GroovyArcade LiveCD Xorg Failure

[kingbuzz0]

Hi all,

I am attempting to tryout GM via the liveCD.  I am guessing that either I am doing something wrong or my setup is problematic.   After going through the necessary setup menus, this is the error I see when I attempt to kick off the front end;

Code: [Select]

[  2604.870] (II) Module fb: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[  2604.870] compiled for 1.13.2, module version = 1.0.0
[  2604.870] ABI class: X.Org ANSI C Emulation, version 0.4
[  2604.870] (II) Loading sub module "ramdac"
[  2604.870] (II) LoadModule: "ramdac"
[  2604.870] (II) Module "ramdac" already built-in
[  2604.870] (EE) RADEON(0): No modes.
[  2604.870] (II) UnloadModule: "radeon"
[  2604.870] (II) UnloadSubModule: "fb"
[  2604.870] (II) Unloading fb
[  2604.870] (II) UnloadSubModule: "exa"
[  2604.870] (II) Unloading exa
[  2604.870] (EE) Screen(s) found, but none have a usable configuration.
[  2604.871]
Fatal server error:
[  2604.871] no screens found
[  2604.871] (EE)

Full log can be downloaded here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxfaMSQrA3iQWnNubUQzU0lkMFU/edit?usp=sharing

Important bits about my hardware;
ArcadeVGA 5000
WG 25k7000
Asus P5N7A-VM (with on board Nvidia disabled)

It might be interesting to mention that I have Mame running with this setup in Win7.  Any help pointing me in the right direction will be much appreciated.

-Rob

[ves]

Hello kingbuzz0.

Which monitor is selected? Which version GA are you using? Could you test beta version?
Error shows Xorg, screen is not able to use,this error is usually caused when incorrect output video.
Could send these files?

All files /var/log/
xorg.conf /etc/X11/
GAdrm.log , command dmesg | grep drm >> GAdrm.log

[kingbuzz0]

Hi Ves

Hello kingbuzz0.

Which monitor is selected?

Wells Gardner K7000

Which version GA are you using?

GroovyArcade-Arch2013.02.24-x86_64

Could you test beta version?

Sure, send me the path and I will give it a shot.

Error shows Xorg, screen is not able to use,this error is usually caused when incorrect output video.
Could send these files?

All files /var/log/
xorg.conf /etc/X11/
GAdrm.log , command dmesg | grep drm >> GAdrm.log

Ok will pass these along.  Provide via email or other? 

I am running off of the live USB for now. If that is important.

[kingbuzz0]

Requested files attached

[ves]

Hello kingbuzz0.
You have not sent the file xorg.conf, could you send this file?
Are you using a vga0 output, right?
Have you tried to configure another type of monitor?

[kingbuzz0]

Hello kingbuzz0.
You have not sent the file xorg.conf, could you send this file?
Are you using a vga0 output, right?
Have you tried to configure another type of monitor?

Crap, I thought I included it.  See attached now.
I am using the VGA output which I thought mapped to VGA-1?  I have not tried to configure for another type of monitor.  Any you would recommend? 

Thanks, Rob

[Calamity]

Hi kingbuzz0,

As Ves pointed, you haven't configured the monitor type. This step is necessary. Otherwise the default modeline is not added to xorg.conf, as your file shows. Just run the Video Setup y GAsetup and select a monitor type (try Generic 15 kHz or WG K7000 in your case).

[kingbuzz0]

Interesting.  I did select the monitor type from the menu (more than once if IIRC).  Can you paste the code that I would expect to see in the conf file if WG 7000 was properly set?

Thanks,
-Rob

[Calamity]

Hi kingbuzz0,

Ves has confirmed that there was a segmentation fault affecting the k7000 preset, that's why it wasn't adding the modeline correctly.

I've attached a new version that contains the fix. Only the 64-bit binary is in there. If you're using the 64-bit version of GA, you can copy the switchres binary to the proper folder, and it will work.

[kingbuzz0]

great.  I will give it a try.  Thanks

-Rob

[kingbuzz0]

Would you (or somebody) mind explaining which parts of which log files shows that 1) the monitor type wasn't being  set and 2) that a segfault occured?

I am completely new to this, but would like to learn the details.

Thanks,
Rob

[Calamity]

We just run the old Switchres app with the --monitor k7000 option set and it gave an error message and a segfault. Then by looking in the monitor.c file it was obvious that the k7000 definition was wrong (some values missing). This was an old error that had already got fixed in GM, which shares code with Switchres.

Now when you run the GA monitor selection script with the new Switchres in its place, have a look inside xorg.conf, and by the end there'll be a section containing a modeline, that now is missing.

[kingbuzz0]

Ok, but shouldn't I expect to see that same error pop out somewhere?  Is it suppressed through the gui and not logged?

-Rob

[Calamity]

You'd see it if you run the command from a terminal. But launching it from GA hides most things.

[kingbuzz0]

Got it.  The good news (for me at least) this means that I did nothing wrong, and I did not miss any obvious errors explaining what went wrong

So a a bit of a related question; what is the correct way to update all the GM parts from an initial GA installation?

-Rob

[kingbuzz0]

No joy.

I replaced the switchres binary, selected k7000 (and a few others), reloaded the system and still get the screen error.

[Calamity]

What about the xorg.conf file? Do you see a modeline in it?

[kingbuzz0]

 /etc/X11/xorg.conf did not change from the previous one that I uploaded.

[kingbuzz0]

Ok, I looked into it a bit more and the new switchres binary doesn't look like it runs.  When I try manually it core dumps.   When I try to run the older version it executes fine.   I tried to build a new switchres from the source you provided, but make complains about allowed permissions when it tries to touch the version.sh file.    I am useful to a point in linux, and I think this is that point

-Rob

[Calamity]

In order to compile, run: sudo make

[kingbuzz0]

right, sudo make fails in the way I described.  I double checked file permissions and all looks fine.    I have to step away from the project for a bit, so will post a screen grab in a couple weeks.

[Calamity]

Sounds like you need to move the source folder to some compiling-friendly place like /home/arcade.

[ves]

Howto compile Switchres

chmod +x version.sh
make clean
make
chmod +x switchres
cp switchres /usr/local/bin/

[kingbuzz0]

Aha!  Success (mostly).  I did not have version.sh set as executable, just r/w (still not sure why that is).  It compiled correctly and the binary looks like it runs proper.  I am still not sure why the binary provided did not work.  Was it compiled for 32bit by accident?

I went through the display setting, set to k7000 and tried to run the front end.  The result was slightly better.  Now instead of an xorg error, I get a completely blank screen.     Like I said, I will not be able to debug further for a couple of weeks.   Feel free to offer suggestion or explanations what a blank screen means and I will update when I am back to it.

Thanks for the help so far.
-Rob

[Calamity]

Now instead of an xorg error, I get a completely blank screen.

Ok, so you solved problem #1, now you need to solve problem #2. A black screen in xorg means it is probably pointing to the wrong output. A new log at this stage would be informative.

[kingbuzz0]

Ok, had a go at it again and now have things running as they should.   When I was stuck with my original problem (k7000 issue with the included switchres version) I must have messed with a bunch of other settings in desperation.  My last report of the full black screen was from GA attempting to load a different front end that I had selected at some point.  Sometimes it would crash and drop me back to the linux window manager.   After I figured that out and set it back to the default front end (from within a terminal out of the front end), I could run the sample games, but the refresh and resolution were sub optimal and looked terrible.  I finally went back to the base liveCD, chose generic 15.7kHz arcade monitor (avoiding my original issue) and it loaded up exactly as expected and the sample games looked great.   

So my next steps will be
1) redo the USB install to replicate results on the liveCD
2) update switchres and replicate with k7000 settings
3) Update to latest version of GroovyArcade (need advice on best way to do this)
4) Try with a few of my ROMs
5) If all goes well to this point, then will dump my Win7 setup and install on the main HDD
6) Settle on a better front end and spend the rest of my days destroying all who challenge me at SFII

Thanks again for all of the help.
Rob

[Calamity]

Ok, had a go at it again and now have things running as they should. 

Thanks for reporting this back. Good luck!