Default User wrote: > Hello. > > I inherited an old '586 computer with built-in graphics (no video card) > and a no-name 17" color monitor. I have no documentation for either. I > am trying to set it up using xorgconfig.
Probably the hard way. See the new FAQ 11 http://www.openbsd.org/faq/faq11.html (and yes, I've been looking for an excuse to post it. :) If that is really anything legitimately called a "586", be forewarned, you may end up running XFree86v3. > Is there a utility within OpenBSD 4.0 RELEASE i386 that will > "interrogate" the hardware to determine: > > 1) video memory amount start with dmesg, look at X's log file. Sometimes, though, you have to google for the chip part numbers and do the math yourself. And sometimes when you get a good, solid answer from any of those sources..it turns out to be wrong. > 2) best driver (ATI generic seems to work best so far) dmesg > 3) monitor resolutions available google. > 4) VGA, SVGA, interlaced, non-interlaced, etc. google. > 5) horiz and vert frequencies? google. That being said, many newer monitors will feed that info back to X.org via DPMS, and X.org will then use it to configure itself...usually incorrectly. :) (that's not entirely fair...sometimes, X gets it right. In my experience, however, it is wrong more often than right, but I use weird stuff). I've never seen a truly no-name monitor...if you are in the US, there should be an FCC ID sticker which can be traced back, if nothing else. If no one is really willing to take credit for it, you probably don't want to put your eyes on it, anyway. Good 17" monitors are going for the price of a couple beers used now... > What I want is to have it start as 800x600, but be able to switch on > demand to 1024x768, since a number of ignorant software programs insist > on being displayed in 1024x768 (programs with configuration pages with > buttons are notorious for that). It hard to click the "ok" button when > it is below the bottom edge of the screen. > > So far, I can get it to display either 1024x768 or 800x66, but not > switch between them with ctrl-alt-(-) and ctrl-alt-(+). Note: > ctrl-alt-(bksp) works fine. That's just a matter of sticking all the resolutions you want on the "Modes" line of your xorg.conf file. I use that feature on my systems at work. When I'm working on something, the 17" screen is at 1280x1024, and if you are not sitting where I am, you won't be casually reading it (in spite of being the Old Man of The Department, I apparently have better eyes than most :). If I'm showing someone something, I can hit CTRL-ALT-+ and pop, I'm at 800x600, and they can see what I'm doing or showing them. However, if you are that far, the answer to your questions is basically, "who cares?". You already have all you need, just tweak the "Modes" line. Nick.
