What to do if KDE doesn't start

[doctordruidphd]

With the new release of Karmic at hand, there are bound to be instances where problems with video drivers prevent KDE from starting properly. This usually results in a blank/black screen after logging in. The solution to the problem is to install and configure the proper video drivers for your system. However, there is a temporary fix that may get you to a useable desktop. By default, KDE installs with compositing turned on. "Compositing" is the special effects that make the desktop look cool, but require accelerated video drivers that the install program may not set up correctly. One way around this problem is to disable compositing. To do this, you will need to get to a text console. This may happen automatically when you try to log in, or you may have to select "Console Login" from the login screen. Once you get to the text screen, log in with your username and password. Then type the following commands:

sudo service kdm stop
cd ~/.kde/share/config
cp kwinrc kwinrc-backup
sed -e '/Compositing/,/^$/s/Enabled=true/Enabled=false/' < kwinrc-backup > kwinrc
sudo service kdm start

This should get you back into kde, with no special effects. You can search this forum for help on your particular video system after that.

Edit: see here for help installing NVIDIA drivers:
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...4892#msg164892

[DenisHillier]

Re: What to do if KDE doesn't start

Hey, I followed your advice and I still have the same problem (text startup and no spiffy KDE graphics after upgrading to karmic). I should mention I'm on an ASUS X58C laptop with an SiS Mirage 3 graphics adapter and I gather SiS graphics adapters are a pain to get to work on GNU/Linux. I couldn't get Knoppix to boot on this laptop but kubuntu 9.04 worked fine, although I couldn't get above 800x600 resolution on it.

Any pointers on where to go from here? I'd prefer not to revert if at all possible.

[doctordruidphd]

Re: What to do if KDE doesn't start

Only thing I can suggest is, from a text console (which I gather is all you have)

sudo service kdm stop
sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg
sudo service kdm start

If that doesn't work, then unless you can find proprietary drivers for your video chip, you could try installing a different desktop -- icewm is small and light, gnome is big, and might not work for the same reasons as kde.
sudo apt-get install icewm icewm-themes
sudo apt-get install ubuntu-dekstop

[DenisHillier]

Re: What to do if KDE doesn't start

Thanks a lot for replying, I'll try that.

[DenisHillier]

Re: What to do if KDE doesn't start

Alright, that didn't work so I d/led and burned the 9.10 ISO, did a clean install and now it works (I was going to say works beautifully but it crashed while I was typing that!). So, that's one problem resolved at least, let this be a lesson to me about upgrading using kpackage. Thanks again for trying to help.