I am new to LQ, and would be happy to get any help with the stuff below:


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am using SVGAlib since 2000, installed 2 versions in that period, without any problem.

(I use SVGAlib for making images, programming in C , which in the end are put together as a short film.)

I bought a new computer, Dell Dimension 5000, P4 proc., graph. card ATI Radeon, installed Suse Linux 9.3 on it.

The last 3 days I try to get SVGAlib working on the system, and there is no end to the problems I encounter.

I first tried to install svgalib-1.4.3 (running on my old computer) on the new one, but this did not work.

So I downloaded the latest (-alpha-) version 1.9.21.

After a lot of problems I succeeded in installing svgalib-1.9.21 without errors.

I compiled the demo-programs and tried to run vgatest in vain.

"cannot open /dev/svga. is svgalib_helper loaded?"

I commented svgalib_helper out in Makefile.cfg.

After re-installing vgatest finally started (under root), but it could not open a graphic console.

I used chmod u+s on vgatest, no result.

So what should I do.

I have no idea if this a problem of a not supported graphical card, of the kernel, or what.

Am I just overlooking something trivial, or am I punished (being not a developer)

by trying to install an alpha-version.

(There seems to be a new stable release (version 2) soon, but when?)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

bave