KDE black screen at start, but Gnome works fine

[Maxei]

Hi all,
I am using SLED 10 SP1. I installed XINE-UI from a opensuse repository because the Kaffeine was unable to play dvds, even after installing libdvdcss. I remember that two othe packages were also upgraded by YAST to satisfy dependencies. AFter installing and reboot, loging to KDE desktop, the splash screen appears, then a black screen with mouse pointer (that I can move) appears.
This is the second time that this happens to me. I had to install again the whole system. WARNING: the AUTOYAST cloning (re-install) stuff was terrible on me: not only it failed to boot the system, but also wipped out my slave hard disk (for backup purposes), without any warning.

I did not realize that using SLED 10 SP1 was such a crippled system: cannot play DVDs, cannot play MP3. This is absolutely inacceptable. Now I am using Gnome desktop, which I dont like. By the way, still even after that damned Xine install I ccannot yet play DVDs. Do you guys have any alternative, suggestions on using alternative distro (I am tired of Mandriva as well). I want something that is really functional from first install, something like "FINAL VERSION" stable that I dont need to do more install except for some security patches, a la windows? Maybe Windows will do

[gogalthorp]

MP3 and DVD are proprietary formats. In some areas of the world (USA) it is illegal to use them without a license. Novell made the choice of shipping only Open Source software in Suse to avoid possible legal problems. That is why you must download separately.

Here are instruction
Hacking openSUSE 10.2 - Software in Review

I don't know why you are having the blank screen problem but I'm guessing that you did not follow the above instructions and tried to install the lib's from source or from another source.

[Maxei]

Thanks gogalthorp,
I know that guide and several others by the way. I disagree with your opinion in that I did something wrong. I am sure that everything I did was in most carefull way possible.

The problem is that, when installing packages for OpenSUSE 10.2 in the SLED 10 SP1, causes some wreack havoc. During install, SLED 10 sp1 was updated as usual. Then, seeing that no DVDs no MP3 playing was possible, decided to install libdvdcss, then try kaffeine. No way, because xine-ui was not installed and it is NOT available in the DVD installation and NOT available in the "official" updates repository for SLED 10 SP1. Xine-ui was available from upensuse 10.2 repossitory and from the packman repository. But the packman repository version required a great deal of changes due to incompatibilities with the libraries. But the Open suse version showed no compatiblity problems. Only requested to change two packages, the names dont remember. That was enough to break dowm the f**cking KDE desktop. This problem is reproducible because I already had it three times! I mean, I know what I am doing.
SLED 10 sp1 is designed to work as is and if you mess up with other libraries, you may be lucky ,,,,or unlucky.
I will get rid of this distro as soon as Opensuse 10.3 shows up. Thanks.

[gogalthorp]

Oh,oh never ever install 10.1 or 10.2 packages in 10.0. You must only use packages for the version you have. If you can't find them then you must compile from source. And hope