Very Computer

Hi all,

  Stage III of the saga...

  I got Linux working now on all my systems. Wunnerful. Now I can't seem to
run Xfree.

  I've been through the howtos, read the xf....doc file (MS-Word file), and
I'm still getting strange problems.

  When I run ConfigFX86, I tell it I've got an Elsa Winner (which is what
I've got [I think...] in my HP Vectra 486XM.). At least, that's what my
Windoze & NT drivers say it is. SuperProbe says it's a S3 928 with 135Meg
Brooktree RAMDAC (which is righton). I have 1Meg VRAM. I also tell it I'm
using VESA video modes - my 1600x1200 monitor will sync to _anything_, and
I mean _anything_. (Well, except channel 28! :)

  When I select the resolutions (1280 x 1k, 1k x 768, 800x600, 640x480, all
at their lowest vsync freq) and go to test them, all I get is a blank screen
with a cursor flashing - i.e. _no_ graphics mode switch.

  However, if I select only 640x480 and run X -probeonly, and set my H and
V freqs to what is displayed, then run startx, the screen blanks, I get
a _hint_ of a graphic, and the screen stays blank - even when I switch
to another Vconsole. In fact, I have to hard reset or power off to recover
_any_ video at all. Hey, no problem, I can live with that (at least i know
why!). If I allow the default programmable clock options, I get a "no such
file or directory" error running startx.

  So. Getting back to ConfigXF86, if I select, say, the 1k x 768 mode, it
calculates for a second, then I see "eval - not a number" messages on the
screen, and no values are displayed on the "fiddle" screen.

  I've tried setting XWINHOME variable, changing the VS and HS polarity
(all combinations), reinstalling the S3 server (off the 1.1.54 dist, files),
etc, etc. I've also run Makecard, trying out the values I know apply to
the card. No luck.

  Has anyone else had the same problems? or does it sound like I'm stuffing
something up mightily? I've run out of ideas.

Heeelllllp.

Borg

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Peter Naus HP ESG         |  The rebel digs his heels firmly into the earth.

    DooM on...             |   - Kerro Panille, Collected Poems
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't even have an opinion as to whether or not my employer has an opinion.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

  As an addendum, I _did_ sort of get the Xserver _sort_ of displaying
something that _sort_ of looks intelligible...

  When I run startx, the screen clears, then the X cursor appears, then the
screen "pixel paints" the background (takes about 6 seconds on my Pentium 60),
then the background turns dark blue, then the cusrsor changes to a "size"
cursor, andthe the top 20% of the display goes a stippled grey/blue, i.e
grey blocks on a blue background. Looks like a really dirty dotclock...

  Note that this is on a pentium system, not my ol' faithful 486 at home
(where I _still_ can't get the damn server to run, even though it uses the
_exact_ same chipset!). So I know that the server can start, but does this
garbage display have anything to do with the fact that my 486 box at home
won't even start the Xserver?

  I also noticed a posting about 1.1.50 and it's inability to hang on bootup..
maybe I should get a hold of that kernel and reinstall? Any suggestions?

Borg
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Peter Naus HP ESG         |  The rebel digs his heels firmly into the earth.

    DooM on...             |   - Kerro Panille, Collected Poems
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't even have an opinion as to whether or not my employer has an opinion.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

  I did get the thing running using the generic VGA and SVGA drivers and
hacking the XFConfig file... This is not really useful to me (esp. in 320x200
mode - except for DooM! <evil grin>) From other posts in this group, it would
seem that 1.1.54 is pretty seriously broken.

-Peter

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Peter Naus HP ESG         |  The rebel digs his heels firmly into the earth.

    DooM on...             |   - Kerro Panille, Collected Poems
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't even have an opinion as to whether or not my employer has an opinion.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

:   As an addendum, I _did_ sort of get the Xserver _sort_ of displaying
: something that _sort_ of looks intelligible...

:   When I run startx, the screen clears, then the X cursor appears, then the
: screen "pixel paints" the background (takes about 6 seconds on my Pentium 60),
: then the background turns dark blue, then the cusrsor changes to a "size"
: cursor, andthe the top 20% of the display goes a stippled grey/blue, i.e
: grey blocks on a blue background. Looks like a really dirty dotclock...

Well, looks like you have not calculated the Timings fro your Monitor
Correctly. If I remember, there was a little Spreadsheed Script for
scy that could do this (A long Time since i did it :-)). It's called
"modegen1.sc" and you have to execute with:

sc modegen1.sc

You should the put your pre & post-synchronisations in, your
VideoBandwidth and some other little things, and it'll give you a
beautiful modeline for your XF86config file :-)
It was in the contrib. directory of the Slackware distribution on any
ftp-Site. But I haven't seen it in htere anymore. maybe someone around
could mail it uuencoded to you !

--
Solong & Happy Hacking
________________________________________________________________________


| Stardust's Linux System :   Data, Fax & Voice 49 30 3627345          |
------------------------------------------------------------------------
`Fatal Error: Found [MS-Windows] System -> Terminating Virus...'

:   I did get the thing running using the generic VGA and SVGA drivers and
: hacking the XFConfig file... This is not really useful to me (esp. in 320x200
: mode - except for DooM! <evil grin>) From other posts in this group, it would
: seem that 1.1.54 is pretty seriously broken.

Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm running this kernel for quite a while
now, and I think I'll only upgrade when the 1.2 comes out, what I
think is going to happen in some time...
This kernel has an uptime at my Place for over 1 Week now (Since I
Upgraded) and never messed up :-)

cu
--
Solong & Happy Hacking
________________________________________________________________________


| Stardust's Linux System :   Data, Fax & Voice 49 30 3627345          |
------------------------------------------------------------------------
`Fatal Error: Found [MS-Windows] System -> Terminating Virus...'