VTs and QT blocks [Solved]

[signals]

Greetings,

I'm new to Sabayon. I've been running Gentoo for the last 5 years, but I just built a new computer and thought I'd give Sabayon a spin. I'd been hearing good things about it, and the live DVD seemed nice, so why not? (I like the song, BTW )

But, I've had a couple of problems with it since I installed it, and I can't seem to find the answers with Google. Hopefully you all can point me in the right direction.

The first problem is with the portage system. The first time I emerged anything, I realized that I didn't have etc-proposals installed, so I used dispatch-conf, then tried to emerge etc-proposals. I received a block message: qt-test-4.5.1 was blocking about 6 other qt-* packages. Now I know I can probably unmerge qt-test and make it work, or remove the qt4 USE flag, but I haven't tried, yet; I want to make sure that it is the right thing to do, first. Is this the way it is supposed to be out-of-the-box? This seems like a strange situation for a brand new install. The only thing I had done since the first emerge --sync was to install "eix" and I don't think that had anything to do with it.

Second, and this is a deal breaker: Where are the virtual terminals? Ctrl-Alt-Fn doesn't seem to do anything.. I just created a new RAID array and wanted to move my user's home directory from the root FS to the RAID. So I logged out of my X-session, then tried to switch to VT1 so I could log in as root and move the home directory. I couldn't do it. No combination of Ctrl, Alt, Super, and the function keys did anything. I had to log in to the GUI as root, and that's not the right way to do it. Do I have a keymap issue or something? I can't live without the virtual terminals.

Otherwise, I'm quite impressed with Sabayon, so far. The GUI installer was a refreshing change from the Gentoo handbook, and it looks like there is a lot more up-to-date software in the default Sabayon overlay than in vanilla Gentoo. If I can get my VTs back, I fully intend to stick with Sabayon.

Any help is appreciated.

[Fitzcarraldo]

Which precise version of SL did you install? SL 4.1 KDE? SL 4.1 GNOME? x86 edition? x86_64 edition?

First problem...
After the emerge --sync did you do a layman -S to make sure you're also in sync with the Sabayon overlay?
Here are the versions I have installed of the packages you mentioned:

Code: Select all

# eix etc-proposals
[I] app-portage/etc-proposals
     Available versions:  1.4.3 {gtk qt4}
     Installed versions:  1.4.3(18:18:41 04/04/09)(gtk qt4)
     Homepage:            http://developer.berlios.de/projects/etc-proposals/
     Description:         a set of tools for updating gentoo config files

# eix -I qt
[I] app-emulation/emul-linux-x86-qtlibs
     Available versions:  (~)3.4.4-r5!s 10.0!s (~)10.0-r1!s 20071114!s 20071114-r1!s 20071114-r2!s 20071210!s (~)20080316!s [M](~)20081109!s {immqt-bc}
     Installed versions:  20080316!s(17:29:14 31/01/09)
     Homepage:            http://amd64.gentoo.org/emul/content.xml
     Description:         Provides precompiled 32bit libraries

[I] app-i18n/scim-qtimm
     Available versions:  0.9.4 (~)0.9.4-r1 {debug}
     Installed versions:  0.9.4-r1(17:29:15 31/01/09)(-debug)
     Homepage:            http://scim.freedesktop.org/
     Description:         Qt immodules input method framework plugin for SCIM

[I] dev-libs/dbus-qt3-old
     Available versions:  0.70 {debug}
     Installed versions:  0.70(17:29:20 31/01/09)(-debug)
     Homepage:            http://freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/dbus
     Description:         D-BUS Qt3 bindings compatible with old application API and new dbus

[I] dev-libs/poppler-qt3
     Available versions:  (~)0.10.6 (~)0.10.7 [M](~)0.11.0
     Installed versions:  0.10.7(18:35:35 27/05/09)
     Homepage:            http://poppler.freedesktop.org/
     Description:         Qt3 bindings for poppler

[I] dev-libs/dbus-qt3 [1]
     Available versions:  0.9 {debug}
     Installed versions:  0.9(03:46:00 25/04/09)(-debug)
     Homepage:            http://freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/dbus
     Description:         D-BUS Qt3 bindings backported from Qt4

[I] dev-python/PyQt
     Available versions:  3.17.6 {debug doc examples}
     Installed versions:  3.17.6(19:37:05 31/01/09)(-debug -doc -examples)
     Homepage:            http://www.riverbankcomputing.co.uk/software/pyqt/intro/
     Description:         A set of Python bindings for Qt3

[U] dev-python/PyQt4
     Available versions:  4.4.4-r2 (~)4.4.4-r4 (~)4.4.4-r4[1] {X dbus debug doc examples opengl qt3support svg webkit}
     Installed versions:  4.4.4-r2(19:37:17 31/01/09)(X dbus opengl qt3support svg webkit -debug -doc -examples)
     Homepage:            http://www.riverbankcomputing.co.uk/software/pyqt/intro/
     Description:         A set of Python bindings for the Qt toolkit

[I] media-video/qt-recordmydesktop
     Available versions:  0.3.8!t
     Installed versions:  0.3.8!t(18:11:57 14/03/09)
     Homepage:            http://recordmydesktop.sourceforge.net/
     Description:         QT4 interface for RecordMyDesktop

[I] virtual/poppler-qt3
     Available versions:  0.8.7+v 0.10.4+v 0.10.5+v (~)0.10.6+v (~)0.10.7+v [M](~)0.11.0+v
     Installed versions:  0.10.7+v(18:39:00 27/05/09)
     Homepage:            http://poppler.freedesktop.org/
     Description:         Virtual package, includes packages that contain libpoppler-qt.so

[U] x11-libs/qt
     Available versions:
        (3)     3.3.8b-r1
        (4)     4.4.2 (~)4.5.1
        {cups dbus debug doc examples firebird immqt immqt-bc ipv6 mysql nas nis odbc opengl postgres qt3support sqlite xinerama}
     Installed versions:  3.3.8b(3)(17:30:03 31/01/09)(cups immqt-bc ipv6 opengl sqlite xinerama -debug -doc -examples -firebird -immqt -mysql -nas -nis -odbc -postgres)
                          4.5.1(4)(21:07:56 25/05/09)(dbus opengl qt3support)
     Homepage:            http://www.qtsoftware.com/
     Description:         The Qt toolkit is a comprehensive C++ application development framework

[I] x11-libs/qt-assistant
     Available versions:  (4)  4.4.2-r1 (~)4.5.1
        {custom-cxxflags debug pch webkit}
     Installed versions:  4.5.1(4)(21:07:06 25/05/09)(-custom-cxxflags -debug -pch)
     Homepage:            http://www.qtsoftware.com/
     Description:         The assistant help module for the Qt toolkit

[I] x11-libs/qt-core
     Available versions:  (4)  4.4.2 4.4.2-r2 (~)4.5.1
        {custom-cxxflags debug doc glib iconv pch qt3support ssl}
     Installed versions:  4.5.1(4)(21:02:29 25/05/09)(glib iconv qt3support ssl -custom-cxxflags -debug -doc -pch)
     Homepage:            http://www.qtsoftware.com/
     Description:         The Qt toolkit is a comprehensive C++ application development framework

[I] x11-libs/qt-dbus
     Available versions:  (4)  4.4.2 (~)4.5.1
        {custom-cxxflags debug pch}
     Installed versions:  4.5.1(4)(21:06:25 25/05/09)(-custom-cxxflags -debug -pch)
     Homepage:            http://www.qtsoftware.com/
     Description:         The DBus module for the Qt toolkit

[U] x11-libs/qt-gui
     Available versions:  (4)  4.4.2-r1 (~)4.4.2-r2 4.4.2-r3 (~)4.5.1 (~)4.5.1-r1 (~)4.5.1-r2
        {accessibility cups custom-cxxflags dbus debug glib gtkstyle input_devices_wacom mng nas nis pch qt3support raster tiff xinerama}
     Installed versions:  4.4.2(4)(17:30:03 31/01/09)(accessibility cups dbus mng qt3support tiff xinerama -debug -glib -input_devices_wacom -nas -nis -pch)
     Homepage:            http://www.qtsoftware.com/
     Description:         The GUI module for the Qt toolkit

[I] x11-libs/qt-opengl
     Available versions:  (4)  4.4.2 (~)4.5.1
        {custom-cxxflags debug pch qt3support}
     Installed versions:  4.5.1(4)(21:04:10 25/05/09)(qt3support -custom-cxxflags -debug -pch)
     Homepage:            http://www.qtsoftware.com/
     Description:         The OpenGL module for the Qt toolkit

[U] x11-libs/qt-qt3support
     Available versions:  (4)  4.4.2 (~)4.5.1
        {accessibility custom-cxxflags debug pch phonon}
     Installed versions:  4.4.2(4)(17:30:03 31/01/09)(accessibility -debug -pch)
     Homepage:            http://www.qtsoftware.com/
     Description:         The Qt3 support module for the Qt toolkit

[I] x11-libs/qt-script
     Available versions:  (4)  4.4.2 (~)4.5.1
        {custom-cxxflags debug iconv pch}
     Installed versions:  4.5.1(4)(21:06:40 25/05/09)(iconv -custom-cxxflags -debug -pch)
     Homepage:            http://www.qtsoftware.com/
     Description:         The ECMAScript module for the Qt toolkit

[I] x11-libs/qt-sql
     Available versions:  (4)  4.4.2 4.4.2-r1 (~)4.5.1
        {custom-cxxflags debug firebird iconv mysql odbc pch postgres qt3support sqlite}
     Installed versions:  4.5.1(4)(21:06:10 25/05/09)(iconv mysql qt3support sqlite -custom-cxxflags -debug -firebird -odbc -pch -postgres)
     Homepage:            http://www.qtsoftware.com/
     Description:         The SQL module for the Qt toolkit

[I] x11-libs/qt-svg
     Available versions:  (4)  4.4.2 (~)4.5.1-r1
        {custom-cxxflags debug iconv pch}
     Installed versions:  4.5.1-r1(4)(21:07:14 25/05/09)(iconv -custom-cxxflags -debug -pch)
     Homepage:            http://www.qtsoftware.com/
     Description:         The SVG module for the Qt toolkit

[I] x11-libs/qt-test
     Available versions:  (4)  4.4.2 (~)4.5.1
        {custom-cxxflags debug iconv pch}
     Installed versions:  4.5.1(4)(21:03:54 25/05/09)(iconv -custom-cxxflags -debug -pch)
     Homepage:            http://www.qtsoftware.com/
     Description:         The testing framework module for the Qt toolkit

[I] x11-libs/qt-webkit
     Available versions:  (4)  4.4.2 4.4.2-r1 (~)4.5.1
        {custom-cxxflags debug pch}
     Installed versions:  4.5.1(4)(21:05:58 25/05/09)(-custom-cxxflags -debug -pch)
     Homepage:            http://www.qtsoftware.com/
     Description:         The Webkit module for the Qt toolkit

[I] x11-libs/qt-xmlpatterns
     Available versions:  (4)  4.4.2 (~)4.5.1
        {custom-cxxflags debug pch}
     Installed versions:  4.5.1(4)(21:06:50 25/05/09)(-custom-cxxflags -debug -pch)
     Homepage:            http://www.qtsoftware.com/
     Description:         The patternist module for the Qt toolkit

[U] x11-themes/gtk-engines-qt
     Available versions:
        (2)     0.8 0.8-r4
        (1)     (~)1.1-r2
        {debug elibc_FreeBSD gnome linguas_bg linguas_cs linguas_de linguas_es linguas_fr linguas_it linguas_nn linguas_ru linguas_sv linguas_tr xinerama}
     Installed versions:  0.8-r3(2)(17:30:05 31/01/09)(linguas_bg linguas_de linguas_es linguas_fr linguas_it linguas_nn linguas_ru linguas_sv linguas_tr xinerama -debug -elibc_FreeBSD -gnome)
     Homepage:            http://gtk-qt.ecs.soton.ac.uk
     Description:         GTK+2 Qt4 Theme Engine

[U] x11-themes/gtk-engines-qtcurve
     Available versions:  0.59.4 0.59.7 (~)0.61.4 (~)0.62.0 (~)0.62.2 (~)0.62.4 (~)0.62.5 (~)0.62.7 (~)0.62.8 {firefox3 mozilla}
     Installed versions:  0.59.7-r1(17:30:05 31/01/09)(-firefox3 -mozilla)
     Homepage:            http://www.kde-look.org/content/show.php?content=40492
     Description:         A set of widget styles for GTK2 based apps, also available for KDE3 and Qt4

[U] x11-themes/qtcurve
     Available versions:  0.59.2 0.59.5 (~)0.61.4 (~)0.62.0 (~)0.62.2 (~)0.62.4 (~)0.62.5 (~)0.62.6 (~)0.62.7
     Installed versions:  0.59.5(17:30:06 31/01/09)
     Homepage:            http://www.kde-look.org/content/show.php?content=40492
     Description:         A set of widget styles for KDE3 based apps, also available for GTK2 and Qt4

[U] x11-themes/qtcurve-qt4
     Available versions:  0.59.6 (~)0.60.0-r1[1] (~)0.61.3-r1[1] (~)0.61.4 (~)0.62.0 (~)0.62.2 (~)0.62.4 (~)0.62.5 (~)0.62.7 (~)0.62.8 {kde kdeprefix}
     Installed versions:  0.59.6-r1(17:30:06 31/01/09)(-kde)
     Homepage:            http://www.kde-look.org/content/show.php?content=40492
     Description:         A set of widget styles for Qt4 based apps, also available for KDE3 and GTK2

[1] "sabayon" /usr/local/portage/layman/sabayon

Found 26 matches.
# emerge -pv etc-proposals

These are the packages that would be merged, in order:

Calculating dependencies... done!
[ebuild   R   ] app-portage/etc-proposals-1.4.3  USE="gtk qt4" 0 kB

Total: 1 package (1 reinstall), Size of downloads: 0 kB

Second problem...
Strange, the TTY consoles should all be there: Ctrl-Alt-F1 to Ctrl-Alt-F6. Try:

Code: Select all

rc-update show | grep keymaps

If keymaps is not in the boot runlevel then:

Code: Select all

rc-update del keymaps default; rc-update add keymaps boot

and restart.

[signals]

Thanks for the quick response. Unfortunately, it didn't help.

Oh, and I'm running 4.1 GNOME x86_64

I had forgotten to do the layman -S after the emerge --sync (lesson learned), but I had problems with that too. My first attempt gave me this:

Code: Select all

* Running command "/usr/bin/svn up "/usr/local/portage/layman/sabayon""...
svn: Server sent unexpected return value (405 Method Not Allowed) in response to PROPFIND request for '/overlay'
*
* Errors:
* ------
*
* The source of the overlay "sabayon" seems to have changed. You currently sync from "http://svn.sabayonlinux.org/overlay/" while the global layman list reports "git://sabayon.org/projects/overlay.git" as correct location. Please consider removing and readding the overlay!
*
* Failed to sync overlay "sabayon".
* Error was: Syncing overlay "sabayon" returned status 256!
*

So, I did what it said, and was met with this when I tried to re-add the overlay:

Code: Select all

* Failed to add overlay "sabayon".
* Error was: Binary /usr/bin/git seems to be missing! Overlay type "git" not supported. Did you emerge dev-util/git?


Scared me for a second, but I got "git" out of the Gentoo portage tree and was able to re-add the sabayon overlay. But, I still have blocks on the qt stuff:

Code: Select all

whitestar ~ # emerge -pv etc-proposals

These are the packages that would be merged, in order:

Calculating dependencies... done!
[ebuild  N    ] dev-python/sip-4.7.9  USE="-debug" 461 kB
[ebuild     U ] x11-libs/qt-core-4.5.1 [4.5.0] USE="glib iconv qt3support ssl -custom-cxxflags -debug -doc -pch" 111,980 kB
[ebuild     U ] x11-libs/qt-dbus-4.5.1 [4.5.0] USE="-custom-cxxflags -debug -pch" 0 kB
[blocks b     ] <x11-libs/qt-dbus-4.5.1 ("<x11-libs/qt-dbus-4.5.1" is blocking x11-libs/qt-opengl-4.5.1, x11-libs/qt-svg-4.5.1-r1, x11-libs/qt-script-4.5.1, x11-libs/qt-gui-4.5.1-r2, x11-libs/qt-qt3support-4.5.1, x11-libs/qt-sql-4.5.1, x11-libs/qt-core-4.5.1)
[ebuild     U ] x11-libs/qt-script-4.5.1 [4.5.0] USE="iconv -custom-cxxflags -debug -pch" 0 kB
[blocks b     ] <x11-libs/qt-script-4.5.1 ("<x11-libs/qt-script-4.5.1" is blocking x11-libs/qt-opengl-4.5.1, x11-libs/qt-svg-4.5.1-r1, x11-libs/qt-dbus-4.5.1, x11-libs/qt-gui-4.5.1-r2, x11-libs/qt-qt3support-4.5.1, x11-libs/qt-sql-4.5.1, x11-libs/qt-core-4.5.1)
[ebuild     U ] x11-libs/qt-sql-4.5.1 [4.5.0] USE="iconv qt3support sqlite -custom-cxxflags -debug (-firebird) -mysql* -odbc -pch -postgres" 0 kB
[blocks b     ] <x11-libs/qt-sql-4.5.1 ("<x11-libs/qt-sql-4.5.1" is blocking x11-libs/qt-opengl-4.5.1, x11-libs/qt-svg-4.5.1-r1, x11-libs/qt-script-4.5.1, x11-libs/qt-dbus-4.5.1, x11-libs/qt-gui-4.5.1-r2, x11-libs/qt-qt3support-4.5.1, x11-libs/qt-core-4.5.1)
[ebuild     U ] x11-libs/qt-gui-4.5.1-r2 [4.5.0] USE="accessibility cups dbus glib gtkstyle mng qt3support tiff xinerama -custom-cxxflags -debug -nas -nis -pch -raster" 0 kB
[blocks b     ] <x11-libs/qt-gui-4.5.1 ("<x11-libs/qt-gui-4.5.1" is blocking x11-libs/qt-opengl-4.5.1, x11-libs/qt-svg-4.5.1-r1, x11-libs/qt-script-4.5.1, x11-libs/qt-dbus-4.5.1, x11-libs/qt-qt3support-4.5.1, x11-libs/qt-sql-4.5.1, x11-libs/qt-core-4.5.1)
[ebuild     U ] x11-libs/qt-qt3support-4.5.1 [4.5.0] USE="accessibility kde%* -custom-cxxflags -debug -pch -phonon" 0 kB
[blocks b     ] <x11-libs/qt-qt3support-4.5.1 ("<x11-libs/qt-qt3support-4.5.1" is blocking x11-libs/qt-opengl-4.5.1, x11-libs/qt-svg-4.5.1-r1, x11-libs/qt-script-4.5.1, x11-libs/qt-dbus-4.5.1, x11-libs/qt-gui-4.5.1-r2, x11-libs/qt-sql-4.5.1, x11-libs/qt-core-4.5.1)
[ebuild  N    ] x11-libs/qt-svg-4.5.1-r1  USE="iconv -custom-cxxflags -debug -pch" 0 kB
[ebuild  N    ] x11-libs/qt-opengl-4.5.1  USE="qt3support -custom-cxxflags -debug -pch" 0 kB
[ebuild  N    ] dev-python/PyQt4-4.4.4-r5  USE="X dbus kde opengl qt3support svg -assistant -debug -doc -examples -phonon -sql -webkit -xmlpatterns" 6,819 kB
[ebuild  N    ] app-portage/etc-proposals-1.4.3  USE="gtk qt4" 53 kB
[blocks B     ] <x11-libs/qt-test-4.5.1 ("<x11-libs/qt-test-4.5.1" is blocking x11-libs/qt-opengl-4.5.1, x11-libs/qt-svg-4.5.1-r1, x11-libs/qt-script-4.5.1, x11-libs/qt-dbus-4.5.1, x11-libs/qt-gui-4.5.1-r2, x11-libs/qt-qt3support-4.5.1, x11-libs/qt-sql-4.5.1, x11-libs/qt-core-4.5.1)


I suppose I'll just unmerge qt-test and see what happens.

I'm glad to hear that the VTs are SUPPOSED to work. I was afraid they had been disabled on purpose. I wonder if my funky Apple aluminum keyboard is to blame? It has never been a problem with other distros. I did verify that "keymaps" is in the boot runlevel. But, I had a VERY strange problem the last time I rebooted:

I tried to enter verbose mode by hitting "F2" on the splash screen during boot. This left me on a blank vt with a flashing cursor in the top left corner of the screen after the boot splash went away. Without being able to switch VTs with the keyboard I was stuck. I tried a Control-Alt-Del and it shutdown properly. On the next boot, even without hitting "F2" I was greeted with a blank vt again. I tried several times, but I had somehow permanently broken it.

I managed to ssh in to the machine and use "chvt 0" to get a real console back. Strangely, after getting to vt0, I was able to use Control-Super to switch through the various VTs, but still could not use Control-Alt-Fn to go to a specific vt. Also, once I hit the Xorg vt, I could no longer use Control-Super to switch, either. Something must be very wrong with the way it's mapping my keyboard. Unfortunately, I'm at a complete loss as to what it might be.

Again, thanks for the help. And, sorry I didn't include the requisite information in my original post. I know better. I'm just having a hard time of it, and got over-excited.

[Fitzcarraldo]

Forgot to warn you about the recent change from SVN to Git in the Sabayon overlay. Well, at least you knew what to do (which makes a change!).

Regarding the qt-test thing, not sure why I didn't have the same problem, but if I were in your shoes I'd try what you're proposing.

Regarding the TTY consoles/keyboard mapping problem: Ahhh... you didn't say you are using a Mac! No wonder you're having trouble! I seem to recall a thread in the SL forum about this problem with Apple kit, but I may be imagining things -- see if you can find anything using the SL Search facility. Some other forum members use Macs, so hopefully one of them will notice this thread and point you in the right direction.


EDIT: Yes, search using keywords keyboard mac and you'll find several threads. Here's just a couple of posts:

viewtopic.php?f=50&t=9812&start=10#p63863

viewtopic.php?f=86&t=16578&p=95044#p95044

[signals]

Ah, but you misunderstand. It's not a Mac. It's an Apple keyboard. The machine is a white box core i7 machine. I just like the keyboard.

I'll take a look for a similar problem on a Mac and see what I can come up with. I had already searched for a solution and came up blank, but I'll keep looking. (Actually I did find someone complaining about being dumped out of X when they did an Alt-F1 and the response was to upgrade Sabayon, so when I started this thread I was thinking that maybe the ability to switch VTs was disabled on purpose.)

Oh, and I unmerged qt-test and all of the blocks disappeared. I just emerged etc-proposals and everything seems OK. I still think it's strange that I was blocked immediately after install, but it's an easy enough work around.

It's going to be a learning experience for a while as I try to unlearn the Gentoo way and re-learn the Sabayon way...

Thanks again.

EDIT: Was composing this when you edited your post... Thanks for the links. It was the stupid "fn" key that's never been useful for anything before. I'll have to figure out how to fix that, but Ctrl-Alt-Fn-F1 takes me to the first VT. PROBLEM SOLVED!

[Fitzcarraldo]

OK. Next thing to try: have you selected an Apple keyboard in K Menu > Control Centre > Regional & Accessibility > Keyboard Layout > Keyboard model (that's on KDE 3.5.10, so whatever the equivalent is for GNOME)?

[signals]

No, I hadn't. Didn't even think of it. Would you believe I've been running a minimal XFCE (wm and panel only) for the last 5 years and am completely overwhelmed by Gnome? LOL.

I gave it a shot, but it didn't help. As far as I recall, the vt switching is managed by the kernel, not Xorg, so I doubt that Gnome has much control over it. On my old Gentoo system, the only way I was able to get the magic SysRq key working on this SysRq-less keyboard was to edit the kernel source and change the keycode that it thought SysRq was. Hopefully I won't have to resort to that to get this working.

Maybe this Apple keyboard is more work than it's worth, but I switch back and forth between my Linux desktop and a MacBook and it's hard to go back and forth between the wide spacing on the MacBook and a normal PC keyboard.

I'll just use the Fn key for a while. I'll look at the bright side: Now I have a reason for that key to be on the keyboard. I don't think I've ever intentionally pressed it before.

[Fitzcarraldo]

OK. Looks like you're sorted, then! For future reference, please click on the EDIT button in your first post and add "[Solved]" to the end of the Subject text. Thanks. I'll do it this time.

Welcome to Sabayon Linux!

[wolfden]

just a note, make sure you get the latest portage, not sure if masked on SL, but it will help with blocks

[signals]

Heh, I didn't notice that you could edit the title with the edit button, or I would have added [Solved] on my own. I'll remember for next time.

But, I still have one strange issue that won't go away: When I boot into SL, I still get taken to the empty vt after the boot splash goes away. I have to use the Control-Alt-fn-F7 deal to get into X. I'm not sure how to tell which vt it actually is, since there's no getty running there.

This all seemed to start when I was trying in vain to get the boot splash to go away and to get it into debug mode with the "F2" key during boot. Since the "fn" key's function is reversed on my keyboard, I have to hit fn-F2 to get into debug mode. Before I realized that, it would just ignore me when I hit F2 during boot. I was getting frustrated during one boot and I hit F2 repeatedly during the entire boot splash. All I succeeded in doing was getting the empty vt to come up, and now it won't go away, even between boots. I've never used a bootsplash on a Linux before, so I suspect I'm just missing something. It worked the first few times I booted SL but now I always get dumped to an empty vt.

What really strikes me as strange is that if I do an "/etc/init.d/xdm [re]start" from a root shell on vt1, it switches to vt7 automatically, just like it is supposed to. It just doesn't work at system boot.

Thanks again. My first experience with the Sabayon community has been great!