After upgrading from Xorg 6.8.2 to 6.9.0 in the -current release, I can no longer run startx. Video seems to lock up (I get no useful information in the log either). I tried running xorgsetup but this locks up the video in the same manner and I cannot recover the video, although I can still log into the machine remotely via ssh (so the OS is still running). I have tried 3 or 4 different video cards, both AGP and PCI with the same results. I tried reverting back to 6.8.2 and everything works perfectly, including xorgsetup. After going back up to 6.9.0 I tried using my old xorg.conf file again and it just locks up everytime... unless (and here's where I think the key may lie) I login remotely via ssh, and run startx on the remote terminal. This brings up X just fine on the "main" machine. But I cannot run startx from the local console.

I'm assuming it has nothing to do with my video card since I tried a few different ones. I think the problem is between X and my motherboard's chipset. Here's some hardware info:

lspci -v
00:00.0 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8366/A/7 [Apollo KT266/A/333]
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8366/A/7 [Apollo KT266/A/333]
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0
Memory at dc000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=16M]
Capabilities: [a0] AGP version 2.0
Capabilities: [c0] Power Management version 2

00:01.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8366/A/7 [Apollo KT266/A/333 AGP] (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
Flags: bus master, 66Mhz, medium devsel, latency 0
Bus: primary=00, secondary=01, subordinate=01, sec-latency=0
I/O behind bridge: 00009000-00009fff
Memory behind bridge: de000000-dfffffff
Prefetchable memory behind bridge: d8000000-dbffffff
Capabilities: [80] Power Management version 2

00:09.0 Multimedia video controller: Brooktree Corporation Bt878 Video Capture (rev 02)
Subsystem: STB Systems Inc: Unknown device 2636
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 11
Memory at e1028000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=4K]

00:09.1 Multimedia controller: Brooktree Corporation Bt878 Audio Capture (rev 02)
Subsystem: STB Systems Inc: Unknown device 2636
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 11
Memory at e1025000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=4K]

00:0a.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation NV11DDR [GeForce2 MX 100 DDR/200 DDR] (rev b2) (prog-if 00 [VGA])
Subsystem: VISIONTEK: Unknown device 0027
Flags: 66Mhz, medium devsel, IRQ 3
Memory at dd000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [disabled] [size=16M]
Memory at d0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [disabled] [size=128M]
Expansion ROM at 50040000 [disabled] [size=64K]
Capabilities: [60] Power Management version 2

00:0b.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Texas Instruments TSB43AA22 IEEE-1394 Controller (PHY/Link Integrated) (rev 02) (prog-if 10 [OHCI])
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 9
Memory at e1024000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=2K]
Memory at e1020000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
Capabilities: [44] Power Management version 2

00:0c.0 Ethernet controller: 3Com Corporation 3c905B 100BaseTX [Cyclone] (rev 30)
Subsystem: 3Com Corporation 3C905B Fast Etherlink XL 10/100
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 5
I/O ports at a000 [size=128]
Memory at e1026000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=128]
Expansion ROM at 50000000 [disabled] [size=128K]
Capabilities: [dc] Power Management version 1

00:0d.0 SCSI storage controller: Adaptec AHA-2940U2/U2W
Subsystem: Adaptec AHA-2940U2W SCSI Controller
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 11
BIST result: 00
I/O ports at a400 [disabled] [size=256]
Memory at e1027000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
Expansion ROM at 50020000 [disabled] [size=128K]
Capabilities: [dc] Power Management version 1

00:0e.0 Mass storage controller: Promise Technology, Inc. PDC20265 (FastTrak100 Lite/Ultra100) (rev 02)
Subsystem: Promise Technology, Inc. Ultra100
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 5
I/O ports at 1800 [size=8]
I/O ports at ac00 [size=4]
I/O ports at 1000 [size=8]
I/O ports at b400 [size=4]
I/O ports at b800 [size=64]
Memory at e1000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=128K]
Expansion ROM at 50050000 [disabled] [size=64K]
Capabilities: [58] Power Management version 1

00:11.0 ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8233 PCI to ISA Bridge
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8233 PCI to ISA Bridge
Flags: bus master, stepping, medium devsel, latency 0
Capabilities: [c0] Power Management version 2

00:11.1 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C586A/B/VT82C686/A/B/VT823x/A/C PIPC Bus Master IDE (rev 06) (prog-if 8a [Master SecP PriP])
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C586/B/VT82C686/A/B/VT8233/A/C/VT8235 PIPC Bus Master IDE
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32
I/O ports at bc00 [size=16]
Capabilities: [c0] Power Management version 2

00:11.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 1b) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. (Wrong ID) USB Controller
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 5
I/O ports at c000 [size=32]
Capabilities: [80] Power Management version 2

00:11.3 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 1b) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. (Wrong ID) USB Controller
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 5
I/O ports at c400 [size=32]
Capabilities: [80] Power Management version 2

00:11.4 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 1b) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. (Wrong ID) USB Controller
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 5
I/O ports at c800 [size=32]
Capabilities: [80] Power Management version 2

00:11.5 Multimedia audio controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8233/A/8235/8237 AC97 Audio Controller (rev 30)
Subsystem: FIRST INTERNATIONAL Computer Inc: Unknown device 9020
Flags: medium devsel, IRQ 9
I/O ports at cc00 [size=256]
Capabilities: [c0] Power Management version 2

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Rage 128 RF/SG AGP (prog-if 00 [VGA])
Subsystem: ATI Technologies Inc Magnum/Xpert128/X99/Xpert2000
Flags: bus master, stepping, 66Mhz, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 11
Memory at d8000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=64M]
I/O ports at 9000 [size=256]
Memory at df000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
Expansion ROM at de000000 [disabled] [size=128K]
Capabilities: [50] AGP version 2.0
Capabilities: [5c] Power Management version 1

*****************

I'll try running it again and post any useful information I can capture.

BTW, right now I'm running in framebuffer mode and it works just fine. I'd much prefer the hardware acceleration of using the right X driver though. I also tried using the Xorg VESA driver and receive the same results (doesn't work either)

BBTW, This is my first post and I'm sure I've forgotten a whole bunch of necessary information; just let me know what else I need to post. I really appreciate any help that anyone can give me on this. I know the machine works because I've used it for years with no problems. I really don't want to have to buy a new motherboard just because of an OS upgrade. THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR ANY HELP YOU CAN PROVIDE ME!!! I really appreciate it.

what does your log say?


and have you read the changelog?

Thanks for the quick response... I went to get the log, and discovered that I had my facts mixed up. I had two video cards installed and used xinerama. I just now discovered that if I comment out the second video card in xorg.conf, X starts up just fine. And I can also run xorgsetup. I can't use xinerama, but that's not the end of the world; at least I get my video acceleration back.

But, to answer your questions, I did run it with both video cards installed and enabled, and I didn't get anything in the log... literally. I even did this:

~# startx 1> /root/startx.log 2> /root/startx.err

and got absolutely nothing in either file. I could still log in from another machine and can see that X is running but it's not doing anything and if I kill it, it just goes away and nothing happens on the main screen.

I'm not sure what's causing this; I installed 3 different PCI video cards as a secondary, and used different slots in the machine, with the exact same results no matter what.

Oh, and I didn't read the changelog; sorry. Suppose I should review that.

Thanks again for the quick response. I'll just live with one monitor for now until I decide to get a new mb or the problem gets fixed... whichever...

Thanks!

/var/log/Xorg.0.log