I did an apt-get dist-upgrade today (was running 2.2r0 + helix since it
came out, all of my apt source lines point to stable so I imagine it must
be 2.2r1 + helix now. 41 packages where upgraded.) and it completely
destroyed my X setup. XF86Config was overwritten with a stock configuration
file, my old one is completely gone with no backup that I am able to
find. The new configuration file had completely different modes, a
different keyboard (the old config used dvorak, the new one had xfree86),
and a different mouse device (/dev/gpmdata, my old one had
/dev/psaux). There may have been other changes that I do not know enough
about XF86Config to have caught. I was not asked any questions during the
upgrade, nor was any notification given that my old configuration files
would be replaced. This is the most disturbing thing about the entire
problem, I switched to Debian to avoid this exact problem, but at least rpm
would save copies of configuration files it replaced. This is the first
problem I have had with apt-get/dselect/dpkg, but it is a real doozy.
By a combination of rerunning anXious and hand editing the file to use
dvorak as the keyboard I was able to get into X, but the backspace key no
longer works. The "Windows" key, which previously mapped to Meta in Sawfish
and XEmacs, now appears to have no function. The ALT key now functions as
Meta in Sawfish and XEmacs, and I cannot get any key to recognized as ALT
by Sawfish. The mailclock applet kept drawing itself all over the screen
until I removed it. Sporadically, small (~50 x 50 pixel) dark and light
gray boxes are drawn on the screen, they are not windows and disappear as
soon as a window repaints itself or is moved over them. Also small (~10
pixel wide) vertical lines occasionally appear on the screen, they look
like multi-colored dust and appear in evenly spaced groups (about 50 pixels
between each line, four or five in a group), they too disappear when a
window is moved or repainted. Netscape kept using some bizarre symbolic
font on most links (including message subjects in the Debian mailing list
archives).
I do not delete packages from /var/cache/apt/archives so I was able to
downgrade all of the packages that had been upgraded, but every one of the
problems except the strange font is still there. (The lines and boxes seem
to be drawn less often, but that could be a matter of perception.) I
thought that part of the problem might be a helix issue or problems with
configuration files in my home directory, so I stopped gdm and created a
new user, then I logged in as the new user and ran startx to get into
WindowMaker, but all of the problems where there too, plus WindowMaker kept
drawing multiple copies of it's menus.
My only theory is that either there was something special in my XF86Config
(which I copied over from Mandrake when I switched to Debian, I do not know
much about making one) or maybe it overwrote a bunch of other configuration
files too, or both. In any case, since it didn't save the old file(s) it
could not restore it(them). (I just deleted my backup copy of my old
Mandrake /etc directory last weekend thinking that if I didn't need it by
now I wasn't going to.)
By the way, when I ran startx here is the output it produced. If anyone can
help me I would REALLY appreciate it.
XFree86 Version 3.3.6 / X Window System
(protocol Version 11, revision 0, vendor release 6300)
Release Date: January 8 2000
If the server is older than 6-12 months, or if your card is newer
than the above date, look for a newer version before reporting
problems. (see http://www.XFree86.Org/FAQ)
Operating System: Linux 2.2.17 i686 [ELF]
Configured drivers:
Mach64: accelerated server for ATI Mach64 graphics adaptors (Patchlevel 1)
(using VT number 8)
XF86Config: /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/XF86Config
(**) stands for supplied, (--) stands for probed/default values
(**) XKB: keymap: "dvorak" (overrides other XKB settings)
(**) Mouse: type: ps/2, device: /dev/psaux, buttons: 3
(**) Mach64: Graphics device ID: "My Video Card"
(**) Mach64: Monitor ID: "My Monitor"
(--) Mach64: Mode "640x480" needs vert refresh rate of 100.02 Hz. Deleted.
(--) Mach64: Mode "800x600" needs hsync freq of 64.02 kHz. Deleted.
(--) Mach64: Mode "1024x768" needs hsync freq of 62.50 kHz. Deleted.
(--) Mach64: Mode "1152x864" needs hsync freq of 62.42 kHz. Deleted.
(--) Mach64: Mode "1280x1024" needs hsync freq of 64.25 kHz. Deleted.
(--) Mach64: Mode "1024x768" needs hsync freq of 70.24 kHz. Deleted.
(--) Mach64: Mode "1152x864" needs hsync freq of 70.88 kHz. Deleted.
(--) Mach64: Mode "1280x1024" needs hsync freq of 74.59 kHz. Deleted.
(--) Mach64: Mode "1600x1200" needs hsync freq of 75.00 kHz. Deleted.
(--) Mach64: Mode "1152x864" needs hsync freq of 76.01 kHz. Deleted.
(--) Mach64: Mode "1280x1024" needs hsync freq of 78.86 kHz. Deleted.
(--) Mach64: Mode "1024x768" needs hsync freq of 80.21 kHz. Deleted.
(--) Mach64: Mode "1280x1024" needs hsync freq of 81.13 kHz. Deleted.
(--) Mach64: Mode "1600x1200" needs hsync freq of 87.50 kHz. Deleted.
(--) Mach64: Mode "1152x864" needs hsync freq of 89.62 kHz. Deleted.
(--) Mach64: Mode "1280x1024" needs hsync freq of 91.15 kHz. Deleted.
(--) Mach64: Mode "1600x1200" needs hsync freq of 93.75 kHz. Deleted.
(--) Mach64: Mode "1600x1200" needs hsync freq of 105.77 kHz. Deleted.
(--) Mach64: Mode "1280x1024" needs hsync freq of 107.16 kHz. Deleted.
(--) Mach64: Mode "1800X1440" needs hsync freq of 96.15 kHz. Deleted.
(--) Mach64: Mode "1800X1440" needs hsync freq of 104.52 kHz. Deleted.
Warning: The directory "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic/" does not exist.
Entry deleted from font path.
Warning: The directory "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/" does not exist.
Entry deleted from font path.
Warning: The directory "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic/" does not exist.
Entry deleted from font path.
Warning: The directory "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/" does not exist.
Entry deleted from font path.
(**) FontPath set to
"/usr/lib/X11/fonts/misc/:unscaled,/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled,/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/,/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo/,/usr/lib/X11/fonts/misc/,/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/"
(--) Mach64: PCI: Mach64 RageII+DVD rev 154, Aperture @ 0xe4000000, Registers @
0xe5001000, Block I/O @ 0x6600
(--) Mach64: Card type: PCI
(--) Mach64: Memory type: SGRAM (1:1) (5)
(--) Mach64: Clock type: Internal
(--) Mach64: Maximum allowed dot-clock: 200.000 MHz
(**) Mach64: Mode "1024x768": mode clock = 75.000
(--) Mach64: Virtual resolution: 1024x768
(**) Mach64: Video RAM: 8192k
(--) Mach64: Using hardware cursor
(--) Mach64: Using 16 MB aperture @ 0xe4000000
(--) Mach64: Using 4 KB register aperture @ 0xe5001000
(--) Mach64: Ramdac is Internal
(--) Mach64: Ramdac speed: 200 MHz
(--) Mach64: Pixmap cache: 2 256x256 slots, 8 128x128 slots, 32 64x64 slots
(--) Mach64: Font cache: 16 fonts
System: `/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xkb/xkbcomp -w 1 -R/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xkb -xkm
-em1 "The XKEYBOARD keymap compiler (xkbcomp) reports:" -emp "> " -eml "Errors
from xkbcomp are not fatal to the X server" keymap/dvorak /var/tmp/dvorak.xkm'
Cannot open "keymap/dvorak" for reading
Couldn't load XKB keymap, falling back to pre-XKB keymap
waiting for X server to shut down
--
Harry Henry Gebel, ICQ# 76308382
West Dover Hundred, Delaware
