X server will die silently when a combination of these packages occurs (probably in or just before nvidia nv-control is loaded. Here is a successful log : .... (II) Feb 25 00:45:16 NVIDIA(0): Initialized X Rendering Acceleration (==) NVIDIA(0): Backing store disabled (==) NVIDIA(0): Silken mouse enabled (**) NVIDIA(0): DPMS enabled (II) Loading extension NV-CONTROL (II) Loading extension XINERAMA .... Incomplete log will stop at "(**) NVIDIA(0): DPMS enabled" and X process does not exists anymore, no more Xorg message and /var/log/messages says something like this "kdm[2798]: X server died during startup". nvidia card is : "01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation G94 [GeForce 9600 GT] (rev a1)" NOT WORKING CONFIGURATION: x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers-270.18 kernel-2.6.37-gentoo x11-base/xorg-server-1.9.4 x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers-260.19.36 kernel-2.6.37-gentoo x11-base/xorg-server-1.9.4 nvidia-drivers-256.53 kernel-2.6.35-gentoo x11-base/xorg-server-1.9.4 WORKING CONFIGURATION: nvidia-drivers-256.53 kernel-2.6.35-gentoo x11-base/xorg-server-1.7.7-r1 According to this http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/gentoo-87/xorg-gives-blank-screen-with-nvidia-driver-854911/ (not tested) : NOT WORKING CONFIGURATION: kernel 2.6.36-gentoo-r5 xorg-server 1.9.2 nvidia-drivers 260.19.29 WORKING CONFIGURATION: kernel 2.6.31-gentoo-r6 xorg-server 1.7.7-r1 nvidia-drivers 256.52
I should add that : - some combination of kernel/nvidia-drivers are not possible (cannot compile old nvidia-drivers on new kernel), - once the crash occurs I cannot have VT back (no framebuffer) or start Xorg with another driver (nv for example), screen stay black (not entering power save mode)
I have a x86 system, no 64 bits, and my symptoms were a bit different. In my case X server would start ok, I could even login in the gdm window and start the desktop (compiz with emerald and gnome) work with it a few minutes (2-5) and then it would close itself and I will be back to the gdm window again. No log in Xorg.0.log neither in Xorg.0.log.old, messages or kernel crashes, it will just silently close. My graphics cards is: 05:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation G98 [GeForce 8400 GS] (rev a1) The failed configuration in my case was: linux-2.6.36-gentoo-r5 x11-base/xorg-server-1.9.4 x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers-260.19.36 The working one: linux-2.6.35-gentoo-r12 x11-base/xorg-server-1.7.7-r1 x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers-256.53
FYI, I've been having this issue as well since upgrading to KDE 4.6 in January. For me, it was desktop effects under KDE 4.6 that "caused" the problem, though I'm sure there was some odd compatibility problems under the hood like described here that was the real culprit. Disabling desktop effects worked around the problem for me, but I've been trying on and off for the last two months to get this really fixed, and it looks like I just hit on a solution today. For me, upgrading to xorg-server-1.9.5 solved the problem. I've since reenabled desktop effects under KDE 4.6 and ran some tests that would reliable kill X, and I haven't been able to reproduce a single crash. More specifically, here are my working components: kde-base/kdelibs-4.6.1-r1 sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-2.6.36-r5 x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers-270.30 x11-base/xorg-server-1.9.5 I'd tried upgrade my kernel and drivers and all that to the latest possible versions with no luck, but just left them there because it wasn't any worse off than before. xorg-server 1.9.5 definitely did the trick for me, though. Just wanted to give everyone a heads up. I'd be curious to know as well if anyone else can replicate and confirm this.
Fixed for me now : x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers-270.41.06 kernel-2.6.38-gentoo-r5 x11-base/xorg-server-1.10.1.901
