Runaway X process
On my home workstation, I have an intermittent problem with X running away. The machine is a 1GHz Athlon-C, 768MB RAM, GeForce4MX/64 MB. It has been occurring for the past several months. Basically, what happens (normally, after the screen blanks) is that the XFree86 process starts eating 97-100% of the CPU. I'm running XFree86-4.2.1. Initially, I thought it was due to either Gnome or GTK-2 apps, but I'm not so sure now. I was running Evolution, and noticed that sometimes when I clicked "Get Messages" X would die. So I dropped Evo in favor of Sylpheed, but I still use Galeon. However, the problem has happened when Galeon is not running as well. I'm using the nVidia-glx and nVidia-kernel drivers, currently 4496, though the problem has persisted across two or more driver revs, so I don't think the nVidia drivers are the problem. Has anyone seen behavior like this before? -- --Brad Bradley M. Alexander| gTLD SysAdmin, Security Engineer| storm [at] tux.org Debian/GNU Linux Developer | storm [at] debian.org Key fingerprints: DSA 0x54434E65: 37F6 BCA6 621D 920C E02E E3C8 73B2 C019 5443 4E65 RSA 0xC3BCBA91: 3F 0E 26 C1 90 14 AD 0A C8 9C F0 93 75 A0 01 34 Bobby, if you give me one more iota of grief, I'm going to peck open your brain case and let the air out. --Pesto The Goodfeathers -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Runaway X
Hello: You say your running X, what is your window manager? Select 1, fvwm, fvwm95, KDE, also install kdm or xdm. Peter -Original Message- From: Hersh, Harry <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: 'Rafael Cordones Marcos' <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: Debian Users Date: Friday, August 21, 1998 7:21 AM Subject: RE: Runaway X >Thanks, everyone for all the help. Here's what I found that might be helpful >to others starting out: > 1. From a virtual console, pressing Alt-Fn on the keyboard switches >control to virtual console n. However when X is running, the command is >ctrl-Alt-Fn. (I don't remember reading this in the documentation.) > > 2. As Rafael pointed out, if you install one X server (an incorrect >one, perhaps?), then install a second X server, /etc/X11/Xserver will still >point to the old server. (Again, an undocumented feature.) Editing the first >line of the script to point to the correct server solves the problem. > >Now that I have X up and running (almost), there is one more nagging problem >I hope someone can help with. Everything seems to run, but there is no >cursor bitmap, just a 1"x1/4" white rectangle that moves in response to my >mouse movements. In addition, it appears that the backing store is not >working: moving a window to a new location on the display moves it >correctly, but the old location still maintains a snapshot image of the >window. (It's as if the backgound is not responding to the repaint event.) >And in a seemingly related matter menues drop down correctly only the first >time selected. After that the menu's bounding rectangle appears without the >content. I can tell the menu is there (but invisible) for I can hilight and >select menu items. > >Can anyone take a guess at what's happening here? What's missing or >reconfigured wrong? > >Thanks, > >Harry Hersh > >> -Original Message- >> From: Rafael Cordones Marcos [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Sent: Thursday, August 20, 1998 6:10 PM >> To: Debian Users >> Subject: Re: Runaway X >> >> On Wed, Aug 19, 1998 at 10:40:18AM -0500, Ed Cogburn wrote: >> > > >> > > Once I can stop the looping, I can start figuring out why the server >> > > only comes up in 340x200 mode and why /dev/psaux doesn't work as a >> > > Microsoft mouse port. >> > > >> > > Thanks, >> > > >> > > Harry Hersh >> > >> >> I don't know if this might be your problem but when I installed Deb2.0 >> I couldn't start the Xserver (SVGA). And finally spotted the problem >> in the file "/etc/X11/Xserver" which had not been updated by the >> configuration script and still had the VGA16 server on the first line. >> See also "/usr/doc/X11/README.Debian" >> >> Rafa >> >> >> -- >> Unsubscribe? mail -s unsubscribe [EMAIL PROTECTED] < >> /dev/null > > >-- >Unsubscribe? mail -s unsubscribe [EMAIL PROTECTED] < /dev/null > >
RE: Runaway X
Thanks, everyone for all the help. Here's what I found that might be helpful to others starting out: 1. From a virtual console, pressing Alt-Fn on the keyboard switches control to virtual console n. However when X is running, the command is ctrl-Alt-Fn. (I don't remember reading this in the documentation.) 2. As Rafael pointed out, if you install one X server (an incorrect one, perhaps?), then install a second X server, /etc/X11/Xserver will still point to the old server. (Again, an undocumented feature.) Editing the first line of the script to point to the correct server solves the problem. Now that I have X up and running (almost), there is one more nagging problem I hope someone can help with. Everything seems to run, but there is no cursor bitmap, just a 1"x1/4" white rectangle that moves in response to my mouse movements. In addition, it appears that the backing store is not working: moving a window to a new location on the display moves it correctly, but the old location still maintains a snapshot image of the window. (It's as if the backgound is not responding to the repaint event.) And in a seemingly related matter menues drop down correctly only the first time selected. After that the menu's bounding rectangle appears without the content. I can tell the menu is there (but invisible) for I can hilight and select menu items. Can anyone take a guess at what's happening here? What's missing or reconfigured wrong? Thanks, Harry Hersh > -Original Message- > From: Rafael Cordones Marcos [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Thursday, August 20, 1998 6:10 PM > To: Debian Users > Subject: Re: Runaway X > > On Wed, Aug 19, 1998 at 10:40:18AM -0500, Ed Cogburn wrote: > > > > > > Once I can stop the looping, I can start figuring out why the server > > > only comes up in 340x200 mode and why /dev/psaux doesn't work as a > > > Microsoft mouse port. > > > > > > Thanks, > > > > > > Harry Hersh > > > > I don't know if this might be your problem but when I installed Deb2.0 > I couldn't start the Xserver (SVGA). And finally spotted the problem > in the file "/etc/X11/Xserver" which had not been updated by the > configuration script and still had the VGA16 server on the first line. > See also "/usr/doc/X11/README.Debian" > > Rafa > > > -- > Unsubscribe? mail -s unsubscribe [EMAIL PROTECTED] < > /dev/null
Re: Runaway X
On Wed, Aug 19, 1998 at 10:40:18AM -0500, Ed Cogburn wrote: > > > > Once I can stop the looping, I can start figuring out why the server > > only comes up in 340x200 mode and why /dev/psaux doesn't work as a > > Microsoft mouse port. > > > > Thanks, > > > > Harry Hersh > I don't know if this might be your problem but when I installed Deb2.0 I couldn't start the Xserver (SVGA). And finally spotted the problem in the file "/etc/X11/Xserver" which had not been updated by the configuration script and still had the VGA16 server on the first line. See also "/usr/doc/X11/README.Debian" Rafa
Re: Runaway X
On Wed, 19 Aug 1998, Hersh, Harry wrote: > Debian 2.0 installed on my machine amazingly easy, including ppp > connectivity. However, now that I'm trying to get X up, things have > bogged down. In trying to debug XF86Config, my system is caught in an > endless loop it cannot get out of. The problem is that xdm somehow is in > the boot sequence and now I can't shut it off. Ctrl/Alt/BS kills the > server, but it immediately comes back up. I've tried rebooting with the > boot floppy and the rescue floppy, but as soon as the file system is > mounted and fsck'ed, the disfunctional X comes right back. If you use lilo you can, at the lilo prompt (keep the caps lock on during the boot to see it), type "linux single", so that starts in single-user mode (and do not start X). Ciao Michele
Re: Runaway X
>Debian 2.0 installed on my machine amazingly easy, including ppp >connectivity. However, now that I'm trying to get X up, things have >bogged down. In trying to debug XF86Config, my system is caught in> an >endless loop it cannot get out of. The problem is that xdm somehow is in >the boot sequence and now I can't shut it off. Ctrl/Alt/BS kills the >server, but it immediately comes back up. I've tried rebooting with the >boot floppy and the rescue floppy, but as soon as the file system is >mounted and fsck'ed, the disfunctional X comes right back. I had exactly the same problem. >How can I get out of this endless loop so I can fix XF86Config? This is >a stand-alone machine, so it cannot be remotedly accessed. what I did was boot the machine with the CD I used for the installation. Once this boots up, you're are able to switch to the second virtual console with alt-F2. Once you do this you are root. Then I mounted my root partition, and I was able edit the /etc/rc?.d directories and take out XDM from the bootup. Probably not the right way to do things but I don't really need XDM anyway. After that, I umounted the root partition, took out the installation CD and booted with my normal boot floppy. >Once I can stop the looping, I can start figuring out why the server >only comes up in 340x200 mode and why /dev/psaux doesn't work as a >Microsoft mouse port. I'm suffering the same problem here aswell - so if you have any luck be sure and mail me. Brian Sheehan >Thanks, >Harry Hersh
Re: Runaway X
Hersh, Harry wrote: > > Debian 2.0 installed on my machine amazingly easy, including ppp > connectivity. However, now that I'm trying to get X up, things have > bogged down. In trying to debug XF86Config, my system is caught in an > endless loop it cannot get out of. The problem is that xdm somehow is in > the boot sequence and now I can't shut it off. Ctrl/Alt/BS kills the > server, but it immediately comes back up. I've tried rebooting with the > boot floppy and the rescue floppy, but as soon as the file system is > mounted and fsck'ed, the disfunctional X comes right back. > > How can I get out of this endless loop so I can fix XF86Config? This is > a stand-alone machine, so it cannot be remotedly accessed. > > Once I can stop the looping, I can start figuring out why the server > only comes up in 340x200 mode and why /dev/psaux doesn't work as a > Microsoft mouse port. > > Thanks, > > Harry Hersh Look in /etc/X11/config, and change the line 'start-xdm' to 'no-start-xdm'. This will stop xdm from automatically starting. -- Ed C.
Re: Runaway X
> Debian 2.0 installed on my machine amazingly easy, including ppp > connectivity. However, now that I'm trying to get X up, things have > bogged down. In trying to debug XF86Config, my system is caught in an > endless loop it cannot get out of. The problem is that xdm somehow is in > the boot sequence and now I can't shut it off. Ctrl/Alt/BS kills the > server, but it immediately comes back up. I've tried rebooting with the > boot floppy and the rescue floppy, but as soon as the file system is > mounted and fsck'ed, the disfunctional X comes right back. > > How can I get out of this endless loop so I can fix XF86Config? This is > a stand-alone machine, so it cannot be remotedly accessed. The mistake you have made is to tell xdm to start automatically before getting X configured correctly. Try starting it up in single user mode... and using the boot floppy shouldn't let xdm start - it's running its own programm... Matthew -- Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo Steward of the Cambridge Tolkien Society Selwyn College Computer Support http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Chamber/8841/ http://www.cam.ac.uk/CambUniv/Societies/tolkien/ http://pick.sel.cam.ac.uk/
Runaway X
Debian 2.0 installed on my machine amazingly easy, including ppp connectivity. However, now that I'm trying to get X up, things have bogged down. In trying to debug XF86Config, my system is caught in an endless loop it cannot get out of. The problem is that xdm somehow is in the boot sequence and now I can't shut it off. Ctrl/Alt/BS kills the server, but it immediately comes back up. I've tried rebooting with the boot floppy and the rescue floppy, but as soon as the file system is mounted and fsck'ed, the disfunctional X comes right back. How can I get out of this endless loop so I can fix XF86Config? This is a stand-alone machine, so it cannot be remotedly accessed. Once I can stop the looping, I can start figuring out why the server only comes up in 340x200 mode and why /dev/psaux doesn't work as a Microsoft mouse port. Thanks, Harry Hersh
