[Solved]X-server suddenly magically not configured

[RobertLM78]

This is the worst experience ever, and I'd hate to see it sour an otherwise good experience with Linux so far this last year ( ), but this problem blows my mind . Anyway, I had been faffing about in windows for a couple hours and when I went to boot back in to Mint I was greated with a black screen, from which I finally coaxed these few cryptic messages which I'm not quite slick enough to understand yet:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/watoyit32w5c ... 130149.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/watoyit32w5c ... 130150.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/watoyit32w5c ... 30150a.jpg
(I apologize about the image quality)

I hadn't done anything special (ie make any changes to X, that I'm aware of), and the only package that had gotten installed at any time over the course of the week the the OS was up before it had been restarted in the first place tonight was octave 3.6 from ocatve's (precise pangolin) own repository (of course, I had to remove octave 3.2 before I could install 3.6, but I don't see how that could have done anything).

Well, if anyone can help I would greatly appreciate it - this is my main computer I use for school and I need it to work when I turn it on
(this issue is on the Gateway DX4860 computer, with the specs in my signature). Thanks for reading !

[RobertLM78]

5 odd views and no ideas. Well, I'm in a bit of a dilemma, so if there aren't any ideas on how to fix this I have to backup my home folder, but first I need to know how to either:
A) mount my long term storage partition in tty (something I can't do for some reason)
or
B) force caja to allow me to copy the files to my long term storage partition from a live CD session of Mint (some files I can copy, others I don't have "permission" for (they're MY damn files!))

Anyway, I really need this computer for school, and if I have to do a fresh OS install then I need to get my files copied ASAP so I can get this waste of time over with so I can get back to what I need to be doing. Thanks!

[Garryck]

Ow.. I hate having problems with X.

There's a couple of things you might try to get your gui back. All the configuration settings for X are stored in /etc/X11/xorg.conf. A backup copy (xorg.conf.backup) is located in the same directory. Rename your current xorg.conf to xorg.conf.dud and make a copy of the backup file, renaming it to xorg.conf. Hopefully after that, a startx command should get you going again.

Another option is to try creating a new xorg.conf file from scratch.

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$ sudo Xorg -configure

The -configure option forces the Xorg server to load all video driver modules, probes for available hardware, and writes out an initial xorg.conf file based on what was detected. The above will build an initial configuration file and you must run it as the super user (root user).

Before using this program, make sure you know what video card you have, and preferably also the chipset it uses and the amount of video memory on your video card, as well as the specifications of your monitor. Run lspci command to obtain information about your card.

Hope this helps.

[RobertLM78]

Ow.. I hate having problems with X.

There's a couple of things you might try to get your gui back. All the configuration settings for X are stored in /etc/X11/xorg.conf. A backup copy (xorg.conf.backup) is located in the same directory. Rename your current xorg.conf to xorg.conf.dud and make a copy of the backup file, renaming it to xorg.conf. Hopefully after that, a startx command should get you going again.

Another option is to try creating a new xorg.conf file from scratch.

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$ sudo Xorg -configure

The -configure option forces the Xorg server to load all video driver modules, probes for available hardware, and writes out an initial xorg.conf file based on what was detected. The above will build an initial configuration file and you must run it as the super user (root user).

Before using this program, make sure you know what video card you have, and preferably also the chipset it uses and the amount of video memory on your video card, as well as the specifications of your monitor. Run lspci command to obtain information about your card.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the reply Garryck - this has been a truly awful experience (and a real waste of time, I might add). [icode]sudo Xorg -configure[/icode] was going to be the next thing I was going to try, but at the moment I'm backing up my home folder, in case I have to do a complete reinstall. I think I'll try renaming the backup xorg.conf first though, as soon as the home folder backup is finished (it might take some time, there's a lot in the home folder, especially .Oolite ).

I'll post an update as soon as I'm done, but thank you so much again for the advice - I was really at a loss as to what to do in order to even begin to fix this problem (other than start backing up my stuff ).

[Garryck]

If you do eventually go with a full reinstall, for whatever reason, I recommend you at least make /home a separate partition. (or even better, put /home on its own hard-drive) Not only can it simplify backups, but it means you don't need to copy all your files back after reinstalling.

[RobertLM78]

If you do eventually go with a full reinstall, for whatever reason, I recommend you at least make /home a separate partition. (or even better, put /home on its own hard-drive) Not only can it simplify backups, but it means you don't need to copy all your files back after reinstalling. You can do other fun tricks as well, such as share the same /home between multiple installed distros.

Neat! I didn't know multiple distros could share a home folder. I know one thing is clear - I am not going back to window$ if I make any change in OS.

Well, I ran sudo Xorg -configure, and basically got a bit of mumbo jumbo similar to the screenshots linked to in the first post, but it ended by saying "Server terminated with error (2). Closing log file."

Edit: poking around, I don't have a /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d directory, that I can see in any ls listing.

[Garryck]

Neat! I didn't know multiple distros could share a home folder.

Well, there ARE some caveats to that.. read the comments in the article I linked to.

Well, I ran sudo Xorg -configure, and basically got a bit of mumbo jumbo similar to the screenshots linked to in the first post, but it ended by saying "Server terminated with error (2). Closing log file."

Edit: poking around, I don't have a /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d directory, that I can see in any ls listing.

I don't have that directory either..

Off to do some reading up on X problems.

[RobertLM78]

Okay, I copied the xorg.conf.failsafe to xorg.conf, but of course now I only have the most strict graphics settings. Trying to run sudo Xorg -configure gives this nonsense:

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sudo Xorg -configure
[sudo]
Fatal server error:
Server is already active for display 0
   If this server is no longer running, remove /tmp/.X0-lock
   and start again.


Please consult the The X.Org Foundation support
    at http://wiki.x.org
 for help.

 ddxSigGiveUp: Closing log


[Garryck]

Well, I ran sudo Xorg -configure, and basically got a bit of mumbo jumbo similar to the screenshots linked to in the first post, but it ended by saying "Server terminated with error (2). Closing log file."

It's not entirely clear from the above, but I'm guessing you didn't actually have any errors with sudo Xorg -configure itself.. but only when you tried to start the x-server.

Something I was unaware of is that the new xorg.conf file will be written to your home directory. You'll need to copy it to /etc/X11/ You might try this:

I got the same error and I resolved it this way:

1. When the message about viewing the X server output came, I pressed Ctrl Alt F2
2. Now on the new shell I ran command sudo Xorg -configure
3. Then I copied /home/oobe/xorg.conf.new to /etc/X11/xorg.conf
sudo cp /home/oobe/xorg.conf.new /etc/X11/xorg.conf
4. At last I started X using command startx

[RobertLM78]

I can help but think that this whole issue begs a fundamental question - how on earth did this happen when I had done absolutely nothing to xorg prior to this problem. Is this a virus or what?

Anyway, I'm attempting to re-activate the default proprietary driver for my graphics card. Going to restart now...

[RobertLM78]

Well, I ran sudo Xorg -configure, and basically got a bit of mumbo jumbo similar to the screenshots linked to in the first post, but it ended by saying "Server terminated with error (2). Closing log file."

It's not entirely clear from the above, but I'm guessing you didn't actually have any errors with sudo Xorg -configure itself.. but only when you tried to start the x-server.

Something I was unaware of is that the new xorg.conf file will be written to your home directory. You'll need to copy it to /etc/X11/ You might try this:

I got the same error and I resolved it this way:

1. When the message about viewing the X server output came, I pressed Ctrl Alt F2
2. Now on the new shell I ran command sudo Xorg -configure
3. Then I copied /home/oobe/xorg.conf.new to /etc/X11/xorg.conf
sudo cp /home/oobe/xorg.conf.new /etc/X11/xorg.conf
4. At last I started X using command startx

Nice, I found a xorg.conf.new in my home folder. I'll try this after a restart

[RobertLM78]

I copied the .new xorg.conf to it's appropriate place, and finally got the graphic driver installed (complete with sucessful reboot). So, it works - for now . Anyway, I'm far from making this as solved, because I want to get to the bottom of why this happened in the first place, so that I can avoid these sessions of stupidity, wasting an easy 8 hours of my time - "strike one" for Linux . Thanks Garryck for the pointers, they lead the way to a solution - now if we can find a cause, I'd be a happy camper .
BTW, I would like to mention there being one other thing that I installed over the course of the week between reboots, and that was Wolfram's stupid CDFPlayer, which I promptly removed when this nonsense started. I seriously don't think it had anything to do with the problem, but I still want to mention it, because it was something that had been installed and therefore (however small) a system change.

[Garryck]

I can help but think that this whole issue begs a fundamental question - how on earth did this happen when I had done absolutely nothing to xorg prior to this problem. Is this a virus or what?

I agree there's something fundamental that needs addressing.. but I seriously doubt it's a virus..

I admit I have no idea why/how X should suddenly seem to lose its' configuration, but I am aware that it does sometimes happen. I've had it happen to me in the past, on various distros, a few times, going back quite a few years, even to the old Xfree86 days.

(a thought.. wasn't there recently an update to some of the X packages? Seems to ring a bell.. two things I'm always really leery of in Linux, updates to Grub, and updates to X. They have a nasty habit of occasionally going horribly wrong)

Re getting to the bottom of things.. probably you'd need to take it up with the Xorg people themselves. Your graphics drivers and updates for same are another potential source of problems.


Edit: Oh yeah.. I'm very glad you got things working again!

[RobertLM78]

(a thought.. wasn't there recently an update to some of the X packages? Seems to ring a bell.. two things I'm always really leery of in Linux, updates to Grub, and updates to X. They have a nasty habit of occasionally going horribly wrong)

Edit: Oh yeah.. I'm very glad you got things working again!

Thanks - it is working for now (thought my confidence is a bit shaken).

I think there was an update to some x packages recently, but I don't remember what they were either. You might be on to somthing in that could have been a potential source of the problem, though.

[RobertLM78]

After a half dozen x upgrades, all of which have broken my system, I am fully convinced they are the culprit.

If you have an ATI Radeon HD 5xxx Series and an x upgrade smashes your driver do the following:

When you're greeted with the black screen wait a moment a hit Esc. Be patient it takes some coaxing to get the error boxes (see the screenshots in the first post). Esc through all these error messages . Once you've done that, you can go to a TTY console by pressing Ctrl+Alt+F#

You may need to run:

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sudo Xorg -configure

Then

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sudo cp the ~/xorg.conf.new to /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Next, run this command

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sudo '/usr/share/ati/amd-uninstall.sh' --force

Then reinstall the driver from the internet in the usual way,

but if the 'amd' folder isn't removed due to the log still being in the directory, run

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gksudo caja /usr/share

and delete the file(s) leftover and reinstall the driver.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------End of instructions

Now, this begs a question. Running:

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sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade

will, at this very moment, execute a x-server upgrade, however, the Update Manager, with the "Level" filters set from Level 1 to Level 3, does not show the x-server upgrade in the package list. If I have the filter set with Level 4 and 5 package upgrades set to be displayed I see that the x-server upgrade is there at Level 4, meaning that installing the package could be harmful to my system's health. So, how does one go about filtering sudo apt-get upgrade like the Update Manager to weed out these potentially unsavory packages I've skimmed the man page to apt-get, but I saw nothing that looked like a "Level" sort of filter. Thanks for reading!

Edit: The big motivation in wanting to know this is I much prefer to do system maintenance like upgrading through the terminal .

[zerozero]

however, the Update Manager, with the "Level" filters set from Level 1 to Level 3, does not show the x-server upgrade in the package list. If I have the filter set with Level 4 and 5 package upgrades set to be displayed I see that the x-server upgrade is there at Level 4, meaning that installing the package could be harmful to my system's health. So, how does one go about filtering sudo apt-get upgrade like the Update Manager to weed out these potentially unsavory packages I've skimmed the man page to apt-get, but I saw nothing that looked like a "Level" sort of filter. Thanks for reading!

you can't. short and simple. levels in updates are a mint thing and only implemented in mintupdate, apt and all its frontends know nothing about it.
if xserver breaks your system, stick with mintupdate level1-3.

[RobertLM78]

you can't. short and simple. levels in updates are a mint thing and only implemented in mintupdate, apt and all its frontends know nothing about it. if xserver breaks your system, stick with mintupdate level1-3.

Hey hey, thanks zerozero for the reply. Is there a way to use mintupdate through the terminal? (I think part of my confusion here was thinking that the update manager was a frontend for apt).

A friend suggested I look into man apt_preferences. I tried adding:

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Package: xserver-xorg-video-intel
Pin: origin packages.linuxmint.com
Pin-Priority: 50

Package: xserver-xorg-video-intel
Pin: release o=Ubuntu
Pin-Priority: 50

Package: xserver-xorg-video-intel
Pin: release o=linuxmint
Pin-Priority: 50

Package: xserver-xorg-video-intel
Pin: origin repo.mate-desktop.org
Pin-Priority: 50

to my /etc/apt/preferences file, but running apt-get upgrade still wants to upgrade the xserver package . I thought I'd covered all the bases here as well with all the various origins.... . Anyway, thanks again for the reply zerozero - if it turns out that I have to stick with the GUI, I guess I have to learn to live with it .

[zerozero]

(I think part of my confusion here was thinking that the update manager was a frontend for apt).

it is but has a nuance that none of the other frontends (or apt for that matter) understand: levels

i guess that better option than messing with priorities is looking at holding the problematic packages;
this page explains this very well >> http://askubuntu.com/questions/18654/ho ... ic-package
worth mentioning this answer (taken from the same page)

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Also worth pointing out, package holds do break upgrades and patches sometimes by creating a situation where there is no legal solution apt can calculate to a dependency. If package foo has a == < or <= dependency on libbar, then apt will refuse to upgrade libbar as well as foo. Over time, these cascading dependencies may grow to block a large number of updates, including important security updates. You'll need to either remove the hold and let the upgrade happen, or rebuild the packages you are holding against newer versions of its dependencies if this happens.

use with care

[RobertLM78]

That did the trick! I can now use sudo apt-get upgrade in terminal without upgrading that package and breaking my system - hurray....

use with care

...until I have to unhold the package because of another breakage .
Thanks again zerozero... you've been a source of enlightenment on more than one occasion .

[RobertLM78]

SOLVED: It finally struck me what I think is causing this: and it is not anything that the upgrades to X are doing wrong in the end, I believe. The computer in question has both on-board graphics, which I don't use, and a discrete card. After thoroughly looking through all the BIOS settings, I've found no way to disable the on-board graphics, so what I think is happening is that the system thinks that the on-board GFX are being used as well and is okay to update, but when it does, it breaks the driver and x-settings for the discrete card. So, until I can figure out how to disable the on-board video somehow through the BIOS, I'll just keep this xserver package on hold . Thank you Garryck and ZeroZero for the assistance with this matter - maybe this thread can be of use to someone else that has a similar graphics situation.