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Hi, I can no longer start X. When I type 'startx' I receive the following error: "failed to set default font path '/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/TrueType,unix/:7100' Fatal server error: could not open default font 'fixed'" [the full error message from "startx 2> error.txt" is below] Originally, I had a three-day old RH 7.0 nicely running. I had just upgraded from RH 6.2 and successfully installed a new set of TrueType fonts. My problems started after a second attempt of adding yet another set of TrueType fonts. I cannot recall that I have by accident deleted any fonts named 'fixed'. But first, I DO NOT run an smp-machine, as indicated in the error output. I have a single-CPU P2-300, 192 MB RAM, and 2+10 GB HDs, etc. Second, I thought I was running XFree86 4.0.1, and not 3.3.6 as indicated in the output ?! After hours of unluck, I submit this to you for assistance. Thank you very much for your kind help! Rudy Mansgaten ===================start-of-error-message======================== XFree86 Version 3.3.6 / X Window System (protocol Version 11, revision 0, vendor release 6300) Release Date: January 8 2000 If the server is older than 6-12 months, or if your card is newer than the above date, look for a newer version before reporting problems. (see http://www.XFree86.Org/FAQ) Operating System: Linux 2.2.5-22smp i686 [ELF] Configured drivers: SVGA: server for SVGA graphics adaptors (Patchlevel 1): s3_savage, NV1, STG2000, RIVA 128, RIVA TNT, RIVA TNT2, RIVA ULTRA TNT2, RIVA VANTA, RIVA ULTRA VANTA, RIVA INTEGRATED, GeForce 256, GeForce DDR, Quadro, ET4000, ET4000W32, ET4000W32i, ET4000W32i_rev_b, ET4000W32i_rev_c, ET4000W32p, ET4000W32p_rev_a, ET4000W32p_rev_b, ET4000W32p_rev_c, ET4000W32p_rev_d, ET6000, ET6100, et3000, pvga1, wd90c00, wd90c10, wd90c30, wd90c24, wd90c31, wd90c33, gvga, r128, ati, sis86c201, sis86c202, sis86c205, sis86c215, sis86c225, sis5597, sis5598, sis6326, sis530, sis620, sis300, sis630, sis540, tvga8200lx, tvga8800cs, tvga8900b, tvga8900c, tvga8900cl, tvga8900d, tvga9000, tvga9000i, tvga9100b, tvga9200cxr, tgui9400cxi, tgui9420, tgui9420dgi, tgui9430dgi, tgui9440agi, cyber9320, tgui9660, tgui9680, tgui9682, tgui9685, cyber9382, cyber9385, cyber9388, cyber9397, cyber9520, cyber9525, 3dimage975, 3dimage985, cyber9397dvd, blade3d, cyberblade, clgd5420, clgd5422, clgd5424, clgd5426, clgd5428, clgd5429, clgd5430, clgd5434, clgd5436, clgd5446, clgd5480, clgd5462, clgd5464, clgd5465, clgd6205, clgd6215, clgd6225, clgd6235, clgd7541, clgd7542, clgd7543, clgd7548, clgd7555, clgd7556, ncr77c22, ncr77c22e, cpq_avga, mga2064w, mga1064sg, mga2164w, mga2164w AGP, mgag200, mgag100, mgag400, oti067, oti077, oti087, oti037c, al2101, ali2228, ali2301, ali2302, ali2308, ali2401, cl6410, cl6412, cl6420, cl6440, video7, ark1000vl, ark1000pv, ark2000pv, ark2000mt, mx, realtek, s3_virge, AP6422, AT24, AT3D, s3_svga, NM2070, NM2090, NM2093, NM2097, NM2160, NM2200, ct65520, ct65525, ct65530, ct65535, ct65540, ct65545, ct65546, ct65548, ct65550, ct65554, ct65555, ct68554, ct69000, ct64200, ct64300, mediagx, V1000, V2100, V2200, p9100, spc8110, i740, i740_pci, Voodoo Banshee, Voodoo3, i810, i810-dc100, i810e, smi, generic (using VT number 7) XF86Config: /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/XF86Config (**) stands for supplied, (--) stands for probed/default values (**) XKB: keycodes: "xfree86" (**) XKB: types: "default" (**) XKB: compat: "default" (**) XKB: symbols: "us(pc101)" (**) XKB: geometry: "pc" (**) XKB: rules: "xfree86" (**) XKB: model: "pc101" (**) XKB: layout: "se" (**) Mouse: type: PS/2, device: /dev/mouse, buttons: 5 (**) Mouse: zaxismapping: (-)4 (+)5 (**) SVGA: Graphics device ID: "Matrox|MGA G400 AGP" (**) SVGA: Monitor ID: "CustomConfiguration" (--) SVGA: Mode "1024x768" needs hsync freq of 80.21 kHz. Deleted. (--) SVGA: Mode "1024x768" needs hsync freq of 70.24 kHz. Deleted. (--) SVGA: Mode "1152x864" needs hsync freq of 89.62 kHz. Deleted. (--) SVGA: Mode "1152x864" needs hsync freq of 70.88 kHz. Deleted. (--) SVGA: Mode "1152x864" needs hsync freq of 76.01 kHz. Deleted. (--) SVGA: Mode "1280x1024" needs hsync freq of 107.16 kHz. Deleted. (--) SVGA: Mode "1280x1024" needs hsync freq of 74.59 kHz. Deleted. (--) SVGA: Mode "1280x1024" needs hsync freq of 78.86 kHz. Deleted. (--) SVGA: Mode "1280x1024" needs hsync freq of 81.13 kHz. Deleted. (--) SVGA: Mode "1280x1024" needs hsync freq of 91.15 kHz. Deleted. (--) SVGA: Mode "1600x1200" needs hsync freq of 75.00 kHz. Deleted. (--) SVGA: Mode "1600x1200" needs hsync freq of 87.50 kHz. Deleted. (--) SVGA: Mode "1600x1200" needs hsync freq of 93.75 kHz. Deleted. (--) SVGA: Mode "1600x1200" needs hsync freq of 105.77 kHz. Deleted. (--) SVGA: Mode "1800X1440" needs hsync freq of 96.15 kHz. Deleted. (--) SVGA: Mode "1800X1440" needs hsync freq of 104.52 kHz. Deleted. (**) FontPath set to "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/TrueType,unix/:7100" (--) SVGA: PCI: Matrox MGA G400 AGP rev 3, Memory @ 0xf4000000, 0xfe000000, MMIO @ 0xfedf8000 (--) SVGA: Linear framebuffer at 0xF4000000 (--) SVGA: MMIO registers at 0xFEDF8000 (--) SVGA: Video BIOS info block at 0x000c7a80 (--) SVGA: Video BIOS info block not detected! (--) SVGA: detected an SGRAM card (--) SVGA: chipset: mgag400 (**) SVGA: videoram: 16384k (**) SVGA: Option "dac_8_bit" (**) SVGA: Using 16 bpp, Depth 16, Color weight: 565 (--) SVGA: Maximum allowed dot-clock: 300.000 MHz (**) SVGA: Mode "640x480": mode clock = 36.000 (**) SVGA: Mode "800x600": mode clock = 60.750 (**) SVGA: Mode "1024x768": mode clock = 85.000 (**) SVGA: Mode "1152x864": mode clock = 92.000 (**) SVGA: Mode "1280x1024": mode clock = 110.000 (--) SVGA: Virtual resolution set to 1280x1024 (--) SVGA: SpeedUp code selection modified because virtualX != 1024 (--) SVGA: Using hardware cursor (--) SVGA: PLL reference freq: 27.050 MHz (--) SVGA: Read OPTION 0x50044120 (--) SVGA: Using XAA (XFree86 Acceleration Architecture) (--) SVGA: XAA: Solid filled rectangles (--) SVGA: XAA: Screen-to-screen copy (--) SVGA: XAA: 8x8 color expand pattern fill (--) SVGA: XAA: CPU to screen color expansion (TE/NonTE imagetext, TE/NonTE polytext) (--) SVGA: XAA: Using 10 128x128 areas for pixmap caching (--) SVGA: XAA: Caching tiles and stipples (--) SVGA: XAA: General lines and segments (--) SVGA: XAA: Dashed lines and segments failed to set default font path '/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/TrueType,unix/:7100' Fatal server error: could not open default font 'fixed' When reporting a problem related to a server crash, please send the full server output, not just the last messages X connection to :0.0 broken (explicit kill or server shutdown). =====================end-of-error-message========================
do a ls -l /etc/X11/X You'll most likely note that X points at /usr/bin/X11/XF86_SVGA instead of /usr/bin/X11/XFree86 common behaviour with upgrades between X versions als check ls -l /usr/bin/X11/X to see what that points to
Hi Spider, Thanks for the input! You were correct in that X points at /usr/bin/X11/XF86_SVGA instead of /usr/bin/X11/XFree86. Also, /usr/bin/X11/X points to Xwrapper, as you probably already knew. However, I have been reading as much documentation as I have available (both on- line and books; however, most are pre-4.0.1 oriented), and I am still at a loss as to what to do next... I tried Xconfigurator, but that only autodetects the pointer to XF86_SVGA and does not let me re-direct X to XFree86. I have not yet tried xf86config, however. I have checked a lot of files (e.g. XF86Config and .xinitrc) but cannot find any obvious reference to /usr/bin/X11/XF86_SVGA which could be changed to /usr/bin/X11/XFree86. Please, can you direct me to the appropriate file/program where to make my changes. Thanks in advance, Rudy Mansgaten [#18748]
Actually, the documentation you are after are in the release of XFree86 4.0 manpages man XFree86 man XF86Config man X man Xserver should be the most essential parts. but basically, you have to change the mentioned symlink so it points at XFree86 (4.0) then you have to upgrade/change your config file /ets/X11/XF86Config so it works with XFree86 ver. 4 there are several ways, one is toi run /usr/X11/bin/XFree86 -configure, others is to use a configuratoin tool. you could also contact me privately and I can supply you with a minimal start for a config file. -- //Spider -- if its real it is real it is really surreal...
I had this problem too just now. The reason was that I had added 'umask 027' to /root/.bashrc Having an umask of 027 as root results in the following: at boot the /etc/rc.d/init.d/xfs script generates the fonts.dir file (and perhaps one or two other files?) with mode rw-r----- Then it start xfs as "xfs -droppriv -daemon". After dropping priveledges it can't read the generated files anymore and Aborts (try starting xfs manually as "xfs -droppriv"). No need to say that when xfs doesn't run you get the error as stated in this bug report. Hope this helps to fix it, Carlo Wood
Yes, the general solution to this error message is to make sure that the font server is running. Perhaps the default umask should be changed in the xfs script to avoid some of the problems mentioned.
I have changed the default umask in xfs initscript to 133. This should appear in 4.0.3-2