Hi Linux Newbie using RH7.2 on old Compaq deskpro 2000.
Installed ok can use command line. Cannot configure the x window using Xconfigurator. probe says video card is Cirrus Logic GD5436(Alpine), which is correct. Xserver: XF86_SVGA ,Xfree4 driver:default Monitor is a generic Fujitsu, i also have tried AOC monitor which reponds the same, i have tried loads of different options, even edited the Xconfig-4 file and change the h and f frequency to the ones in my fujitsu manual. still the same poor graphic when starting KDE. Any help would be appreciated please.

Hmm, Tel me a little bit more. Do you get a screen, that
a) Has "readable", but poor quality graphics, or
b) has a "sort-of-like-graphical" interface, that has no sense..

If the case is A, go see your XF86Config (or -4) file, and see what are the settings for the current screen; the colordepht
(8 or 16 or 32) and the resolution (600x400 or bigger..).
The first resolution setting is the one being used first, so If you have 8 bit colors with 600x400 res, it surely IS horrible...

If the case is B, I suggest useing xf86config or Xconfigurator to create a standard config file, that has devices for Standard VGA
and try that. Good Luck.

Thx for the reply Tih
Well it's not A or B really i am afraid it is somewhere in the middle, i have manually edited both the XF86Config and XF86Config-4 and inserted the correct H and F frequency ranges as supplied by the monitor Manual, I Have and also run Xconfigurator/xf86config scripts and set them to Generic VGA monitor. What i have when i startx is nearly a correct Xwindow but when i then run say teminal or something from the KDE drop down list they do not show correctly and merge into other things., also some of the icon on the taskbar are missing, so as you can see this is rather frustrating and un-usable as it exist at the moment, i have tried tweeking the setting but cannot get the ouput correct any more ideas please.

I have sort of the same issue.
I have the same box and the same Cirrus Logic as you.
I have a KDS monitor.
I am able to get 600/480 with 16 bit just fine.
I can also get 800/600 or higher but must use 8 bit.
i did all of this by using the Xconfigurator and edditing the H and F manual based on the various specs in my KDS manual.
I think I am going to buy another video card. Have to use PCI though.
I had it installed on another box orginally and had a nVidia 2 with same monitor and everything worked fine with that.

Thx agore M8 for the reply.

Yep i have tried 2 different monitors one an AOC and the other a Fujitsu, the KDE display is the same. unusable. I think i need another vid card for the box and then use Xconfigarator again.
i have tried all sort of manual editing and sync rate H & V settings and it still dont work correctly, very frustrating. !!!!!

Here is another thing I tried and now I have hosed myself bigtime.
I installed another vid card and was using Xconfigurator to set everything. Nothing worked well so i yanked the card.
Went back to the old card, everything loads fine and the screen is fine but when i get to the login, just before the GUI login comes up, my screen turns on and off! i cannot even login via a text command line to reset the Xconifuration!
Any ideas except having to reinstall??

to get to a virtual login try CTRL ALT F1, or try same with F2 upto backspace etc this should get you a normal login and then you can run Xconfig again. Also when you reboot you could try when prompted to use I option for interactive boot.