From owner-freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Tue Dec 22 00:22:05 2015 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@mailman.ysv.freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:1900:2254:206a::19:1]) by mailman.ysv.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4E530A4EE35 for ; Tue, 22 Dec 2015 00:22:05 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from emailrob@emailrob.com) Received: from imta-37.everyone.net (sitemail3.everyone.net [216.200.145.37]) (using TLSv1 with cipher DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA (256/256 bits)) (Client CN "*.everyone.net", Issuer "DigiCert High Assurance CA-3" (verified OK)) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 31B831AF8 for ; Tue, 22 Dec 2015 00:22:04 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from emailrob@emailrob.com) Received: from pps.filterd (localhost.localdomain [127.0.0.1]) by imta-38.everyone.net (8.14.5/8.14.5) with SMTP id tBM0LIv7029439; Mon, 21 Dec 2015 16:21:45 -0800 X-Eon-Dm: m0087083.ppops.net Received: by m0087083.mta.everyone.net (EON-AUTHRELAY2 - 4272bdfd) id m0087083.566c5c4d.da5abc; Mon, 21 Dec 2015 16:21:44 -0800 X-Eon-Sig: AQPOPGJWeJeYbXMMCgIAAAAC,907526ba11e1c799a160e4276bd3eb61 X-Originating-Ip: 66.114.189.253 Message-ID: <56789781.6080206@emailrob.com> Date: Tue, 22 Dec 2015 00:21:21 +0000 From: spellberg_robert Reply-To: emailrob@emailrob.com User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; FreeBSD amd64; rv:24.0) Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/24.4.0 MIME-Version: 1.0 To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org CC: emailrob@emailrob.com Subject: f_10.2_i386 "ctrl_alt_bksp" kills all video , not just x . Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Proofpoint-Virus-Version: vendor=fsecure engine=2.50.10432:5.15.21, 1.0.33, 0.0.0000 definitions=2015-12-21_16:2015-12-21,2015-12-21,1970-01-01 signatures=0 X-Proofpoint-Spam-Details: rule=notspam policy=default score=0 spamscore=0 suspectscore=1 phishscore=0 adultscore=0 bulkscore=0 classifier=spam adjust=0 reason=mlx scancount=1 engine=7.0.1-1511060000 definitions=main-1512220005 X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.20 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 22 Dec 2015 00:22:05 -0000 howdy , folks --- this question concerns a box that is running f_10.2_i386 and x_7.7 . previously , this box ran f_9.3_amd64 and --that-- release's version of x_7.7 . however , the "package"s on that 9.3 were clobbered by "port"s , rendering it unusable ; thus , after creating a replacement 9.3_amd64 box [ see below ] , that clobbered box became available for later use . until it got clobbered , it ran 9.3 and x just fine , thank you . no hardware was changed [ except , each fresh install gets virgin hard_drives ] ; no animals were harmed . a different box , driving a different monitor , is running 9.3_amd64 [ this box replaced the clobbered box and it has packages , --only-- , installed , such as x , firefox , thunderbird and , of course , a menagerie of dependencies ] . the two boxes have identical 64_bit hardware : antec case and ps , intel mobo and cpu , et_cetera . the two monitors are the same make and model [ 1920x1200 lcd ] . both are driven with the "dvi" connector [ having the "blade" contact , at one end ; not the 15_pin "vga" ] ; however , i do not suspect that this matters . both , the 9.3 and the 10.2 , are running the x_7.7 that is supplied in the package that is included in their fbsd_dvd image_files , respectively , that are used for their initial boots , respectively . for both , of these two installs , x starts and runs as expected ; so far , so good . the problem is this : on 10.2 , is not recognized , as a command . "xterm" says that i typed "\0377" [ or "/0377" , i forget which ] . hmmm ... , what to do ? that is easy : try the obvious . initially , after "ps" gave me some "pid"s , methodically , i "kill"ed x_related processes , until x died . surprise , surprise . apparently , now , this disables the video output , because the monitor reports , "monitor is going to sleep" , which it does . further , none of the keys take me to a different virtual terminal , as they do before i invoke "startx" . notwithstanding the video loss , though , the 10.2 box is still "up" , because i can "ssh" over to it , from the 9.3 box . so , i got the bright_idea of going to "http://x.org" , to see , there , what there is to see , err ... , there . following the links from their top_level web_page , i get to "www.x.org/releases/X11R7.7/doc" . this top_level documentation page is dated 2012_jun_06_wed . in the "txt" version of the "xkb configuration guide" [ 2010_nov ] , we find , at the end of the sub_section , "basic configuration" [ about half_way down the page ] , Option "XKbOptions" "terminate:ctrl_alt_bksp" . this one , i have seen before . in my "/etc/xorg.conf" , i first used this for f__7.4 / x_7.4 [ retired ] and it has remained for f__8.4 / x_7.5.2 [ current ] , f__9.3 / x_7.7 [ current ] and f_10.2 / x_7.7 [ problem ] . continuing , on the last line of this sub_section , we find setxkbmap -option "terminate:cfrl_alt_bksp" . this one is new [ to me , anyway ] . so , i got the bright_idea to try this , just to see what happens [ or not ] [ i get lotsa bright_ideas ; i like to live dangerously ] . eureka ! x recognized "ctrl_alt_bksp" as a command . you guessed it . promptly , the video was disabled and the monitor went to sleep [ snicker ; sigh ] . i believe that this is the same response as that which was generated by killing processes . well , the recognition is --some-- kind of progress . i should point out that recognizing ctrl_alt_bksp is not critical , if i can kill x by using "kill -9 pid" ; however , it --is-- convenient . i want to restore the several virtual terminals that existed before i invoked "startx" . at this point , i am stuck for ideas [ check my files ; read the x documents ; et_cetera ] . also , i have been looking at the archives of "-questions@" , but , mostly , for answers to a different problem [ more on that , under separate cover ] . none_the_less , based upon the subject line , i read anything that looked like it might apply to something that i do . perhaps , there was a small change in x_7.7 or in fbsd , after 9.3 . you know the kind that i mean : fix "a" or improve "b" , but , inadvertently , break "c" . could this be related to that new "vt" thing ? "vt" looks promising , from what i have read , but , i have not found the time , as yet , to investigate it . similarly , more broadly , perhaps there is a "silent" dependency upon some new "thingy" , that most fbsd users are installing , but , which i am not , because , for example , i am unaware of its existence . i observe that the x documentation pre_dates the releases of 9.3 and 10.2 ; therefore , i am not convinced that x is the problem , although , i may be wrong . further , my "/etc/xorg.conf" , for 10.2 , is identical to that which is used , for 9.3 , because i copy the file from release to release [ "xinitrc" , also ] [ except , of course , to update the comments , for the new release , and to make any changes that are necessitated by the folks at x.org ; while it --was-- necessary to make some changes , when going from f_8.4/x_7.5.2 to f_9.3/x_7.7 , no changes were made when going from f_9.3/x_7.7 to f_10.2/x_7.7 ] . remember , the 10.2 box , where x has this behavior , is the --same-- box that had the clobbered 9.3 install , where x worked [ and still does , on the replacement box ] just fine . has anyone any thoughts ? thanking everyone , for any assistance , in advance , i remain sincerely yours rob p . s . --- it is late in my day and i just had a really goofy thought or , perhaps , it is an absolutely brilliant idea . as i said , i can ssh over from another box [ in fact , one of my xterms is doing just that , at this moment ] . is there some new command [ i --am-- "su"ed as "root" ] that will turn on the video system and drive the attached monitor ? to have to do this from another box --would-- be a kluge , but , in the short_term , it would be a work_around , until a better approach is determined . the logical place for this [ to my mind ] is vidcontrol(1) . i just checked the man_page , but , nothing like that exists . on_the_other_hand , reading that page --did-- give me another bright_idea . perhaps , some kind of screensaver/blanking system has been enabled , without my knowledge [ i always turn this stuff off in my "rc.conf" ; now that i no longer worry about crt_filament [ heater , actually ] thermal metal_fatigue , i just turn off the monitor ] . to test this hypothesis , on the assumption that there --is-- a virtual terminal there , i typed [ to be certain of the terminal ] , then . alas , the monitor remains "on" and in "standby" mode [ no signal on the cable ] . then , because i was thinking about the file , i checked my "rc.conf" , just to be sure . for the "system console options" , i have made only these over_rides : keyrate="fast" cursor="blink" blanktime="NO" moused_enable="YES" . i would not expect three , of these four , to be involved . other_wise , i am using the defaults . at this point , i am out of ideas . i have been revising this post , every now_and_again , all day long , as i think of tid_bits of additional information that may be useful . my suspicion is that this behavior is being caused by something that is insanely simple . [ sorry about the length of this post ; at an early age , i was taught to be thorough , to be precise and to write things down . ] rob