Hello:
I have a screen-flashing problem when running "xdm -nodaemon" after
configuring xwindows with "xf86cfg". Since two different machines have
this same problem with different cards and different monitors, I presume
my problem is common, and this description alone may be enough for
someone to tell me what web page to view for the fix. (I don't have
access to usenet or whatever else, I'm limited to HTTP right now.) But
if that description wasn't enough, here is the full scoop:
After failed attempts on two Intel boxes running OpenBSD 3.1, I have
finally brought xWindows up on two other Intel/OpenBSD boxes. Bringing
two machines up with no trouble seems like an accident - I don't know
why they work and why the others do not. Unfortunately, my fastest
machines are the ones with the trouble. (grumble) I'd prefer to do
development on a 550 MHz machine instead of a Pentium 75 MHz machine, or
a 486-66 machine with a video peephole of 640x480 max.
The machine in question is one I bought used - a solid Pentium III 550
MHz box that ran Windows 98SE for months between reboots.
From a fresh CD-ROM install of OpenBSD 3.1, I did all the following as
root. I didn't even add a user or load up BASH, so this is a pristeen
system, with no problem a newbie like me could possibly have introduced.
Here are the commands I gave:
P550# pwd
/root
P550# /usr/X11R6/bin/xf86cfg
Once in the configuration screen, I just used the mouse to click "quit",
and clicked "yes" to allow xf86cfg to write these files:
/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/XF86Config
/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xkb/X0-config.keyboard
After the 80x25 screen returned, I gave this command:
P550# /usr/X11R6/bin/xdm -nodaemon
On the two slow systems, this came up working fine (after very long
delays). On my faster systems, after a shorter wait, a black screen
flashes grey for maybe 1/10 second about every four seconds. When I
move the mouse, I can see the large X in the center of the grey screen
move during the moments the display was visible. So, the mouse is still
working and the Xwindow screen is being updated. The keyboard has no
effect: even sequences like ALT-CTL-Fx do nothing. (I can change
consoles on the other two machines with X running).
From another OpenBSD machine (called "5134"), I can ssh to the P550 and
poke around. So, I know the P550 is still running. (I just don't know
what to look for to solve the problem.)
Between flashes, the four seconds is long enough for me to throw the
monitor into adjustment mode, where it shows me the video mode specs:
H = 31.5 kHz
V = 59.9 Hz
This is well within the monitor's range. In other words, the monitor is
displaying the signal, the screen should actually be black. (This "AOC
Spectrum 7Glr" monitor would show "Attention: out of range" and display
the offending H and V if it could not sync.) Once the grey xWindows
screen flashes, the monitor appears to be reset in about 1/10th second.
Then about a second elapses before I can activate the adjustment mode
again. As soon as I can activate it, I get the same H and V readings.
After perhaps ten minutes, the P550 screen flashing stops, and the ssh
connection to the P550 no longer responds either. Since I cannot even
ping the P550 after the screen flashing stops, I presume it is locked
up. (If it isn't locked up, it is useless anyhow: none of the ALT-CTR-Fx
consoles work, the screen display is dark, and I can't ping or ssh to
the machine anymore).
So, I hit the reset button, the P550 boots, says "/ wasn't properly
unmounted", and things are back to 80x25.
This screen-flashing problem is identical to what I get on another
machine with an S3Virge card. Since this video problem occurs with a
fairly new Trident card and an older S3Virge, I suspect the problem
isn't either of the video cards, or the two different monitors. Both
systems worked with MS Windows at various screen resolutions.
I browsed through the lengthy /var/log files but didn't make enough
sense of what I saw there to try anything else.
Some of those files are too large to include in an email attachment
- at least using my Hotmail account. Therefore, I have posted the
following files to http://66.181.46.77/x11/
XF86Config.new
XFree86.0.log
XFree86.8.log
dmesg.txt
xdm-errors
why-me.txt (this text)
I haven't figured out how to get email going under OpenBSD, and
therefore haven't bothered to hook my domain name up to the web address
either.
If more information is required to help resolve this, please let me know.
-Ken Clark
