X Window Server Crashes Bad

[Craig White]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: plug-discuss-admin@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
> [mailto:plug-discuss-admin@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us]On Behalf Of David
> A. Sinck
> Sent: Monday, July 02, 2001 5:24 PM
> To: plug-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
> Subject: Re: X Window Server Crashes Bad
>
>
>
>
> \_ SMTP quoth Michael J. Schweppe on 7/2/2001 15:52 as having
> spake thusly:
> \_
> \_ David A. Sinck wrote:
> \_
> \_ >
> \_ >I'm a bit concerned about the 'reinstall everything' comment.  Are you
> \_ >trying to installed nvidia drivers on initial install of the box?  I
> \_ >bet you really don't want to try that.
> \_ >
> \_ To clarify, after I install the drivers  a reboot is required.
>  It is at
> \_ this point that I find if the install is going to work or not.  If it
> \_ fails, [I'm in console for this and not X] I cannot get back to X.
> \_
> \_ Hence, since I do not know what to do, I reinstall the OS.  Perhaps
> \_ overkill, but you do what you know.  Once I have a fresh OS install I
> \_ then reinstall the NVidia drivers and try again.
> \_
> \_ Is there an easier way to restore a crashed X server instead of
> \_ reinstalling the OS as I have been doing?
>
> For your kernel tree and talk to lilo.  How you accomplish this
> depends on your distribution afaik.
>
> In RH, I'd experiment ala:
>
> *fresh install*
> cp -r /lib/modules/whatever /lib/modules/whatever-safe
> <other steps may be here>
> <do nvidia install magic>
> <mkinitrd (see 'new kernel howto offa RH')>
> edit lilo.conf to talk to both /whatever and /whatever-safe
> run lilo
> reboot to whatever
> watch nv crash whatever
> reboot to whatever-safe
> debug whatever
> wash
> rinse
> repeat
>
> YMMV.
>
>
> David
----
Whoa, I think I've got another method on Redhat 7.1

cd /usr/src/linux-2.4  #this will work regardless of whether you
                       #have installed kernel 2.4.3-12 update or
                       #are still with 2.4.2-2 orig distr.
make mrproper          #cleans house
make dep
make clean
emacs Makefile         #or vim or pico or ???
                       #edit the line that reads
                       #EXTRAVERSION  = -2 or = -12
                       #whatever you put in here will differentiate
                       #your compile from earlier compiles & modules
make bzImage           #take a few minutes
make modules
make modules-install
make install           #should create vmlinuz & System map files in /root
                       #unless you change the target directory in Makefile
#optional...
make bzlilo            #instead of make install but that will dump them in
                       #/boot and run lilo so if you can confidently
                       #walk this aisle - go for it.

using the mv (or cp command - move them to /boot and name them accordingly
(i.e. vmlinuz-test)

check the /boot directory and edit & run /etc/lilo.conf as necessary

This process should leave the working boot & modules unharmed - and in fact,
unless you change the 'default' by editing lilo.conf, will remain the
working boot setup so you can experiment to your heart's content and reboot
like a monster. or in David's colorful phraseology, wet lather rinse repeat.
i.e. - if you copy the resulting vmlinuz & System.map files to boot again
and again without rebuilding. The problem is that the files in /etc/X11 are
gonna remain.

Craig

Craig