Where is my log file?

[Frink]

I am running Mandrake 8.2 with a GeForce 4 ti4200. I have installed the two rpm's (kernel and GLX). I looked in /var/log/ but there is no XFree86.0.log file there. I don't know which XF86Config file, if any, it loads on startup so I don't know which one to edit. Could anyone help me out here?

[bwkaz]

X looks for its config file in a fairly standard set of places. man XF86Config should give you the list, but basically, it's this:

1) If /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 exists, use it.

2) Otherwise, use /etc/X11/XF86Config.

You won't have a log if you haven't tried to startx yet; is this the case?

[Frink]

I'm in KDE right now. I have both the XF86Config and XF86Config-4 files in /etc/X11/ but neither one has a line that says 'Driver "nv"' or "vesa". Load "gri and Load "GLcore" aren't in there either. What is wrong here?

[Andy Mecham]

Did you select XFree86 4.2.0 or 3.3.6 (with experimental 3D accel. support) when you installed?

Thanks!

--andy

[Frink]

It didn't ask me which version of XF86 to install. Should it have asked me?

[bwkaz]

XFree86 -version should tell you which version of X you're running.

[Frink]

When I type 'XFree86 -version' in the console it tells me "command not found". How can I tell which XF86Config file is being used if I don't have a log file for it? Thanks.

[bwkaz]

How about /usr/X11R6/bin/XFree86 -version? Or X -version perhaps?

[Frink]

X -version works and says I have version 3.3.6 of XFree86. Where do I go from here? Does that mean I have to install 4.2.0 now?

[z28Power]

It wasn't that hard to install 4.2.0 of X. I wasn't sure if that was my problem so I went ahead and upgraded anyway, the longest part was downloading the files! from there you just run a xinstall.sh file and it does the rest for you! www.Xfree86.org has the files. I don't know what you should do if you're in 3.3.6 of it. By the way, did you run xf86config yet?
If you haven't, That's the file that installs the nvidia drivers and configures your system for X. There are a couple of options that ask you what you want to set up (You might want to have your monitor specs handy as it likes to know your horizontal sync rate and vertical as well) and then choose Nvidia GeForce from the video card options. From that point, when you edit the xf86config file the "nv" options will be there. Just my thoughts from one newb who's been coping himself!

[bwkaz]

From the nVidia driver readme:

___________________________________________

(app-b) APPENDIX B: MINIMUM SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS
___________________________________________

o linux kernel 2.2.12 # cat /proc/version
o XFree86 4.0.1 # XFree86 -version
o Kernel modutils 2.1.121 # insmod -VSo in short, yes, you should upgrade from 3.3.6. I'd go with the newest, which is 4.2.1, but 4.2.0 should work too.

[Frink]

Ok I installed XFree86 4.2.0 but now I can't get back into KDE or any other x window manager. I see the nvidia logo, then the login screen comes up. I login but it sends me to a screen with a couple console screens. If I type startx it says "Fatal server error: Serveris already active for dsiplay 0". Did my installation of 4.2.0 go bad? I am able to run program from these consoles, like AIM and Opera (web browser) but I can't get back to my x window environment. Anyone got any clues as to what I should do?

[bwkaz]

I'm pretty sure that's twm, the window manager that X comes with. By default, your xinitrc file on a new X install loads twm and a couple of xterms. To get out of it, exit the xterm labeled "login".

To make it use something else, grep through /etc/X11 for a file containing "twm", and edit this file so that instead of executing these:

twm &
xterm -geometry <stuff> &
xterm -geometry <stuff> &
exec xterm -geometry <stuff> -name loginit executes something like this:

exec startkdeOr exec gnome-session if you happen to like Gnome.

[Andy Mecham]

... or edit ~/.xinitrc to include the line

'gnome-session'

or

'startkde'

--andy

[Frink]

I can't find a file with the twm lines like that and I'm not sure what ~/.xintric means so I don't know how to open that file.
I get a a login screen where I can choose my user and a X environment (KDE, gnome, window manager, failsafe, etc.) but no matter what I choose I always get sent to this weird kinda windows environment. Please help. Thanks.

[Frink]

I think I might have had an error during the installation of XFree86. If I did have an error would I even be able to get to the login screen and the thing I am in now? Should I do a reinstall of XFree86 or start over with a new install of Mandrake? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Frink]

I reformatted and reinstalled mandrake 8.2 then XFree86 4.2.0 then the nvidia drivers. I am still not getting into KDE or any other environment that I choose. I always go into the environment with the console window, but I can run windowed programs from it. Could someone help me out here? Thanks.

[bwkaz]

Do you have a .xsession file in your home directory? (ls -a should show it if it exists)

If so, post the contents. If not, look for an Xsession file (no preceding dot, and capitalized X) somewhere under /etc/X11, and if you can find it, post it.

My guess is that you're using either xdm or kdm or gdm (which are display managers, they find out who's logging in and are supposed to choose an appropriate window manager or desktop environment based on that), and for some reason, it's always defaulting to twm rather than whatever you pick.

I don't use any of them ([xkg]dm, that is), so I'm not sure on how to fix it, but checking into .xsession and Xsession files are (IIRC) a good way to start. If you can't figure it out, I'm pretty sure there's someone on www.linuxnewbie.org who knows. In any case, I am fairly sure it's not an nVidia driver problem, just something with the way XFree86 4.2 installs by default.

[Frink]

I'm not sure if this is this will work but I am trying to attach my .xsession-errors file from my /home/user/ dir. I didn't see any that was just .xsession. I hope this works. It doesn't allow me to view this file using 'vi .xsession-errors'. How can I view this file?


edit: I couldn't attach the file either. How do I use .something files?

[bwkaz]

I'd check under /etc/X11 somewhere, then (my source install of X put an Xsession in /etc/X11/xdm/Xsession, but yours may be in a different place; it's somewhere to start, though).

I don't know why .xsession-errors isn't readable by your user (at least, that's what seems to be the problem), but it shouldn't be a big deal because that file just logs errors anyway.

[Frink]

OK I finally got it working thanks to the friendly people here. :D
I created a .xsession file in my /home/user/ directory and put the line 'startkde' in it. Logged out then back in again and now I am in KDE. Thanks for all the help. Hopefully I can play UT2003 in linux now. Thanks again.