RESOLVED: Ubuntu linux: Can't start X server

[Sureshot324]

I'm trying to install ubuntu linux, and when it gets to the point where it's the first time I log on, it tries to start x server without success. I get an error:

Failed to start the X server

It gives me the option to check the log, and when i scroll to the bottom of it this is what i see:

ATI Mach64 in slot 5:0:0 could not be detected
ATI Mach64 in slot 5:0:1 could not be detected

No devices detected

Fatal server error:
no screens found

To make matters worse, i can't get root access! The installation never prompted me for a root password (maybe that part of the installation happens after x is started). When i enter su command it asks for root password, and i tried using the same password as the account i created, and a blank password, but it won't work. This makes in almost impossible to do anything at all.

Here is my list of hardware:
athlon64 3000
dfi lanparty nf4 ultra-d
1gb corsair value ram
ati x800xl pci-e
audigy 2zs
hauppauge tv tuner
hitachi cml174 lcd monitor

I'm using the amd64 version of ubuntu 5.10. Can anyone help?

 

[Crusty]

You need to use sudo to get root access

sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Can you also post the output of lspci and your xorg.conf file? 🙂

 

[yuchai]

To issue commands in Ubuntu with root privileges use "sudo", so

sudo vi /etc/X11/xorg.conf
<enter password>

change the video driver from "ati" to "radeon" - just a guess, someone else might want to chime in. Change it to "vesa" to be safe i guess.

 

[nweaver]

I would run sudo xorgconfig and run through that (after renaming the original in /etc/X11/)

 

[Sureshot324]

Ok, sudo works, so i have root access. I ran apt-get upgrade which went fine but didn't solve my problem. I checked the xorg.conf and i'm not going to post the whole thing since i have no way of cut-pasting it since i have no gui in linux. I will post some of it though.

In the Device section, driver is ati, busid is PCI:5:0:0

DRI section, Mode is 0666

In the Monitor section, Identifier is Generic Monitor, Option is DPMS, HorizSync is 28-96, VertRefresh is 43-60

What I found most interesting is in the screen section, the listed resolutions were 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, and 1920x1440. When i was doing the installation, I know i set the resolution to 1280x1024 (native res of my monitor) which is not listed there.

Is there any way to change the resolution from the command line to say, 1024x768? Or is there a way to add 1280x1024 to the listed resolutions?

 

[Sureshot324]

Originally posted by: yuchai
To issue commands in Ubuntu with root privileges use "sudo", so

sudo vi /etc/X11/xorg.conf
<enter password>

change the video driver from "ati" to "radeon" - just a guess, someone else might want to chime in. Change it to "vesa" to be safe i guess.

That fixed it! It works when the video driver is radeon or vesa, but not when it's ati. Thank you very much! What is the difference between the ati driver and radeon driver, is ati the driver built into x and radeon the official ati driver?