On Wed, Dec 16, 1998 at 02:07:37AM -0000, Frank Packer wrote:
> A general HELP! to all.
You don't need to cry for help on Debian mailing lists - we try to help
everybody :-)
> I am having a problem with XFree86 and its detection of my video card.
> I cannot find a solution in any of the normal references, so I thought I
> would put it out to the list.
No problem :)
> I am running an NEC P100 with 16M ram. Hda is FAT16 with Chicago
> (Windows94++) on it, hdb contains Debian 'hamm'. I boot Debian from a
> floppy.
Why not use LILO?
Put the following into /etc/lilo.conf, run LILO and be happy :)
--- CUT ---
boot=/dev/hda
root=/dev/hdb1 <-- you might have to adjust this
install=/boot/boot.b
default=Chicago <-- change this to Linux if you got used to it :)
map=/boot/map
vga=normal
prompt <-- forces LILO into prompt on boot
other=/dev/hda1
label=Chicago
image=/vmlinuz
label=Linux
read-only
--- CUT ---
After calling "/sbin/lilo" you should get "Chicago added *" and "Linux added".
Then, after reboot, enter the name of the OS you want to use, eg Chicago or
Linux.
This will probably not work if you BIOS does not support a second IDE disk but
I guess this is not the case on a Pentium 100 :)
> The video chipset is an Alliance ProMotion6422PCI, 1M video ram,
> 24bit internal RamDac, and a 6422 internal clock chip. The chipset is
> not mounted on a PCI card, but is mounted on the NEC mainboard (as is
> the SB Pro II sound 'card'). The monitor is a 1024x768 SVGA multisync.
> The problem: I can download the necessary XF86 .debs and the VGA
> server and XF86 will run fvwm95 perfectly in VGA mode. If I download
> and install the SVGA server, and configure it for the Alliance Promotion
> chipset (which is supposedly supported by the SVGA server)-- crash. The
> windows session either aborts or freezes dead.
That's not good :(
> After an abort, the bash screen contains many lines -- "mode
> 1024x768 not supported, ignoring. mode 800x600 not supported, ignoring"
> (or something close to this) and so on for all the video resolutions.
> When 320x200 isn't supported, you know there's a problem!!
Normally XFree will not switch to graphics mode without a supported video
mode. Weird.
> I cannot figure out why the SVGA server cannot drive a supported
> chipset. I have downloaded the SVGA .deb three times all with the same
> results, so I do not believe it is a corrupted file.
AFAIK dpkg will not install a corrupted file. But I never had that problem.
> One of the many places I was looking for information (cannot
> remember which one now) said that there were sometimes discrepancies
> between how video cards handled certain operations and allocated memory,
> and how the exact same on-board video chipsets performed these same
> functions. Is this what is happening with my system? Is XF86 expecting
> a PCI Alliance Promotion chipset which behaves a certain way, and is
> instead finding something.... different?
> And the bigger question -- does anyone know what I can do to
> correct/ bypass/ fool the system and get the SVGA server up and running?
> 640x480 is okay for a while, but I really would like to have the same
> higher resolutions I have on the 'other' OS!
*eg* Yeah, of course :) I am sorry but I have no idea where the problem is.
Could you please supply some additional information?
I would appreciate your XF86Config and the error output of your SVGA server.
You get the error output of XF86_SVGA with X 2>xerr (for example).
Please copy XF86Config (from /etc/X11/) and send your xerr with your next
email - hopefully this will aid us to figure out your problem.
> Does anyone have an opinion about the new Scitech Display Doctor for
> Linux? The Dos/Win version has worked very well on this computer, and
> as the Linux version claims to use all the same PnP and autodetect
> protocols I am wondering if this is a simple solution to my headache.
I have no idea. I did never need such a tool...
> All Help Appreciated!!
> Frank Packer
cu
Torsten
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