eratiq
asked on
Some problems with X
Could anyone answer these questions please:-
1) I have a dual boot Red Hat Linux6.0/Win98 machine on a 8.5Gb HD. I have made my wife one of the users of the Linux account. Can you tell me how I can get the root console to log onto the X Windows system when my wife types in her username and password without having to type startx?
2) If I have log into X Windows from a straight console session I am not able to swap back to the console session. Every time I do so I get a screenful of flashing boxes. Can you tell me how to resolve this.
3) Finally, if I alter /etc/inittab, to log onto X Windows automatically on start up, my computer seems to create backup inittabs without my asking it to do so. Why is this? Also when I try to change inittab from leve 5 (X Windows) to level 3 (multi-user no X Windows) RH6.0 just disregards my changes and logs into X Console.
Thanks for your help on this one
1) I have a dual boot Red Hat Linux6.0/Win98 machine on a 8.5Gb HD. I have made my wife one of the users of the Linux account. Can you tell me how I can get the root console to log onto the X Windows system when my wife types in her username and password without having to type startx?
2) If I have log into X Windows from a straight console session I am not able to swap back to the console session. Every time I do so I get a screenful of flashing boxes. Can you tell me how to resolve this.
3) Finally, if I alter /etc/inittab, to log onto X Windows automatically on start up, my computer seems to create backup inittabs without my asking it to do so. Why is this? Also when I try to change inittab from leve 5 (X Windows) to level 3 (multi-user no X Windows) RH6.0 just disregards my changes and logs into X Console.
Thanks for your help on this one
ASKER
Thanks
Regarding the following questions:-
2) I am switching via the Ctrl>Alt>F1 keys and heading back via Ctrl>Alt>F1 keys;
3)I have been modifying /etc/inittab using both emacs and vi.
Regarding the following questions:-
2) I am switching via the Ctrl>Alt>F1 keys and heading back via Ctrl>Alt>F1 keys;
3)I have been modifying /etc/inittab using both emacs and vi.
In reverse order... #3 should be aok. Emacs and vi are both good editors (though emacs is the spawn of the devil, and should be stricken from the face of the earth, while vi should be exalted unto the highest mountain as The One True Editor). #2 is a stumper. I've never heard of ctrl-alt-f7 resulting in a screwed up screen before. What kind of video card do you have? and which Xserver are you running? (e.g. XF86_S3 or XF86_SVGA)
ASKER
Hi,
Sorry for the delay:-
The graphics card I use is a Hercules Terminator The Beast card and I'm using XFree86 as my Xserver. I can start an X windows session without difficulty and I can use a root console without difficulty, it's just that I don't seem to be able to switch between sessions.
Sorry for the delay:-
The graphics card I use is a Hercules Terminator The Beast card and I'm using XFree86 as my Xserver. I can start an X windows session without difficulty and I can use a root console without difficulty, it's just that I don't seem to be able to switch between sessions.
Xfree86 is actually the whole package. A specific program must be run in order for your Xwindows to work--a server, which understands how to communicate with your videocard. For example, the linux box next to me uses XF86_SVGA as the server program.
What is the chipset on your Hercules Terminator card? It looks from what I've read that it's an S3 Savage3D chipset. This is supported (but not completely tested) under xfree86 3.3.5.
Do an 'rpm -q -a | grep -i xfree' and tell me what the results are.
If it does not appear to be version 3.3.5, I would recommend downloading source code for 3.3.5 from http://www.xfree86.org/, compiling, and installing 3.3.5. You should have better luck with your Hercules Terminator The Beast card, then.
Good Luck!
What is the chipset on your Hercules Terminator card? It looks from what I've read that it's an S3 Savage3D chipset. This is supported (but not completely tested) under xfree86 3.3.5.
Do an 'rpm -q -a | grep -i xfree' and tell me what the results are.
If it does not appear to be version 3.3.5, I would recommend downloading source code for 3.3.5 from http://www.xfree86.org/, compiling, and installing 3.3.5. You should have better luck with your Hercules Terminator The Beast card, then.
Good Luck!
Xfree86 3.3.6 is out now, and the Savage should have full support.
See the link given above by patowic to get the latest version.
See the link given above by patowic to get the latest version.
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I believe they did update the Savage drivers in the latest version.
ASKER
Hi there,
Sorry I haven't gotten back recently.
It would seem that the problem that I'm having is a crashing graphics server. I reduced the graphics server to using generic VGA mode and was able to switch between root console and X-Windows fine.
I guess I'll just have to live with this until I can afford a new and supported graphics card.
Thanks for all the help.
Sorry I haven't gotten back recently.
It would seem that the problem that I'm having is a crashing graphics server. I reduced the graphics server to using generic VGA mode and was able to switch between root console and X-Windows fine.
I guess I'll just have to live with this until I can afford a new and supported graphics card.
Thanks for all the help.
Alternately, you can put the 'startx' command (fully pathed, of course), in her .profile, or her shell rc file. Since she's probably using bash, just put the line
/usr/bin/X11/startx
in her .bashrc, as the last line.
2) Are you switching using the ctrl-alt-f1 (et al) keys? and heading back to X via ctrl-alt-f7?
3) How are you modifying /etc/inittab? vi? pico? emacs? control-panel?