[LUNI] Configuring X upon a nvidia geforce 8300 in debian etch

[Jay Strauss]

Hi,

I can not seem to get my X to work.  When I have a seemingly correct
xorg.conf (below), when GDM starts on boot, my screen lights, but is
blank, and then the booting hangs. I'm unable to kill X with
ctrl-alt-backspace, or get to any other virtual terminals, or ssh to
the box.

I have an NVIDIA GeForce 8300 onboard card.  I'm using
nvidia-kernel-2.6.18-5-686 and tried nvidia-kernel-2.6.18-4-486.

I copied a xorg.conf from my Ubuntu liveCD (while it was up), with the
same effect.  I diffed the lsmod from the ubuntu and the debian and I
don't see anything that jumps out at me (below), except maybe the
"video" driver at the bottom, but I don't know what module that comes
from.

Any suggestions?

And why is X always such a PITA on Debian?  Ubuntu gets it right every
time in my experience.

Thanks in advance.
Jay

uranium:~# diff lsmod.ubuntu lsmod.deb
4d3
< af_packet
7,8d5
< asus_acpi
< backlight
10,12d6
< binfmt_misc
< bitblit
< bluetooth
14d7
< capability
16,24c9,11
< commoncap
< container
< cpufreq_conservative
< cpufreq_ondemand
< cpufreq_powersave
< cpufreq_stats
< cpufreq_userspace
< dev_acpi
< dock
---
> dm_mirror
> dm_mod
> dm_snapshot
26a14
> eth1394
30,34d17
< fbcon
< font
< freq_table
< fuse
< hid
36c19,21
< i2c_ec
---
> i2c_i801
> ide_core
> ide_generic
41,42d25
< iTCO_vendor_support
< iTCO_wdt
44d26
< l2cap
46d27
< libusual
49a31
> md_mod
52c34
< nls_cp437
---
> nls_iso8859_1
56,57d37
< pcc_acpi
< pci_hotplug
62,63c42,44
< rfcomm
< sbs
---
> raid1
> rtc
> sbp2
68d48
< shpchp
76,82d55
< snd_rawmidi
< snd_seq
< snd_seq_device
< snd_seq_dummy
< snd_seq_midi
< snd_seq_midi_event
< snd_seq_oss
84,85d56
< softcursor
< sony_acpi
87d57
< squashfs
89d58
< tc1100_wmi
91d59
< tileblit
92a61
> udf
94d62
< unionfs
98,99d65
< vesafb
< video

cat xorg.conf
# /etc/X11/xorg.conf (xorg X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the xorg.conf(5) manual page.
# (Type "man xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# 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

Section "Files"
	FontPath	"/usr/share/fonts/X11/misc"
	FontPath	"/usr/share/fonts/X11/cyrillic"
	FontPath	"/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi/:unscaled"
	FontPath	"/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi/:unscaled"
	FontPath	"/usr/share/fonts/X11/Type1"
	FontPath	"/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi"
	FontPath	"/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi"
	# path to defoma fonts
	FontPath	"/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType"
EndSection

Section "Module"
	Load	"i2c"
	Load	"bitmap"
	Load	"ddc"
	Load	"dri"
	Load	"extmod"
	Load	"freetype"
	Load	"glx"
	Load	"int10"
	Load	"vbe"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
	Identifier	"Generic Keyboard"
	Driver		"kbd"
	Option		"CoreKeyboard"
	Option		"XkbRules"	"xorg"
	Option		"XkbModel"	"pc105"
	Option		"XkbLayout"	"us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
	Identifier	"Configured Mouse"
	Driver		"mouse"
	Option		"CorePointer"
	Option		"Device"		"/dev/input/mice"
	Option		"Protocol"		"ImPS/2"
	Option		"ZAxisMapping"		"4 5"
	Option		"Emulate3Buttons"	"true"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
	Driver		"wacom"
	Identifier	"stylus"
	Option		"Device"	"/dev/input/wacom"
	Option		"Type"		"stylus"
	Option		"ForceDevice"	"ISDV4"		# Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
	Driver		"wacom"
	Identifier	"eraser"
	Option		"Device"	"/dev/input/wacom"
	Option		"Type"		"eraser"
	Option		"ForceDevice"	"ISDV4"		# Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
	Driver		"wacom"
	Identifier	"cursor"
	Option		"Device"	"/dev/input/wacom"
	Option		"Type"		"cursor"
	Option		"ForceDevice"	"ISDV4"		# Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection

Section "Device"
	Identifier	"nVidia Corporation NVIDIA Default Card"
	Driver		"nv"
	BusID		"PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
	Identifier	"Generic Monitor"
	Option		"DPMS"
	HorizSync	28-51
	VertRefresh	43-60
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Identifier	"Default Screen"
	Device		"nVidia Corporation NVIDIA Default Card"
	Monitor		"Generic Monitor"
	DefaultDepth	24
	SubSection "Display"
		Depth		1
		Modes		"1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
	EndSubSection
	SubSection "Display"
		Depth		4
		Modes		"1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
	EndSubSection
	SubSection "Display"
		Depth		8
		Modes		"1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
	EndSubSection
	SubSection "Display"
		Depth		15
		Modes		"1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
	EndSubSection
	SubSection "Display"
		Depth		16
		Modes		"1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
	EndSubSection
	SubSection "Display"
		Depth		24
		Modes		"1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
	EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
	Identifier	"Default Layout"
	Screen		"Default Screen"
	InputDevice	"Generic Keyboard"
	InputDevice	"Configured Mouse"
	InputDevice     "stylus"	"SendCoreEvents"
	InputDevice     "cursor"	"SendCoreEvents"
	InputDevice     "eraser"	"SendCoreEvents"
EndSection

Section "DRI"
	Mode	0666
EndSection