After a Stage 3 install, I can't start up KDE

[monkeygirl]

I am new to Gentoo, and pretty much new to Linux. I installed Gentoo successfully using a stage 3 build from the CDs and got everything working. However, after copying Disc 2's to my package folder and running:

emerge -k kde

I couldn't get KDE to start up. I've been using RH for about a year and always typed: startx to get into KDE, but when I type startx in root it says that the command doesn't exist. And when I type startx with my default username it looks as though it's about to open KDE, but then I get a fatal error saying that it can't find my screens. I'm *guessing* a few monkeygirl-stupids that could be causing the problem:

1. I haven't installed a necessary application
2. I haven't created enough appropriate config files (I only edited XF86Config)
3. I've messed up my rc.conf file (displaymanger=xdm xsession=kde-3.1.something)

I've reinstalled RH and copied my XF86Config file, and have been copying all of my computer information that RH has detected. I would like to try to reinstall Gentoo today, if somoene could help me with the KDE process.

Please note that I really don't know how RH makes the startx work and I know nothing about the workings of KDE either, so if you can help me, please dummy your speak down as much as possible, or at least point me to the right manual. I'm switching to Gentoo because I want to learn more about my laptop and linux... RH does everything it's own way which makes it a pain when trying to compile source packages which expect certain standards, and I feel like I've been forced into relying on RPMs or RH upgrades.

I'm guessing this inability to use my laptop now is part of the learning process -_-;;;

[BiggJ]

First, update...

/etc/rc.conf

... last line of the file ...

[ralph]

Hi,
take a look at the gentoo desktop guide, as this should explain what is going on.

http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/desktop.xml
_________________
The computer can't tell you the emotional story. It can give you the exact mathematical design, but what's missing is the eyebrows.
- Frank Zappa

[Darksilence]

Chances are that you typo'd your /etc/X11/XF86Config, go back through it and check, did you specify the correct name for the screen in ServerLayout? if you can't find the error, you might try running "# xf86config" from your root account, it will generate a XF86Config file for you after you go trough a simple set of questions. Or you can edit mine (which is really basic and uncluttered):

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Layout"
Screen "Screen"
InputDevice "Mouse" "CorePointer"
InputDevice "Keyboard" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "dbe"
Load "glx"
Load "dri"
Load "GLcore"

SubSection "extmod"
Option "omit xfree86-dga"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Files"
RgbPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/rgb"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/local/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Keyboard"
Driver "keyboard"
Option "XkbRules" "xfree86"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
Option "XkbModel" "microsoft"
Option "AutoRepeat" "500 30"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Protocol" "IMPS/2"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Card"
Driver "nvidia"
Option "dpms"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor"
HorizSync 31.5 - 82.0
VertRefresh 50 - 100
EndSection


My system is a most likly different from yours, if you used the stage 3 install I'm assuming you used genkernel (I may be wrong) and are running a 2.4 kernel with devfs, so your mouse will most likely be in /dev/mouse (the gentoo default?) instead of /dev/psaux. any chace we can see your XF86Config?

[monkeygirl]

I'm reinstalling Gentoo now with a little more information about computer that I got from RH. I'll post again as soon as the install finishes whether I can get into KDE or not.

[monkeygirl]

# File generated by xf86config.

#
# Copyright (c) 1999 by The XFree86 Project, Inc.
#
# Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a
# copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"),
# to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation
# the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense,
# and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the
# Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
#
# The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
# all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
#
# THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
# IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
# FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL
# THE XFREE86 PROJECT BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY,
# WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF
# OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
# SOFTWARE.
#
# Except as contained in this notice, the name of the XFree86 Project shall
# not be used in advertising or otherwise to promote the sale, use or other
# dealings in this Software without prior written authorization from the
# XFree86 Project.
#

# **********************************************************************
# Refer to the XF86Config(4/5) man page for details about the format of
# this file.
# **********************************************************************

# **********************************************************************
# Module section -- this section is used to specify
# which dynamically loadable modules to load.
# **********************************************************************
#
Section "Module"

# This loads the DBE extension module.

Load "dbe" # Double buffer extension
SubSection "extmod"
Option "omit xfree86-dga" # don't initialise the DGA extension
EndSubSection
Load "type1"
Load "speedo"
# Load "freetype"
# Load "xtt"
# Load "glx"
# Load "dri"

EndSection

# **********************************************************************
# Files section. This allows default font and rgb paths to be set
# **********************************************************************

Section "Files"

RgbPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/rgb"

FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/local/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/"
# FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/TrueType/"
# FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/freefont/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/"

# The module search path. The default path is shown here.

# ModulePath "/usr/X11R6/lib/modules"

EndSection

# **********************************************************************
# Server flags section.
# **********************************************************************

Section "ServerFlags"
EndSection

# **********************************************************************
# Input devices
# **********************************************************************

# **********************************************************************
# Core keyboard's InputDevice section
# **********************************************************************

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Keyboard0"
Driver "Keyboard"
Option "AutoRepeat" "500 30"
Option "XkbRules" "xfree86"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection


# **********************************************************************
# Core Pointer's InputDevice section
# **********************************************************************

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Mouse0"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Protocol" "PS/2"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Mouse1"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Device" "/dev/mouse"
Option "Protocol" "Auto"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

# **********************************************************************
# Monitor section
# **********************************************************************

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "Monitor Vendor"
ModelName "Monitor Model"
HorizSync 31.5 - 48.5
VertRefresh 50-70
Option "dpms"
EndSection

# **********************************************************************
# Graphics device section
# **********************************************************************

Section "Device"
Identifier "ATI Rage Mobility"
Driver "ati"
VendorName "ATI Rage Mobility"
BoardName "ATI Rage Mobility"
EndSection

# **********************************************************************
# Screen sections
# **********************************************************************

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "ATI Rage Mobility"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth 24

Subsection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
EndSection

# **********************************************************************
# ServerLayout sections.
# **********************************************************************

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Simple Layout"
Screen "Screen0"
InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

# Section "DRI"
# Mode 0666
# EndSection


I've got x running fine (although, I still can't startx in root, only in my default username) And set up Firebird 0.7 and am currently posting this while in xwindows.

BTW: HUGE thanks for the link to desktop page. That's the page that helped me get X working although I was building from a binary since I didn't know I could build from source if I didn't have an internet connection.

The kde binary didn't work for me. I entered: emerge -k kde and got it to install but when I rebooted and started back up it said that init files were missing. My rc.conf file is as follows.
So that I could log into x, I commented out the XSESSION var but that is what it is uncommented.


# What display manager do you use ? [ xdm | gdm | kdm | elogin | entrance ]
DISPLAYMANAGER="xdm"

# XSESSION is a new variable to control what window manager to start
# default with X if run with xdm, startx or xinit. The default behavior
# is to look in /etc/X11/Sessions/ and run the script in matching the
# value that XSESSION is set to. The support scripts is smart enouth to
# look in all bin directories if it cant find a match in /etc/X11/Sessions/,
# so setting it to "enligtenment" can also work. This is basically used
# as a way for the system admin to configure a default system wide WM,
# allthough it will work if the user export XSESSION in his .bash_profile, etc.
#
# NOTE: 1) this behaviour is overridden when a ~/.xinitrc exists, and startx
# is called.
# 2) even if a ~/.xsession exist, if XSESSION can be resolved, it will
# be executed rather than ~/.xsession, else KDM breaks ...
#
# Defaults depending on what you install currently include:
#
# Gnome - will start gnome-session
# kde-<version> - will start startkde (ex: kde-3.0.2)
# Xsession - will start a terminal and a few other nice apps

#XSESSION="kde-3.1.3"

Is there anyway to get KDE up? Honestly, I would prefer to wipe out KDE completely and do the emerge from the source and not the binary package... how can I wipe it out completely without having to reformat etc. Please forgive the stupid question, I still in the Alice in GentooLand stage...

Please advise, and if you need more information, please let me know.

[Darksilence]

1)See the bottom line in the rc.conf?
Remove the # and then specify the kde version you have installed. If you are unsure of the version run #emerge -pv kde-base and you should find the version number there. after you do that when you type "startx" it will take you to kde instead of the default xwindows.

2)If you want to start with kdm session manger and not start at a command promt add xdm to your default run level do this By typing "rc-update add xdm default" at the command prompt, and it should boot your computer to the kde session manager.

3)You can install (emerge) a new version of KDE from source without reinstalling and even while running a terminal in KDE run # emerge sync and then #emerge -uD kde. If you really want to clean out the old KDE before doing so (which isn't really necessary) with # emerge -C kde. (if you do make sure that the correct version number is in the rc.conf as mentioned earlier as you will most likely get the most up to date version)