Laptops :: dsl on Compaq LTE Elite 4/40CX

Maybe you could try to use the X-server from your friend's identical laptop? You should be able to check which X you are using with this command - look for Xvesa or XF86_SVGA: ps -ef|more

That is exactly the problem. I can't get xserver-svga to load. DSL insists on running the xvesa server (which only gives me 16 colors). If anyone knows how to get the svga drivers to load using xfree86 version 4 let me know.

Or if anyone knows how to roll back xfree86 version 4 to version 3 in DSL let me know how that's done.

I have sucessfully installed Debian/Woody on this laptop running xfree86 version 3 and xserver-svga (with 256 colors). But it is using up most of my 340 MB hard drive. DSL would be perfect for this machine, if only the svga driver would load.

I guess that the XFree86 developers didn't think that anyone would still be using an SVGA video card when they developed version 4.

original here.