Re: Help!: XFree86 (3.3.4), graphics cards, and BIOS weirdness.+Packard Hell
All I can tell you is how I usually go about this stuff when I run into
similar problems:
1. First, dig around on Packard Bell's website and try to find a diagram
of the motherboard for the system and maybe even some documentation on
how to add your own video card.
2. Pick a new video card that others are using in Linux that meets your
requirements for resolutions, speed, etc...
3. Drive yourself crazy for a couple of weekend days getting it working.
(:
4. Enjoy!
On Mon, 9 Aug 1999, JiaBaoyu wrote:
> Hi!
>
> i have the same problem! It seems to me, there is no jumper, that disables the my
> onboard(Anchorage PB790, Packard Bell XLE 1423) video(ATI Rage II+ (Direct)(Draw)), but
> 2 Mb is too few! PhoenixBIOS 4.0 Release 6.0 (4A3NT0X0.11A.003.P06.9709) let me disable
> PCI(onboard) graphics card for ISA:
> Advanced ?> Video Configuration ?> Palette Snooping: Disabled/Enabled
>
> "PCI devices may need to know if an ISA graphics device in the system in oder to enable
> that card to function correctly. If you are using an ISA graphics card, you may need to
> set this value to Enabled" Must i using ISA graphics card?
>
> Help! 2Mb is too few!
>
> Kotya
>
> Nathan Duehr schrieb:
>
> > Is there a jumper on the motherboard (besides the BIOS setting) that
> > physically disables the onboard video when you're not using it?
> >
> > On Mon, 9 Aug 1999, Mark Phillips wrote:
> >
> > > Hi all,
> > >
> > > Let me tell you about strange happenings on my computer. Any
> > > suggestions/ideas would be most appreciated, though could you please cc a
> > > copy to me directly as I am currently reading the list on the web which
> > > usually has a day or two delay.
> > >
> > > I currently use a PCI graphics card on my computer, even though my
> > > motherboard has a built in graphics card. The reason for this is that X
> > > did not support the onboard chipset. This has changed however --- I
> > > believe it is now supported. I decided to bite the bullet and get my
> > > onboard card working. Let me tell you my strange and twisted story.
> > >
> > > 0. I should first mention that I have just done a very minimal upgrade to
> > > a few potato packages - basically just enough to get the latest apt
> > > working, as well as the XFree86 version 3.3.4 packages to install. This
> > > could possibly be relevant --- potato being unstable and all.
> > >
> > > 1. Having downloaded the latest XFree86 (version 3.3.4), I tried it on my
> > > existing setup (with my PCI graphics card) and it seemed to work fine.
> > >
> > > 2. I rebooted, got into BIOS setup, and tried to turn on my onboard
> > > graphics card. I found the BIOS option to do this, but the option was
> > > shadowed --- so that I was unable to change it from disabled to enabled.
> > > This was strange because the onboard card was turned on when I first got
> > > the new motherboard and I had been able to turn it off. I figured I
> > > needed to change some other option before it would allow me to turn the
> > > graphics card on. I fiddled with all sorts of things, but nothing would
> > > let me do it.
> > >
> > > 3. I tried physically removing the PCI graphics card, in the hope that
> > > then it would be forced to use the onboard card, but when I turned it on,
> > > it just beeped wildly at me.
> > >
> > > 4. One action of the BIOS setup menu is to choose "optimal settings", I
> > > tried this to see what it would do, and it actually turned the onboard
> > > graphics card setting to "enabled", though it was still in shadow so that
> > > I couldn't ajust this or any of the associated settings (such as how much
> > > memory to give the onboard card). I didn't actually keep these settings
> > > on exiting BIOS setup, for fear of nasty things happening, like neither
> > > graphics card working.
> > >
> > > 5. I gave up on changing graphics cards for the time being, so returned my
> > > PCI graphics card, and rebooted. I went to start up X and the screen went
> > > black. I tried changing back to a console and though at first it didn't
> > > work, eventually it did go back to console mode. I then switched back to
> > > X. This time the background and cursor came up properly, but the mouse
> > > wouldn't move. No response. I tried going back to consoles, but this
> > > time it wouldn't work. I tried kiling X through Ctr-Alt-Backspace but
> > > this didn't work, something did happen (see aside below), but X didn't die
> > > and the screen remained unchanged. Eventually I had to turn the
> > > machine off and on to get back.
> > >
> > > Aside: in the past (with this motherboard) when I have tried to exit X via
> > > Ctr-Alt-Backspace, something weird has happened. The harddrives have
> > > suddenly shutdown, then a few seconds later they start powering up again.
> > > It's a bit worrying and I don't know why it happens. I usually avoid this
> > > problem by getting out via a menu. Anyway, this time when I pressed
> > > Ctr-Alt-Backspace the disks powered down as has happened previously, but
> > > the was no exiting X! In fact when I did it a second time, the powering
> > > down happened again -- and still no change on the screen.
> > >
> > > So that's where I am now. X doesn't work anymore and I don't know why.
> > > Was it something to do with me fiddling with BIOS, or pulling the card out
> > > and back in again? Or was it something to do with the new XFree86 (3.3.4)
> > > that only showed up after a reboot? Or is the hardware playing up? Or is
> > > it something to do with moving to some potato packages? Or what?
> > >
> > > And why can't I select the onboard graphics card??? Are the BIOS options
> > > faulty? Or do I need to turn something else on/off before it works? Or
> > > is the graphics card hardware onboard dead or something? Or what?
> > >
> > > If any ideas spring to mind, I'd appreciate hearing them.
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > >
> > > Mark.
> > >
> > Betreff:
> > Re: [Debian]:PC_Professionell_onboard-karte
> > Datum:
> > Tue, 03 Aug 1999 11:24:25 +0200
> > Von:
> > MN.at.Theater-Fletch-Bizzel@t-online.de (Marco Nuessgen)
> > Firma:
> > Theater Fletch Bizzel
> > An:
> > Debian-User <debian-user-de@jfl.de>
> > Referenzen:
> > 1 , 2
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Marcus Brinkmann schrieb:
> > >
> > > On Mon, Jul 26, 1999 at 02:21:48AM +0200, Konstantin Machow wrote:
> > [...]
> > > *lach*
> > >
> > > Starten sie den Rechner, und drücken sie:
> > >
> > > Strg+YEAH-I-REALLY-KNOW-WHAT-I-DO-AND-I-MEAN-IT--ELEET--SIEMENS-SUCKS
> > >
> > > Marcus
> >
> > Was soll das denn? Du hast ja keine Ahnung. Die haben sich bei Siemens
> > schon was dabei gedacht. Die Rechner sind professionelle Maschinen -
> > an denen hat der "User" nicht rumzufummeln und im BIOS zu basteln: Da
> > hat dann wieder ein "PowerUser" die "PC-Easy" gelesen und
> > kurbelt in der Konfiguration rum bis nichts mehr geht, ruft um Hilfe
> > und beschwert sich, daß die Maschine nicht läuft. Gut das es
> > Bios-Passwörter, geheime Hotkeys und abschließbare Gehäuse gibt.
> > Gruß,
> > Marco.
> > ------------------------------------------------
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> > ------------------------------------------------
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>
>
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