Very Computer

I have a Cyrix M II 266 MMX emachine. with RedHat 5.2 installed.

I also just figured out how to install the SVGA version of X to get a
1024x768 resolution.

These directions assume that RedHad 5.2 is installed and the Base X
system is installed.

login as root. Insert RedHat 5.2 cd #1 into the cdrom drive.
# mount /mnt/cdrom
# rpm --install /mnt/cdrom/RedHat/RPMS/XFree86-SVGA-3.3.2.3-25.i386.rpm
Then run Xconfigurator and use the selections listed below
# Xconfigurator
    OK
    unlisted card
    SVGA
    Custom

    50-70
    Don't Probe
    4 meg
    No clock chip setting
    skip
    8 bit  1024x768                                ( select one and only
one option)

# startx
and I get an aqua background with a control-panel app and a start bar
and a nxterm open.

The biggest trick, I think, was selecting one and only one resolution
setting.

I have a Cyrix M II 266 MMX emachine. with RedHat 5.2 installed.

I also just figured out how to install the SVGA version of X to get a
1024x768 resolution.

These directions assume that RedHad 5.2 is installed and the Base X
system is installed.

login as root. Insert RedHat 5.2 cd #1 into the cdrom drive.
# mount /mnt/cdrom
# rpm --install /mnt/cdrom/RedHat/RPMS/XFree86-SVGA-3.3.2.3-25.i386.rpm
Then run Xconfigurator and use the selections listed below
# Xconfigurator
    OK
    unlisted card
    SVGA
    Custom

    50-70
    Don't Probe
    4 meg
    No clock chip setting
    skip
    8 bit  1024x768                                ( select one and only
one option)

# startx
and I get an aqua background with a control-panel app and a start bar
and a nxterm open.

The biggest trick, I think, was selecting one and only one resolution
setting.

I have a Cyrix M II 266 MMX emachine. with RedHat 5.2 installed.

I also just figured out how to install the SVGA version of X to get a
1024x768 resolution.

These directions assume that RedHad 5.2 is installed and the Base X
system is installed.

login as root. Insert RedHat 5.2 cd #1 into the cdrom drive.
# mount /mnt/cdrom
# rpm --install /mnt/cdrom/RedHat/RPMS/XFree86-SVGA-3.3.2.3-25.i386.rpm
Then run Xconfigurator and use the selections listed below
# Xconfigurator
    OK
    unlisted card
    SVGA
    Custom

    50-70
    Don't Probe
    4 meg
    No clock chip setting
    skip
    8 bit  1024x768                                ( select one and only
one option)

# startx
and I get an aqua background with a control-panel app and a start bar
and a nxterm open.

The biggest trick, I think, was selecting one and only one resolution
setting.

(snip)

I have been attempting to get an e-machine to run Linux,
with varying success. (I'm on a 333k etower), currently attempting
with Mandrake 5.3, but I've also tried RedHat 5.2.

One of the most annoying problems is that during install,
various packages fail, with the following type of message:

unpacking of archive failed on file (null): 3: Bad file descriptor
        cannot open RPM file kdegames-1.1-0.2finalrh5x.i386.rpm: Bad file descriptor

What is weird is that this happens on different packages each
install. I suspected the CD-ROM, but I've gotten the same
results with other CDs.

Any clues?

 If you can, try another cdrom first, i know it sounds silly, but i have 2 different
cdroms that are picky on the cd's, and the cd can be new, or used, and it will refuse to
take data off any given sector, it will work, then boom, failures et al..

(one is a old 4x and the other is a newer 18x)