diff -ur cosmoe/appserver/desktop.cpp cosmoe_jc/appserver/desktop.cpp
--- cosmoe/appserver/desktop.cpp	Mon Jul  1 00:22:59 2002
+++ cosmoe_jc/appserver/desktop.cpp	Thu Jul 18 21:44:01 2002
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@
 		{
 			dbprintf( "Error: Display driver don't list any screenmodes. Check that your gfx-adapter supports Vesa2.0\n" );
 			dbprintf( "Terminate application server...\n" );
-			exit( 1 );
+			return ( false );
 		}
 		std::sort( cModes.begin(), cModes.end(), ModeCmp() );
 		// Find the mode closest to 640x480
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@
 	{
 		dbprintf( "Error: All screenmodes failed. Game over!\n" );
 		dbprintf( "Terminate application server...\n" );
-		exit( 1 );
+		return ( false );
 	}
 
 	g_pcScreenBitmap->m_nWidth        = g_pcDispDrv->GetHorizontalRes();
@@ -626,10 +626,13 @@
         g_pcDispDrv = new DirectFBDriver;
 #endif
 
+		// the call to create_area in Open returns AREA_ID_FB on success
 		g_nFrameBufferArea = g_pcDispDrv->Open();
-		if ( g_nFrameBufferArea < 0 )
+
+		if ( g_nFrameBufferArea != AREA_ID_FB && g_nFrameBufferArea < 0 )
 		{
 			dbprintf( "Failed to init vesa20/dfb driver.\n" );
+			return ( false );
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -640,12 +643,14 @@
 	g_pcScreenBitmap->m_hArea    = g_nFrameBufferArea;
 	g_pcScreenBitmap->m_pRaster  = (uint8*)g_sFBAreaInfo.address;
 
-	setup_screenmode( 0, false );
+	bool bSetupScreenMode = setup_screenmode( 0, false );
+	if( !bSetupScreenMode )
+		return ( false );
 
 	g_nActiveDesktop = 0;
 	g_pcTopView = new Layer( g_pcScreenBitmap );
 
 	g_pcDispDrv->SetCursorBitmap( MPTR_MONO, IPoint(0,0), g_anMouseImg, POINTER_WIDTH, POINTER_HEIGHT );
 	g_pcDispDrv->MouseOn();
-	return( 0 );
+	return( true );
 }
diff -ur cosmoe/appserver/server.cpp cosmoe_jc/appserver/server.cpp
--- cosmoe/appserver/server.cpp	Mon Jul  1 00:22:48 2002
+++ cosmoe_jc/appserver/server.cpp	Mon Jul  8 21:22:36 2002
@@ -656,7 +656,14 @@
 	set_app_server_port( m_hRequestPort );
 
 dbprintf( "appserver: init_desktops()\n" );
-	init_desktops();
+	bool bDesktops = init_desktops();
+
+	if(!bDesktops)
+	{
+		dbprintf("appserver: failed to init_desktops\n");
+		restore_keyboard();
+		return;
+	}
 
 dbprintf( "appserver: InitInputSystem\n" );
 	InitInputSystem();
diff -ur cosmoe/libcosmoe/cosmoe/OS.c cosmoe_jc/libcosmoe/cosmoe/OS.c
--- cosmoe/libcosmoe/cosmoe/OS.c	Wed May 29 17:06:08 2002
+++ cosmoe_jc/libcosmoe/cosmoe/OS.c	Mon Jul  8 21:22:39 2002
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@
 		if( fb_ptr == NULL )
 		{
 			/* the framebuffer is not yet mapped or mapping failed */
+			dbprintf( "linux_compat: the framebuffer is not yet mapped or mapping failed\n");
 			return -1;
 		}
 		if( ppAddress != NULL )