libera/#devuan/ Monday, 2025-05-26

papaMy continuing adventures trying to install Daedalus 5.0 on an old Core i7 desktop PC ...06:18
papaI have tried installing from both Live Desktop and Netinstall DVDs, tried installing with all but absolutely essential USB devices removed, but the problem remains the same. Install completes normally, first boot starts fine, but when the logon manager starts I get a featureless solid blue screen. With the Live Desktop I get the default desktop06:25
papawallpaper, but no Xfce widgets and only a small context menu (right-click) with "Create Launcher...", "Open Terminal Here", and a few other choices.06:25
freaxeh__you should be installing 5.0.106:27
papaI believe the problem is that Devuan is displaying the X desktop larger than my display, so all the Xfce widgets are there, but off the edge of my physical screen.06:27
papaIt is 5.0.1.06:28
gnarfacepapa: the blue screen seems weird, but if the screen is rendering the wrong size that should be easy to fix with a static xorg.conf06:28
gnarfacei still wonder if maybe you're just missing some critical driver/firmware/mesa package, though that doesn't sound like the type of hardware that typically needed such things06:29
papaThe normal X video mode switching Ctrl-Alt-Num+/Num- don't work.06:29
gnarfacei honestly don't know if it should still be expected to in your case06:29
gnarfaceyou need to create an xorg.conf that has your desired resolutions and refresh ranges all dialed in manually06:30
papaI think the blue screen might be the logon manager with the user input box pushed off the edge of the display.06:30
gnarfacehmm, you could try changing login managers....06:30
gnarfacedid you ever try setting your resolution statically in grub?06:30
gnarfacei mean after instasll06:31
gnarface*install06:31
gnarfacei think you tried that on the live iso but i don't recall hearing if you put it in the installed version, that might be the simplest fix, otherwise it's time for you to create an xorg.conf06:31
papaNo, because the display is fine through the boot process until the login manager. The grub video parameter only affects the display before X starts, doesn't it?06:32
gnarfaceno, that's old news; since the 'modesetting' driver became the default for intel video, it's expected to inherit that value all the way through the kernel console right into X06:32
gnarface - when everything's working right, anyway06:33
gnarface(of course, when everything's working right you shouldn't even have to set it, but any number of display or connectivity hardware compatibility problems might cause this)06:33
gnarfacewell, you can skip it and go right to xorg.conf if you want, i was just trying to suggest the easiest possible solution first06:35
papaHow do I give the parameter to grub?06:35
gnarfacethere's a config file at /etc/default/grub06:35
gnarfacesee if it has this line uncommented first: GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX="keep"06:36
papaOh, so it's not something I can just punch in at boot time?06:36
gnarfaceand if it has this line, make sure it is commented: GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="nomodeset"06:36
gnarfaceuh... there might be a format to punch this in at boot time actually, but i forget exactly06:36
gnarfacethere should be comments in that file and it shouldn't be hard to find documentation about it06:37
gnarfaceit's all pretty distro-agnostic grub basics06:37
papaIn /etc/default/grub there is no line with GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX. GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX is not commented-out, but set to "". GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT is set to "quiet".06:44
papaThere is a commented line #GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480. I think I should try uncommenting that.06:45
gnarfacepapa: yea, try it, and also remove "quiet"06:47
gnarface(just so you can see what's actually going on)06:47
papaRebooting...06:48
gnarfaceoh, and i forget for sure, but i think you may have to run "update-grub" as root after editing that file06:48
gnarfacebut if it auto-detected right at boot, like you said, then the resolution just went whacky sometime after that on its way to handing off to X, then you might merely have had to add the line GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX="keep" and nothing else06:49
papaOK. Reboot results were same as before.06:49
gnarfaceyea, try GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX="keep"06:50
gnarfaceand this time make sure to "update-grub" once just for good measure06:50
gnarfaceyou said the grub menu comes up at the right resolution, right?06:50
gnarfacewithout quiet now, can you see if the boot text console after grub is the same resolution or does it change visibly to something whack?06:51
papaRebooting...06:53
papaThe GRUB menu and first boot messages were displayed at 640x480, then the console output switched to a higher resolution (same as Devuan does on my normally working laptop, and the same as it has on previous boot of Devuan on the desktop). Login manager results in same solid blue screen.06:57
papaI know that it is the login manager because if I press Tab, type my login, Enter, then my password, my Xfce session starts.06:58
gnarfacehmm,... is that login manager in question "slim" by any chance? if so, one shot in the dark we can try is to just switch it with lightdm, because in the past i've known slim to have many more compatibility problems. it's a bad default, tbh06:58
papaThe Xfce session is also unchanged. Desktop wallpaper, context menu, and nothing else visible.06:59
gnarfaceyea, and we didn't get any errors in the Xorg log, right? so maybe it's just off the screen like you hypothesized06:59
papaIt's slim if that's the default on the Netinstall DVD.06:59
gnarfacei think so06:59
gnarfacetry lightdm06:59
gnarfaceor just disable it and try with startx07:00
gnarface - brb07:00
gnarface(it's starting to sound like the xorg.conf is your only hope though)07:01
papaHow do I disable slim07:03
papa?07:03
papaEnter "exit" as login.07:15
papaUsing startx has the same result. If hacking xorg.conf is my next move, is there an example somewhere of safe settings that will work anywhere?07:22
gnarfacepapa: yes, but the real thing you need is specific values from the display manual provided by the manufacturer07:28
papaHeh. Wish me luck. I'm using a no-name TV my daughter gave me when she upgraded.07:30
gnarfaceyou need specific values for HorizSync and VertRefresh in the appropriate "Monitor" section that match your display hardware specifically07:31
gnarfacepapa: find the fcc id, you should be able to look them up on some site...07:31
gnarface(if all else fails)07:32
gnarfacesometimes 3rd party sites list this information, it's hard to say how trustworthy those are though07:33
papaOh, the manual is on-line.07:34
gnarfaceso, once you have that set and an appropriate "Screen" section with a list of Modes you know it can support (resolutions) it should work07:34
gnarface... assuming you got the rest of the base xorg.conf07:34
gnarfacewell, you don't have to necessarily provide the whole thing anymore i guess, there's a minimum subset of stanzas... it might just be those two i think..07:38
gnarfacemaybe device07:38
gnarfaceoh... btw there's a driver just called "intel" you can use instead of the modesetting one, you can change that in this xorg.conf too for testing, but even intel says to use the default modesetting driver so i'd try to make that work this way first07:39
gnarfacehmm... maybe see what "X -configure" gives you for a default xorg.conf, it might be obvious what to change from there07:43
papaThere is no /etc/X11/xorg.conf or any files in /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d in the installed Devuan system. Is that normal? Where does xorg get default monitor properties, etc.?08:26
rwppapa, It is normal not to need an xorg.conf for some time now.  Probably ten years!  You won't need one normally.08:38
rwpFor almost all combinations everything is deduced dynamically and automatically.08:38
papaExcept when it isn't. :(08:39
rwpHonestly in the cases where it is not deduced it might be better to change out that ancient hardware so that can.  It's just easier.08:41
rwppapa, I read through the scrollback buffer.  Regarding GRUB I might suggest setting in /etc/default/grub and then update-grub GRUB_TERMINAL=console so that you don't get a graphical screen at that point.  Assuming it is legacy booting grub-pc and not UEFI booting.  But liking you are booting legacy bios.08:46
rwpI also suggest setting GRUB_DISABLE_SUBMENU=y so that all of the kernels are just listed normally.  That's just a strong personal preference of mine.08:46
rwpAnd then since the graphics is not starting up I might suggest not starting slim nor lightdm either and just logging into the text console and _then_ starting X manually.  That will display X errors more easily.  Just run "startx" at that time.08:47
papaHave tried that. No significant X errors.08:48
rwpThat's normal for me because a while back the xdm's (slim, lightdm) were unstable on my hardware and so now it's just normal for me to log into the vt console and then start up X manually.  I use a .xinitrc file and I start X with xinit but startx provides a default system xinitrc if you don't have one.08:49
papaI wouldn't mind losing the display manager. But the problem is the inches of desktop that's getting cut off the left side of my display.08:50
papa... in my X session.08:50
rwpWhat graphics adaptor do you have in your system?  (lspci | grep VGA)08:51
rwpYou might pastebin your /var/log/Xorg.0.log file too and then perhaps someone will see something in there that is a clue.08:52
papaI've just tried live media with Slackware-based Porteus and Debian-based antiX. Porteus looks fine, but antiX looks like it's cutting off the left side like Devuan. Maybe it's a Debian thing.08:53
papaGraphics adaptor is Intel IvyBridge GT208:53
rwpAlso if you get X up enough to run then the output of "xrandr" might be a clue too.08:53
papaI pasted my Xorg.0.log a couple of days ago. No one on then saw anything amiss.08:54
rwpSounds like a very weird problem!08:55
rwppapa, You have installed xserver-xorg-video-intel for the Intel drivers?08:56
rwpThat should be automatically installed.  But...08:57
papaNot unless the Netinstall DVD does it automatically.08:57
papaWill boot Devuan and check.08:58
rwpSo all of my Thinkpads and NUC boxes have Intel graphics and I never do anything special to make the graphics work.  They always just work.  My desktop is using AMD graphics and I must install firmware-amd-graphics for it.08:58
rwpAfter booting look at the "dmesg" output and see if the kernel is asking for firmware that is not installed and available?09:00
papaMy monitor's spec is 1366x768 pixels, but xrandr says 1920x1080 is selected.09:03
rwpHmm...  You might try overriding that.  I have to do that on one of my systems to get the 4K display down to something my old eyes can see.09:04
rwpTry: xrandr --output eDP-1 --mode 1366x76809:05
rwpAssuming that your output display is eDP-1, adjust that as needed.  And maybe the --output is not needed at all.09:05
papaSo use the name indicated in the original xrandr output?09:06
rwpJust checked and --mode requires to be after a --output so you will need to know your output device and use it there.09:06
rwpBut if that works then it should sync your display size up with your monitor size and all will be well.  If that works then put that command in your ~/.xsessionrc file (for Xfce and other Desktop Environment use) and it should always do that at start after that point.09:07
rwpThe ~/.xsessionrc file is the normal user configuration override file for Desktop Environments.09:07
papaThat changed my resolution, but there is still an area of my desktop beyond the left side of my display, and no Xfce widgets are visible.09:08
rwpXfce widgets should be available top and bottom.09:08
gnarfacepapa: i just remembered something, there might actually be some intel hardware that needs something from a non-free-firmware package, but i forget the name of the package09:09
rwpThey can be configured to be along the side but last I know they still default to top and bottom.09:09
gnarface(it might be failing over to software mode and maybe that's why auto-detect actually fails)09:09
rwpI have a vague memory like gnarface too that you might need a non-free firmware package.09:09
gnarfacealmost all the intel hardware doesn't need it but there was something...09:10
papaEven dialing the resolution down to 640x480, the display shows in the middle of the monitor with thick black margins on all sides, but there is still a portion of the desktop on the left that's invisible.09:10
rwpIntel bought a company that made graphics and that company's graphics adaptors were proprietary and non-free.  But they moved away from them after that.  So it's only a few of them that need it.09:10
gnarfacepapa: these are LCDs, not CRTs, right?09:11
papaLCD09:11
papaWill I get those drivers if I install xserver-xorg-video-intel?09:11
gnarfacethey don't have a "auto" feature like some of the early ones do?09:12
gnarfaceno, xserver-xorg-video-intel is the open source one and you should have it installed by default09:12
gnarfacei'm wondering if it was just something like "firmware-linux-nonfree"09:12
rwpAn Intel page says to use this to identify their graphics cards: lspci -k | grep -EA3 'VGA|3D|Display'09:13
gnarfacepapa: also note that as of current stable, all such driver packages have moved from "non-free" to the new section "non-free-firmware" (though non-free still exists for other stuff)09:15
rwpMy Thinkpads all say they are using the i915 driver on my machines.09:15
papaSame driver lspci reports for mine.09:16
rwpI had xserver-xorg-video-intel automatically installed on my machine.09:17
papaFrom the shell, how do I find and install the necessary non-free firmware?09:17
rwpEnsure that non-free-firmware exists configured in /etc/apt/sources.list and then "apt-get update" and then "apt-get install xserver-xorg-video-intel"09:17
papaafk09:18
rwpIt's a strange problem.  Good luck!09:19
gnarfacepapa: i still think the relevant parts of a xorg.conf would fix this, because the problem as you describe could absolutely happen with expected xorg behavior if auto-detect detected 1920x1080 as the actual max resolution when the display only actually does something lower09:22
gnarfacethat said, (and i'm sure the channel logs will back me up here) this problem has been caused by missing firmware for maybe one or two intel video users in the past09:23
gnarfacei think it really might have just been the firmware-linux-nonfree package09:24
gnarfacepapa: and here's a sources.list for you: https://paste.debian.net/1376623/09:25
rwpI agree about installing all of the firmware packages as needed.  That might solve the problem.09:25
gnarfacetrying to search up a better clue about the package name but i'm not finding it, and i'm sure this fundamental struggle has been logged before too...09:26
gnarfacehmm, yea working right on other machines strongly indicates a kernel version or firmware issue...10:41
gnarfaceer other distros, rather10:41
tairyuwhat's going on? almost all failing mirrors, see https://veritas.devuan.org/apt-panopticon/results/Report-web.html13:00
tairyuafaik since saturday/sunday :(13:02
onefangAh, I gotta manually update one of the test file versions.13:03
onefangtairyu: All good now.  Thanks for letting me know, I wasn't gonna look at it again until tomorrow.13:11
tairyuok, thank you :)13:36
letherlickhttps://youtu.be/3aGi1UOhOFI13:45
gnarfacepapa: if firmware-linux-nonfree doesn't do it, try firmware-misc-nonfree15:01
tairyuonefang: doing "apt-get update" I'm get "Cartificate verification failed: The certificate is NOT trusted. The name in the certificate does not match the expected."; also for mirrors marked OK in apt-panoticon (for instance: mirror.arkadam.net espejito.fder.edu.uy ). I'll continue trying, maybe it's a cache issue?15:02
tairyu(sorry for the previous typos), BTW I'm using daedalus/amd6415:09
tairyuonefang: sorry, my fault I left the "s" iin https://deb.devuan.org, all is ok15:10
gnarfacepapa: got a couple more packages for you to try: firmware-intel-graphics, firmware-intel-misc, firmware-intel-sound17:07
gnarface(the last one is just in case you've got audio problems too)17:08
papagnarface Will try them tomorrow.17:26
papaGoodnight.17:26

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