Hi Folks,

I've been struggling to get my laptop running debian sarge.

I boot fine to bash, I'm trying to install fluxbox as the window manager. After getting the base debian install on my second partition (I'm dual booting XP on the other part. Company policy.), I ran apt-get install x-window-system fluxbox. It downloads and installs and then I am prompted to configure it.

I selected driver nv, since I'm running a Nvidia Geforce Go 440, w/ 64 mb ram, noted that in the identifier. XKB rule set xfree86, pc104 keyboard set, us keyboard set, emulate 3 button mouse, enable scroll events from mouse wheel, entered HP ZV5255us LCD as the ident. for the monitor, selected yes for LCD, Selected option medium for monitor config (medium and advanced were the only options), selected 1792x1344 @ 75 hz as best video mode, 1280x960 as the video mode to use, 24 bit color, left all modules selected, and then wrote the default files selection to config file. It presented me with a prompt, so I selected init 6 to reboot out of safemode (this is the 10th time I've done this, with different settings but these seem to be the best for my monitor).

Result? Looks like a scrambled cable channel. black and white, refreshing horizontally, all FUBAR.

Ctrl-Alt-Del to reboot into safe mode.

Repeat.

Any help? I know this should work as I've used ubuntu and damn small linux on this pc before. I want to run full debian, but I'm getting frustrated enough to go back to either of the previous ones.

Any help would be appreciated!

I googled for that model. The specifications say the display is 1440x900. 75hz is probably beyond the displays capabilities. Check the Xorg.0.log to see what happened when it started.

The resolution I was using in windows on this previously was 1792x1344 @ 75 hz. I'm using Ubuntu right now because it "just works." I needed this pc to be running today for a presentation and Ubuntu was all my sanity could take at this point. I'd still like to build my own Debian install, but time constraints are currently keeping me down.

Thanks for replying anyways, I was beginning to lose faith in the community.

I don't see how you can run 1792x1344 on a 1440x900 LCD monitor, unless it's scaled down. Your best luck will probably be had setting up the screen for the native resolution.

Consider using the "gtf" program to generate a modeline. Also consider using more reasonable refresh rates. I have an HP Laptop with a different resolution screen (1280x800) but also uses an NVidia controller chip. Mine runs at a vertical refresh rate of 56Hz.

GFT example:
gtf 1440 900 56 -x

I don't know how windows pulled off that resolution, but it works fine with it. Maybe I bought a screen upgrade? I don't remember. Have you had any luck using the external display adapter on the laptop? I'd like to use it like I normally did, having the VGA adapter on the back as the primary monitor. I'd like it to work when I opened it up like a normal laptop, but when I connect the monitor (19" ViewSonic A90f) it displays CLI sessions fine but refuses to do anything with x.


Any ideas?

Getting the VGA adapter to work on a laptop can be tricky. A) The hardware may require you to powercycle after making the connection. B) You have to have the function key selected properly
C) If it is to be an independent display, then after making the connection you need to set up x-windows for a dual head display.