(solved [kind of])KDE 4 - Blank screen upon start up

<3 · Veteran Joined: 21 Oct 2004 Posts: 1081

Not sure if this is a bug or If I have something configured wrong but it seems like half of the time when I try to start KDE 4 I get a solid black screen. The computer isn't frozen though because I can Atl+Ctrl+F1 to get back to the console prompt. I'm wondering if anyone else is experiencing this problem and if so have they been able to resolve this.

NathanZachary · Moderator Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 2605

Have you tested to see if it is a problem with X or with KDE4? When you Alt+CTRL+F1, do you get any error messages?
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“Truth, like infinity, is to be forever approached but never reached.” --Jean Ayres (1972)
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<3 · Veteran Joined: 21 Oct 2004 Posts: 1081

It's got to be a problem with kde 4 because kde 3.5 works fine. Alt+ctrl+f1 gives no errors.

NathanZachary · Moderator Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 2605

Agreed; if KDE 3.x works, then it is a problem with KDE4. What are the contents of ~/.xinitrc ?
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“Truth, like infinity, is to be forever approached but never reached.” --Jean Ayres (1972)
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<3 · Veteran Joined: 21 Oct 2004 Posts: 1081

Here is my ~.xinitrc

NathanZachary · Moderator Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 2605

If you got rid of your .kde4.0/ directory, then you're not able to use KDE4 right? Did you have KDE4 installed parallel to 3.5.x?
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“Truth, like infinity, is to be forever approached but never reached.” --Jean Ayres (1972)
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andriy155 · n00b Joined: 05 Feb 2006 Posts: 65 Location: Kyiv, Ukraine

Thanks, getting rid of kde4.0 helped - a new folder with default settings got created.

MaximeG · l33t Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Posts: 722 Location: Belgium

I have almost the same issue. I don't know if it's really related but ... it looks like so.

I've installed KDE4 , no errors to report, I've launched it and it was ok. (Running well + compiz and other completely useless benchmark thingies)

Once (after a couple days) I've tried to logout but it crashes (KDE Crash handler appeared). And then I got the same behavior as here : blank screen but my computer wasn't frozen because I could hit on ctrl+alt+f1 to get the console.

I've tried to launch X+Tvm : same thing. Not relevant errors to report though in the console, logs ...

I've then found that KDE4 (and Tvm/X/...) is working whether I launch my X server with the "nv" driver and not the "nvidia" one.

So, I've compiled a new kernel, installed again the nvidia.ko module (and few others things) and my system was back to normal. Great.

Then, KDE4 crashed again while logging out (KDE Crash Handler) and yet another I couldn't start X/KDE/Whatever with my "nvidia" module but was perfectly ok with my "nv" module.

This time, switching from nvidia to nv, then back from nv to nvidia fixed the problem. Great.

Then, again, a few days later I got the same problem of crash handler when trying to logoff.
I've tried the module switching again .. but this time it hasn't worked. Crap.

All these tries I've done with root and my user (so I doubt it's as simple as removing the ~/.kde-4.0 folder from my home folder.)

Thanks a lot for any help, because I must admit I'm completely lost here.

MaximeG

andriy155 · n00b Joined: 05 Feb 2006 Posts: 65 Location: Kyiv, Ukraine

Hmm... these kinds of problems stopped for me once I upgraded to the latest version of KDE4 available in the portage. I am getting black screen once in a while (once in a month or so) nevertheless. In this case, I simply reboot. Logging in as root still gives me grief though - when I use KDE4's kdm, the logging in crashes X, but KDE3.5's kdm works well.

MaximeG · l33t Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Posts: 722 Location: Belgium

Hi,

Well, I've upgraded my nvidia-drivers to the latest possible in the tree (soft unmasked the ~x86). And X/kde3.5 started again. I haven't tried to use kde4 yet, and honestly not really into doing it. I think I'll wait kde4.1 before attempting again.

Anyhow it has to be something with KDE4 and nvidia-drivers as it has fucked it up on closure (saving session or something).
I'm blind because of lack of error message and any obvious logical.

I think this slotting kde3.5 and kde4 isn't working good on my machine for collateral reasons. I guess if I'm the only one having this kind of behavior, it shouldn't be that important.

Still I'm all listening if someone has a clue of what's going on.

Thanks a lot,
Maxime