Very Computer

by **Douglas Moor** » Sun, 31 Dec 1899 09:00:00

I have an Aptiva 2170-190 with AMD K6/2 500MHz that uses an SiS 5595
chipset. When I attempt to install Caldera 2.3, after the boot install
attempts to determine video mode and apparently is unable because the
screen turns gray, flickers a few times, then stays gray. If I hit
return I see the CD flash, so I assume it is waiting for a response,
possibly to the language question, but who knows.

I have tried LISA and x86config but get similar symptoms when startx is
run. IBM web site says Aptiva hasn't been tested with Linux and
indicates that there is no intent to do so. Of course, if I was IBM and
saw a blank screen, I'd have trouble testing too.

Is there anyone out there who is using Linux on a system with the SiS
5595 chip and can give me some insight on the proper configuration
selections?

Thanks,
Doug Moore

by **J_Ma** » Sun, 31 Dec 1899 09:00:00

I ran into something similar on my Azza motherboard with an Integrated SiS
530 video chipset. Caldera's GUI install procedure tries to use the
standard VGA16 server, and the SiS 530 seems to have difficulty with this
server. Since the 5595 is very close to the 530, you may be having the same
problem. Unfortunately, the only way I had to get out of the situation was
to go to a distro that had a text install option (RH6.1 and now Slackware
7). If Caldera has a text install option, you should be able to do that,
then use xf86config to get X running.

J_Man

Quote:> I have an Aptiva 2170-190 with AMD K6/2 500MHz that uses an SiS 5595
> chipset. When I attempt to install Caldera 2.3, after the boot install
> attempts to determine video mode and apparently is unable because the
> screen turns gray, flickers a few times, then stays gray. If I hit
> return I see the CD flash, so I assume it is waiting for a response,
> possibly to the language question, but who knows.

> I have tried LISA and x86config but get similar symptoms when startx is
> run. IBM web site says Aptiva hasn't been tested with Linux and
> indicates that there is no intent to do so. Of course, if I was IBM and
> saw a blank screen, I'd have trouble testing too.

> Is there anyone out there who is using Linux on a system with the SiS
> 5595 chip and can give me some insight on the proper configuration
> selections?

> Thanks,
> Doug Moore

by **Lonni J. Friedma** » Sun, 31 Dec 1899 09:00:00

> 7). If Caldera has a text install option, you should be able to do that,
> then use xf86config to get X running.

Caldera uses LISA for the text install. Its on the CD in
/col/launch/lisa. BTW, all the COL users hang out in
alt.os.linux.caldera.

> J_Man

> > I have an Aptiva 2170-190 with AMD K6/2 500MHz that uses an SiS 5595
> > chipset. When I attempt to install Caldera 2.3, after the boot install
> > attempts to determine video mode and apparently is unable because the
> > screen turns gray, flickers a few times, then stays gray. If I hit
> > return I see the CD flash, so I assume it is waiting for a response,
> > possibly to the language question, but who knows.

> > I have tried LISA and x86config but get similar symptoms when startx is
> > run. IBM web site says Aptiva hasn't been tested with Linux and
> > indicates that there is no intent to do so. Of course, if I was IBM and
> > saw a blank screen, I'd have trouble testing too.

> > Is there anyone out there who is using Linux on a system with the SiS
> > 5595 chip and can give me some insight on the proper configuration
> > selections?

by **Rick Bigelo** » Sun, 31 Dec 1899 09:00:00

I've just recently configured an AMD K6/2 450 with an SiS 530 AGP card
successfully (using Caldera 2.2). You need the 3.3.5 version of XFree (which
I had to download) and you must use the text config (XF86Config?). The 3.3.5
version has SiS drivers.

And you may also have to edit the the resulting config file as X makes some
bad guesses for multiple modelines. I merely commented out all modelines but

You might also need the latest X drivers from http://www.sis.com.tw.

Now if I could get the #$%^$%^& ethernet card working...

Rick Bigelow

>I have an Aptiva 2170-190 with AMD K6/2 500MHz that uses an SiS 5595
>chipset. When I attempt to install Caldera 2.3, after the boot install
>attempts to determine video mode and apparently is unable because the
>screen turns gray, flickers a few times, then stays gray. If I hit
>return I see the CD flash, so I assume it is waiting for a response,
>possibly to the language question, but who knows.

>I have tried LISA and x86config but get similar symptoms when startx is
>run. IBM web site says Aptiva hasn't been tested with Linux and
>indicates that there is no intent to do so. Of course, if I was IBM and
>saw a blank screen, I'd have trouble testing too.

>Is there anyone out there who is using Linux on a system with the SiS
>5595 chip and can give me some insight on the proper configuration
>selections?

>Thanks,
>Doug Moore

by **Douglas Moor** » Sun, 31 Dec 1899 09:00:00

Thanks for those that responded to my post. I was able to get XFree running
using LISA install, but when I tried to get SVGA resolutions, I got a white
mouse cursor box about 1 inch square, and the text in the menus is sometimes
there and sometimes not. It looks like Caldera 2.3 has XFree86 version
3.3.4 and maybe I need to get 3.3.6 which is proported to have improvements
to the SiS drivers.

Doug Moore

> I have an Aptiva 2170-190 with AMD K6/2 500MHz that uses an SiS 5595
> chipset. When I attempt to install Caldera 2.3, after the boot install
> attempts to determine video mode and apparently is unable because the
> screen turns gray, flickers a few times, then stays gray. If I hit
> return I see the CD flash, so I assume it is waiting for a response,
> possibly to the language question, but who knows.

> I have tried LISA and x86config but get similar symptoms when startx is
> run. IBM web site says Aptiva hasn't been tested with Linux and
> indicates that there is no intent to do so. Of course, if I was IBM and
> saw a blank screen, I'd have trouble testing too.

> Is there anyone out there who is using Linux on a system with the SiS
> 5595 chip and can give me some insight on the proper configuration
> selections?

> Thanks,
> Doug Moore

Very Computer

Caldera 2.3, video problems during install on Aptiva

Caldera 2.3, video problems during install on Aptiva

Caldera 2.3, video problems during install on Aptiva

Caldera 2.3, video problems during install on Aptiva

Caldera 2.3, video problems during install on Aptiva

Caldera 2.3, video problems during install on Aptiva