I found the solution at "www.dsm.fordham.edu/~moniot/linux-compaq/". With RedHat's help I was able to implement.
The basic problem seems to be that the XF86_SVGA server doesn't support Compaq's (OEM version?) of the S3 Virge card. It is better served by the XF86_S3 server which was also included on the RedHat distribution disks. (To implement I had to do the following:
Mount RedHat Installation CD # 2
Goto ...../RedHat/RPMS/ directory on CD # 2
rpm -ivh XFree86-S3V* (Install the needed
server on my hard drive. XFree86 is in )
Xconfigurator --expert --preferxf3 --server XF86_S3V
(Run the configuration program)
During Xconfigurator:
Choose the S3V driver during the Xconfigurator process.
(I think it was the next-to-last listed driver, but I could be wrong about
both its name and its location in the list. )
No preference for RAMDAC and Clock during Xconfigurator.
When it was done the Xconfig file contained entries for "My Video Card" in the device and screen sections.
At www.dsm.fordham.edu/~moniot/linux-compaq/ the author said a link
needed to be added:
"ln -fs /usr/X11R6/bin/XF86_S3V /etc/X11/X"
I didn't need to do this to get it to work. I think Xconfigurator created the link as there is an /etc/X11/X file on my system. (Of course there was one before, so I don't know for sure.)
One glitch remains: When leaving moving from Xwindow to a text screen the screen is garbled. The author at www.dsm.fordham.edu/~moniot/linux-compaq/ says there is a program, vga_reset, that will correct that problem. I haven't been able to get that yet, so I cannot confirm it will work.
If you know how to get vga_reset (supposedly included in Desbian Distribution) let me know.
Richard Dawson
:
Message: 1
Date: Wed, 02 Jan 2002 15:34:31 -0600
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
From: Dan Willis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Newbie]Problems with X - S3 Virge GX and PB8538SVGA
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Dan Willis Wrote:
I've been having fits trying to get X to work properly on a Compaq deskpro
with a S3 Virge/GX graphics card and a Packard Bell PB8538SVGA monitor. I
have had the same problems with Mandrake 8.0, 8.1, and RH 7.2. My latest
(and hopefully last) install is Mandrake 8.1 with XFree86 3.3.I have tried both the 4.1 and 3.3 versions of X. Basically, whenever I go
through the configuration, a VGA X server is used rather than the one
specific to the S3 card. The X display is visible, but has all kinds of
lines and distortions. The monitor is not on any of the hardware lists
I've seen, so I've tried the various generic VGA monitor settings as well
as those of similar Packard Bell monitors. I'm assuming that this is where
my problem comes in- VGA is winning out over S3 for the Xserver. I have
tried running both ln -sf ../../usr/X11R6/bin/XF86_S3 /etc/X11/X and ln -sf
../../usr/X11R6/bin/XF86_S3V /etc/X11/X to point things to the right
Xserver to no avail (I have installed both S3 RPMs).At one point, I was able to get X to work properly with an old IBM 8518
monitor (in 640 x 480 mode) and was able to point things to the S3 X
server. However, I've not been able to replicate this with the packard
bell monitor.This used computer is a (now belated) Christmas gift for my brother
in-law. I'm frustrated to the point of almost being ready to load Windoze
on the machine and forget about it. Any assistance would be greatly
appreciated.Thx
Dan Willis
