Old System, New Install Isuue

[James Butler]

Magnus Kessler wrote:
> On Tuesday 28 April 2009, James Butler wrote:
>> Hello!
>>
>> Fedora Core 4 (Linux 2.6.17-1)
>> yum install xorg-x11 (v.6.8.2)
>>
>> This is a "headless" dedicated system with FC4 pre-installed by the
>> hosting service. It is one of hundreds in a remote rack. I have no
>> direct access to the system.
>>
>> I have been running and updating this system using the CLI for about 3
>> years, however I now need some sort of X system running if I want to run
>> VisualChat software for my users. Its Java programming requires a
>> windows manager (X) when run on a Linux box.
>>
>> Since I had no X installed on this system, I used yum to install it,
>> seemingly without any issues. All of the dependencies (i.e. xinit) were
>> successfully installed, as well.
>>
>> After installing xorg-x11, I ran "X -configure" to generate a
>> system-specific config file. I am now stuck with the server failing to
>> start and generating no error messages that I can act upon.
>>
>> Executing 'X -config /user/xorg.conf.new', I see this midway through the
>> Xorg.0.log file:
>>
>> ======== Xorg.0.log snippet start ==========
>> (II) I810(0): Display Info: CRT: attached: FALSE, present: FALSE, \
>>   size: (0,0)
>> ...
>> (II) I810(0): Currently active displays on Pipe A:
>> (II) I810(0): 	CRT
>> (==) I810(0): Display is using Pipe A
>> ...
>> (II) I810(0): Will use BIOS call 0x5f05 to set refresh rates for CRTs.
>> ======== log end ==========
>>
>> And then this at the end of the log (when everything halts):
>>
>> ======== Xorg.0.log snippet start ==========
>> ...
>> (WW) I810(0): Successfully set original devices
>> (WW) I810(0): Setting the original video mode instead of restoring \
>>   the saved state
>> (WW) I810(0): Extended BIOS function 0x5f05 failed.
>> (II) I810(0): BIOS call 0x5f05 not supported, setting refresh with \
>>   VBE 3 method.
>> (II) I810(0): xf86UnbindGARTMemory: unbind key 7
>> ...
>> {unbind key 0,1,3,2,4,5,6 follow}
>> ...
>> (WW) I810(0): Successfully set original devices (2)
>> ======== log end ==========
>>
>> boom. It gets no further.
>>
>> So a BIOS failure to call 0x5f05 would seem to indicate a problem
>> getting the (non-existent) monitor to initialize.
>>
>> Is it possible to run X without an attached monitor, mouse or keyboard?
>>
>> Shall I post the full Xorg.0.log and my xorg.conf.new file?
>>
>> I appreciate any guidance.
>>
>> James
> 
> Hi James,
> 
> depending on the exact needs of the Java software you want to install you 
> might be able to do it without an X environment at all.
> 
> Have you tried running Java in headless mode (java -Djava.awt.headless=true) 
> as documented on 
> http://java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/J2SE/Desktop/headless/ ? I 
> presume that you only need a graphical environment during installation and 
> that the software is later used over the web. Some installers I've seen fall 
> back to character output when run in headless mode.
> 
> HTH,
> 
> Magnus
> 

Magnus, headless sounds ideal. Unfortunately, a
java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError gets thrown when I invoke headless with
the current applet. No doubt because the applet is completely unaware of
headless, and would need to be rewritten to use it, at least in parts.
Bummage.

Thank you very much for the suggestion.

James