Video Problems (Newbie)

[waltnjulie]

After the blue screen that needs an OK to switch into graphics mode, it goes to solid black. Ctrl-Alt-F2 gets me back to text, with a blue panel that says "The program is running on a different virtual terminal. Please switch to the correct virtual terminal." Next step?

Julie

[paradox]

Ack, glad I never bought a MediaGX!!!

Ok, with the text, go back into /etc/X11 again, and delete the new XF86Config file, if there is one that is...should be now that you ran it...

now we are going to do the good ole fashion xf86config

Go ahead and choose your card from the settings and do the defaults on everything.

Hope you have a text editor of choice already, cuz you'll have to edit your new XF86Config file

where it has under devices you'll see screen resolutions and bit depths...

it might give a list or it might only give one...change all of them that aren't commented with a # to 800x600 and then save and exit, and run startx...see what you get...

Aragorn

[waltnjulie]

Ummm, I don't see any screen resolutions?

I know what you're talking about, because there were lots and lots of screen resolutions before installing 4.10, but I can't find any now. It looks as though that section wasn't written to XF86Config.

Julie

[paradox]

Sorry that took so long..I am at work..and well I got detained. The file is there though? XF86Config file.....it should have one...if not try running xf86config again and forcing screen resolutions..

Aragorn

[waltnjulie]

Yeah, I have an XF86Config file, it just doesn't have the same stuff the older version had. I reran it anyway, to see if I'd missed something, but xf86config doesn't have as many questions, either. In xf86config, when I select the mediagx, I get this warning:

This card is basically UNSUPPORTED. It may only work as a generic VGA-compatible card. If you have an XFree86 version more recent than what this card definition was based on, there's a chance that it is now supported.

In the XF86Config file, the card is listed as "Standard VGA", mfr "Unknown", driver "vga". In 3.3.6 it used the svga driver.

I'm kind of wondering whether the problem I had yesterday was at least partly with the monitor--whether there just weren't resolutions that were compatible with both video and monitor. Like all the available options required a higher sync rate than I have...

I don't really have a text editor of choice yet, but I'm experimenting and learning.

Actually, the mediaGX was a pretty decent Windows95 machine. I used it for five years with only "normal" Windows problems. But last year I went into business for myself and quickly discovered that I needed something much faster. And about that time Windows was due for its annual reinstall (when the crash rate exceeds once or twice a day), and I discovered the disk had been damaged, so I decided to try something different....maybe that was a mistake....Nah. It'll work out.

It's late and I'm going to have to quit pretty soon. Have to figure it out tomorrow. You're still at work? Ouch. I only have to do that during tax season.

Julie

[paradox]

Hmmm.....well I see what they have done in the new version....here is the plan......

They were obviously running the SVGA server before, but only under slightly different settings.....Soooooo.....we are going to try this.....just as an experiment....we are going to skip the card selection database and then choose the VGA server..not the SVGA, but the VGA and then choose your screen resolutions when it comes up.....then we'll startx and see what sh*t hits the fan then!

Aragorn

[paradox]

You didn't give up did you Julie???? :-/

Aragorn

[waltnjulie]

No, I didn't give up. My brand-new Windows computer died, throwing me offline. I'm at the library now, with two non-computers at home. Well, the one running linux works, sort of, and right now I'm frantically trying to figure out a dial-up arrangement that will work. Meanwhile, the other computer, the one with all my business records, is going back to the factory, where it will come back with a reformatted C:\ Drive :'(

What I've done: A couple of weeks ago my best setup was with the first version of Corel Linux (based on Debian Slink), so I reinstalled that. The display is screwy and breaks up, but it does sort of work, and I have instructions for it. Unfortunately, nothing is at all clear, and I still can't manage a dial-up. If all else fails and I have to give up for now, my mother is sending me her Win98 disk (MY Win95 disk is damaged so I can't reinstall that--I would if I could.) I have lots of room, so I can reinstall Debian on a second partition so I won't be cut off while I learn how to configure it. Meanwhile, since I have a sort of working display, I'm trying to analyze the XF86Config file I have, to see if it'll work better in potato, since 3.3.6 is the one that's supposed to work best with the mediagx.

If you don't hear from me for a couple days, it's just 'cause I have to come back to the library to respond.

Julie

[paradox]

Phew, bad luck...your like me!

If you want to get your modem to working in Linux, print out the Modem OMP from the site, take it home and you can get it set up...with your display....hmmm I am still trying to figure that one out....your monitor numbers really should make a difference, if you just set it up with the right numbers in the first place. I am at a loss...you might just want to buy a cheap vcard and stick that in there.....15 bucks max for a 4meg one or something...I am taking it your just using the system for business anyways!

Aragorn

[waltnjulie]

Okay, I'll look at it. Can't print it today; I didn't bring money to pay for printouts. But I've been coming in almost every day, trying to get computer time. Most days they don't have any :'( I seem to have a working configuration with this version, except: it won't run any software it didn't come with, the modem won't dial, and the printer won't print. I even dragged my old Deskjet out of storage to try it, but no success so far. (I know my new laser printer is Windows-only) So it only looks like a working computer. Just an illusion. :

Yes, I've thought about buying a video card. But I resent having to, when I know the computer has perfectly functional video, so I'm putting it off. With any luck, I'll at least be able to collect my email soon, so I'll be able to do something.

Julie