XFree86 Question%26In-Reply-To=%26lt;[email protected]>

I am facing simila problem and tried the fix suggested Rather, I don't know whether I have applied the fix xorrectly. Could anyone please explain how to fix this problem.

Question
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And now, an X question :-)

I'm getting this on startup of the X server,

FBIOPUT_VSCREENINFO: Invalid argument

Fatal server error:
AddScreen/ScreenInit failed for driver 0

Any ideas? Ran the release note patch, and upgraded to 2.4.16-pa24 to no

avail. X server is rev 4.1.0-9.0.1.
-----------------------------------------------------

fb

I was having the same problem on a B132L+. This fix got me up and going.

Thanx Christian!

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I had the same error when I had my X config set to default to 24-bit color and the FB wanted 8-bit color. Didn't seem like a very intuitive error :-)

This was on a C180 with default adapter...

The kernel when it boots up displays the colordepth and resolution that the frame buffer device will run at. The message scrolls away fast, but can be found in your /var/log/messages file.

Another way to get the same info is to run (as root),

fbset -i

From my machine, I get:

--
mode "1280x1024"

    geometry 1280 1024 1280 1024 32
    timings 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
    rgba 8/16,8/8,8/0,8/24

endmode

Frame buffer device information:

    Name        :
    Address     : 0xf5000000
    Size        : 8388608
    Type        : PACKED PIXELS
    Visual      : TRUECOLOR
    XPanStep    : 0
    YPanStep    : 0
    YWrapStep   : 0
    LineLength  : 8192

Accelerator : No
--

This tells me that the framebuffer supports 1280x1024 resolution ONLY. If you look on the second line, the last number is 32, which is my colordepth (your mileage may vary; I have a C110). I forget where the explanation of how 32 bpp is really 24 bpp -- maybe in the X docs somewhere, but I knew that already. Here's how I converted that info into my XF86Config-4 file:

---
Section "Device"

        Identifier      "Generic Video Card"
        Driver          "fbdev"
        Option          "UseFBDev"              "true"

EndSection

Section "Monitor"

        Identifier      "Generic Monitor"
        HorizSync       30-100
        VertRefresh     50-160
        Option          "DPMS"

EndSection

Section "Screen"

        Identifier      "Default Screen"
        Device          "Generic Video Card"
        Monitor         "Generic Monitor"
        DefaultDepth    24
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth           1
                Modes           "1280x1024"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth           4
                Modes           "1280x1024"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth           8
                Modes           "1280x1024"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth           15
                Modes           "1280x1024"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth           16
                Modes           "1280x1024"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth           24
                Modes           "1280x1024"
        EndSubSection

EndSection
---
Which tells X that my framebuffer supports colordepths from 1 to 32 (actually 24), and for each, the video resolution is only 1280x1024 (no other resolutions supported. If you give it any other resolution(s), you'll get the terse FBIOPUT_VSCREENINFO error.

Now, what else? Ah, Gnome & Gtk. Those two, in conjunction with the X server and the kernel that came with 0.9.3, do not work. I forget the exact error message, but it had to do with saving private information...

Update the kernel. I forget which version had this fixed; I suspect that the kernel 'dselect' offers to download will do the trick. If not, get the latest sources and roll one.

Can't run X until this is done? (And you can't build a kernel without several xterms to entertain?) Well, if you are running Gnone, or a window manager that uses Gtk, you're temporarily doomed until you've fixed the kernel.

What to do in the meantime? Well, you need to look in the /etc/alternatives directory. There's a softlink there called 'x-window-manager' that points to the window manager you want to run. If it's pointing to a Gtk-based on, you're doomed. Go get a copy of BlackBox, have the softlink point to that window manager.

While you are at it, check what /etc/alternatives/x-session-manager is pointing to. If you're set up for gnome, it points to /usr/bin/gnome-session. If kde, /usr/bin/kde2. If you are using a "simpler" window manager by itself (like blackbox, fvwm, twm, gwm), the link doesn't exist. If you have it, remove it.

Now you can start xinit, fire off a few xterms, get dselect running, get the kernel fixed, and have a good time.

____               .:.                 ____
Bryan W. Headley - [email protected]