Re: X-Windows frustration

[Totoro <riley@example.com>]

At 7:13 PM +0900 10/3/96, Stephen J. Turnbull wrote:
>    Totoro> Hi all you linux folks!  I have an IBM Aptiva H65 with the
>    Totoro> 5574-N17 monitor that comes along.
>
>    Totoro> When attempting to start the X server, it comes back and
>    Totoro> tells me that "None of the configured devices were
>    Totoro> detected."
>
>Which X server did you install?  Do a 'ls -l /usr/X11R6/bin/XF86*' and
>'ls -l /usr/X11R6/bin/X' to find out what servers are available (ie,
>were unpacked from the Slackware distribution) and which one is the
>currect one (you should probably be able to tell from the startup
>messages).

This Aptiva (Japanese model) has an ATI Mach_64 card in it, so I have
the Mach_64 accelerated X server.

>Try telling the Slackware setup script to install the monochrome
>server or the minimum VGA server.  (Just login as root and type
>'/sbin/setup' to return to the Slackware setup script.)

One main problem here. Of course, without the proper info, you couldn't
know this, but the BIOS on this machine does the clocks, so the video
card has no control over that area. Thus the non-accelerated servers
won't work.

>If you go with a conservative VESA standard (ie, the SVGA server), you
>should be able to get to at least 1024x768 resolution with 256
>colors.  You probably won't hurt the monitor in any of the standard
>modes; theoretically you could though.

The Mach_64 server seems to want something else. Maybe I could play
with the settings file to eliminate some of these areas and see what
happens.

>If you can get to the Web, you could try looking for a page on the
>Aptiva via Yahoo or AltaVista.  Or maybe someone with more time than
>me will do it for you.

I guess I could've noted that it's IBM-Japan that is not being very
consumer-friendly. IBM does have some monitor data on their web site,
but the model numbers are different and I don't know which one, if
any, that mine corresponds to. IBM-J doesn't list anything like that.
The local guy who I bought it from called IBM-J and asked for a real
manual, and was told that "the end user has no need for it." Nice
attitude to take, eh? Sigh...

Anyhow, thanks for your help. All ideas are still welcome!

David Riley


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