startx troubles with 9.1... help

jpalfree · 09-07-2005, 10:18 PM

I just installed 9.1 on an old computer. everything seemed to be fine. I set it up to boot into runlevel 3 and it does just that. I can log in and do everything one can usually do in runlevel 3.

but when i tried "startx" the first time i got a first time wizzard or something that let me choose which GUI to use. I chose kde. and it looked like it was starting kde but i run into problems. I get a blue textured background and then a pannel pops up and disappears. a few windows do the same.. too fast to see anything in them. and then i get a single icon that keeps fluctuating. I end up with a blue background, and that's it.. it does this every time I "startx".

I have an sis 540 motherboard with built in video card..and it looks like there's a driver for it in the list..but i've changed it to an Xfree driver (SiS) and still the same thing happens.

when i press ctrl+alt+F1 i see lots of error messages like so:

Code:

Mcop warning: user defined signal handler found for SIG-PIPE, overriding
kdesktop(a random number) got signal 11
...
<repeating with different numbers>
...

does anyone know how to fix this?
or if more information is needed tell me where to find it?
maybe also could someone tell me how to change the default GUI to gnome so i can see if it's a kde problem or a general problem with x?

thanks

floppywhopper · 09-08-2005, 01:56 AM

Have you tried typing

init 5

sometimes that will work when startx wont

not being familiar with that mobo, just how old is it
what other specs can you tell us about it
processor, RAM etc etc

I wouldn't be inclined to switch to Gnome
it sounds like you need something lighter like fluxbox or icewm

floppy