xorg won't start on intel iMac

[Roger Mason-2]

Hello,

I have an intel iMac Core 2 Duo with an ATI radeon HD 2400 XT video
card.  I have not been able to get X working.

uname -a:

Linux pyrope 2.6.30-gentoo-r5 #6 SMP Thu Nov 5 10:48:04 NST 2009 x86_64
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T7300 @ 2.00GHz GenuineIntel GNU/Linux

This is what I have in /etc/make.conf:

INPUT_DEVICES="evdev keyboard mouse wacom"
#VIDEO_CARDS="fglrx radeon vesa fbdev"
VIDEO_CARDS="radeon vesa fbdev"

This is the vesrion of xorg-server:
[ebuild   R   ] x11-base/xorg-server-1.6.3.901-r2  USE="ipv6 nptl sdl
xorg -debug -dmx -hal -kdrive -minimal -tslib" 0 kB

I initially built xorg-server with ati-drivers and hal support but
removed them as part of my troubleshooting attempts and uninstalled
ati-drivers using emerge -C.

This is the version of xf86-video-ati:
[ebuild   R   ] x11-drivers/xf86-video-ati-6.12.4  USE="-debug" 0 kB

Xorg -configure generates an xorg.conf.new, however, when I test X
using:

X -config xorg.conf.new

I get a blank screen and the keyboard and mouse become unresponsive.
I then have to reboot the machine.

The Xorg.0.log contains some warnings, but no errors.  I will post it if
anyone wishes to see.

For some reason lsmod shows fglrx running, even after I unmerged the
package and restarted the computer.  fglrx is not in my
/etc/modules.autoload/kernel-2.6 file.  I have

<M> Direct Rendering Manager (XFree86 4.1.0 and higher DRI support)
<M>   ATI Radeon

in the kernel, but the modules are NOT listed in
/etc/modules.autoload/kernel-2.6

I've been playing around with this for about a day without making
progress.  I'll be very grateful for any help.

Thanks,
Roger

[daid kahl]

2009/11/6 Roger Mason <rmason@...>:
> Hello,
>
> I have an intel iMac Core 2 Duo with an ATI radeon HD 2400 XT video
> card.  I have not been able to get X working.
>

I'm also running on an apple machine (macbook), so I might be able to
help.  My video card is intel, so my settings won't be exactly the
same.

The first point I suggest is to re-emerge all your x11-drivers/xf86
files.  Sometimes after an xorg update these need to be re-installed
(although it sounds like you are running on a clean install.

Your make.conf settings look okay, but I wonder about
/etc/X11/xorg.conf and hal.  Is hal installed and running (to run it
/etc/init.d/hald start or to add it to default rc-update add hal
default).  hal should take care of the keyboard and mouse without any
extra configuration (special keys and trackpad scrolling extra
features aside.  check out pommed for hotkey support in apple).

I recall that in xorg.conf the driver for my video card device was a
bit picky over what I told it.  For me this was more an intel graphics
issue compared with xorg changes (it used to be under i810 and then it
was changed to intel, and so there is some mismatching sometimes in my
experience).  Try a few options for this variable when you startx.

Try these things (and shoot along xorg.conf) and let me know how it
goes.  I might not respond right away, but I'll keep an eye out.

Regards,
daid

[Roger Mason-2]

Hello David,

daid kahl <daidxor@...> writes:

> 2009/11/6 Roger Mason <rmason@...>:
>> I have an intel iMac Core 2 Duo with an ATI radeon HD 2400 XT video
>> card.  I have not been able to get X working.
>>
>
> I'm also running on an apple machine (macbook), so I might be able to
> help.  My video card is intel, so my settings won't be exactly the
> same.
>
> The first point I suggest is to re-emerge all your x11-drivers/xf86
> files.  Sometimes after an xorg update these need to be re-installed
> (although it sounds like you are running on a clean install.

Yes, a clean install.

> Your make.conf settings look okay, but I wonder about
> /etc/X11/xorg.conf and hal.  Is hal installed and running (to run it
> /etc/init.d/hald start or to add it to default rc-update add hal
> default).  hal should take care of the keyboard and mouse without any
> extra configuration (special keys and trackpad scrolling extra
> features aside.  check out pommed for hotkey support in apple).

> I recall that in xorg.conf the driver for my video card device was a
> bit picky over what I told it.  For me this was more an intel graphics
> issue compared with xorg changes (it used to be under i810 and then it
> was changed to intel, and so there is some mismatching sometimes in my
> experience).  Try a few options for this variable when you startx.
>
> Try these things (and shoot along xorg.conf) and let me know how it
> goes.

I unmerged ati-drivers and removed fglrx from make.conf then rebuilt
xorg-server without hal.  I was then able to generate an xorg.conf file
using Xorg -configure.  The generated file chose the vesa driver but
after editing that to radeon it now works.  I am not sure quite which
step in the above was effective in providing a cure.  Now that I have a
working xorg.conf to which I can revert I will try again with hal and
fglrx.  I can't send the xorg.conf as I don't have access to the machine
today.

Many thanks for your help.

Roger