Very Computer

Edit the XF86Config file manually.

fyi,  x-windows is a M$ product, Linux uses the "x windows system".

i'm a newbie running phat linux (based on mandrake).  and i have a k6-2
300 w/ 98mb ram and a viper v330 vcard.

1 of my ?s are, 'why does linux say i only have 64mb of ram?'.

my other 1 is, 'how kan i get a diff. rez in x-windows'?  i'm using kde
and ran the 'xf86config' and set it to 800x600 but it still goes back to
640x480.

------------------  Posted via CNET Linux Help  ------------------
                    http://www.searchlinux.com

Those funny little control-Ms are due to using a broken newsreader.

Quote:>1 of my ?s are, 'why does linux say i only have 64mb of ram?'.^M

Because BIOS is broken by design and can't tell the kernel more than that,
and the kernel doesn't try to size the memory itself, and you didn't
tell it more than that.

Here is an amazing thing.  The kernel, being a compiled C program,
has a command line.
You can tell your kernel "mem=96M" on its command line.

The kernel command line is issued to the kernel by the boot loader.
If you are using Lilo, say
   linux mem=96M
at the boot prompt, or
   append="mem=96M"
in the lilo.conf file.

More command line fun appears in the Boot-Prompt HOWTO and the
SCSI HOWTO, and there is a little in the LILO MINI-HOWTO and the
Ethernet-HOWTO.

Quote:>^M
>my other 1 is, 'how kan i get a diff. rez in x-windows'?  i'm using kde ^M
>and ran the 'xf86config' and set it to 800x600 but it still goes back to ^M
>640x480.

Try control-Alt-numplus.  That is, hold Ctrl and Alt and hit the + on the
numeric keypad.
It will cycle through the available screen formats.  Some of them may be
beyond your monitor's capabilities and it will go dark and squeal.
Just keep going until you find one it can handle, and it will come back.
Don't leave it dark and squealing for more than a few seconds, though.

If you don't find any screen formats you like, start with one you almost like
and run the xvidtune program.  Xvidtune will help you generate a string
of numbers called an XFree86 "Modeline" that's right for your monitor.
Then edit /etc/XF86Config or /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/XF86Config or whereever it is
on your system, and add the new Modeline after all the others.
Give it a name that doesn't conflict with the existing ones.  The name
is in doublequotes.
(While you're in there, take note of any duplicate names.)
Now find the 'Section "Screen"' part of the file, and the list of Modes
for your display and color depth.  Add the name of your new mode
to the list.  Exit the X Window System (don't just restart the Window Manager)
and restart it.  Your new mode will now be in the series you get with
control-alt-numplus.

Now go back and get rid of the modes your monitor can't handle,
and move your favorite mode to the beginning of the list.
Then go back and try commenting out some of the modelines with duplicated
names.  You might find you gain some new modes that work well.
Often, a bad modeline will come along after a good one with the same name
and your X server will never see the good one.  This is a design defect in
XFree86.

It will be great when this is fully automated.  It's one of the last things
you still need to edit a config file for when you set up a desktop
client system.

Cameron