[Cialug] debian605+gdm3

[Paul Gray]

On 09/03/2012 12:37 PM, Nicolai wrote:
> On Mon, Sep 03, 2012 at 08:44:16AM -0700, Dan Hockey wrote:
>> I just installed Debian 6.0.5 32bit DVD on an old dell-everything seems
>> to go fine 'til it gets togdm3 is the last I see flash on the screen
>> before the computer locks up.
>
>> what do I do next?
>
> I've been in the same shoes... this year I've installed all 4 of the
> BSDs plus Debian GNU/Linux, on multiple machines, and found Debian to be
> the only one to lock up for whatever reason.
>
> Debian has IIRC options for graphical install and text install.  Choose
> the other option and try the install again.  That's what I did.
>
> Let us know if that works or not.

If you wanted to try to explore the root cause...(which you might end up 
doing after reinstalling in text mode anyway):

Enter into init level 1, "recovery mode" or whatever mechanism you used 
earlier to get into a console.  You can also use "init=/bin/sh" as an 
added argument to the grub kernel line (but then issue "mount -o 
remount,rw /" after you're dropped to a shell).

Then, issue:

   cp /etc/X11/default-display-manager{,-bak}
   cp /dev/null /etc/X11/default-display-manager
   mv /etc/X11/xorg.conf{,-bak} # it might not exist...

Reboot.  The system should come up normally but without X.  Log in as root.

Issue "Xorg -configure" and look at the resulting xorg.conf.new that's 
produced.  Does the driver match (intel vs. nv vs. nvidia vs. ...)?  Is 
it displaying to the HDMI output by default instead of the VGA?  etc.

Take a look at /var/log/Xorg.0.log for indications of previous problems, 
too.
-- 
Paul Gray                                         -o)
314 East Gym, Dept. of Computer Science           /\\
University of Northern Iowa                      _\_V
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