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**albatorsk** · 6 January 2004, 14:16

Ok. First of all I need to know exactly what happens when you start X.

The error log seems truncated. Are you sure it's complete?

About DRI/DRM; make sure you're not using a graphical login manager, since that will make X start up automatically every time you boot.

Skip this if you're not using XDM/GDM/KDM/*DM
There is probably some tool included in your distribution to change the runlevel (which tells Linux amongst other things if it should do a console based or graphical login), but if there isn't, just open up /etc/inittab with a text editor and change the first uncommented line from 4 to 3. The line should look something like this:

Code:

id:3:initdefault:

These numbers are not universal, and may change from distribution to distribution. There should be instructions in the upper part of the file telling you which number represents normal multiuser and which is graphical multiuser. Now that that's done, either type "telinit 3" (or which number is normal multiuser) or reboot.

Now that X isn't running, type "lsmod". This will list the modules loaded in memory. Is there a module called "radeon" loaded? If it is, unload it with "rmmod radeon". Then have a go at starting the X server again.

What happens now? The same as before?

BTW. What drivers are you using? Where can I download them?

EDIT: Tidied up the post a little.

**TnT** · 6 January 2004, 20:42

There's a lot of info about getting ATI cards working at http://forums.gentoo.org

Try searching for fglrx or ati

**The PIT** · 7 January 2004, 01:06

Sorry I got fed up waiting for apps to load under Linux and went too bed.
The file under linux and default kde text editor that comes with displays the file perfectly under notepad it's a mess. I was trying to redo the file but with the mouse batteries going flat and low loading decided it was time for a shave and bed.

Since this is the modern age the machine goes striaght into X as I like ot keep the machine as near as possible as Joe Average would use and thats the way they'd have it.

I'll try your solution probably this weekend. This ATI stuff maybe a redherring anyway I'm sure it was working fine last time I used before Xmas.

The newest drivers can be downloaded from ATI's website or from here directly.

http://www.ati.com/support/drivers/linux/radeon-linux.html?type=linux&prodType=graphic&prod=productsLINUXdrive

Theres also an install text and a none working script to check what xfree you're using. Doesn't work under RH9 maydo under other distro's.

**The PIT** · 7 January 2004, 01:53

Just checked the file under mandrake and under kedit and it's fine and everything is there. Just notepad that can't open it.

**albatorsk** · 7 January 2004, 11:03

Originally posted by The PIT
Sorry I got fed up waiting for apps to load under Linux and went too bed.
The file under linux and default kde text editor that comes with displays the file perfectly under notepad it's a mess. I was trying to redo the file but with the mouse batteries going flat and low loading decided it was time for a shave and bed.

Since this is the modern age the machine goes striaght into X as I like ot keep the machine as near as possible as Joe Average would use and thats the way they'd have it.

The reason I suggested that you should turn off graphical login was so that you wouldn't have to wait for X and everything else to load, and because I wanted to remove the driver from your machines memory that may have been causing the trouble. No different from uninstalling drivers in Windows because it keeps crashing.

I'll try your solution probably this weekend. This ATI stuff maybe a redherring anyway I'm sure it was working fine last time I used before Xmas.

What has changed since then? Only the BIOS and AGP aperture size?

The newest drivers can be downloaded from ATI's website or from here directly.

Unfortunately I don't have an ATI card, and I've never used one, but check out the script and see what it does.

**albatorsk** · 7 January 2004, 11:18

Ok, It looks like ATI made the same mistake Matrox did. IF the problem you get when running the script is something like the following:

Code:

: bad interpreter: No such file or directory

or

Code:

: command not found
: command not found
: command not found
: command not found
: command not found
'heck.sh: line 98: syntax error near unexpected token `
'heck.sh: line 98: `GetOsInfo()

(which I got) then it means that ATI has saved the file in MS DOS/Windows text format with extra CRLF. I've attached a fixed file to this post if that was your problem.

If, however, the script did "work" for you, but simply didn't identify your version of XFree86, then all I can say is that you should get the driver for XFree86 4.3.0, since that's the version bundled with RedHat 9.0.

404 Not Found

http://albatorsk.com/Check.sh

**The PIT** · 7 January 2004, 11:53

Originally posted by albatorsk
Ok, It looks like ATI made the same mistake Matrox did. IF the problem you get when running the script is something like the following:

Code:

: bad interpreter: No such file or directory

or

Code:

: command not found : command not found : command not found : command not found : command not found 'heck.sh: line 98: syntax error near unexpected token ` 'heck.sh: line 98: `GetOsInfo()

(which I got) then it means that ATI has saved the file in MS DOS/Windows text format with extra CRLF. I've attached a fixed file to this post if that was your problem.

If, however, the script did "work" for you, but simply didn't identify your version of XFree86, then all I can say is that you should get the driver for XFree86 4.3.0, since that's the version bundled with RedHat 9.0.

http://albatorsk.com/Check.sh

I've got to laugth when I read this. Doesn't matter as I know which version of Xfree I had. One I knew where to look before and 2nd I'd just updated to the latest version.

All thats changed is the Bios and AGP size so the agp size is something else to try. I may try later tonight but another machine is acting up so I've got too look at that sometime. It's more important that an Os I just use to play around with. I also downloaded the correct driver.

**The PIT** · 7 January 2004, 13:13

Originally posted by albatorsk
Ok. First of all I need to know exactly what happens when you start X.

The error log seems truncated. Are you sure it's complete?

About DRI/DRM; make sure you're not using a graphical login manager, since that will make X start up automatically every time you boot.

Now that X isn't running, type "lsmod". This will list the modules loaded in memory. Is there a module called "radeon" loaded? If it is, unload it with "rmmod radeon". Then have a go at starting the X server again.

What happens now? The same as before?

BTW. What drivers are you using? Where can I download them?

EDIT: Tidied up the post a little.

Well theres nothing in inittab that corrasponds to what you wrote here. Looking elsewhere right now.

**The PIT** · 7 January 2004, 13:57

Well it's not the videocard drivers removed them and it still chugs. Looks like re-install time.

**The PIT** · 7 January 2004, 14:06

There is one other change I've swapped the DVD drive. It can't be that surely. Off to try.

**albatorsk** · 7 January 2004, 14:15

Well theres nothing in inittab that corrasponds to what you wrote here.

Just out of curiosity from my part I'd like to see what the inittab in RedHat 9 looks like, if you coule please post it here.

Well it's not the videocard drivers removed them and it still chugs. Looks like re-install time.

Do you think it will magically fix itself if you reinstall? I'm also curious about what you mean when you say that it runs slow. Is the screen refresh slow? Can you see X draw the windows? Or is it just the loadtimes? Does the harddrive work constantly while it loads up your programs? Are console programs slow too, or just programs run inside X? What programs are slow? All? What programs have you tried?

**The PIT** · 7 January 2004, 14:33

Slow in loading apps.

Click on an app wait a minute and it will load. Once it's l

Slow to login compaired to what it used to be I would say around 30 secs longer.

Hard drive doesn't churn away cpu load just a few percent. Memory hardly used.

As for fixing itself magically yes it will unless somethings crawled onto the orginal CD's which I doubt. XP is running fine on the same hardware so I doubt if it's hardware fault.

**albatorsk** · 7 January 2004, 14:49

But if you put the same software on the same machine, why would you not suffer from the same error again?

Strangely enough, my suggestion for you is to check out your /etc/resolv.conf

I've seen severely misconfigured machines that seems to operate extremely slowly exactly the way you describe. What does your /etc/resolv.conf look like? How do you connect the computer to the Internet? Via network or modem?

**The PIT** · 7 January 2004, 14:58

Doubt if it's an dns problem as it can see the other machine on my network and I'm using it now to post too you now.
The main problem is one day it was fine the next it wasn't. The logs aren't showing any errors I've been through them all so we're looking for a pin in haystack.
If the processor was loaded or huge amounts memory used that would help but nope.
I wouldn't be putting the same software on anyway as I don't really need the ATI drivers anyway as I don't use linux for gaming or work it's just there to play around with.

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