwheel manually by entering the command imwheel in a console (xterm, shell). When the command has been executed, you get a process ID. If you do not want to do this each time you start your system, edit the file .xinitrc and enter the program imwheel together with its path:
# # start some stuff # add here /usr/X11R6/bin/imwheel
In this case, imwheel will be started each time an X session is launched. imwheel is required for XFree86 3.3.6 only. From XFree86 4.x.x on, the use of this program is no longer necessary.
As mentioned above, in some cases mice may not work with certain protocols (ps/2 and imps/2). Possible symptoms: the mouse pointer is inactive in one of the screen corners or seems to cause commands to be executed on the desktop. Problems like these can be solved as follows:
Use an editor of your choice (vi, emacs, pico) to open the file /etc/init.d/boot.local and append the following at the end of the file:
/usr/sbin/sysp -s mouse > /dev/null
This initializes the mouse properly and the mouse will work with the imps/2 protocol.
An alternative solution consists of changing the mouse protocol. If the mouse presents any problems when using the imps/2 protocol, change the protocol to ps/2 in XF86Config.
In case certain features of the mouse (or the entire mouse) do not work, you should set the option START_GPM in the file /etc/rc.config to "no" then execute SuSEconfig. Before you deactivate gpm completely, you can also execute the command gpm -k (to switch off gpm) and restart X (if you have a graphical login, press CTRL+ALT+BACKSPACE).
Graphics cards are responsible for the drawing of the mouse pointer. In some cases it might occur that the mouse pointer is not represented. This problem can be solved by editing the Section "Device" in the file XF86Config. Proceed as follows:
Search for the entry
Section "Device" BoardName "AutoDetected" Driver "r128" Identifier "Device[0]" VendorName "AutoDetected" EndSection
Insert the option "sw_cursor" as follows:
Section "Device" BoardName "AutoDetected" Driver "r128" Identifier "Device[0]" VendorName "AutoDetected" Option "sw_cursor" EndSection
In this way, the drawing of the mouse pointer will be passed to the X server and the mouse will be represented as usual.
Symptom: The mouse pointer shows a jerky motion or can only be moved at a certain speed on the screen.
Solution: Every mouse has a determined resolution (dpi) that can be set in XF86Config. This entry's syntax is the following:
Option "Resolution" "value"Example:
Option "Resolution" "400"This entry must be added to the mouse settings in the section "Input Device" in /etc/X11/XF86Config. Refer to the technical information for your mouse to find out its particular resolution value. This option does not work for USB mice at present.
The standard keyboard is
Generic 104-key PC
If your keyboard does not have any Windows keys, select the respective model from the list. Set your language. If you enter a wrong value here, this may become evident later in the form of an incorrect keyboard layout. Then click "Apply" and "Next".
After you have selected the card, the card is checked. The INFO window displays the test results (X server, card memory, and RAM-DAC). If the memory size is 1024KB and a very low RAM-DAC is displayed, possibly the card was detected wrongly. In this case, check the settings and make sure you have selected the correct driver and the correct card. Under "Expert", you have the possibility to enter the correct memory size and RAM-DAC of your card. Obtain these values from the manuals enclosed with your graphics card or from the Internet. Wrong values may cause damage to your hardware. Confirm the changes and click "Next".
In this section of SaX, you can select your monitor. If your monitor is not included in the list, simply use one of the VESA standard drivers, which are listed at the beginning of the list to the left. Select the resolution to use and click "Next".
The only thing left that needs to be done is to set the color depth (16-bit resolution is recommended) and the resolution.
When you click "Next", you will be asked whether you would like to start the test server. Confirm this message. If a screen with adjustment arrows appears, the X server has been configured. The fine adjustment of the image should be performed with the monitor. After you click "Save configuration" to save the settings, you will be returned to the command line.
an error occured...
The error log is contained in the files
/root/ServerLog /root/StartLog
In SuSE Linux version 7.2 or higher, these files can be found in /var/log. Send these files together with an output of
/sbin/lspci -vv
to support@suse.de. To include the output of /sbin/lspci -vv in your support request, you need to execute the following command:
/sbin/lspci -vv > /tmp/lspci.txt
Subsequently, you can copy the file to a floppy disk:
mcopy /tmp/lspci.txt a:
Proceed in the same way with the files /root/ServerLog and /root/StartLog.
You cannot set up the graphics card during or after the installation of SuSE Linux. This may be due to the driver not being available (yet) or to certain problems between the card and the driver. You can use the framebuffer device to address the graphics card. Proceed as follows:
First, at the boot prompt, type in:
linux 3 vga=xxx
If you use SuSE Linux 7.1 or higher versions, you have to press ESC to switch to the text-based user interface. Replace xxx with a value from the table below. This value specifies the resolution and color depth for the X server you will then use.
Resolution (in pixels) Color depth | 640x480 800x600 1024x768 1280x1024 256 (8 bit)| 769 771 773 775 32000 (15 bit)| 784 787 790 793 65000 (16 bit)| 785 788 791 794 16.7 million(24 bit)| 786 789 792 795
For example, the entry for an X server with 16 bit color depth and 1024x768 resolution would be the following:
linux 3 vga=791
The value selected may not be supported by some notebooks. In this case, choose a lower resolution (800x600 16-bit).
During the boot process a little penguin should be displayed on the top left corner.
Open the file with pico: pico /etc/lilo.conf
Search for the entry:
vga=normal
and change it to:
vga=xxx
Replace xxx with the value used to start the system. Check if the entry
boot=/dev/xxx
contains the right boot device. The entry for the floppy drive should be /dev/fd0. Because Linux uses other hard drive labeling systems than Windows, hard drives will be identified as /dev/hdxx: /dev/hda7 refers to the third logical partition on the first hard drive at the first IDE controller, /dev/hdbx refers to the second hard disk at the first IDE controller, etc. Hard disks connected to UDMA controllers are usually named /dev/hdex.
After modifying the file and checked the boot device, save the changes. You can do this in pico by pressing: CTRL+O . Confirm with RETURN and close the editor with CTRL+X.
Then execute the command
lilo
to activate the changes.
Configure the graphical user interface by starting SaX with the option:
sax -s fbdev
If you use SuSE Linux 7.1, the package xfbdev must be installed first. This package is located on the first CD-ROM. Start YaST to install the package:
* Type "yast" in a console Package Management (Update, Installation, Queries) RETURN * Change/create configuration RETURN * Search for the xsrv series RETURN * Mark the package xfbdev with the space bar ([ ] -> [X]) * Press F10 twice * Start the installation RETURN
After installing this package, exit the screen through the main menu. SuSE Config will then automatically update your system. As soon as the update is completed, confirm with continue and exit YaST.
Now start SaX with
sax -s fbdev
Configure the hardware for the graphical user interface.
When the test server starts, click save mode to save the settings. You will finally return to the text console from which you can start the X server by entering:
startx
SDB-wessels_sax
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