(Linux) More than one X Session with ATI Catalyst™ Proprietary Display Driver

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1

I would like to start another x session but I can't do it anymore, since I installed the Proprietary ATI Drivers. Apparently it seems to be were the problem is coming from.

Does anyone know how I can have another x session running on ctrl+alt+f1 ?

I have tried startx -- :1

And I get an error:

Backtrace:
0: X(xorg_backtrace+0x26) [0x4f00c6]
1: X(xf86SigHandler+0x41) [0x4852c1]
2: /lib/libc.so.6 [0x7feb3caf5530]
3: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers//fglrx_drv.so(Phw770_ProgramMemoryTimingParameters+0x81) [0x7feb3b152f21]
4: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers//fglrx_drv.so [0x7feb3b1572a8]
5: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers//fglrx_drv.so(PHM_DispatchTable+0xf0) [0x7feb3b124df0]
6: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers//fglrx_drv.so(PHM_SetPowerStateDeferrable+0x3b) [0x7feb3b1234bb]
7: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers//fglrx_drv.so [0x7feb3b166a88]
8: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers//fglrx_drv.so(PSM_AdjustPowerState+0x248) [0x7feb3b165fb8]
9: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers//fglrx_drv.so(PEM_Task_AdjustPowerState+0x1f) [0x7feb3b14762f]
10: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers//fglrx_drv.so(PEM_ExcuteEventChain+0x64) [0x7feb3b145ee4]
11: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers//fglrx_drv.so(PEM_HandleEvent_Unlocked+0x23) [0x7feb3b144583]
12: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers//fglrx_drv.so(PEM_HandleEvent+0x25) [0x7feb3b144635]
13: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers//fglrx_drv.so(PEM_Initialize+0x187) [0x7feb3b1448c7]
14: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers//fglrx_drv.so [0x7feb3b121c62]
15: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers//fglrx_drv.so(PP_Initialize+0x28) [0x7feb3b121848]
16: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers//fglrx_drv.so(swlPPLibInitializePowerPlay+0x90) [0x7feb3b0e93d0]
17: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers//fglrx_drv.so(atiddxPPLibInit+0x3f) [0x7feb3b0ac72f]
18: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers//fglrx_drv.so [0x7feb3b0ef345]
19: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers//fglrx_drv.so [0x7feb3b0ed6ef]
20: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers//fglrx_drv.so(atiddxDisplayMapAddNode+0xbb) [0x7feb3b0ed85b]
21: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers//fglrx_drv.so(atiddxDisplayAdaptorCreate+0x9a) [0x7feb3b0ee35a]
22: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers//fglrx_drv.so(atiddxDisplayPreInit+0x35d) [0x7feb3b0ec74d]
23: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers//fglrx_drv.so(atiddxPreInit+0xe52) [0x7feb3b0ad5b2]
24: X(InitOutput+0x507) [0x46f017]
25: X(main+0x1fe) [0x433ece]
26: /lib/libc.so.6(__libc_start_main+0xfd) [0x7feb3cae0abd]
27: X [0x433509]
Saw signal 8.  Server aborting.
 ddxSigGiveUp: Closing log
 ddxSigGiveUp: re-raising 8
giving up.
xinit:  Connection refused (errno 111):  unable to connect to X server
xinit:  No such process (errno 3):  Server error.

Anyone knows how I solve that?

I want to start an x application using another session/user for some reasons, but this is blocking me

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xinit/+bug/489800

mnml

Posted 2009-12-30T09:06:10.637

Reputation: 1 391

1We know VTs1-6 are text consoles, and you've mentioned 7-9; that still leaves 10-12 that should be free.

I assume you've tried startx -- :1 and it's giving you some error message - could you tell us more about what you're seeing? – James Polley – 2009-12-30T09:35:57.973

unfortunately I have no clue what they did, but F10 F11 F12 are locked it seems. I don't see any ttyl or what ever its called when I switch to it. – mnml – 2009-12-30T09:58:28.457

I ran this on my Karmic machine; I can get a second X session started on anything from F9 or above as root; but as a normal user, I get complaints from DBUS about the fact that I don't have permissions to own the (from memory) x.org.freedesktop service. These show up on the tty where I ran startx though - nothing happens on the TTY where X would be starting, if it were going to start. – James Polley – 2009-12-30T10:02:48.403

I just tried or two computers, one is a fresh install of karmic, and another one is an upgrade of previous ubuntu releases. All I get is some logs on F8, and a blackscreen on F9 F10 F11 F12. – mnml – 2009-12-30T10:06:48.380

Did you try running startx as root (ie, sudo startx -- :1)? That 'works' for me, for values of 'works' that include 'Starts an X session as root, without ever running GDM, so no user other than root can be logged in' - but at least it shows that there's nothing preventing F9 from being used – James Polley – 2009-12-30T10:25:56.937

Do you need to have a full gnome session, or would it be sufficient to have just a bare X server that you can run one or two apps in? – James Polley – 2010-01-02T12:43:02.093

I just need X to run one app ;) – mnml – 2010-01-02T14:43:36.117

Can't you use open source ATI drivers or the vesa driver? – alfplayer – 2010-01-06T22:06:42.410

I just switcher from karmic to jaunty, and I was able to start another X server until I installed my Proprietary ATI Drivers. Apparently it seems to be were the problem is coming from. Would the Open Source ATI drivers decrease my performances @alfplayer ? – mnml – 2010-01-07T00:09:50.010

The vesa driver is used if you don't install any. I don't know about performance between ATI drivers. The difference may be unnoticeable for simple apps. Stability is often the first thing to worry about video card drivers (video card driver support is not the best). You may have issues on some cases like games. – alfplayer – 2010-01-07T17:58:56.127

@mnmi - please update your question with some of the details from your comments. – pcapademic – 2010-01-07T18:37:27.140

@EricJLN done ;=) – mnml – 2010-01-08T11:06:22.907

Answers

2

Why not replace gdm with xdm or kdm?

CarlF

Posted 2009-12-30T09:06:10.637

Reputation: 8 576

Well, that could be a solution but apparently I can't seems to be able to open more than one x-session at the same time. – mnml – 2010-01-04T09:52:36.850

3

If you don't really need a totally different X session but could go along with a nested one, try Xnest:

Xnest is an X Window System server that shows its output in a window. In other words, Xnest opens a window that works like another screen in which the user can open windows, etc.

once you're inside you can open a terminal, avoid the whole gdm issue and just get the application started. With the plus benefit of not having to ctrl-alt-Fx every time, the monitor flickering, etc.

lorenzog

Posted 2009-12-30T09:06:10.637

Reputation: 1 962

2

Urgh, This has led me to discover a world of yuck that I wish I remained ignorant of.

In short, it seems that GDM has been rewritten, and support for running >1 instance of GDM on the same machine has been taken out.

The GDM list has several threads on the work being done to get GDM working again, as well as pointers to in-development sources that have some of the work already done. There's a (closed, because it's an upstream issue) Ubuntu bug as well

So, if multiple GDMs is what you want, you may have to do some work..

James Polley

Posted 2009-12-30T09:06:10.637

Reputation: 5 892

yeah I don't understand where they are going upgrading their softwares with regressions. Thats like the worse thing they can do imo. – mnml – 2009-12-30T09:56:22.440

1

You can't start another X-Session on the same tty, they are associated with each other:

  • F1 -> F7
  • F2 -> F8
  • ...
  • F6 -> F12

But, you could use the User-Applet, and start another session with another account, preserving all logged in users etc.

Bobby

Posted 2009-12-30T09:06:10.637

Reputation: 8 534

I use the indicator-applet-session (i.e., the user applet) to log on a second x session all the time - whenever I need to quick look up a web page, but my SO is already logged on. – pcapademic – 2010-01-05T10:05:39.673

Asked: 2009-12-30T09:06:10.637

Viewed: 1 035 times

Active: 2010-01-08T11:06:02.220