lost usual desktop - just Debian command prompt

[PNWDrew]

A few days ago during an update I got a warning about being unable to restart Xorg until openglrx(?) was configured. 
I ignored this and forgot to return to see what it was saying. Today when restarting my PC I found that indeed Xorg failed to start and I just see a command prompt.

I don't know what info would help you help me so ask and you shall receive.

What I see now: "drew@debian:~$" so it think that I haven't borked anything serious.
When I try to start Xorg I get an error saying no screens found.
I'll post the log file later when I get to another PC. This tablet is painful to type on.
Drew
 

[MoroS]

Hi. True, the Xorg logs from /var/log would be helpful. From what I can deduce it's a problem with the fglrx module. What kernel are you using?

[PNWDrew]

Thanks for the response...
Kernel ---   3.16.0-4-amd64
I had installed the new APTUS and foolishly hit Fully Upgrade.  During that process I got the error about openglrx.  I had too much power and too little knowledge as usual.

And here is seemingly relevant part of log, there is some stuff prior but no warnings or errors.  Lines where I left a large space after line # is where there was a block of red before the messsage.

16.913]  (==) ModulePath set to "/usr/lib/xog/modules"
16.913]  (II) The server relies on udev to provide list of input devices.  If no devices become available, reconfigure udev or disable AutoAddDevi$
16.913]  (II) Loader magic: 0x7efe44e41d80
16.913]  (II) Module ABI versions
16.913]          X.Org ANSI C Emulation: 0.4
16.913]          X.Org Video Driver: 19.0
16.913]          X.Org XInput driver : 21.0
16.913]          X.Org Server Extension : 9.0
16.914]  (--) PCI:*(0:0:1:0) 1002:130f::1002:0123 rev 0, Mem @ 0x0000000/26$
16.914]  (II) "glx" will be loaded by default
16.915]  (II) LoadModule: "glx"
16.915]  (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/libglx.so
16.916]  (II) Module glx: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
16.916]          compiled for 1.17.1, module version = 1.0.0
16.916            ABI class : X.Org Server Extension, version 9.0
16.916]  (==) AIGLX enabled
16.916]  (II) LoadModule "fglrx"
16.916]  (WW) Warning couldn't open module fglrx
16.916]  (II) UnloadModule "fglrx)
16.916]  (II) Unloading fglrx
16.916]  (EE) Failed to load module "fglrx" (module does not exist,0)
16.916]  (EE) No drivers available
16.916]  (EE)
Fatal server error
16.916]  (EE) No screens found (EE)
16.917]  (EE)

Whew... haven't typed that much that I didn't understand since college.

I came across this page about installing fglrx - https://wiki.debian.org/ATIProprietary   It seemed like it would address what I get from the log but I did not want to further confuse the situation so I did not try it.

Hope that helps. 
Drew

[MoroS]

First time I've heard about openglrx. The tell the truth it's also the first time Google heard about openglrx. :P The situation is clear after seeing the Xorg logs: it was about fglrx (but maybe the message you saw was something new, who knows...).

And it looks like we've hit a wall with this one. The fglrx-driver package has been pulled out of Testing due to bugs and unsatisfied dependencies:

https://tracker.debian.org/pkg/fglrx-driver

This tends to happen with proprietary drivers and probably will be resolved in a matter of days. For the time being it's probably unusable, so you'll probably will have to stick to the open "radeon" driver. You can still check the output of dmesg for any fglrx-related messages. Maybe it's still fixable in the current state, if the fglrx-package was not removed. You can check that using apt-cache:

Code Select Expand

apt-cache policy fglrx-driver

If it shows you still have that package installed, then post anything from dmesg related to fglrx or ATI. We'll try to figure something out. If the package is not there anymore, then you'll have to wait for it to return to Testing and stick with the "radeon" driver.

[Wombat]

There were similar problems with this upgrade in here last week http://sparkylinux.org/forum/index.php/topic,3071.0.html

A work around could be to remove the video card (if there is one) and reboot using only the internal one - this has assisted in installing sometimes - re-insert after.

May get you going until Moros or Pavroo come up with something.

[PNWDrew]

First time I've heard about openglrx. The tell the truth it's also the first time Google heard about openglrx. :P The situation is clear after seeing the Xorg logs: it was about fglrx (but maybe the message you saw was something new, who knows...).

And it looks like we've hit a wall with this one. The fglrx-driver package has been pulled out of Testing due to bugs and unsatisfied dependencies:

https://tracker.debian.org/pkg/fglrx-driver

This tends to happen with proprietary drivers and probably will be resolved in a matter of days. For the time being it's probably unusable, so you'll probably will have to stick to the open "radeon" driver. You can still check the output of dmesg for any fglrx-related messages. Maybe it's still fixable in the current state, if the fglrx-package was not removed. You can check that using apt-cache:

Code Select Expand

apt-cache policy fglrx-driver

If it shows you still have that package installed, then post anything from dmesg related to fglrx or ATI. We'll try to figure something out. If the package is not there anymore, then you'll have to wait for it to return to Testing and stick with the "radeon" driver.

:-[I thought it was "open" something but who knows, I blew it off without paying much attention.  That was obviously a mistake.

Thanks for the advice. 

apt-cache yields:
Installed: (none)
Candidate: (none)
Version table:
    1:14.9+g14.201-2 0
         100  /var/lib/dpkg/status

I'm pretty noobish but the word "none" is not usually promising ??? 
I have no problem going with any driver that gets me going.  I think I chose the proprietary driver to see if I could get WINE working better after problems on Mint.  But whatever works is fine with me.  I do nothing graphics intensive on Sparky, never got WINE working well.

I'll try to install the radeon driver as described here after work: https://wiki.debian.org/AtiHowTo  - unless there is better way or a reason to not do it?


wombat - no video card here unfortunately -  AMD APU  processor.  Thanks for the response.  I'm over my head but I'm sure one of the Sparky illuminati will figure it out.

[PNWDrew]

In my typical impatient style I've been messing with this problem and got it solved I think. 
I tried a variety of things I found online like editing xorg.conf to use Radeon drivers; without messing anything else up but no solution. 

In the end a simple purge did it:

apt-get remove -purge fglrx*   --got rid of fglrx entirely I guess. 
dpkg-configure xserver-xorg  -- got Xorg to use Radeon (I think)

So whatever happened I am typing this on my Sparky PC and life is better again! I think I learned a few things also so no harm was done and some benefit was gained.

Thanks for the help Moro!  Your mention of Radeon driver was the key term that eventually led me to a solution. 

Drew

[MoroS]

Cool. That's what I was writing about, but first I wanted to check if the fglrx got removed from the system. The next step was to change the "fglrx" entry in xorg.conf (or one of the files in /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d) to "radeon" entry, but I see you already did that. You can check the bug tracker link I posted previously once a while to see if the package has made it back to Testing and then reinstall it, to use fglrx again. Anyway, glad you were able to work around the problem. :)

[PNWDrew]

Cool. That's what I was writing about, but first I wanted to check if the fglrx got removed from the system. The next step was to change the "fglrx" entry in xorg.conf (or one of the files in /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d) to "radeon" entry, but I see you already did that. You can check the bug tracker link I posted previously once a while to see if the package has made it back to Testing and then reinstall it, to use fglrx again. Anyway, glad you were able to work around the problem. :)

Unless I see a reason to use fglrx again I'll stay with the open source driver.  Going open source was part of the reason I switched to Linux. I'd like to learn my way around well enough to be of some help to developers but I've got a lot to learn.
Thanks again
Drew