HOWTO : Repairing xorg.conf

[Rog131]

a.k.a HOWTO : Disaster Recovery and xorg.conf


As said in the /etc/X11/xorg.conf. Xorg.conf is xorg X Window System server configuration file.


If xorg.conf is screwed then

- All you get is text screen.
or
- You are in log-in loop.
or
- You get empty screen.
or
- Display looks weird (you tried to edit xorg.conf).

Don't Panic


BEFORE REPAIRING XORG - If it's Not Broken, Don't Fix it !

Disk Full
Topic: Booting till X-windows' black screen - no KDE, not responding
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3085948.0

The problem was actually lack of memory of the partition where /home/user was.
Deleting some very large back-up files/dirs gave me enough space.

Disk space usage in text mode/konsole:

:~$ df

DF(1) User Commands DF(1)

NAME
df - report file system disk space usage

SYNOPSIS
df [OPTION]... [FILE]...

DESCRIPTION
This manual page documents the GNU version of df. df displays the
amount of disk space available on the file system containing each file
name argument. If no file name is given, the space available on all
currently mounted file systems is shown.

Nvidia driver problem -
Topic: [Solved] Kubuntu wont start any more
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3086707.0

klerfayt says:

for manual install remove "nvidia-kernel-common" with --purge option in adept
then see if the file /lib/linux-restricted-modules/.nvidia_new_installed is there and then:
sudo rm /lib/linux-restricted-modules/.nvidia_new_installed

also see if:
* libc6-dev is installed
* development tools like make and gcc are installed
* the linux-headers package matching the installed Linux kernel is installed
* the pkg-config and xserver-xorg-dev packages are installed
* the files /etc/init.d/nvidia-glx and /etc/init.d/nvidia-kernel do not exist

Text console log in

Press Ctrl + Alt + F1 (or F2...6). This should start virtual console.

From Virtual console

a virtual console (VC, sometimes virtual terminal, VT) is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and the display for a user interface. The concrete combination is the system console of the computer, where the user can switch between the virtual consoles to access multiple unrelated user interfaces. Usually in Linux, the first six virtual consoles provide a text terminal with a login prompt to a unix shell. The graphical X Window System starts in the seventh virtual console.

It is a good idea to backup first

Creating backupfile:

:~$ sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf_my_backup_001

Using backup:

:~$ sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf_my_backup_001 /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Repairing xorg.conf

Check what is wrong:
Xorg.0.log is log file for X Windowing Server. It is in /var/log/.

In text mode:

:~$ nano /var/log/Xorg.0.log

"nano is a small, free and friendly editor".

Markers in the Xorg.0.log

Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
(++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.

Just looking errors:

:~$ grep "(EE)" /var/log/Xorg.0.log

Just looking warnings:

:~$ grep "(WW)" /var/log/Xorg.0.log

With nano you can edit xorg.conf without gui:

:~$ sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf

These may help:
Editing basics for the xorg.conf file
http://www.linux.com/feature/118108

Xorg.conf manual page
http://www.x.org/archive/X11R6.8.0/doc/xorg.conf.5.html


New xorg.conf with default options a.k.a the easiest way
As said in the xorg.conf:

# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
# sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

So sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg makes nice new xorg.conf

Example:

:~$ sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg
Password:
xserver-xorg postinst warning: overwriting possibly-customised configuration
  file; backup in /etc/X11/xorg.conf.20070503184018

You know something about hardware

:~$ sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

This reconfigures xorg (ask questions - what you want to do) and makes backup.

Starts like this:

Accept this option if you would like to attempt to autodetect the
recommended X server and driver module for your video card. If
autodetection fails, you will be asked to specify the desired X server
and/or driver module. If autodetection succeeds, further debconf
questions about your video hardware will be pre-answered

If you would rather select the X server and driver module yourself
decline this option. You will not be asked to select the X server if
there is only one available.

Attempt to autodetect video hardware? Yes/No


For the X Window System graphical user interface to operate correctly,
it is necessary to select a video card driver for the X server.

Drivers are typically named for the video card or chipset manufacturer,
or for a specific model or family of chipsets.

Select the desired X server driver.


The X server configuration file associates your video card with a name
that you may provide. This is usually the vendor or brand name followed
by the model name, e.g., "Intel i915", "ATI RADEON X800", or "NVIDIA
GeForce 6600".

Enter an identifier for your video card.

Here is good page of sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg:
http://users.bigpond.net.au/hermanzone/p7.html


Removing xorg.conf
You could try to rename/remove xorg.conf and start without xorg.conf.

This is for Feisty (Kubuntu 7.04) and newer versions.
From Xorg release 7.2

Autoconfiguration: The X server can now start without an xorg.conf file in most cases.

Note that is says: "in most cases" .


Start/Restart kdm from virtual console
(kdm is the KDE Display Manager)

sudo /etc/init.d/kdm start

Other options:

:~$ /etc/init.d/kdm -help
Usage: /etc/init.d/kdm {start|stop|restart|reload|force-reload}

Shutdown/Reboot from virtual console

NAME
shutdown - bring the system down

SYNOPSIS
/sbin/shutdown [-t sec] [-arkhncfFHP] time [warning-message]

DESCRIPTION
shutdown brings the system down in a secure way. All logged-in users
are notified that the system is going down, and login(1) is blocked.

Reboot:

:~$ sudo /sbin/shutdown -r now

-r Reboot after shutdown.

Shutdown:

:~$ sudo /sbin/shutdown -h now

-h Halt or poweroff after shutdown.

Automatic backupfiles
Some programs make backupfiles automatically:

• dpkg-reconfigure: xorg.conf -> xorg.conf.20070503184018
  (year month day hour minute second)
  
• text editor kate: xorg.conf -> xorg.conf~
  
• K > System Settings > Display: xorg.conf -> xorg.conf.1 (xorg.conf.2...)

Point and Click

xorg-edit: GUI for editing xorg.conf
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=156243

Because I found it very complex to manually edit the X-Server config file (xorg.conf in Ubuntu) to add my monitor refresh rates

fglrxKonf
http://www.kde-apps.org/content/show.php?content=43612

Description:
This is a Kommander frontend for ATI fglrx video card driver utility "aticonfig".

kX Generator
http://www.kde-apps.org/content/show.php?content=39085

Description:
kX Generator is a utilitty to configure the X server by modyfying X configuration file (xorg.conf).

X.org Setup
http://www.kde-apps.org/content/show...?content=56982

Description:
X.org Setup is a visual X.org 7.x setup utility that can detect video cards, monitors, etc.

Links

Main page
Illustrated Dual Boot Site Home Page
http://users.bigpond.net.au/hermanzone/

Sub page
sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg
http://users.bigpond.net.au/hermanzone/p7.html

Editing basics for the xorg.conf file
http://www.linux.com/feature/118108

Setting up X Windows in debian
http://home.comcast.net/~srvffl/linuxstuff/X_howto.html

Troubleshooting X
http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/nox

xorg.conf(5x) manual page
http://xorg.freedesktop.org/archive/...rg.conf.5.html

I'm running without xorg.conf!
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=2428898

LinuxLogFiles
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LinuxLogFiles

HOWTO: change resolution/refresh rate in Xorg
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=83973

Topic: Kubuntu fails to give an out of memory warning
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3086089.0

How to get started with no GUI
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3085112.0

Boot Options
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootOptions

FAQ: Links - How to Install AMD(Ati) Proprietary Linux Display Driver (fglrx)
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3085652.0

[integr8e]

Re: HOWTO : Repairing xorg.conf

Just to add my 2.579 cents ( ) :

- If you find yourself without a GUI (Graphical User Interface) and need to get back on your feet quickly, you can run the following set of commands after logging in to the console:

sudo /etc/init.d/kdm stop

(Makes sure KDM isn't running in the background)

sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.bak

(Backs-up your current Xorg config [NOTE: the "X" in "X11" is capitalized])

sudo Xorg -configure

(Creates a workable Xorg config - labeled "xorg.conf.new" - in your /home/[username] directory)

sudo mv ~/xorg.conf.new /etc/X11/xorg.conf

(Replaces your current Xorg config with the generated one -> don't worry, your old config is still intact as /etc/X11/xorg.conf.bak)

sudo /etc/init.d/kdm start

(Restarts KDM with your new xorg.conf; it may not be pretty, but should work until you can make the necessary changes )

Edit: Removed a kinda' confusing set of commands