On Thu, Apr 09, 2020 at 04:32:10PM +0200, Bernard wrote: > # tasksel > > a graphical window opens and proposes a choice between Debian Desktop > environment, GNOME, KDE, xfce, MATE... I alternatively chose most of these > including Gnome Desktop env, GNOME, KDE, xfce, MATE.
So we don't even known which one you're currently trying to use. That makes debugging a lot harder, don't you think? If you're trying to debug X, start simple. Install a traditional window manager, and just name it on the startx command to override the system defaults. > $ startx > > invariably leads to > > ....................... > connexion to X server lost At that point, you look for errors in ~/.xsession-errors or, more usefully, in the X log file. Which, for stretch-and-later, on most hardware, will be in ~/.local/share/xorg/. Or if for some reason your X server still runs as root, it might be in the /var/log/ directory. > Another time, I attempted to run > > # evolution > > unable to init server, connexion refused > failed to initiate gtk+ could not open display > > Does that mean that I should re-install the gtk library ? No, it means you tried to run it outside of an X session. Obviously that's not going to work. Start with the basics. Can X run *at all*? Make sure xterm is installed, and try startx xterm That should give you the barest possible X session. If it works, you'll have a mostly empty screen, but with an xterm in the upper left corner. You'll be able to move the mouse pointer around, and if the mouse cursor is inside the xterm window area, you'll be able to type in the terminal. Do that, and type "exit" or Ctrl-D in the xterm to get out. If it DOESN'T work, try to figure out why, by reading the X log file. Also useful would be: Which video chipset is in use? lspci -nn Which firmware files are loaded, and which are missing? dmesg | grep -i firmware And, possibly, if you can, the *important* lines from the X log file. But figuring out which lines are important, out of that gargantuan log file, is an art form.
