Newbie Alert! Don't laugh at me but I just realized today that I have an RCA out jack on my laptop(Toshiba Satellite). So I hauled my tv in here to see if I could get it to work. Yeah I can't.

What would that jack be considered?(/dev/video) How can I figure out if the RCA jack is even recognized? I stink at hardware related issues although I don't know if this is a hardware issue. Do I need special software to send the output to the tv screen? I have freevo installed but I can't seem to figure out what I need to do.

Any help for this noob would be appreciated.

This "RCA" jack would be called composite. So now you need to figure out what video card you have that hast the composite out on it, then hunt down drivers for that card for use AS video out. In the end, it is most likely going to be setup similar to a dual head or Nvidia TwinView where you have 2 seperate entries in your XF86Config file.

So for now, post up:
lspci -vv

Cool

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corp. 82845 845 (Brookdale) Chipset Host Bridge (rev 05)
Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems: Unknown device 0001
Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B-
Status: Cap+ 66Mhz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort+ >SERR- <PERR-
Latency: 0
Region 0: Memory at f0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=128M]
Capabilities: [e4] #09 [c104]
Capabilities: [a0] AGP version 2.0
Status: RQ=31 SBA+ 64bit- FW+ Rate=x1,x2,x4
Command: RQ=0 SBA- AGP- 64bit- FW- Rate=<none>

00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82845 845 (Brookdale) Chipset AGP Bridge (rev 05) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B-
Status: Cap- 66Mhz+ UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
Latency: 64
Bus: primary=00, secondary=01, subordinate=01, sec-latency=64
Memory behind bridge: ffe00000-ffefffff
Prefetchable memory behind bridge: e6000000-efffffff
BridgeCtl: Parity- SERR- NoISA- VGA+ MAbort- >Reset- FastB2B-

00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801CA/CAM USB (Hub #1) (rev 02) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems: Unknown device 0001
Control: I/O+ Mem- BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B-
Status: Cap- 66Mhz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
Latency: 0
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 11
Region 4: I/O ports at efe0 [size=32]

00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801CA/CAM USB (Hub #2) (rev 02) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems: Unknown device 0001
Control: I/O+ Mem- BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B-
Status: Cap- 66Mhz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
Latency: 0
Interrupt: pin B routed to IRQ 11
Region 4: I/O ports at ef80 [size=32]

00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82801BAM/CAM PCI Bridge (rev 42) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B-
Status: Cap- 66Mhz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
Latency: 0
Bus: primary=00, secondary=02, subordinate=05, sec-latency=64
I/O behind bridge: 0000d000-0000dfff
Memory behind bridge: ff900000-ff9fffff
BridgeCtl: Parity- SERR- NoISA- VGA- MAbort- >Reset- FastB2B-

00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corp. 82801CAM ISA Bridge (LPC) (rev 02)
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle+ MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B-
Status: Cap- 66Mhz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
Latency: 0

00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corp. 82801CAM IDE U100 (rev 02) (prog-if 8a [Master SecP PriP])
Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems: Unknown device 0001
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B-
Status: Cap- 66Mhz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
Latency: 0
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 11
Region 0: I/O ports at <ignored>
Region 1: I/O ports at <ignored>
Region 2: I/O ports at <ignored>
Region 3: I/O ports at <ignored>
Region 4: I/O ports at cfa0 [size=16]
Region 5: Memory at 10000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=1K]

00:1f.5 Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corp. 82801CA/CAM AC'97 Audio (rev 02)
Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems: Unknown device 0001
Control: I/O+ Mem- BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B-
Status: Cap- 66Mhz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
Latency: 0
Interrupt: pin B routed to IRQ 11
Region 0: I/O ports at ce00 [size=256]
Region 1: I/O ports at cdc0 [size=64]

00:1f.6 Modem: Intel Corp. 82801CA/CAM AC'97 Modem (rev 02) (prog-if 00 [Generic])
Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems: Unknown device 0001
Control: I/O+ Mem- BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B-
Status: Cap- 66Mhz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
Latency: 0
Interrupt: pin B routed to IRQ 11
Region 0: I/O ports at ca00 [size=256]
Region 1: I/O ports at c980 [size=128]

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: S3 Inc. SuperSavage IX/C SDR (rev 05) (prog-if 00 [VGA])
Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems: Unknown device 0001
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B-
Status: Cap+ 66Mhz+ UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
Latency: 248 (1000ns min, 63750ns max), cache line size 08
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 11
Region 0: Memory at ffe80000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=512K]
Region 1: Memory at ec000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=64M]
Region 2: Memory at e8000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=64M]
Region 3: Memory at e6000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=32M]
Expansion ROM at 000c0000 [disabled] [size=64K]
Capabilities: [dc] Power Management version 2
Flags: PMEClk- DSI+ D1+ D2+ AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0-,D1-,D2-,D3hot-,D3cold-)
Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-
Capabilities: [80] AGP version 2.0
Status: RQ=31 SBA- 64bit- FW- Rate=x1,x2,x4
Command: RQ=0 SBA- AGP- 64bit- FW- Rate=<none>

02:08.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corp. 82801CAM (ICH3) PRO/100 VE (LOM) Ethernet Controller (rev 42)
Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems EtherExpress PRO/100 VE
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B-
Status: Cap+ 66Mhz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
Latency: 64 (2000ns min, 14000ns max), cache line size 08
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 11
Region 0: Memory at ff9ff000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
Region 1: I/O ports at df40 [size=64]
Capabilities: [dc] Power Management version 2
Flags: PMEClk- DSI+ D1+ D2+ AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0+,D1+,D2+,D3hot+,D3cold+)
Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=2 PME-

02:0b.0 CardBus bridge: Toshiba America Info Systems ToPIC95 PCI to Cardbus Bridge with ZV Support (rev 32)
Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems: Unknown device 0001
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B-
Status: Cap+ 66Mhz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=slow >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
Latency: 168
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 11
Region 0: Memory at 10001000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
Bus: primary=02, secondary=04, subordinate=04, sec-latency=0
Memory window 0: 10400000-107ff000 (prefetchable)
Memory window 1: 10800000-10bff000
I/O window 0: 00004000-000040ff
I/O window 1: 00004400-000044ff
BridgeCtl: Parity- SERR- ISA- VGA- MAbort- >Reset- 16bInt+ PostWrite+
16-bit legacy interface ports at 0001

02:0b.1 CardBus bridge: Toshiba America Info Systems ToPIC95 PCI to Cardbus Bridge with ZV Support (rev 32)
Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems: Unknown device 0001
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B-
Status: Cap+ 66Mhz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=slow >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
Latency: 168
Interrupt: pin B routed to IRQ 11
Region 0: Memory at 10002000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
Bus: primary=02, secondary=05, subordinate=05, sec-latency=0
Memory window 0: 10c00000-10fff000 (prefetchable)
Memory window 1: 11000000-113ff000
I/O window 0: 00004800-000048ff
I/O window 1: 00004c00-00004cff
BridgeCtl: Parity- SERR- ISA- VGA- MAbort- >Reset- 16bInt+ PostWrite+
16-bit legacy interface ports at 0001

02:0d.0 System peripheral: Toshiba America Info Systems SD TypA Controller (rev 03)
Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems: Unknown device 0001
Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster- SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B-
Status: Cap+ 66Mhz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 11
Region 0: Memory at ff9fee00 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=512]
Capabilities: [80] Power Management version 2
Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1+ D2+ AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0+,D1+,D2+,D3hot+,D3cold+)
Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-

What happens if you boot with the RCA connected to teh TV? Do you see a BIOS boot screen?