INIT: Id "x" responding too fast

[Pantheus]

I just fsck'd up my system, and come hat in hand hoping for an easy fix.

I was using apt-get / synaptic to lose some old unused kernels, and lost the ability to get into X.

When I re-booted after the cleanup of apt-get it goes through the boot messages as I would have expected, and indicates INIT: entering runlevel 5, but ends with this error:

 
INIT: Id "x" responding too fast: disabled for 5 minutes

This rinses, lathers and repeats for at least the three times I let it run.

I did get into CLI but startx "cannot be found"

To top it off, I can't find the damn RH8 boot disk, but I do have the CDs but from CLI I couldn't start the CD.

I am now in winblowsXP to come to you humbly with hat in hand for help. And it's been long months since I've had to fire up XP.
(and have come close several times of deleting the partition.)

Can anyone bail my sorry ass out?

TIA,

Ken

[Gaenya]

When i had that problem sometime ago it was an error on /etc/inittab, but i cant remember what was the problem, anyways check inittab

[pbharris]

hello ken,
what vid card are you using - i am guessing you removed a kernel that had the device attached to it that also makes X work nicely, this is almost certainly the case if you have an nvidia card.

[Pantheus]

Yes, Paul, I do indeed have a NVidia TNT2, 32 meg, using nv drivers which were recognized by Psyche.

Can you take me to the next level?

Thanks!

Ken

[Tyr_7BE]

you might give the command "xf86config" a shot as root, but for the love of God, BACK UP YOUR OLD CONFIG FILE FIRST! You may regret it if you don't. Rename /etc/X11/XF86Config to something else, then run the aformentioned command. You need to know a little about your machine, but it shouldn't be much of a problem. You can also grab 3d accel drivers off nvidia.com that replace the old nv drivers. Great stuff. You may have to get the second-latest release though...the latest one has been sketchy for most.

[Pantheus]

ok, thanks!
Leaving the working side to go back to RH and try all of this.
I'll be back working or not..but hope with a triumph, one sure is needed.

Thanks!

Ken

[pbharris]

did you ever install the NVidia drivers for that card?

[Pantheus]

No, I didn't ... anaconda recognized that it "needed" nv and installed them.

I've read horror stories (particularly on RH-Psyche list) of using some new NVidia drivers, but didn't pay much attention, as I was working just fine.

I've downloaded 3 drivers and will see what happens, now.

Not sure what XP might have done, but I did change to the NVidia (from ATI) after XP was installed, but I seldom use XP, only when I crash RH, like now.

[Pantheus]

Chit ..

I am using 2.4.18-19.8.0 on i686 kernel, and there wasn't a driver choice for exactly that, highest number being 18-18.8.0 so I what I chose was NVIDIA_kernel-1.00-4191.rh80up.i686.rpm

rpm -i NVIDIA_kernel-1.00-4191.rh80up.i686.rpm

returned:

Can't locate module nvidia
error %post (NVIDIA) scriptlet failed, exit status 1

Helllllppppppppppppppppp, lol

Ken

[Pantheus]

I gave up (temporarily) and went to bed. As with all good thoughts, after the 'lectric blanket got warm, I realized the command should have been:

rpm -Uhv NVIDIA_kernel-1.0-4191.rh80up.i686.rpm

which completed as planned. However .. and there is always a however...

A message that NVIDIA_kernel-1.0-4191.rh80up.i686.rpm was 'already installed'

Wandering around the results of modprobe found path[video] /lib/modules/ but there nothing there about nv or nvidia only a riva and a half dozen others.

Oh, 'ya startx still doesn't work.

So I guess what I need to know is how to "tie" the NVIDIA that is "installed" to the kernel?

Gawd, now I hate winblowsXP for sure, having spent more time in it than since psyche was released!

Help, please.

Ken