dsl on Compaq LTE Elite 4/40CXForum: Laptops Topic: dsl on Compaq LTE Elite 4/40CX started by: markm Posted by markm on Feb. 19 2006,14:42
I have installed DSL from the live CD using Apps>Tools>Install to HD with a minimal type install on an old Compaq laptop with a 1 MB Western Digital Paradise video card. Everything works great including the PCMCIA slot with an Orinoco wifi card, BUT:I'm having dificulty getting X to run using the xserver-svga video drivers. This video card is supposed to use the WD90C24A driver found in xserver-svga and support 640x480 8-bit video. I've apt-get installed xserver-svga and the -common-v3 files, generated a new XF86Config file and when starting X, I always get the following: "Using X resolution from previously selected or default settings. If you want to change the resolution run 'xsetup.sh'." Running xsetup.sh only allows me to choose the xvesa server or the xfbdev server. X can load with the xvesa server, but I only get 4-bit color and can't run Dillo (this is a must have program). The Xfbdev server won't load at all. Any help would be appreciated. I'm guessing that I need to edit a config file that is peculular to DSL which controls which xserver is used? Thanks in advance. MarkM Posted by cbagger01 on Feb. 19 2006,20:27
You need to manually edit your /home/dsl/.xserverrc file and tell it to start up your xserver-svga instead of the DSL default xservers.
Posted by markm on Feb. 20 2006,16:52
Thanks cbagger for the speedy response. I'll give it a try today and post the results.MarkM Posted by markm on Feb. 20 2006,19:48
I edited my /home/dsl/.xserverrc file. But still get the tired old message:"Using X resolution from previously selected or default settings. If you want to change the resolution run 'xsetup.sh'." [I] X starts, but still has 4-bit color. I'm going to do a fresh install of dsl and try it again. I'm afraid that I may have messed with too many config files and hindered the effort. I'll be on the road next week, but will post the results around 26 Feb. Posted by markm on Feb. 21 2006,02:02
I managed to give it another try tonight. I did a fresh install of dsl on the Compaq laptop. I apt-get installed xserver-svga and -common-v3. I also edited the /home/dsl/.xerverrc file and replaced Xvesa with XF86_SVGA and changed the resolution to 640x480x8. I'm using an XF86Config file from someone I know with the same computer who has 8 bit color and is running Debian/Woody. When starting X I still get the same message about "Using default X resolution...." it loads X with 640x480 resolution with 16 colors. I am pretty sure that it is not loading the svga server and runing xvesa with default settings. Maybe I could roll back xfree86 (version 4) to xfree86 version 3 (I don't know how to do that). And then it would have no choice but to use the xserver-svga drivers. Just a thought, I'm kind of new to linux. Let me know what you think. Thanks
Posted by skaos on Feb. 21 2006,10:57
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
Posted by markm on Mar. 02 2006,22:24
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. |