[wagedomain]

Please bear with me, I'm not a linux guru and am new to this whole thing.

I am converting an older machine (with a few upgrades) to be a HTPC. I wiped the hdd clean and installed the Camelot release (I think) of XBMC Live to the harddrive, set up my account, all that good stuff.

Now when it boots, it goes straight to a command line prompt. I can log in just fine, but it just takes me to the command line only. Trying the command "xbmc" says the the x server isn't started. Trying the command "startx" shows some really quick text, then a black screen, and eventually my monitor goes to standby.

I suspect this is an xorg.conf problem? I know nothing about this file, though. In fact when I tried to find it in the place I expected it to be (/etc/x11) there was nothing there. Is this a file I need to create myself? Is there a way to generate one using a GUI and transfer it over or something?

My video card is an ATI Radeon, if that helps. Please help, this is sooo frustrating.

[vikjon0]

Start by installing the ati drivers. Download them from the supplier.

In my experience ATI & xbmcLive is sometimes a problem in Ubuntu Karmic 9.10. It might be easer to run in a desktop installation.

[Big Red]

Yer vikjon0 is right I have had the same problem. Installing drivers works but I cant play movies still, I just get sound with flickering black picture.
would like to know how you go with fixing it and if you have the same problem.

[vikjon0]

In case someone have use for it I will add some info. I use ion on my main htpc and I am very happy with that. However, I have an old box with ATI on AGP. If it was not AGP I would just replace the card. Anyway, after some tinkering a got working solution.

Problem1: live did not work, probably due to the ATI card.
Problem2: Gnome is killing usb disk mount in xbmc 9.11 => cant use the xbmc gdm session as an alternative to live autostart.

Solution: I installed kdm and edited kdm.conf to autostart with the xbmc session. As a final step I made a command line setup of wireless. (kde network manager could not create a connection working in the xbmc session).

Advice: Test installing xbmc in a kubuntu desktop installation. If it works test running it in the xbmc session.
See http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=54705 but use kubuntu instead. (and ATI instead of nvidia)

EDIT: There is of course a number of non xbmc methods to autostart something in tty. I just went with kdm since I was in a hurry and dont know linux very well.

[wagedomain]

Thanks, took your advice and tried the full Ubuntu version. Everything's working now, but the interface is a bit sluggish in full screen mode. Do you know of a helpful guide to "slim down" Ubuntu?

Also, what is kdm? I would also like to auto-boot into xbmc and skip all the desktop stuff if possible.

[vikjon0]

Do you know of a helpful guide to "slim down" Ubuntu?

If you run in the desktop now you could try running in the xbmc session instead.
Install the xbmc-standalone package (sudo apt-get install xbmc-standalone)
Log-off / select xbmc session and login. You can also set it to autologin.

I dont think it should be slugish...but it is simple to create a slimmed down ubuntu.
If you download and install ubuntu minimal or server cd you have a good starting point.
Boot it up, login and:
sudo apt-get install xorg gnome-core gdm
will give you a very basic ubuntu desktop.

However, if it is sluggish the problem may still be the graphical driver.

Also, what is kdm?

gdm is the gnome login manager (display manager)
Kdm is the KDE display manager which is default in kubuntu.

If you have no problem with gnome and gdm you shouldn't worry about kdm. The reason I used it is that I have problem getting usb disk mount working with gnome in karmic.

[wagedomain]

If you run in the desktop now you could try running in the xbmc session instead.
Install the xbmc-standalone package (sudo apt-get install xbmc-standalone)
Log-off / select xbmc session and login. You can also set it to autologin.

I dont think it should be slugish...but it is simple to create a slimmed down ubuntu.
If you download and install ubuntu minimal or server cd you have a good starting point.
Boot it up, login and:
sudo apt-get install xorg gnome-core gdm
will give you a very basic ubuntu desktop.

However, if it is sluggish the problem may still be the graphical driver.


gdm is the gnome login manager (display manager)
Kdm is the KDE display manager which is default in kubuntu.

If you have no problem with gnome and gdm you shouldn't worry about kdm. The reason I used it is that I have problem getting usb disk mount working with gnome in karmic.

Thanks! Interestingly, the UI is only sluggish in the menu. When video is playing (and it plays great) the mouse and buttons are VERY speedy, just the menu system there is a 2-second delay or more when using the mouse. So I have to move the mouse (or hit the up key on the keyboard), wait, see where it lands, move again, finally get over the button I want, etc.