Please help!

Ok, I have been beating my head on the desk trying to get X windows to work in my MSNTV2. I am not a noob, but I sure feel like one lately.

What I have done:
Flashed the bios with video support
Patched a 2.6.x kernel with the intelfb-rm4100.patch (obtained from video bios patch zip file)
I can successfully boot with console on the TV output.

I have tried the hacked kernel from http://www.spacechimp.net/rm4100/
and the Intel X drivers (IEGD_5_1)

I copied the X config from http://www.spacechimp.net/rm4100/

My OS is Debian 3.1 w/ XFree86 4.3.0.1
I follwed the IEGD install instructions to the tee

Please help! I can post logs if requested. I will also help author a HOWTO once all the issues are resolved and I can replicate a good working install w/ X running and working.

My Final Goal: A MythTV frontend

hey, Im in the same boat, Im trying to get X11R6.8 working with mine though. it starts, throws a warning, and then the system hangs till it decides to kill X and then starts responding again. Not too sure whats going on, I will post if I find anythign though.

brystro, what does X complain about when u try to start it?

hexablyght, what is the warning message?

Well, using X11R6.8, I followed most of the directions (up till the libGL thing) using the kernel (2.6.12.5) on spacechimp.net I get this error:

(==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf"

(EE) INTEL(0): Can not configure the Intel Driver, err: -1
(EE) Screen(s) found, but none have a usable configuration.

Using the same setup, but my own 2.6.18 kernel, with the intelfb and iegd agp patch applied, I get this:

(==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf"
(WW) INTEL(0): Failed to setup Write-combining range (0xf0000000,0x8000000)

it then hangs, and eventually gives me back control. I would have posted this earlier, but I still wanted to try a few things.

hexablyght, sounds like it could be something in your xorg.conf file.

Linux_junkie, using the xorg.conf posted on spacechimp.net/rm4100 :-\

EDIT: according to some things i have found, its an MTRR problem, proven by removing it from kernel, fails with message saying it cannot access /proc/mtrr, so I guess im going from there.

does /proc/mtrr exsist if you cd there? do you have x starting on startup or do you type startx on the command line?

I run startx from the command line, here is the output:

msntv2:~# startx

X: warning; process set to priority -1 instead of requested priority 0
XFree86 Version 4.3.0.1 (Debian 4.3.0.dfsg.1-14sarge1 20050901212727 fjp@localhost.localdomain)
Release Date: 15 August 2003
X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0, Release 6.6
Build Operating System: Linux 2.6.8-16.0508-2 i686 [ELF]
Build Date: 02 September 2005

This version of XFree86 has been extensively modified by the Debian
Project, and is not supported by the XFree86 Project, Inc., in any
way. Bugs should be reported to the Debian Bug Tracking System; see
<URL: http://www.debian.org/Bugs/Reporting >.

We strongly encourage the use of the "reportbug" package and command
to ensure that bug reports contain as much useful information as
possible.

Before filing a bug report, you may want to consult the Debian X FAQ:
XHTML version: file:///usr/share/doc/xfree86-common/FAQ.xhtml
plain text version: file:///usr/share/doc/xfree86-common/FAQ.gz

Module Loader present
OS Kernel: Linux version 2.6.18 (root@gimli) (gcc version 4.1.1 20060525 (Red Hat 4.1.1-1)) #2 Mon Oct 2 13:31:02 PDT 2006
Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
(++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(==) Log file: "/var/log/XFree86.0.log", Time: Fri Dec 8 18:36:15 2006
(==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/XF86Config-4"
(WW) INTEL: No matching Device section for instance (BusID PCI:0:2:1) found
(WW) INTEL(0): Failed to setup Write-combining range (0xf0000000,0x8000000)

It locks up

brystro, sounds like it can't find a device specified in the XF86Config-4 file.
What ever device is at BusID PCI:0:2:1. You can do a lspci to see what device it is talking about.

Linux_junkie, its the second half of that error message im looking at, and then the hanging, brystro and I are deff in the same boat, and I tested out the MTRR idea by remakeing my kernel without MTRR support, and then it said /proc/mtrr does not exist, it is now back in my kernel, sorry about the confusion.

As for the "Write-combining" error, brystro try doing a

echo "disable=02" >> /proc/mtrr

and see if that helps, I picked that up on the toc2rta IRC channel, after doing it I no longer get that warning, but X still hangs.

If there is confusion on how it hangs, I am SSHed into the box, and running the startx command it goes through the process, and then eventually SSH stops responding, after waiting about 10 minutes I can finally SSH back in, or just restart the box. I do not have a USB keyboard so I cannot test running it from the box itself.

I not sure if x is going to work over an SSH connection. Normally this is just used for a console. You shouldn't need a USB keyboard. The wireless keyboard that came with the unit should work fine shouldn't it. It does for me. What does MTRR do anyways? Did you try a

lspci -l

to see what the device at BusID PCI:0:2:1 is?

It seems to me that your X config file is referencing a driver for a device that does not exist.
This is what is causing this error:

(WW) INTEL(0): Failed to setup Write-combining range (0xf0000000,0x8000000) 

on another machine I can get X to pop up on screen via an SSH connection. I bought three borked ones on ebay with no keyboard, so I dont have a keyboard (they were all hardware defects). I have no idea whats causing that error, but the INTEL driver is there, its the IEGD one, and that error is MTRR related, MTRR is Memory Type Range Register i do believe, no idea what it does, I just know it slows down X if its not in your kernel. and, like i said, thats only a warning, and I know how to bypass it, but X still hangs. Do you know how to get X working without using the IEGD drivers? if so, please do post!!!!

Couldn't you just set it up to use the intel frame buffer intelfb?

I do believe I tried that and it bitched at me...I will give it a another try when I sit down at it later, maybe i just missed something and gave up too soon, I will also get those pictures for you.

I cant seem to get it working....i have no idea what im doing wrong, it either bitches at me about not having a VBIOS, plus another random error depending on the driver, or I get this when I try to use fbdev

(EE) FBDEV(0): FBIOPUT_VSCREENINFO: Invalid argument
(EE) FBDEV(0): Mode init failed

what the hell am I doing wrong??? I have never had this much trouble with X before...