X won't start - P4 and MDK9.1

[jynyl]

Fresh install of MDK9.1, X works ok with distro drivers. I installed the 4349.run drivers and X won't start.
Hardware: P4 2.4GHz, 256MB RAM, shuttle AV49 motherboard, GeForce4 MX440 64MB.
System is Mandrake 9.1.

/var/log/XFree86.0.log has no EE errors. The last two lines are
NVIDIA(0) AGP 4x successfully initialised
NVIDIA(0) setting mode "1280x1024"

This is the correct size setting for the LCD monitor.
This hardware worked ok with MDK9.0 and the 4191 nvidia drivers.

When I try to boot into X, or start X from runlevel 3, the monitor just goes blank, and there's no response to the keyboard.

Any suggestions?

TIA

Peter

[Andy Mecham]

Does disabling AGP help?

--andy

[jynyl]

? disable AGP ?

- how to I do that?

(sorry, I'm not expert at these things)

TIA

Peter

[Andy Mecham]

Add Option "NvAgp" "0" to the Device section of your XF86Config file.

--andy

[jynyl]

thanks

tried that, but symptoms are the same.
That is, ran startx from the command line and screen just goes black. The /var/log/XFree86.0.log file stops at the same line.

Anything else I can look at?

TIA

Peter

[jynyl]

config and log files attached for reference.
This log was done when NvAGP set to 0.


Peter

[bwkaz]

Is your kernel using SMP? There's a known SMP+DVI bug in the drivers... You can grep the kernel config file (wherever it is; I think Mandrake puts it in /boot, but I don't know for sure) for CONFIG_SMP, and post what that comes back with.

But it does sound like you're using DVI, for sure.

[Andy Mecham]

Sigh. That would explain quite a bit of the laptop hangs.

--andy

[jynyl]

Regarding SMP, in /boot there is a link of config to
config-2.4.21-0.13mdk
There is also a file config-2.4.21-0.13mdksmp.
On boot up, there are options for linuxsmp and linux. I use linux. I don't know why MDK installed the SMP option as the PC has only one P4 CPU.

cat config-2.4.21-0.13mdk | grep -i dvi
gives nothing

cat config-2.4.21-0.13mdk | grep -i smp
gives
#CONFIG_SMP is not set


BTW, noting Andy's post, this is a desktop PC, not a laptop.


TIA

Peter

[alien999999999]

I have exactly the same problem, I'm using the standard 9.1 installation and no X with the new drivers, no matter what I change it stops after setting the resolution.
Now I already have installed the same driver for two others using mdk9.1 with no problem at all, one even has the exact same 3D card.
P4+GeForce4 Ti420 : no problem
Athlon XP 1800+GeForce2 MX400 : no problem
Athlon XP 2200+GeForce2 MX400 : yes problem
it seems to be random, the only thing I can think of is that it's mobo related?
all 3 are desktop PCs with more or less the same standard settings installed with the exact same mdk9.1 CDs
what the hell is the problem? my mobo is KT400, I know the others are not using that mobo.

can anyone plz help?

[bwkaz]

There is a thread here regarding the KT400 motherboard chipset. In short, yes, that is your problem. There are options you can pass to the kernel module, or you can disable AGP, to work around the problems.

I believe this issue is also noted in the errata for the 4349 driver -- the errata is available on nVidia's FTP site, and I believe it's also linked from the driver download page.

[Tector]

This is not just a KT400 problem. I have the same problem with an Nforce2 based M/B and have tried all the suggested fixes to no avail. You would think that an Nvidia based M/B chipset would work with an Nvidia graphics card. X never gets far enough to even write out an error log so it's pretty hard to diagnose the problem.

[Andy Mecham]

Tector: please read http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9614 and start a new thread with your problem. There is a specific KT400 issue that is affecting some people. Your problem is different.

--andy

[alien999999999]

Originally posted by bwkaz
There is a thread here regarding the KT400 motherboard chipset. In short, yes, that is your problem. There are options you can pass to the kernel module, or you can disable AGP, to work around the problems.

I believe this issue is also noted in the errata for the 4349 driver -- the errata is available on nVidia's FTP site, and I believe it's also linked from the driver download page.

I looked at the errata, but that can't be the problem, because I have NvAGP disabled! and it is still not working, plus: my GeForce2 MX400 is working only on 4x. I have set that in the BIOS.

can you help me?

[jynyl]

Since we're talking about motherboards and chipsets, the problem machine here is;
Shuttle AV49N with VIA P4X400 and VT8235
GeForce 4 MX440 64MB.

The same drivers installed just fine on MDK9.1 on another machine; Athlon2400, Asus A7V333x, VIA KT333 & KT8235, GeForce4 MX 440 64MB.

Is there anything else I can try on the P4 box? Or am I best to use an older driver (4191?), which I guess will have to be compiled for the MDK9.1 kernel.

Thanks

Peter

[alien999999999]

on other machines with mdk9.1 it works just fine:
P4 (no idea about mobo) with GeForce 4 Ti420
Athlon XP 1800 with KT333 with GeForce2 MX 400
Athlon XP 2200 with KT400 with GeForce2 MX 400 DOES NOT WORK
all three uses 4x AGP and disabling does not work, using previous drivers does not work, even recompiling the src.rpm... exact same problem.

I guess I'll have to Quake3 on the NV driver... with maybe 5fps if I choose minima...

I really need those NVIDIA drivers, what could be the problem... will it help if I somehow enable 8x in the kernel? even though I can't use that anyway??? my card only has 4x...

[jynyl]

The nvidia drivers still can't run X on this P4 box. It just goes black and freezes everything when I try to start X.

I tried options in /etc/X11/XFConfig-4
Option "NvAgp" "0"
and
Option "NvAgp" "1"
but it always gives the same result.

Also, I tried a different AGP setting in BIOS. The auto was DA, but EA was no different.

I am running Mandrake 9.1. Would it be worthwhile trying a different distro? eg Redhat or Debian. Would this likely make any difference?

TIA

Peter

[alien999999999]

not likely,

not very likely at all,
well, in any case, i'll try and pass those kernel options...