Sorry, I should have extracted the solution and made it big and bold (I forgot your system just got downgraded at an Installfest, and you are PTSD stuck!) This will fix her: Reinstall Virtualbox Guest Additions from the terminal: http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1271263&seqNum=3 Install VirtualBox as described Part 1 and Part 2 of "Sun VirtualBox (xVM): A Virtualization Environment for Linux" article. Of course, if you had Xterm you could just do: Next: Virtualbox Console > Devices > Install Guest Additions There is a script somewhere hereabouts: cd /media/VBOXADDITIONS_2.0.6_39755 [directory name will vary with the version] sudo sh ./VBoxLinuxAdditions-x86.run [or -x64 if running a 64-bit guest] Other stuff probably not related: http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/User_FAQ Just FYI, the problem is that you upgraded to a new kernel, so you had to recompile or reinstall your graphic drivers . Obnosis | (503)754-4452 PLUG Linux Security Labs 2nd Saturday Each Month@Noon - 3PM From: lisakachold@obnosis.com To: plug-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us Subject: RE: How to recover X display? Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 02:23:26 +0000 Updates between versions are sometimes a lottery! Let's look at how we must package a problem for the PLUG: We follow these steps (dumping into email): 1) What is it (versions, etc)? 2) What is she whining about (Linux like any good partner will tell you very clearly what is the issue)? [Ignore my installation references for Ubuntu's Virtualbox (they are just info); but possibly an update to the ABI module or v41 module were done during the installation?] Check the file creation date for your Grub at /here/boot/grub/menu.lst Check to verify what she is currently booting there - look for backup files and diff. Discussion: http://www.pclinuxos.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=26&topic=54523.0 We might logically research the exact Xorg errors for these, spoze? 3) Research our error for known solutions: module ABI major version (1) doesn't match server's version (2) failed to load module "v41" (module requirement mismatch,0) http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-313691.html PCLinuxOs virtualbox module issues http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=611644 4) The Zen of Troubleshooting, "The error is the problem" Looks like you have a kernel module mismatch grasshopper. Obnosis | (503)754-4452 PLUG Linux Security Labs 2nd Saturday Each Month@Noon - 3PM > Date: Sun, 22 Mar 2009 12:04:29 -0700 > Subject: Re: How to recover X display? > From: joe@actionline.com > To: plug-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > > Thanks very much Lisa. Following is what I've discovered so far: > > On 3/22/09, Lisa Kachold wrote: > > Quick Resurrection -- [drop info from these steps w reply to organize the issue] > > > > 1) Verify bootloader GRUB -- What does your grub.conf look like? > > Compare old and new, specifically looking at kernel boot options. > > What are you booting into? > > There is no grub.conf. In /boot/grub found menu.lst dated Apr 6, 2007 > (last date chgd) > It boots to /boot/vmlinuz VGA=788 (this is the one that locks up) > Also to /boot/vmlinuz without VGA-788 and this works, opens to # command line > Also to /boot vmlinuz "failsafe" > Also to win.xp which still works > All three /voot/vmlinuz boot to kernel.h-2.6.18.6 dated Feb 23, 2007 > > > 2) Verify X -- Boot to rescue mode and see what your /etc/X11/xorg.conf says. > > There would have been an old xorg.conf that was copied to backup. > > xorg.conf and xorg.conf.old are both dated Apr 6, 2007 > (Apparently no change from when everything was working.) > diff showed "old" had "DPMS" "false" and current "DPMS" (no false) > 'diff' also showed the following line identical in both old and new: > #DontZoom # disable (resolution switching) > > > Look at /var/log/Xorg.0.log for clues. > > Scrolling through the entire log file showed only two items flagged (EE): > module ABI major version (1) doesn't match server's version (2) > failed to load module "v41" (module requirement mismatch,0) > > > Run Xconfigurator after copying current xorg.conf to KNOWNBACKUP. > > Found no 'Xconfigurtor' nor 'xconfig' on the system. > > > Or just copy the current file to backup and move the old over. > > The current and 'old' are the same except as noted above. > > > You might want to add vboxdrv to the list of modules in /etc/modules to be > > loaded automatically at startup in. > > I did this and rebooted, but still get the message: > "cannot connect to X server" > > > Virtualbox > > apt-get install virtualbox-ose > > I don't have 'apt-get' so don't know where to go from here. :( > > > virtualbox-ose-modules-2.6.24-1-amd64 virtualbox-ose-source > > apt-get install module-assistant > > module-assistant prepare virtualbox-ose > > module-assistant auto-install virtualbox-ose > > modprove vboxdrv > > adduser myusername vboxusers > > We did add my user name to vbox users yesterday. > The system was working (after installing virtualbox) > until we rebooted, then the current problem began. > I can still boot the system into the non-fb (sp?) second > grub boot option and can switch among the terminals, > except F7 has a blank screen with solid cursor upper left. > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss Windows Live™ SkyDrive: Get 25 GB of free online storage. 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