KDE video problem (was Re: kdm missing)

[Richard B. Pyne]

On 2/21/2010 5:57 PM, Zbigniew Luszpinski wrote:
>>    Thank you. That solved that problem, but now when I log in to kde, it
>> starts the login in process and then resets back to the login screen.
>> After I have tried once to login through KDE, I cannot get back to a
>> text console screen, when I try, it looks like it tries, but the video
>> mode won't reset back to text.
>>
>> The computer is a Dell 9400 laptop with the ATI Mobility Radeon X1400
>> video controller, I have the xf86-video-ati driver installed.
>>
>> Again, any help will be greatly appreciated.
>>      
> Do you have the same problem when you use vesa driver instead of ati?
> Do you have the same problem when you log in as root?
> Do you see any error before reset back to login screen?
> When you can not get back to text console can you use Ctrl+Alt+<- (backspace) keys to close/restart X?
> Can you use Ctrl+Alt+F1-6 keys to switch to text mode?
> Can you send me PM /var/log/Xorg.0.log file?
>
> Try this:
> 1. Make backup of /usr/lib/X11/xinit/xinitrc file,
> 2. Open this file in text editor,
> 3. Go to the end of file,
> Change end of file to look like this:
> # start some nice programs
> /opt/lunar/kde/4/bin/startkde
> #twm&
> #xclock -geometry 50x50-1+1&
> #xterm -geometry 80x50+494+51&
> #xterm -geometry 80x20+494-0&
> #exec xterm -geometry 80x66+0+0 -name login
>
> 4. Save changes,
> 5. Login to text mode (any user) and use command:
> 6. startx
> Let me know the results.
>
>    
I don't know off the top of my head how to configure to use the vesa 
driver, so that test will take a while.

The problem is the same whether I log in as root os a regular user.

Now error is displayed before it resets back to the login screen

When I use Ctrl+Alt+F1, it actually does switch back to a text console 
and responds to keyboard commands, it just doesn't reset the video so I 
can see the text screen.

After making your suggested edit to the xinitrc, kde starts up to the 
point where the disk drive icon fades in and then it freezes. The only 
thing I can do from there is power cycle.

It was working fine with the xf86-video-ati driver before I updated KDE.

Thank you again for your help.

--Richard