apt-get dist-upgrade, and X issues

[stan]

On Sat, Dec 05, 2009 at 09:24:16PM -0800, Leonard Chatagnier wrote:
> 
> --- On Sat, 12/5/09, stan <stanb at panix.com> wrote:
> 
> > From: stan <stanb at panix.com>
> > Subject: Re: apt-get dist-upgrade, and X issues
> > To: 
> > Cc: "User Mail List-Ubuntu" <ubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com>
> > Date: Saturday, December 5, 2009, 7:58 PM
> > On Sat, Dec 05, 2009 at 04:33:00PM
> > -0600, Leonard wrote:
> > > 
> > > So, what did /var/log/Xorg.0.log say. That's the
> > important thing.? 
> > > Especially anything about xkb.
> > > 
> > 
> > 
> > X.Org X Server 1.6.4
> > Release Date: 2009-9-27
> > X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
> > Build Operating System: Linux 2.6.24-23-server i686 Ubuntu
> > Current Operating System: Linux boo-boo 2.6.31-16-generic
> 
> 
> Interesting that you have this kernel image.  I safe-upgraded today whinch installed the headers but there was no 2.6.31-16-generic kernel image.  Just upgraded again and still no kernel.  Did this come from a non-standard repo?
> 
> 
> > #52-Ubuntu SMP Thu Dec 3 22:00:22 UTC 2009 i686
> Big Snip
> > (EE) config/hal: couldn't initialise context: unknown error
> > (null)
> The error above is the only thing I see wrong but I'm no expert.  Based on that you might try reinstalling hal:
> 
> sudo aptitude reinstall hal hal-info libhal-storage1 libhal1
> May not help but wont hurt to try.  Some other things to try which I did but it didn't fix the issue long term:
> 
> 1. Use the latest nvidia proprietary driver that supports you card. Do aptitude show nvidia and then do aptitude show<the next highest numbered driver from what you have installed>. Look through the show output to see if your driver is listed. If you find that a newer version of the driver supports your card then purge the old one and install the newest one.  Be sure to install the kernel-source and libvdpau corresponding to the nvidia version you install and modaliases also.
> 
> Since I don't know how you got the -16 lernel, I'd suggest you go to the -15 kernel to do all this and get the -15 kernel working first.
> 
> 2. I've purged and reinstalled the -15 and nvidia driver several times. Each time it helps for a while but doesn't stay fixed.
> 
> 3. Run nvidia-setings from K menu, check everything out, correct any obvious errors, save configuration and hopefully it will take you(suggest you run) nvidia-xconfig.  It did for me and generated an old style xorg.conf that worked for a while.
> 
> 4. If you goegle for nvidia+ubuntu+low res error you see and also for the config/hal error you reported you will get many hits but very few solutions.  One thing I found was a solution for some but it seem it does something to evdev or udev, I forget, and caused you to manually mount external devices.  The solution was to add this section to xorg.conf:
> 
> Section "ServerFlags"
>     	Option  "AllowEmptyInput" "false"
> EndSection
> 
> See this link: http://forum.ubuntuusers.de/topic/keine-tastatur-maus-mehr-nach-9-04-9-10/#post-2203271
> 
> 
> Also look at this:
> http://swiss.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=8404570
> 
> Try at your own risk.  I have not tried these myself.  If you want to do some reading try googling:
> http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=nvidia%2Bkarmic%2B(EE)+config%2Fhal%3A+couldn't+initialise+context%3A+unknown+error+++(null)&btnG=Search&aq=f&oq=&aqi=
> 
> HTH, but it's about all I can suggest to try.  Time for someone with greater insight to come on board.
> 

My problem seesm to be related to hal not starting up properly, gien that X
now defaults to starting with no valid input devices, this will result in
exactly what I am seeing. Personally, I think this is a bad default.

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