Screen found, but none have a useable configuration.

[The Insomniacs Dream]

Screen found, but none have a useable configuration

Fatal server error:
no screens found

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
this is the error message im getting. how do i fix it and get x running? (im using debian)

[GeekDog]

What did you do before the message started appearing?

The problem is most likely that your xorg.conf or XFree86.conf (don't know which Debian uses) has been changed. Press ctrl-alt-F2 to get a console window, login as root and type "init 3" to get into non-graphical mode. If your xorg.conf (or whatever it's called) has been changed, try backing up the current version, and then look for another file with the same name but with an extra ~ character on the end. This should be a temporary file that contains the unmodified version of the file. Rename it back to the original name (i.e. remove the ~) (making sure you've backed up the new version first!), and then try restarting the X server by typing "init 5", or rebooting.

If you still get errors, you'll have to edit your xorg.conf back to a working version. Without knowing your setup it's impossible to say what this should be. Search the net - the forums on LinuxQuestions.org are good and have a search feature, as well as a Debian specific forum.

Hope that helps a bit.

[The Insomniacs Dream]

changed to gentoo....debian is a little over my head. Any other reccomended distros?

[Bugdude]

You switched to Gentoo because Debian was over you head?!

I suggest you look into Fedora, Mandrake or Knoppix.

I'm personally using Fedore Core 3.

[GeekDog]

I second that, I use Fedora Core 3, because it's very easy to get to grips with, even if considerably less efficient than other distros.

[Emery]

Fedora Core 3 is buggy as shit. I don't really like it. If you are using it for a server it doesn't correctly write and parse the httpd.conf file so you have to write it yourself. Wich makes using it pointless because you could easily have done that on Windows without having to deal with command line.

[GeekDog]

I've not had any major problem with bugs in FC3. Mind you, I don't run a server with it, and if I had a Linux server I'd probably use a different distro, due to the aforementioned apparent lack of efficiency. If the OP is using it purely as a personal computer, the bugs you mentioned shouldn't be causing any problems.

[Vash5556]

insomniac if you are still on gentoo try doing this:

Code: Select all

emerge -va app-misc/screen


hopefully that should fix ure problem

[The Insomniacs Dream]

ehh im doing alot better with gentoo than i did with debin....ill see how it turns out...lol im having nightmares about installing debian still