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Topic: Problems with X-server display Old Laptop

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slong

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Posts: 3
Joined: Sep. 2006

Posted: Sep. 23 2006,10:34

Go for the Xfree. You have to configure it, but there is a script to get you started. Actually, it might run OK after you do the Xfreeconfig script. My old laptop didn't, but after a few tweaks it was fine.

One nice feature is that you can restart with xsetup and go back to the original dsl xserver and try again if it messes up the first few boots.

I added a user that used XFree86, and kept the dsl account on the old xserver, till XF86 was stable.

Keep trying, it will feel great when you succeed!

Peace, Steve

spmcg

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Posts: 12
Joined: July 2006

Posted: Oct. 05 2006,07:48

I had a similar problem with my Compaq Armada 1520, cirrus video card. The problem is that the xvesa driver can only offer 800x600x8 accelerated and doesn't allow you to unaccelerate (AFAIK). Hence the crap screen.

Xfree can help, you may need to set option 'noaccel' under "Device" and play around with the settings under "Screen" at the bottom of the xfree86 config-4 file. Basically you want to comment everything out except under "Display", keep "Depth" 16, "Modes" 800x600. (though in your case Depth might have to be 8 if that's all the screen can do).

I ended up with 800x600x16 unaccelerated working OK, though my video card messes up the bottom few lines of the screen. This is a cirrus problem I am told, but your notebook is likely a bit more modern so xfree should work for you. Look around web, you'll find oodles of xconfig files that relate to your machine. Good luck!

andrewb

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Posts: 316
Joined: July 2005

Posted: Oct. 06 2006,00:15

You may not need the full Xfree (though now it is a UNC it isn't so memory hungry). Have you checked out:

vga=xxx

Another option is to use the xf86_svga server from Xfree v3 - NOT v4 as in the UNC. v3 has more support for older chipsets (e.g. WD90C24, etc). Follow the instructiuons in:

http://damnsmalllinux.org/cgi-bin....86_svga

This was the ONLY way I could get X working on an old Thinkpad. The xf86_svga server isn't in the v4 version of X. Once you've got the server you need to find a valid xf86config file for your machine - try Google.

Ran_Talbott Offline

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Joined: Dec. 2006

Posted: Dec. 14 2006,12:55

I had what I think is the same problem on a Fujitsu Point1600 when I mistakenly set it up with "vga=771" (800x600, 8-bit). When I switched to 16-bit mode (vga=788) it worked fine.

I used the framebuffer driver in both cases: trying to use the VESA driver didn't work with the Fujitsu. The display came up, but with an ugly color palette that made the LCD unreadable.

I wonder if the default color scheme has problems if it's used on systems with limited color depth? I have some old tablets with grayscale screens that I've been thinking of trying DSL on, so I'm also interested in what the "real" solution is.

Ran

Juanito

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Joined: Sep. 2005

Posted: Dec. 14 2006,13:19

You could try looking at http://damnsmalllinux.org/wiki/index.php/Vga%3Dxxx under the additional modes section and use the dsl 2 boot option followed by Xvesa-listmodes.

This might throw some light on what your hardware is capable of.

9 replies since Sep. 07 2006,23:29

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