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Mandriva Spring 08 - X Server stalls while booting, left with busy indication

techguy
Grafter
Posts: 2,540
Registered: ‎12-09-2008

Mandriva Spring 08 - X Server stalls while booting, left with busy indication

Hi
I'm running a dual boot config (XP SP3/Mandriva Spring 08) with KDE
Haven't used my Linux for a bit (perhaps its sulking) but tried to boot into it tonight, initial checks and init run ok apart from mixer (but have located an RPM install for my card) however screen goes black with mouse pointer indicating that its busy but hard disk activity then stops and nothing further happens, I leave it for about 5 minutes and still I'm just left with a mouse pointer that responds to movement but thats it.
Did try safe mode but don't know what to enter at the CLI to start X Server (think you then enter kwin to start KDE as tried this and it said it couldn't connect to X Server)
I am a 'nix newbie but tinkered with DOS and Windows CLI and am starting a Cisco course next year so command lines don't frighten me, indeed I prefer 'em.
Any help to get KDE up and running again much appreciated.
25 REPLIES 25
spinynorman
Newbie
Posts: 3
Registered: ‎06-10-2008

Re: Mandriva Spring 08 - X Server stalls while booting, left with busy indication

Ctrl + Alt + F1 (if you need to get to a terminal), login as root and run XFdrake.  When you've tested and saved the changes, it should restart.
If you have continuing problems, try the website below - I'm not an expert!  Smiley
artificer
Grafter
Posts: 1,850
Registered: ‎11-08-2007

Re: Mandriva Spring 08 - X Server stalls while booting, left with busy indication

after loggin in on a text-only screen, type startx to get the gui.
MickKi
Grafter
Posts: 543
Registered: ‎30-09-2007

Re: Mandriva Spring 08 - X Server stalls while booting, left with busy indication

Or once you login into a console you can check if any processes are taking up too much CPU or memory (run top and when you want to exit press Ctrl+C).  You can also check the messages in the log to see what's up:  less /var/log/messages (or syslog) and press Shift+G to get to the bottom of the file, Q to quit it.  You may need to be root to be able to read the messages file.
Hope this helps.
VileReynard
Hero
Posts: 12,616
Thanks: 582
Fixes: 20
Registered: ‎01-09-2007

Re: Mandriva Spring 08 - X Server stalls while booting, left with busy indication

Alternatively,
After CTRL+ALT+F1 (and signing in as a user) type
top

This command runs continuously and shows how much CPU each process is using - in descending order (limited to the number that will fit on one screen)
Press CTRL+C to stop it.
If you see a process that is hogging your cpu, you can try killing it.
Assuming you have sufficient authority, try
kill -9 xxxx
where xxxx is the process-id (a number).

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

techguy
Grafter
Posts: 2,540
Registered: ‎12-09-2008

Re: Mandriva Spring 08 - X Server stalls while booting, left with busy indication

Thanks all
I'll give it a go.
techguy
Grafter
Posts: 2,540
Registered: ‎12-09-2008

Re: Mandriva Spring 08 - X Server stalls while booting, left with busy indication

OK its knackered obviously
OK here's a rundown:
Ran XFdrake from a safe mode prompt, graphics card (Nvidia 7900 GTX) and monitor (Xerox XA7-19i) detected correctly, proceeded to run a test and got the colour spectrum pattern, clicked Yes and screen was blanked and monitor indicated no signal and went into standby, pressed the spacebar and image appeared again, clicked yes and same, went through this loop about 5 times, I hit reset on my system.
Again selected safe mode from boot manager and tried typing startx, this time got the same as the original problem but with a nice red screen, pressing ALT + CTRL + F1 just blanked the output and I had to reset again.
One of my colleagues has had problems with this edition though he has two HDDs and linux has a device all to itself and another colleague who is what I would call a Linux nut in the nicest possible way went round and had a look and declared the install kaput and advised him to install ubuntu.
Now my question is, can I just download ubuntu, install it and it'll overwrite the mandriva install (as I really dont want to have to rebuild the confug) or do I have no choice.

VileReynard
Hero
Posts: 12,616
Thanks: 582
Fixes: 20
Registered: ‎01-09-2007

Re: Mandriva Spring 08 - X Server stalls while booting, left with busy indication

You can download the live CD for Ubuntu, boot from it and it won't hurt any of your files.
If you like it, you can install it - I hope your /home is in it's own partition?

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

techguy
Grafter
Posts: 2,540
Registered: ‎12-09-2008

Re: Mandriva Spring 08 - X Server stalls while booting, left with busy indication

I have one drive split into two partitions, Windows and Mandriva (It resized my Windows partition during installation, I was advised by my linux loving friend running the install from within Windows was the best way to set it up to dual boot)
I shall download the ISO image at work (have exceeded my PN usage allowance and am currently surfing at a blazing 128k so downloading a 600 MB image file doesn't hold much appeal at the mo, roll on 19th Oct.
But I should be able to just install over the top yes?
VileReynard
Hero
Posts: 12,616
Thanks: 582
Fixes: 20
Registered: ‎01-09-2007

Re: Mandriva Spring 08 - X Server stalls while booting, left with busy indication

Yes - you can overwrite your Linux partition - AFAIK Ubuntu will offer to wipe and reformat it.
I would try for an install without reformat, using your existing partitions.
Do you want to keep your Windows partition?
Do you boot into the Windows bootloader which then transfers to the GRUB bootloader???
Or do you use GRUB to load into Mandriva/Windows?
Back up everything first
Especially /etc/fstab and use dd (very carefully) to take a copy of your MBR & /etc/passwd
Make a note of the UID of all your users - so that when(if?) you recreate your users, they will get the right values.
Ubuntu seems to reserve UID 1000 upwards for user created users.
When the install offers to create a user during the install, specify one that you intend to use for administration purposes.

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

techguy
Grafter
Posts: 2,540
Registered: ‎12-09-2008

Re: Mandriva Spring 08 - X Server stalls while booting, left with busy indication

1. Yes do want to retain the Windows partition
2. By GRUB I'm assuming you mean the Mandriva branded screen that allows me to select Linux or Windows? (that is the first thing that appears after POST so I would guess that it is the bootloader as opposed to NTLDR which would generate the DOSesque black and white screen)
VileReynard
Hero
Posts: 12,616
Thanks: 582
Fixes: 20
Registered: ‎01-09-2007

Re: Mandriva Spring 08 - X Server stalls while booting, left with busy indication

GRUB - (GRand Unified Bootloader) - or something like that  Smiley
The Ubuntu version looks more like the Windows text version.
But it's still a boot loader!
It's potentially much more powerful - but you'll need to read the documentation.

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

techguy
Grafter
Posts: 2,540
Registered: ‎12-09-2008

Re: Mandriva Spring 08 - X Server stalls while booting, left with busy indication

Am at work at the min and downloading the distro as we speak on an ADSL connected system
techguy
Grafter
Posts: 2,540
Registered: ‎12-09-2008

Re: Mandriva Spring 08 - X Server stalls while booting, left with busy indication

Shortly after my post our ADSL gave up the ghost at work (should've gone to Plusnet rather than BT broadband which we have to enable replication of customer problems)
So I downloaded the ISO last using my free usage (I hope it isn't rationed) and am just looking for a lightweight ISO handling utility to burn myself a disk and get on with the installing (I'm assuming here that I run the installer though Windows so that it just overwirtes the linux partition?)
Apologies for the dumb questions but I am a *nix newbie.
VileReynard
Hero
Posts: 12,616
Thanks: 582
Fixes: 20
Registered: ‎01-09-2007

Re: Mandriva Spring 08 - X Server stalls while booting, left with busy indication

I believe there is a new way of trying Ubuntu, running it as a kind of emulation from Windows.
This seems to be referred to as WUBI and you install it in the same way as any Windows app.
I have never tried this.
AFAIK This is only an emulation though.
The second way is by booting from the CD as a live boot.
This will not affect your files.
To install you boot from the CD.
I would expect any iso -> CD to be OK for burning the download (Windows or Linux).
I use k3b - although that's a pretty heavyweight (GUI) way of doing things.

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."