X not working on precise

[Dave Howorth]

Liam Proven wrote:
> On 13 September 2012 12:17, Dave Howorth <dhoworth at mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk> wrote:
>> After upgrading a machine that was hapily running lucid to precise, the
>> graphics no longer works. I expect it's a pretty simple problem to
>> diagnose and fix but I'm out of touch with the state of the X server and
>> config files and graphics card support etc and google has shown me hints
>> but nothing definitive. It's a fairly old PC.
>>
>> If I run startx, it shows:
>>
>> # startx
>>
>>
>> X.Org X Server 1.11.3
>> Release Date: 2011-12-16
>> X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
>> Build Operating System: Linux 2.6.42-26-generic i686 Ubuntu
>> Current Operating System: Linux pcx36 3.2.0-30-generic #48-Ubuntu SMP
>> Fri Aug 24 16:54:40 UTC 2012 i686
>> Kernel command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-30-generic
>> root=UUID=39763bed-f80f-479d-9ad6-e45ecbdbcb39 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
>> Build Date: 04 August 2012  01:51:24AM
>> xorg-server 2:1.11.4-0ubuntu10.7 (For technical support please see
>> http://www.ubuntu.com/support)
>> Current version of pixman: 0.24.4
>>         Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org
>>         to make sure that you have the latest version.
>> Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
>>         (++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
>>         (WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
>> (==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Wed Sep 12 17:17:44 2012
>> (==) Using system config directory "/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d"
>>
>> Fatal server error:
>> no screens found
>>
>> Please consult the The X.Org Foundation support
>>          at http://wiki.x.org
>>  for help.
>> Please also check the log file at "/var/log/Xorg.0.log" for additional
>> information.
>>
>>  ddxSigGiveUp: Closing log
>> Server terminated with error (1). Closing log file.
>>
>>
>>
>> There is of course a screen attached (Samsung Syncmaster 191T),
>> currently showing the ubuntu splash screen.
>>
>> hwinfo tells me:
>>
>> 24: PCI(AGP) 100.0: 0300 VGA compatible controller (VGA)
>>   [Created at pci.318]
>>   Unique ID: VCu0.CsYoJQHOc19
>>   Parent ID: vSkL._0hIaPw8eI5
>>   SysFS ID: /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.0/0000:01:00.0
>>   SysFS BusID: 0000:01:00.0
>>   Hardware Class: graphics card
>>   Model: "ATI Rage 128 Ultra TF"
>>   Vendor: pci 0x1002 "ATI Technologies Inc"
>>   Device: pci 0x5446 "Rage 128 Ultra TF"
>>   SubVendor: pci 0x174b "PC Partner Limited"
>>   SubDevice: pci 0x7106
>>   Memory Range: 0xf0000000-0xf3ffffff (ro,non-prefetchable)
>>   I/O Ports: 0xc800-0xc8ff (rw)
>>   Memory Range: 0xff8fc000-0xff8fffff (rw,non-prefetchable)
>>   Memory Range: 0xff8c0000-0xff8dffff (ro,non-prefetchable,disabled)
>>   IRQ: 11 (no events)
>>   I/O Ports: 0x3c0-0x3df (rw)
>>   Module Alias: "pci:v00001002d00005446sv0000174Bsd00007106bc03sc00i00"
>>   Driver Info #0:
>>     XFree86 v4 Server Module: ati
>>   Driver Info #1:
>>     XFree86 v4 Server Module: ati
>>     3D Support: yes
>>     Color Depths: 16
>>     Extensions: dri
>>     Options:
>>   Config Status: cfg=new, avail=yes, need=no, active=unknown
>>   Attached to: #14 (PCI bridge)
>>
>>
>> 62: None 00.0: 10000 Monitor
>>   [Created at fb.71]
>>   Unique ID: rdCR.EY_qmtb9YY0
>>   Hardware Class: monitor
>>   Model: "Generic Monitor"
>>   Vendor: "Generic"
>>   Device: "Monitor"
>>   Resolution: 1280x1024 at 77Hz
>>   Driver Info #0:
>>     Max. Resolution: 1280x1024
>>     Vert. Sync Range: 50-90 Hz
>>     Hor. Sync Range: 31-82 kHz
>>   Config Status: cfg=new, avail=yes, need=no, active=unknown
>>
>>
>> I found
>> https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Troubleshooting/VideoDriverDetection?action=show&redirect=X%2FTroubleshooting%2FFglrxInteferesWithRadeonDriver
>>
>> and ran a couple of commands it suggested:
>>
>> $ lspci -nn | grep VGA
>> 01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD]
>> nee ATI Rage 128 Pro Ultra TF [1002:5446]
>> $ grep -i 10025446 /usr/share/xserver-xorg/pci/*.ids
>> $
>>
>> It appears from synaptic that I do not have fglrx or
>> xserver-xorg-video-radeon or xserver-xorg-video-ati or
>> xserver-xorg-video-r128 installed. I don't understand why not,
>> especially given hwinfo appears to indicate it should use the ati
>> meta-driver. Nor do I understand why the grep command returned no
>> output, since I would hope that the Rage 128 is supported by the r128
>> driver. (edit: I do understand now - the only file in that directory is
>> geode.ids and it has just to ids in it. But I don't know why there
>> aren't more files, so it seems like I can't trust that web page)
>>
>> I'd appreciate advice from anybody who understands why I'm in this
>> situation and what the best way out of it is.
> 
> Do you have an /etc/X.11/xorg.conf file?

Hi Liam,

Thanks for replying. No, the closest is /etc/X11/xorg.conf.failsafe
But installing the ati driver seems to have fixed that problem, so now
I've moved on to the next one :(