Display problem after installing Mandrake 10.1(HELP man!!)

[anomit]

I have installed Mandrake Linux 10.1 from only the 1st Installation CD. But after selecting Linux from the bootloader, when it boots into graphical mode the display is jarred and nothing can be seen. My mobo is INTEL 845GL Chipset based. Any help??

[GNUrag]

Hello anomit,
You may have to adjust your X server resolutions and refresh rates for X to work. Thers's a script included with most of the distributions called xf86config which you can use to adjust your resolutions from the console mode.

I too had the same motherboard Intel Corp. 82845G/GL[Brookdale-G] on one of the computers and had to reconfigure X and bring down the refresh rate of display. But that was debian.

[anomit]

I tried to run that command from the console windows but it says command not found or something like that. Please detail the involved procedure. I am totally new to Linux. I am having a similar problem while installing SuSE 9.1 where the colours are not displayed correctly and (I am getting mad)..........

[EDITED] Do I have to install anything extra from the CDs #2 and #3 or boot from them for xf86config to work?

[GNUrag]

Detailed method would involve editing the X server configuration files inside /etc/X11/

I havent used Drake or SuSe so i am not sure if there are any better methods other than manually editing files.

[anomit]

I cant boot into proper linux. I went to the console by using the rescue option by booting from the CD#1. Is there nobody??????????????????

I will explain again:
I have already installed Mandrake 10.1 through the semi-graphical interface. Now when I boot into it this problem occurs and nothing works.

_______________ ____________________ _____________________
_______________ ____________________ _____________________
_______________ ____________________ _____________________

The wholse screen is filled with blu stripes like these of 3 coloumns and behind each of them a faint STAR logo can be seen. No key works here.

[coolblue]

Dear anomit
try posting abt your problem at linuxquestions.org (theres a seperate section for mandrake) or the mandrake forums. They might be able to help u.

Hope this helps. I really don't have any solution. If it had been a problem of low resolution, I could help you.

[coolblue]

Try Ark Linux www.arklinux.org
One of the best distros I've seen.
And no need to be too tense. Chill out.
There are better distros than Mandrake out there u can try if mandrake doesn't work.

[anomit]

@coolblue: I have already told even SuSE 9.1 does not work. I am not gonna waste any more of my blank CDs burning distros onto them. >:|

Though I will try out the forums.

[ujjwal]

As mandrake is probably using X.org and not XFree86, you can try xorgsetup and xorgconfig.

If nothing works, please post the contents of the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf .

[anomit]

OK,I am starting to get the flavor of Linux. I logged in with my user name and thanks to ujjwal, could start the configuration. But now the problem is, I have lost the manual for my SAMTRON 55v monitor (15"). Can anyone give a link on the web which will give its technical details like the vertical frequency range and the resolutions supported at which refresh rate??

[EDITED] I found the manual.

But still after properly configuring, the problem persists. Can anybody tell the command to open a file in linux so that I can post the contents of the configuration file??

[anomit]

Here are the contents of the xorg.conf file:


Section "Files"
FontPath "unix/:-1"
EndSection

Section "serverFlags"
#Dont Zap #disable <Crtl><Alt><BS> (server abort)

AllowMouseOpenFail

#Dont Zoom #disable <Crtl><Alt><KP_+>/<KP_-> (resolution switching)
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "dbe"
Load "v4l"
Load "extmod"
Load "type1"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx"
Load "dri"
Load "/usr/X11R6/lib/modules/extensions/libglx.a"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "keyboard1"
Driver "keyboard"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "en_US"
"Option "XkbOptions" ""
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifer "Mouse1"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "ExplorePS/2"
Option "Device" "/dev/mouse/"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "6 7"
EndSection

Section"Monitor"
Identifier "monitor1"
VendorName "Plug'n Play"
ModelName "Samtron 55V"
HorizSync 30-55
VertReferesh 50-120
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "device1"
VendorName "Intel Corp."
BoardName "Intel 845"
Driver "i810"
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "screen1"
Dveice "device1"
Monitor "monitor1"
DefaultColorDepth 16

Subsection "Display"
Depth 8
Virtual 800 600
EndSubsection

Subsection "Display"
Depth 15
Virtual 800 600
EndSubsection

Subsection "Display"
Depth 16
Virtual 800 600
EndSubsection

Subsection "Display"
Depth 24
Virtual 800 600
EndSubsection
EndSection


Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "layout1"
InputDevice "keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"
InputDevice "mouse1" "CorePointer"
Screen "Screen1"
EndSection

[ADDED on 21st at 12:10 PM] I hate posting like this, but still.........
I logged in as root from the console and changed the xorg.conf file in the /etc/X11 folder by running xorgconfig. I previously didn't login as root so I was not getting the result.. Now I had to choose the Intel 810 driver for my gfx card as the generic drivers dont support 16 bit.After doing all this, I restarted into the GUI mode and the same problem persisted. By pressing Ctrl+Alt+F1 I went to the localhost login text menu and again on pressing Ctrl+Alt+F7 when I came back to the GUI mode, I could see everything, CRYSTAL CLEAR. The only thing I now need is the device name of the connection of my mouse.

My mouse is connected to the serial port i.e. COM1. What should be written after dev/

[ujjwal]

For the COM1 (under windows) port, the linux device should be /dev/ttyS0.

[anomit]

Please see the 2nd part of my previous post. Isn't there any permanent soluton or have I to press F1 and F7 every time???

[GNUrag]

Are you trying to restart X server by pressing F1 & F7?
Then you can also press CTRL + ALT + Backspace to restart X server.

If your X server is set up properly then you dont even have to press anything. X will autoboot into X server.

[anomit]

No I am not trying to restart X. Everytime I have to go to console and then return back to GUI mode by pressing Ctrl+Alt+F1/F7 to get a correct display. I have checked all my settings now. They are correct. Still any help on how to edit files in linus mandrake? pico, emacs and nano don't work.

[sba]

edit your /etc/inittab file and change your default runlevel so that your system does not start X by default. most probably to level 3. now login to a virtual console and startx. quickly change back to the virtual console by pressing ALT+F1 key combination. see if you get any errors. if yes then post them here.

also attach your /var/log/Xorg.0.log.

[anomit]

Tks for ur info, but I am also looking for a command that will help me to edit files from the console.

[sba]

you can do it using nano but to save the files you need to be logged in as root.

[anomit]

nano doesn't work :( See the previous post. The mods will flame me for posting so much

[sba]

wat error do you get? do you actually have these editors installed? if not then you will surely have editor "vi" but you need to learn to use vi. it is not one of the easiest around.

i would certainly recommend installing nano.

[ujjwal]

vi is something that will surely be there, use "vi filename" to edit a file, press [i] to enter insert mode, make your changes, press <ESC> to exit from insert mode, Hit colon (shift + ; ), type "wq" and press enter to save and exit.

Also you have some other easier editors which may be there, "pico" is an example, its pretty easy to use.

And now, in the xorg.conf file it seems the i810 driver is being used. In the video card config of xorgconfig, did you select the proper card you have? Also try lowering the "VertRefresh" option to "50-75".

[anomit]

I went to Intel's support website for the 82845G Graphics Controller (http://support.intel.com/support/graphics/sb/CS-010512.htm). It says for Xorg systems the 810 driver would do and no need for sperate drivers. It though, says that for VESA mode, I should add a line [VideoRam ="65536"] as I have 256MB of RAM and that increases my video ram to 64 MB.

XFree86
Intel Graphics support has been added as an extension to the "i810" driver. If the distribution does not offer the option to select your graphics adapter, select "i810," "Intel 810," or the closest match to your actual chipset.

The same driver is used for X.org.
The "i810" driver is used for all Intel onboard graphics controllers.

My monitors Vertical Frequency is 50-120 Hz.

Anyways let me try out vi first. I'll let know.