Very Computer

1. XFree86 support for Cirrus CL-GD543x on IBM PC 330?

I've been struggling to set up XFree86 on a new IBM PC 330, with a 486DX2
processor, 541MB IDE disk, 20MB RAM, and a Cirrus CL-GD543x VGA chip-set.
This is using the XF86_SVGA server that came as part of Slackware 2.0 - I
believe this is XFree86 2.1 or 2.1.1.  In any case, I also tried the SVGA
server from XFree86 3.1, and had the same problems.

When I run the server, via startx, with a minimal Xconfig file, the server
complains that the chipset type is unknown.  Since "clgd543x" is one of the
chipset codes that the server prints out as it's starting up, I assumed the
support for it was there, but perhaps the version of the chipset I've got
throws off the server?

I then tried specifying Chipset "clgd543x" in Xconfig, and got a little
further.  The server then complained about not having enough VRAM to run,
regardless of which video mode I specified first in the mode list.  It
seemed to think that I only had 256K, which is not the case.  (I couldn't
figure out how to find out how much VRAM I really do have on this thing, but
I had no problems configuring DOS/Windows to run in 1024x768x256 color mode,
and even in 1280x1024x16 color mode, so I must have enough VRAM.)

I finally tried specifying Videoram 1024 explicitly in Xconfig, and got the
x server to start up - sort of.  It got as far as initializing itself, and
displaying the X cursor icon, and fvwm started up and painted the background
blue.  But then, everything would freeze, and the display would slowly break
up as stuff was being drawn at random locations.

I tried switching to a different virtual console, but the Ctrl-Alt-Fn
sequences were often ignored.  When it did finally switch, I saw several
error messaged from the X server, indicating something about a BitBLT
timeout error.

Is there something that I've misconfigured?  Is this chipset just too new
for the current versions of XFree86?  Is there a newer version of the server
that I don't know about?  Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated.

Incidentally, the MSD program under DOS reports the following as the VGA
type:
        Cirrus CL-GD543x VGA BIOS Version 1.10 E
        VESA 1.02

Apart from that, I don't really know anything about it - there was no
documentation on this VGA hardware shipped with the system.  I assume it's
the standard VGA hardware that IBM is using in the PC 300 series, but I
could be wrong.

--


University of Manitoba                  Phone: (204)474-8161 (or Intercom 32)
Winnipeg, MB, CANADA  R3T 2N2           Fax:   (204)269-9178
     "The earth is like a tiny grain of sand, only much, much heavier."

2. byte-compiled startup files?

3. Help please! - XFree86 - Cirrus Logic clgd543x PCI card.

4. Ideal EIDE/IDE controller for Linux?

5. Linux&XFree86 on a PCI Cirrus Logic Vid Card

6. Apache - Linux

7. Trantor T130b SCSI Card / Cirrus Logic 5428 VLB Card

8. Any solutions to idraw fpe problem?

9. where is video card driver for Cirrus Logic GD7543 card

10. Cirrus Logic 5428 with Xfree86

11. Cirrus Logic 5430 PCI XFree86 accelerated drivers?

12. Problems using Cirrus Logic 5434 in >8 bitplanes under XFree86 3.1

13. Problem with XFree86 and Cirrus Logic 5429