Re: [UUG/MLUG] *nix config problems

["Jason McIntosh" <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

Actually, from personal exp with the exact same monitor, I haven't had any
real problems with X's config for the monitor.  However, I did at one point
have an ATI card with the Mach64 Chipset (something with 4mb onboard, w/ a
4MB addon card, rage II+ or something), and the real trick was getting the
card to work.  Had all kinds of problems with it.
I would try a couple of things:  First, make sure XF86 is fully up-to-date,
then, I'd try setting the resources and configs for everything by hand,
using the Windows Res as a guide.  I distinctly remember that XF for some
reason was trying to overdo the settings for my card and monitor.  Card
couldn't handle it or something.  But, I do know this - though the ATI's
tend to be fast, I've noticed that they are really really buggy.
So, suggestion would be turn off autoprobe, set configs by hand,
particularly memory and max resolutions.  Then try ctrl and alt and + keys
to switch resolutions.  Also, if necessary, try ctrl + alt + backspace to
kill X when errors happen.  I did get X to work though, albeit it was RH
version 5.0 or 4.0 or something like that....
Good luck!
Jason

> On Fri, 29 Oct 1999 18:37:21 -0500 (CDT), EMAIL:PROTECTED
> wrote:
>
> > Hey folks,
> >
> > I hadn't been able to afford any extended downtime on my PC until
> > recently, so I put off installing linux at home for the longest time...
> > The Expo psyched me up, so I grabbed some of the "door-prize" CDs, and
> > decided to take the leap.  I tried Red Hat first because I read that the
> > default install included Gnome on top of the Enlightenment manager,
which
> > was the X setup I wanted anyway, plus I was told it was a good
> first-timer
> > choice.
> >
> > My first problem was Xconfigurator choking on my vid card and monitor
> > combo (an ATI Mach64 WinBoost, 2meg, and a MAG DX17F, 30-64kHZ
> > horizontal and 50-100Hz vertical). Both were listed
> > explicitly as configuration choices, so I'm assuming the problem was in
> > Xconfigurator's timing database listing for my monitor.  The mach64
> server
> > covered a huge range of cards, so I'm tempted to think that it wasn't
> > the problem.  When it ran through the different vid modes, to test, the
> > monitor hung
> > with a black screen (I couldn't tell if it was out of synch or not) on
> one
> > of the higher res ones and I had to totally restart the install.  Five
> > install
> > restarts later, I choose the custom monitor definition, 640x480 mode,
and
> > finally get X up... funny thing was that it had a counter where if I
> > didn't hit the button, it would revert to the ascii install, yet it
never
> > reverted on any previous install attempts where the screen went into a
> bad
> > mode.  Say, Gnome and Engligtenment are already installed and
> > working...but how to get some decent vid modes?  Three hours of reading
> > docs, howtos, FAQs, and man pages on the web(good thing I didn't delete
> my
> > win98 partition just yet), I have researched my exact frequencies for
and
> > calculated dot
> > clocks for every mode and I am ready to attempt a manual xconfig file
> > modification...total failure, still only the "safe mode" of startx
works.
> > Another hour of reading docs and etc on ppp, and my modem (USR 56k)
won't
> > dial.  Ok, time to try FreeBSD.
> >
> > Partition delete, disk image copy to floppy, a somewhat more thorough
Q&A
> > session with the install manager, and I'm in X...with ctrl-alt-+
actually
> > changing vid modes...and they work.  Hmm, this x setup is mighty ugly,
> and
> > how do I config it?  Let's try to change the look and feel real quick to
> > see if I can make browsing docs less painful... how about aqua?  ok, now
> > every menu option is blacked out and the xterm is scrolling through
> > errors.  Good 'ole Gnome loaded up manually, apparently working ok,
albit
> > with more errors filling the xterm.  Enlightenment didn't
> > seem to be loaded even through it was config'd to be, and how am I going
> > to get rid of this _step windows manager, with it's unhandy pager and
> > wharf docker?
> >
> > That's enough rambling for one email.  I guess all of those
> > questions are rhetorical, but I would like to ask:  Since the red hat
> > distro is likely to give me the fewest problems (only on red hat was I
> > able to get my cdrom and zip drive mounted), assuming I can get past
> > that issue with vid modes, where do I go from here?  I believe I have
read
>
> > all the documentation on video cards and monitors that there is in the
> > various documentation projects.  I can't attempt to config higher res
> > modes in Xconfigurator without it hanging, and ctrl-alt-plus and minus
> > didn't ever seem to do anything in red hat.
> >
> > Maybe I should give SuSE a test drive, or borrow a Mandrake CD?
> >
> > I'm beginning to wish I had packed up my TOTALLY unportable bucket of
> > bolts and brought it to the installation table the other week.
> >
> > If anyone could offer some direction, I'd be grateful.  6:40 Friday
> > night...time to get ill.  Enjoy the weekend, folks.
> >
> > --
> > Steve Copeland