can't start xserver

[lazerweb]

I am devestated. I have spent 6 months converting to suse enterprise desktop and installed vmware (which I bought) so I could have windows installed inside suse.

Then I did a packages update and it killed my xserver login. I could start from scratch and install the whole thing again but it would break my heart. I have heaps of data on my suse setup, so I don't wanna reinstall. I have tried the "update" process from the CD but that does not work. I get the message "can't start xserver" all the time. I have an x300 card from ATI and also a dual monitor setup with "the cube" and compiz. I have a tutorial at www.sugarrave.com on how to do that, but now I have nothing but a message saying "failed to start x server". Can someone help me?

[bigtomrodney]

It sounds like you installed proprietary drivers for ATI , and then had a kernel update (or possibly Xorg update).

What you need to do is reinstall the Xorg driver so the kernel module is rebuilt.

Do you still have the ATI driver? If not you can connect to the internet and download the latest one using lynx, links or elinks. In the meantime if you need to you can probably get into X by renaming your xorg.conf and running sax2 as root to regenerate a working configuration using vesa or radeon drivers.

[lazerweb]

renaming your xorg.conf

It might seem weird that I am a newbie because I had dual desktop running xgl cube, but I am and I don't know how to rename the xorg.conf without being in the graphical interface!

[bigtomrodney]

Don't worry no one was born knowing everything

Simply log in as root on the command line, remembering that when prompted for your password keys you type will not appear on screen. Run the following on eline at a time, ignoring anything after the #

rcxdm stop #ensures that xorg really is stopped
cd /etc/X11 #change directory /etc/X11
mv xorg.conf xorg.conf.backup  #mv is the command for move, which functions as rename

Then just follow with the sax or sax2 command which should be able to regenerate a working xorg.conf.

Good luck

[lazerweb]

ok. its 2am here in australia, but I'm gonna give it a go. Thanks so much for your help! I'll try this now.

[lazerweb]

God, I just realised you're irish. So am I. from Dun Laoghaire. But living in this crazy land! Ausralia - Bondi beach - that is!

[lazerweb]

Thanks for your help. Look, I can get into the graphics interface, but I want to reconfigure the graphics card. I have the CD for it but no idea how to reinstall it! Any help would be great