SOLVEDxorg hogging 100% of CPU, display not working properly

MommaBear · posted: 2015-08-22 15:41

Greetings all:

New to this forum, and new to antiX but not to Linux.

I've just installed antiX15 on a very old machine (256RAM) but the machine's unusably slow and there's something horribly wrong with the display.

I've watched runwiththedolphin's videos and my display looks little like his.

Things that should be transparent (conky, terminal) are a grainy orange. The text in the terminal is pixilated to the point of being unreadable, although conky's text is fine.

As well, the text at the top of any window (telling me what program I'm using) is unreadable. Also, sometimes, at the side of the window.

I'd produce a screenshot if I knew how, but the menu's one of the things that's unreadable.

After booting, using Fluxbox with nothing but conky running, memory is at 74.8 MB. As I understand it, this is high.

The screen resolution is correct for this monitor (1024x768).

I had a very old version of Kubuntu running fine on this box. I think it was 6.06. There are no proprietary drivers needed.

I had the same problems running the live CD, so I just let antiX install itself. Other than time and language, I don't think I changed anything. EDIT: I installed Debian Jesse.

I'm sure you need more info. Just let me know what, and I'll try to get it for you.

TIA

Dave · posted: 2015-08-22 17:38

Maybe a good first start would be an inxi -F report.

rokytnji · posted: 2015-08-22 17:42

Sounds like my issue while beta testing for the new release on my IBM t23.

If you are not new to linux. Maybe I can help you help yourself

how-to-search-for-a-solution-when-you-have-a-antix-problem-t5387.html

My graphics chips that gave me headaches were SIS and Savage. Since I do not know yours. Can't say much else here.

Info needed on live run

Code: Select all

inxi -F

That will do for now. Howdy and Welcome MommaBear. I am a bear also.

Durnit. Dave beat to it.

MommaBear · posted: 2015-08-22 19:45

Hi Guys:

Thanks for the quick reply.

The only way I can see inxi output is to drop into a terminal (Ctrl-F!). I piped the output to a file, but when I plugged in a USB stick to copy it to--to get it on this machine--the whole system froze. I'd pressed Mount Connected Devices in the Control Centre.

BTW, when I booted the machine up, it had lots of orphaned inodes. I have no idea if that's relevant.

So, I tried mounting /dev/sdb and sdb1 and sdb2 from a terminal, and was told there's no sdb* in fstab.

I have no way of getting that inxi output onto a machine connected to the internet.

Please forgive this, but I'm typing in some of the info I hope is relevant. If I left something out, please let me know:

Machine: System: Gigabyte model: 7VKML v:1.0
Mobo: Gigabyte model: 7VKML v:1.x
Bios: American Megatrends v: 07.00T date: 08/14/0102 [sic]

CPU: Single Core AMD Duron (-UP-) cache: 64 KB speed: 1211MHz (max)
Graphics: Card: S3 Graphics VT8375 [ProSavage8 KM266/KL266]
Display Server: X.org 1.16.4 drivers: savage (unloaded: fbdev, vesa)
tty size 80x25 Advanced Data: N/A out of X

You'll note the ProSavage--which never caused problems last century, when I was using it. Also, this is all done from the terminal (NOT virtual terminal) so I don't know if that"unloaded" or"out of X" is relevant.

Hope I didn't make any typos __{{emoticon}}__

rokytnji · posted: 2015-08-22 21:11

Same problem as my IBM T23 with Savage graphics. Use the Safe graphics mode boot on live session.

rokytnji · posted: 2015-08-22 21:14

========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"https://www.google.com/search?q=savage+site%3Aantix.freeforums.org&gws_rd=ssl"
linktext was:"https://www.google.com/search?q=savage+ ... gws_rd=ssl"
====================================

fatmac · posted: 2015-08-23 09:12

Welcome aboard.

(Hope you manage to get it sorted out, because antiX is a great distro.)

MommaBear · posted: 2015-08-23 14:29

fatmac, I know antiX is good. I've used it before on a laptop so old, it didn't have an ethernet port.

rokytnji, thanks for the info. Booting from the CD in safe mode worked great! CPU was at 2%! However, I think I'm a little brain dead from trying to get this thing working.

I assume by the google link you're referring to the post:
GLX support with old S3 Savage VGA

I'm also assuming installing libgl1-mesa-dri-legacy fixed the issue for you. I don't know if I'll run into the unmet dependencies problem, but I couldn't install it until I could run antiX from the hard drive--the installed version--and I can't for the life of me figure out how to boot from the hard drive in safe mode.

I haven't dicked around with Grub2, ever. IIRC, Grub1 had an option to boot into safe mode. From what I can tell from googling, Grub2's equivalent will get me into a terminal, no graphics at all. Is that correct?

I'd feel a LOT more comfortable with a graphical desktop, especially if I run into trouble. Being able to post to this forum directly from antiX (as opposed to copying info to my production machine) would be much easier.

LATER: OK, I ran into some trouble (see blue text, below) but I'm booted in to the new install now & CPU is at 5%. Menu panel is orange, but not grainy & quite readable. Terminal & other apps have clear, readable text. I have no idea how this was accomplished.

Needless to say, I'm extremely reluctant to dick around any more (see blue text, below), especially if it means using the terminal.

So: Do you know if the dri-legacy will fix the"input not supported" message? And, just out of curiosity, do you know how/why I now have a beautiful desktop?

INFO FOR NEWBIES WHO ARE IN THE SAME BOAT:
When I booted in safe mode, I got an"input not supported" message on the monitor. All worked, however. BUT. I decided to do a fresh install, now that I could see things, and when I went to reboot the"input not supported" message showed up again, and everything got stuck. I left it for 10 minutes, then did a hard shutdown. And when it booted, got the"input not supported" message but it booted just fine.

However, when I dropped into the terminal (Ctrl-Alt-F1) to install the dri-legacy, the"input not supported" message showed up & it froze. Another hard shut down required. For that reason, I didn't want to risk booting into safe mode from grub.

EDIT: I'm also getting the"input not supported" message & a system freeze if I just log out. Sigh!

rokytnji · posted: 2015-08-23 21:41

You forgot to show use what is running what after the install with a inxi -F report. I did not go with

I'm also assuming installing libgl1-mesa-dri-legacy fixed the issue for you.

but instead. Running the vesa driver instead of savage fixed my rig.

Post also contents of / etc/X11/xorg.conf file. Notice the space between / and etc. I do that because of a long known forum bug that gives you a forbidden page
So leave off the / or put a space after the / when posting with letters etc.

MommaBear · posted: 2015-08-24 14:49

Hi rokytnji:

Thanks so much for your patience.

rokytnji wrote:You forgot to show use what is running what after the install with a inxi -F report.

Both files are attached.

rokytnji · posted: 2015-08-24 14:57

Both files are attached.

I don't see them?

MommaBear · posted: 2015-08-24 15:02

rokytnji wrote:
Both files are attached.
I don't see them?

Whoa! You are quick! __{{emoticon}}__

I posted, discovered there's some bug that meant I had to compress the files first, did that then attached them again. You must have seen my post while I was compressing. I hope they're ok now.

rokytnji · posted: 2015-08-24 17:53

Code: Select all

$ cat / etc/X11/xorg.conf
#----------------------------------------------------------------------
# xorg.conf file
#
# Generated by make-xorg-conf sometime around Fri Nov 21 06:23:58 EST 2014
#
# If you want to save customizations, delete the line above or this
# file will get automatically deleted on the next live boot.
#----------------------------------------------------------------------

Section"Monitor"
    Identifier"Monitor0"
    Option"DPMS""true"
EndSection

Section"Device"
    Identifier"Device0"
    Driver    "vesa"
EndSection

Section"Screen"
    Identifier"Screen0"
    Monitor"Monitor0"
    Device "Device0"
    SubSection"Display"
        Modes"1024x768""800x600"
    EndSubSection
EndSection

Vesa looks good to me. It is how I roll with my Savage graphics chip. I see no problemos with what I posted above from what you uploaded.
Your inxi is fubar/a mess (hard to read for me).
It should look like mine

Code: Select all

$ inxi -G
Graphics:  Card: Intel Mobile 4 Series Integrated Graphics Controller
           Display Server: X.Org 1.15.1 driver: intel
           Resolution: 1366x768@60.0hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Mobile Intel GM45 Express
           GLX Version: 2.1 Mesa 10.1.3

Nice and neat like the above.

Now to get all our ducks in a row. Post a screenshot of your desktop. Pick the resize button on the screenshooter to post a thumbnail and leave it at 50.
Then upload that in your next post. __{{emoticon}}__

MommaBear · posted: 2015-08-24 18:16

Sorry about the inxi mess. I just piped it to a file, didn't check the file. My bad.

Here it is again:

Code: Select all

$ inxi -F
System:    Host: mike Kernel: 4.0.5-antix.1-486-smp i686 (32 bit)
           Desktop: Fluxbox 1.3.5
           Distro: antiX-15-V_386-full Killah P 30 June 2015
Machine:   System: Gigabyte product: 7VKML v: 1.0
           Mobo: Gigabyte model: 7VKML v: 1.x
           Bios: American Megatrends v: 07.00T date: 08/14/0102
CPU:       Single core AMD Duron (-UP-) cache: 64 KB speed: 1211 MHz (max)
Graphics:  Card: S3 Graphics VT8375 [ProSavage8 KM266/KL266]
           Display Server: X.Org 1.16.4 driver: vesa
           Resolution: 1024x768@0.00hz
           GLX Renderer: Gallium 0.4 on llvmpipe (LLVM 3.5, 128 bits)
           GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 10.3.2
Audio:     Card VIA VT8233/A/8235/8237 AC97 Audio Controller
           driver: snd_via82xx
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.0.5-antix.1-486-smp
Network:   Card: Realtek RTL-8100/8101L/8139 PCI Fast Ethernet Adapter
           driver: 8139too
           IF: eth0 state: unknown speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full
           mac: 00:20:ed:38:e1:50
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 40.0GB (7.8% used)
           ID-1: /dev/sda model: MAXTOR_6L040J2 size: 40.0GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 3.8G used: 2.3G (65%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1
           ID-2: /home size: 33G used: 50M (1%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda3
           ID-3: swap-1 size: 0.63GB used: 0.01GB (1%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda2
Sensors:   None detected - is lm-sensors installed and configured?
Info:      Processes: 93 Uptime: 3:41 Memory: 99.6/213.0MB
           Client: Shell (bash) inxi: 2.2.25

I'm posting this from Dillo, BTW. Lots to learn, how programs work, etc. Hope I got the screenshot right.

rokytnji · posted: 2015-08-24 18:36

I'd mark this thread as solved as everything later on in this thread looks fine and dandy to me.
On old gear. It does not get any better than what you screenshot shows. Though 600 MB of /swap is pretty measly. So is 3.78 gig for install disk for /.
But it is your computer. Expect problems later with such a install. Why so small?

Edit: Oops. I see you have 1 gig swap in inxi. My bad. I'd have gave root 5 to 7 gig if me. To be on the safe side for lots of extras that I would install later. Like games or whatever. I have not ran a 4 gig / partition since my eeepc 900 days and it was tuff keeping things from getting out of hand on a apt-get update && apt-get dist-upgrade.

Mine for example: antix-15-t5570.html