[SOLVED] Slackware graphics card compatibility

devnull10 · 08-19-2011, 08:48 AM

Just tried to install 13.37 on an old dell machine I have. Installation went fine, booted up and started x. Screen froze. After reading up, it seems the onboard graphics chipset is not supported - Intel 82865g.
So I dig out an old PCI card I have (the box only has PCI expansion slots) and install that. Start booting up, the system gets halfway then blank screen. But it still is actually working in the background because if I type "root" and then the password as if to log in, then issue the shutdown command, the machines does. It's as if the graphics card stops working halfway through boot up.

Now one thing I did notice during boot with the onboard card, at the point the PCI one freezes, the screen goes into a different mode, it goes to a higher resolution, displaying more text and everything is smaller.
I have set the mode to VGA in lilo but it still does this (it was always set at that anyway).

Does anyone have any suggestions? I thought about going getting a new PCI card, just want something dirt cheap which will work, but I want to be sure it is gonna work before I get one.

Why would the text go to a higher resolution when I haven't changed anything? My home box doesn't do this and it's running 13.37 too.

No clues in /var/log/messages either.

SeRi@lDiE · 08-19-2011, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by devnull10

Just tried to install 13.37 on an old dell machine I have. Installation went fine, booted up and started x. Screen froze. After reading up, it seems the onboard graphics chipset is not supported - Intel 82865g.
So I dig out an old PCI card I have (the box only has PCI expansion slots) and install that. Start booting up, the system gets halfway then blank screen. But it still is actually working in the background because if I type "root" and then the password as if to log in, then issue the shutdown command, the machines does. It's as if the graphics card stops working halfway through boot up.

Now one thing I did notice during boot with the onboard card, at the point the PCI one freezes, the screen goes into a different mode, it goes to a higher resolution, displaying more text and everything is smaller.
I have set the mode to VGA in lilo but it still does this (it was always set at that anyway).

Does anyone have any suggestions? I thought about going getting a new PCI card, just want something dirt cheap which will work, but I want to be sure it is gonna work before I get one.

Why would the text go to a higher resolution when I haven't changed anything? My home box doesn't do this and it's running 13.37 too.

No clues in /var/log/messages either.

It looks like your frame buffer under the lilo config file is set to high for your video card.
edit your lilo.conf file and change your vesa framebuffer and lower it than run lilo and reboot and see.

Note: Use the video card that does work in run level 3 to make your changes for your old card.

As for vid card recommendations try any nvidia card. There drive support for linux is superb.

psionl0 · 08-19-2011, 09:29 AM

The latest kernels have a "Kernel Management System" that has pretty much changed the way we do things when setting up the video. The noveau driver in kernel 2.6.37.6 seems to have some problems.

Some fixes that you can try include:

Install the kernel from Slackware 13.1
install the 2.6.38.4 kernel from /testing in the Slackware 13.37 distro
disable the noveau driver (this will also fix the text size problem)

Disabling the novea driver involves creating a file /etc/modprobe.d/disable-nouveau.conf with the following lines:

Code:

blacklist nouveau
options nouveau modeset=0

If it is just a question of text size, THIS THREAD has some other options for you to try.

devnull10 · 08-19-2011, 11:06 AM

How would I go about changing lilo config as it looks like this now:

Code:

# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
boot = /dev/sda
#compact        # faster, but won't work on all systems.
# Standard menu.
message = /boot/boot_message.txt

# Append any additional kernel parameters:
append=" vt.default_utf8=0"
#prompt
#timeout = 5
# Normal VGA console
vga = normal
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
# vga=791
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x32k
# vga=790
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
# vga=773
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k
# vga=788
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x32k
# vga=787
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x256
# vga=771
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x64k
# vga=785
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x32k
# vga=784
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x256
# vga=769
# ramdisk = 0     # paranoia setting
# End LILO global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
  root = /dev/sda2
  label = Linux
  read-only  # Partitions should be mounted read-only for checking

I thought the noveau driver was nvidia??

adamk75 · 08-19-2011, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by psionl0

The latest kernels have a "Kernel Management System" that has pretty much changed the way we do things when setting up the video. The noveau driver in kernel 2.6.37.6 seems to have some problems.

KMS stands for Kernel Modesetting.

devnull10, try passing 'video=640x480' to the kernel. That will force any KMS drivers to use that resolution on the console.

Adam

psionl0 · 08-19-2011, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by devnull10

How would I go about changing lilo config as it looks like this now:

Apart from changing the append line to

Quote:

append=" vt.default_utf8=0 video=640x480"

your lilo.conf should be fine. (You could also try "nomodeset" instead of the video= option). If you change the kernel then you may need to specify which "vmlinuz" you are booting to and you will need to rerun lilo

Quote:

Originally Posted by devnull10

I thought the noveau driver was nvidia??

noveau can handle nvidia chipsets but in many cases it is better to use the nvidia drivers instead.

volkerdi · 08-19-2011, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by devnull10

Just tried to install 13.37 on an old dell machine I have. Installation went fine, booted up and started x. Screen froze. After reading up, it seems the onboard graphics chipset is not supported - Intel 82865g.

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...82845g-788563/

devnull10 · 08-19-2011, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by volkerdi

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...82845g-788563/

Couldn't have asked for more - works perfectly!
Thanks Pat!

psionl0 · 08-20-2011, 02:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by volkerdi

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...82845g-788563/

If only there was a thread that solved MY problem so easily.