I recently installed PCLinuxOS LXDE on a Pentium 4, 640mb, 586 box. When I initially run the "live" CD, the video is available with no problem. After I installed the system on that PC, the video was working. However, the very next time I booted into LXDE, I received an error message, and was reverted back to the # screen. I attempted to "startx", but received nothing but an error message, telling me to read an Xorg.log.0 file. Did the ATI Rage 128 driver somehow get changed after installation? I allowed a bunch of updates to the PCLinuxOS system BEFORE rebooting that first time. Could those updates have changed the ATI/Xorg drivers? My next test will be to re-install LXDE and not update until I reboot at least one time before updating the system. If more information is needed, I will gladly provide it, though it is difficult because that other machine is out in the garage (three rooms away from this one) and has no printer attached to it.

You forgot to post the error message you got which would be helpful. Check the link below which shows minimum hardware requirements for your PCLinuxOS LXDE.

http://www.pclinuxos.com/get-pclinuxos/lxde/

no , no driver was used
it was all on the CPU


rage cards are what 15 years old , 3 generations out of date

If the rage card is so out of date, then why does it "work" when using the LXDE "Live" disk and also when PCLinuxOS is first installed? Why should I have to check the minimum hardware requirements when either of those cases exist? I should think that if this box did NOT meet the minimum requirements then I should not even be able to boot and run LXDE in a "live" status. What's the difference between the system that's on the boot disk and the system that's installed?

This computer has a problem with the AGP slot - it just doesn't work, so I'm left with using a PCI slot. I have not been able to locate another PCI video card to replace the ATI 128 card. Yes, it is an old machine, however, I still use it to run Windows 98SE and Windows XP (for programs that will NOT run on any newer Microsoft operating system software.)

That log file is over three pages long, and I think the most pertinent line is: EE no screens found (EE)
I have no way of reproducing the entire log file.

Hi...

I would agree that a video card upgrade would be helpful here. You can still find PCI cards that have better specs than the one you're using now. What is your system brand and model (and model number) or if a whitebox, what is the motherboard brand and model (and model number?)

Regards...

the installer itself uses the fallback driver, but during installation it tried to install some driver for your card and failed, becauseit is so outdated.

from the root prompt, you have to tell X to use the fallback driver (used to be vesa, not sure how that works nowadays). please search on how to do this: "Xorg fallback video driver" or variants.

You don't 'have' to but it often saves people a lot of time. For example, in your case you exceed the minimum requirement for RAM which is 384MB but fall far short of the 'recommended' 1GB. You would have also found 'ATI HD4000 or better' for your video card.

look for the xorg.confbkup file change it back. or use the vesa config copy name it xorg.conf and then try.
I will let you know if mesa was upgraded that card may not be supported. You will want to use the vesa server.
how to check at boot time

Thank you, each and every one, for your responses to my query. These answers give me a lot to test and try out. I will let you know if I successfully get that video card to work.

By the way, the computer is a "white box", the mother board is a P4P800s - i845 slot 478 -- yes, a very old mother board. (I have two computers with that same type of mother board - however, the AGP slot on the other computer is operational.)

for a OLD agp card

the antique Gforce4 is about the newest ( nvidia )
and that needs a old and unsupported 96.xx driver

for the very old ATI cards ?????
there was not much linux support from ATI

Hi tymentide...

If you want to stick with ATI, I think even something like this would be a significant improvement over what you have currently. It is Windows 98 compatible and is supported in Linux by the open source radeon driver.

Just make sure your PSU can handle any additional load.

Regards...

Thank you, Ardvark71!! I went ahead and ordered that board. Since it has a driver disk (for Winders, I suppose), I think it will work!
You folks are a real great help!!

Bill

Hi Bill...

You're welcome! Let us know how it works when you receive it.

Regards...