Re: [vox-tech] debian login

[Jay Strauss]

A temporary fix: rename the following files in /etc/init.d

gdm -> gdm.0
xdm -> xdm.0

this will stop the flicker, but make it easy to get x windows login back
once you get x configured (i.e by just renaming the file to their original
names)

Jay
- Original Message - 
From: "Ken Bloom" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Sunday, June 08, 2003 1:59 AM
Subject: Re: [vox-tech] debian login


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Re: [vox-tech] debian login

[Ken Bloom]

On Fri, Jun 06, 2003 at 02:27:18PM -0800, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> I brought my computer to the installfest but they weren't able to get x
> working. I'd like to be able to just get rid of everything X related and
> then try to do a clean setup of X where I understand every step. How
> should I do that? And anyway I haven't seen any sign that the flickering
> login screen is at all related to X. If it was the graphical X kind of
> login screen that was flickering 

When X flickers because it's misconfigured, the result usually *isn't*
a flickering graphic, a shimmering graphic, or any other kind of
screwy graphic on the screen (although if you see any of the above, it
does mean you have a misconfigured X server). You usually see the
screen go black because the monitor is out of its synchronization
range, and so it refuses to display any image to avoid damaging
itself, and it alerts the X server that it's out of range.

> and then it went to a stable text login
> screen then that would be that, but it is the plain old text login screen
> that is flickering.

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Re: [vox-tech] debian login

[Henry House]

On Fri, Jun 06, 2003 at 02:27:18PM -0800, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> I brought my computer to the installfest but they weren't able to get x
> working. I'd like to be able to just get rid of everything X related and
> then try to do a clean setup of X where I understand every step.

Definately a good idea. The command 'apt-get remove --purge xlibs xserever\*
xfonts\* xfs\*' (note backslashes) will remove the X packages and purge their
configuration files, in order to force re-configuration from scratch when you
reinstall.  You had better check after you do this for any othe rx-related
packages using 'dpkg -l | grep x'.

> How should I do that? And anyway I haven't seen any sign that the
> flickering login screen is at all related to X. If it was the graphical X
> kind of login screen that was flickering and then it went to a stable text
> login screen then that would be that, but it is the plain old text login
> screen that is flickering.

Not necessarily. To check if an X display manager is configured to run, look
in /etc/rc2.d for links containing names like xdm, wdm, gdm, or kdm. Example:
S99xdm. All links in this directory (which point to daemon initialization
scripts in /etc/init.d) that begin with S are started in alphabetical order
when the system enters runlevel 2 (the default on Debian). The numbers are
there only to influnce the order.

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Re: [vox-tech] debian login

[Mike Simons]

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On Wed, Jun 04, 2003 at 12:17:16PM -0500, Jay Strauss wrote:
> I'm sure everyone will say this is not the way to do it, but...
> to avoid this (at least until you get X working), rename the soft links:

  Correct... that is not the best way to fix it.  :)

  If you rename /etc/X11/XF86Config and /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 to
something else the boot up scripts will not try to start X and=20
then the blinking will not happen.

  There are probably a dozen other ways to stop X from starting,
but the most likely reason it fails to start is the config file is
incorrect for this setup, so the file should be fixed or removed...
this is why I think renaming the files to something else is
the "best" solution.

  The files might only require a minor tweak to fix, so renaming
them is better than removing.

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Re: [vox-tech] debian login

[Jay Strauss]

I'm sure everyone will say this is not the way to do it, but...
to avoid this (at least until you get X working), rename the soft links:

gdm to gdm.0
xdm to xdm.0

in /etc/init.d

Jay 
- Original Message - 
From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "lugod tech listserv" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 03, 2003 5:03 PM
Subject: [vox-tech] debian login


> When I try to login to Debian right after I power up the login screen
> disappears for a second and then comes back. It does the same thing two
> or three more times then it lets me login like normal. What is it doing?
> 
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Re: [vox-tech] debian login

[ME]

Mike Simons said:
> On Tue, Jun 03, 2003 at 02:03:46PM -0800, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>> When I try to login to Debian right after I power up the login screen
>> disappears for a second and then comes back. It does the same thing two
>> or three more times then it lets me login like normal. What is it doing?
>
>   If you are logging into a text console... then it is very likely the X
> server trying to start up, but the configuration for X is broken in some
> way so the X server dies.  The screen blinks black when X tries to
> change which terminal is on the screen to itself then when X dies it
> switches back.  Look in /var/log/XFree*.log for more information about
> what is killing X.

Mike's answer is most likely the correct one, and where you should start
first. As an "if other attempts to fix fail, what next" consideration:

When monitors get close to their display limits (exceeding Hsync/Vsync)
they can sometimes "cut out" and blank the screen.
I had a monitor that would flicker a bit during startup of X as I was
pushing it to work very close to its limits. The monitor would enter into
a state where no image was displayed, but the "power" button on the front
of the monitor no longer glowed green, but instead red (or maybe yellow or
orange.)
Such incidents with a monitor faling can be associated with many odd
"squeak-like" sounds coming from the monitor.

Also, some LCD (and projectors) will take time "perfecting the image"
while others are pretty fast at getting it right, and yet others can just
flicker between a few different settings until they get to a display
setting they "like".

Again, I think Mike has you on the right track. The above two other
examples/ideas to check are not too common.

-ME

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Re: [vox-tech] debian login

[Mike Simons]

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On Tue, Jun 03, 2003 at 02:03:46PM -0800, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> When I try to login to Debian right after I power up the login screen
> disappears for a second and then comes back. It does the same thing two
> or three more times then it lets me login like normal. What is it doing?

  If you are logging into a text console... then it is very likely the X
server trying to start up, but the configuration for X is broken in some
way so the X server dies.  The screen blinks black when X tries to
change which terminal is on the screen to itself then when X dies it
switches back.  Look in /var/log/XFree*.log for more information about
what is killing X.

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