Hi all, I'm trying to install Kde 4.2 on Slackware 12.2 . The official 12.2 comes with Kde 3.5.10, but in the /current tree, under /testing, there is Kde 4.2 packaged. Packages are compatible with Slackware 12.2. There is also a README that explains how to remove kde 3.5 and install kde 4.2, here:

ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/s ... de4/README

So i did all what was needed, but I can see only the splash screen of Kde. This is the output launching startx:

Code: Select all

    xauth:  creating new authority file /home/ste/.serverauth.2775


    X.Org X Server 1.4.2
    Release Date: 11 June 2008
    X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
    Build Operating System: Slackware 12.1 Slackware Linux Project
    Current Operating System: Linux localhost 2.6.27.7-smp #2 SMP Thu Nov 20 22:32:43 CST 2008 i686
    Build Date: 30 June 2008  11:35:29PM

       Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org
       to make sure that you have the latest version.
    Module Loader present
    Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
       (++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
       (WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
    (==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Sun Feb  1 11:50:09 2009
    (==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf"
    (II) Module "ddc" already built-in
    xset:  bad font path element (#64), possible causes are:
        Directory does not exist or has wrong permissions
        Directory missing fonts.dir
        Incorrect font server address or syntax
    startkde: Starting up...
    kdeinit4: preparing to launch /usr/lib/kde4/libexec/klauncher
    kdeinit4: preparing to launch /usr/bin/kded4
    kdeinit4: preparing to launch /usr/bin/kbuildsycoca4
    kbuildsycoca4 running...
    kbuildsycoca4(2849)/kdecore (KService) KServicePrivate::init: The desktop entry file  "/usr/share/applications/kde4/koffice.desktop"  has Type= "Application"  but no Exec line

    kbuildsycoca4(2849)/kdecore (KService) KBuildServiceFactory::createEntry: Invalid Service :  "/usr/share/applications/kde4/koffice.desktop"
    kdeinit4: preparing to launch /usr/bin/kbuildsycoca4
    kbuildsycoca4 running...
    kbuildsycoca4(2850)/kdecore (KService) KServicePrivate::init: The desktop entry file  "/usr/share/applications/kde4/koffice.desktop"  has Type= "Application"  but no Exec line

    kbuildsycoca4(2850)/kdecore (KService) KBuildServiceFactory::createEntry: Invalid Service :  "/usr/share/applications/kde4/koffice.desktop"
    kdeinit4: preparing to launch /usr/lib/kde4/libexec/kconf_update
    X Error: XSyncBadAlarm 129
      Extension:    131 (Uknown extension)
      Minor opcode: 11 (Unknown request)
      Resource id:  0x0
    kdeinit4: preparing to launch /usr/bin/kcminit_startup
    X Error: XSyncBadAlarm 129
      Extension:    131 (Uknown extension)
      Minor opcode: 11 (Unknown request)
      Resource id:  0x0
    kdeinit4: preparing to launch /usr/bin/ksmserver
    kephald starting up
    XRANDR error base:  179
    RRInput mask is set!!
    RandRScreen::loadSettings - adding mode:  71 1024 x 768
    RandRScreen::loadSettings - adding mode:  72 800 x 600
    RandRScreen::loadSettings - adding mode:  73 640 x 480
    RandRScreen::loadSettings - adding mode:  74 640 x 400
    RandRScreen::loadSettings - adding mode:  75 640 x 350
    RandRScreen::loadSettings - adding crtc:  69
    RandRScreen::loadSettings - adding output:  70
    Setting CRTC 69 on output "default" (previous 0 )
    CRTC outputs: (70)
    Output name: "default"
    Output refresh rate: 61
    Output rect: QRect(0,0 1024x768)
    Output rotation: 1
    XRandROutputs::init
      added output  70
    adding an output 0 with geom:  QRect(0,0 1024x768)
    adding a disconnected output 1
    adding a disconnected output 2
    adding a disconnected output 3
    output: "SCREEN-0" QRect(0,0 1024x768) 0 true false
    output: "SCREEN-1" QRect(0,0 0x0) 6553701 true false
    output: "SCREEN-2" QRect(0,0 0x0) 0 false false
    output: "SCREEN-3" QRect(0,0 0x0) 0 true true
    load xml
    connected: 1
    looking for current "SCREEN-0"
    known "*" has score: 0.125
    screen: 0 QRect(0,0 1024x768)
    looking for a matching configuration...
    connected: 1
    looking for current "SCREEN-0"
    known "*" has score: 0.125
    found outputs, known: false
    activate external configuration!!
    registered the service: true
    screens registered on the bus: true
    outputs registered on the bus: true
    configurations registered on the bus: true
    kdeinit4: preparing to launch /usr/bin/plasma
    kdeinit4: preparing to launch /usr/bin/knotify4
    QLayout: Attempting to add QLayout "" to QWidget "", which already has a layout
    Object::connect: Attempt to bind non-signal TaskManager::TaskGroup::editRequest()
    QCoreApplication::postEvent: Unexpected null receiver
    kdeinit4: preparing to launch
    plasma(2865)/libplasma Plasma::FrameSvg::resizeFrame: Invalid size QSizeF(-16, 27)
    plasma(2865)/libplasma Plasma::FrameSvg::resizeFrame: Invalid size QSizeF(0, 0)
    plasma(2865)/libplasma Plasma::FrameSvg::resizeFrame: Invalid size QSizeF(-16, 27)
    plasma(2865)/libplasma Plasma::FrameSvg::resizeFrame: Invalid size QSizeF(0, 0)
    QGraphicsLayout::addChildLayout: layout already has a parent
    QGraphicsLayout::addChildLayout: layout already has a parent
    QPainter::begin: Cannot paint on a null pixmap
    QPainter::begin: Cannot paint on a null pixmap
    kdeinit4: preparing to launch /usr/bin/nepomukserver
    kdeinit4: preparing to launch /usr/bin/kaccess
    kdeinit4: preparing to launch /usr/bin/krunner
    kdeinit4: preparing to launch /usr/bin/kmixctrl
    kdeinit4: preparing to launch /usr/bin/hp-systray
    kdeinit4: preparing to launch /usr/bin/printer-applet
    (Soprano::PluginManager) loading all plugins
    (Soprano::PluginManager) searching plugin file from  "/usr/share/soprano/plugins"
    (Soprano::PluginManager) found plugin file "/usr/share/soprano/plugins/nquadparser.desktop"
    (Soprano::PluginManager) plugin has proper version.
    (Soprano::PluginManager) found parser plugin  "nquadparser"
    (Soprano::PluginManager) found plugin file "/usr/share/soprano/plugins/nquadserializer.desktop"
    (Soprano::PluginManager) plugin has proper version.
    (Soprano::PluginManager) found serializer plugin  "nquadserializer"
    (Soprano::PluginManager) found plugin file "/usr/share/soprano/plugins/raptorparser.desktop"
    (Soprano::PluginManager) plugin has proper version.
    (Soprano::PluginManager) found parser plugin  "raptorparser"
    (Soprano::PluginManager) found plugin file "/usr/share/soprano/plugins/raptorserializer.desktop"
    (Soprano::PluginManager) plugin has proper version.
    (Soprano::PluginManager) found serializer plugin  "raptorserializer"
    (Soprano::PluginManager) found plugin file "/usr/share/soprano/plugins/redlandbackend.desktop"
    (Soprano::PluginManager) plugin has proper version.
    (Soprano::PluginManager) found backend plugin  "redland"
    (Soprano::PluginManager) found plugin file "/usr/share/soprano/plugins/sesame2backend.desktop"
    (Soprano::PluginManager) plugin has proper version.
    (Soprano::PluginManager) found backend plugin  "sesame2"
    (Soprano::PluginManager) searching plugin file from  "/usr/share/soprano/plugins"
    (Soprano::PluginManager) found plugin file "/usr/share/soprano/plugins/nquadparser.desktop"
    (Soprano::PluginManager) plugin has proper version.
    (Soprano::PluginManager) found plugin file "/usr/share/soprano/plugins/nquadserializer.desktop"
    (Soprano::PluginManager) plugin has proper version.
    (Soprano::PluginManager) found plugin file "/usr/share/soprano/plugins/raptorparser.desktop"
    (Soprano::PluginManager) plugin has proper version.
    (Soprano::PluginManager) found plugin file "/usr/share/soprano/plugins/raptorserializer.desktop"
    (Soprano::PluginManager) plugin has proper version.
    (Soprano::PluginManager) found plugin file "/usr/share/soprano/plugins/redlandbackend.desktop"
    (Soprano::PluginManager) plugin has proper version.
    (Soprano::PluginManager) found plugin file "/usr/share/soprano/plugins/sesame2backend.desktop"
    (Soprano::PluginManager) plugin has proper version.
    (Soprano::PluginManager) searching plugin file from  "/usr/share/soprano/plugins"
    (Soprano::PluginManager) found plugin file "/usr/share/soprano/plugins/nquadparser.desktop"
    (Soprano::PluginManager) plugin has proper version.
    (Soprano::PluginManager) found plugin file "/usr/share/soprano/plugins/nquadserializer.desktop"
    (Soprano::PluginManager) plugin has proper version.
    (Soprano::PluginManager) found plugin file "/usr/share/soprano/plugins/raptorparser.desktop"
    (Soprano::PluginManager) plugin has proper version.
    (Soprano::PluginManager) found plugin file "/usr/share/soprano/plugins/raptorserializer.desktop"
    (Soprano::PluginManager) plugin has proper version.
    (Soprano::PluginManager) found plugin file "/usr/share/soprano/plugins/redlandbackend.desktop"
    (Soprano::PluginManager) plugin has proper version.
    (Soprano::PluginManager) found plugin file "/usr/share/soprano/plugins/sesame2backend.desktop"
    (Soprano::PluginManager) plugin has proper version.
    (Soprano::PluginManager) searching plugin file from  "/usr/local/share/soprano/plugins"
    kdeinit4: preparing to launch /usr/bin/guidance-power-manager
    kdeinit4: preparing to launch /usr/bin/korgac
    kdeinit4: preparing to launch /usr/bin/klipper
    kdeinit4: preparing to launch /usr/bin/kmix
    (Soprano::PluginManager) loaded plugin from "/usr/lib/soprano/libsoprano_redlandbackend.so"
    QObject: Do not delete object, 'unnamed', during its event handler!
    klipper(2888)/kdecore (KWin) KWindowInfo::geometry: Pass NET::WMDesktop to KWindowInfo

    QCoreApplication::postEvent: Unexpected null receiver

    Backtrace:
    0: X(xf86SigHandler+0x7e) [0x80d8b5e]
    1: [0xffffe400]
    2: /usr/lib/libpixman-1.so.0 [0xb7fca8bb]
    3: /usr/lib/libpixman-1.so.0 [0xb7fce910]
    4: /usr/lib/libpixman-1.so.0(pixman_image_composite+0x59c) [0xb7fce52c]
    5: /usr/lib/xorg/modules//libfb.so(fbComposite+0x1ad) [0xb7b042dd]
    6: X [0x81688f3]
    7: X(CompositePicture+0x150) [0x814fc10]
    8: X [0x80fce20]
    9: X(compAllocPixmap+0x45) [0x80fd0f5]
    10: X(compCheckRedirect+0x86) [0x80fc7f6]
    11: X(compRealizeWindow+0x45) [0x80fc8f5]
    12: X [0x8070499]
    13: X(MapWindow+0x1aa) [0x807247a]
    14: X(ProcMapWindow+0x66) [0x8086096]
    15: X [0x814628e]
    16: X(Dispatch+0x2bf) [0x808688f]
    17: X(main+0x48b) [0x806ddab]
    18: /lib/libc.so.6(__libc_start_main+0xe0) [0xb7e38390]
    19: X(FontFileCompleteXLFD+0x20d) [0x806d121]

    Fatal server error:
    Caught signal 11.  Server aborting

    kdeinit4: Fatal IO error: client killed
    kdeinit4: sending SIGHUP to children.
    klauncher: Exiting on signal 1
    QObject: Do not delete object, 'unnamed', during its event handler!
    QObject: Do not delete object, 'unnamed', during its event handler!
    QObject: Do not delete object, 'unnamed', during its event handler!
    QObject: Do not delete object, 'unnamed', during its event handler!
    kdeinit4: sending SIGTERM to children.
    kdeinit4: Exit.
    QProcess: Destroyed while process is still running.
    XIO:  fatal IO error 104 (Connection reset by peer) on X server ":0.0"
          after 20 requests (8 known processed) with 0 events remaining.
    nepomukserver: Fatal IO error: client killed
    xinit:  connection to X server lost.
    Hangup
    Could not connect to D-Bus server: org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.NoServer: Failed to connect to socket /tmp/dbus-q6czd2Cc7w: Connection refused
    startkde: Shutting down...
    ksmserver: Fatal IO error: client killed
    kded4: Fatal IO error: client killed
    kdeinit4_wrapper: Warning: connect(/home/ste/.kde/socket-localhost/kdeinit4__0) failed: : No such file or directory
    Error: Can not contact kdeinit4!
    startkde: Running shutdown scripts...
    xprop:  unable to open display ':0'
    usage:  xprop [-options ...] [[format [dformat]] atom] ...

    where options include:
        -grammar                       print out full grammar for command line
        -display host:dpy              the X server to contact
        -id id                         resource id of window to examine
        -name name                     name of window to examine
        -font name                     name of font to examine
        -remove propname               remove a property
        -set propname value            set a property to a given value
        -root                          examine the root window
        -len n                         display at most n bytes of any property
        -notype                        do not display the type field
        -fs filename                   where to look for formats for properties
        -frame                         don't ignore window manager frames
        -f propname format [dformat]   formats to use for property of given name
        -spy                           examine window properties forever

    xprop:  unable to open display ':0'
    usage:  xprop [-options ...] [[format [dformat]] atom] ...

    where options include:
        -grammar                       print out full grammar for command line
        -display host:dpy              the X server to contact
        -id id                         resource id of window to examine
        -name name                     name of window to examine
        -font name                     name of font to examine
        -remove propname               remove a property
        -set propname value            set a property to a given value
        -root                          examine the root window
        -len n                         display at most n bytes of any property
        -notype                        do not display the type field
        -fs filename                   where to look for formats for properties
        -frame                         don't ignore window manager frames
        -f propname format [dformat]   formats to use for property of given name
        -spy                           examine window properties forever

    startkde: Done.



After this, there is a bad

GOT SIGHUP

If I remain in the console, the system continues to work. If I'm in the graphic shell. the system freezes and I have to reboot with the power button.
I have no 3d acceleration enabled for now, but I think it's not that causing problems. I see a

QCoreApplication::postEvent: Unexpected null receiver

in two points of the log, followed by a backtrace and

Fatal server error:
Caught signal 11. Server aborting

What could cause this problem (if this is the main one)? Most people have not this issue.
My notebook has an ati radeon mobility 9600.
Kde 3.5.10 on the same installation worked fine before I removed it.

Thanks.
Stefano

I forgot to mention that launching kde 4.2 applications from xfce woks fine (like okular, konqueror, kmail). I'm currently using kmail for my gmail account under the xfce desktop.
It is the kde desktop that isn't working. I think it is a plasma-related issue. In fact, if I launch plasma from a shell this is the output:

Code: Select all

bash-3.1$ plasma
kephald starting up
XRANDR error base:  179
RRInput mask is set!!
RandRScreen::loadSettings - adding mode:  71 1024 x 768
RandRScreen::loadSettings - adding mode:  72 800 x 600
RandRScreen::loadSettings - adding mode:  73 640 x 480
RandRScreen::loadSettings - adding mode:  74 640 x 400
RandRScreen::loadSettings - adding mode:  75 640 x 350
RandRScreen::loadSettings - adding crtc:  69
RandRScreen::loadSettings - adding output:  70
Setting CRTC 69 on output "default" (previous 0 )
CRTC outputs: (70)
Output name: "default"
Output refresh rate: 61
Output rect: QRect(0,0 1024x768)
Output rotation: 1
XRandROutputs::init
  added output  70
adding an output 0 with geom:  QRect(0,0 1024x768)
adding a disconnected output 1
adding a disconnected output 2
adding a disconnected output 3
output: "SCREEN-0" QRect(0,0 1024x768) 842019104 true true
output: "SCREEN-1" QRect(0,0 0x0) 6553701 true false
output: "SCREEN-2" QRect(0,0 0x0) 0 false false
output: "SCREEN-3" QRect(0,0 0x0) 0 false false
load xml
connected: 1
looking for current "SCREEN-0"
known "*" has score: 0.125
screen: 0 QRect(0,0 1024x768)
looking for a matching configuration...
connected: 1
looking for current "SCREEN-0"
known "*" has score: 0.125
found outputs, known: false
activate external configuration!!
registered the service: true
screens registered on the bus: true
outputs registered on the bus: true
configurations registered on the bus: true
QLayout: Attempting to add QLayout "" to QWidget "", which already has a layout
Object::connect: Attempt to bind non-signal TaskManager::TaskGroup::editRequest()
QCoreApplication::postEvent: Unexpected null receiver
kdeinit4: preparing to launch
plasma(3135)/libplasma Plasma::FrameSvg::resizeFrame: Invalid size QSizeF(-16, 27)
plasma(3135)/libplasma Plasma::FrameSvg::resizeFrame: Invalid size QSizeF(0, 0)
plasma(3135)/libplasma Plasma::FrameSvg::resizeFrame: Invalid size QSizeF(-16, 27)
plasma(3135)/libplasma Plasma::FrameSvg::resizeFrame: Invalid size QSizeF(0, 0)
QGraphicsLayout::addChildLayout: layout already has a parent
QGraphicsLayout::addChildLayout: layout already has a parent
QPainter::begin: Cannot paint on a null pixmap
QPainter::begin: Cannot paint on a null pixmap
bash-3.1$


Ok, there is not the "got signal 11 problem", but maybe it is something useful.
Moreover, plasma starts up graphically bad, it seems something of black&white interlaced... Also, it is not covering the entire size of desktop.
Look at this screenshot (upper bar is from xfce):

From the backtrace it appears that something is crashing inside Compositing. Please ensure your system has Compositing enabled in xorg.conf, and that Direct Rendering is available.

Direct rendering wasn't enabled when I posted. I thought it could be a problem, so I've tried to enable it, but I have many difficulties in Slackware 12.2. I've never had such problems before, with earlier version I've used the fglrx driver. But with 12.2, I noticed two problems:

Catalyst driver 9.1 doesn't work, there is an issue with the 2.6.27 kernel. Also earlier versions give problems.
The open source driver radeon doesn't work because directory dev/dri/ remains empty, maybe it is an udev related issue.
Therefore, I have no direct rendering at this time.

But I didn't read dri was a requirements for kde 4.2. Am I wrong? Kde 4.2 needs absolutely direct rendering?

I've tried the opensuse-based kde 4 live, and it works fine. Kde 4.2 is awesome and direct rendering is enabled via mesa opengl. /dev/dri contains the device card0, not present in slackware.
As soon as I have time, I'll try to compare udev rules by opensuse with those of slackware 12.2 (and also of earlier version, I have a backup of the whole /etc folder)

Thanks
Stefano

KDE does not require direct rendering. Try starting KDE 4.2 with a new user to see if they are also affected.

I've solved. I had to load radeon module, if not open source drivers didn't work. There were also a corrupted libGL.so library left by a previous installation of ati proprietary drivers.
Anyway, Kde 4.2 still does not work with generic vesa drivers, even if it doesn't require direct rendering...

But now I am a happy kde 4.2 user

Stefano