I've just installed slackware 10.0 and tried "startx" after attempting the x configuration routine. The main warning I get is:
"(WW) Open APM failed (/dev/apm_bios) (No such device)"
it doesn't start X, so what is going wrong?
When I start "startx" the screen goes blank and I only get anything
visible (i.e the error!) when I do ctrl-alt+backspace.

I've got an ATI Radeon 9600 Atlantis card, with an ancient Viglen Envy 17pe
monitor. I'd just like to get kde up and running from startx, and am not
to concerned at this stage about getting the most from the graphics card.

Did you configure X?

commandline type " xorconfig "

Sorry, forgot to mention I did configure X with xorconfig. I went for
conversative video/monitor settings, to be on the safe.

post ur monitor and video card specifications and ur xorg.conf here

regards

My monitor is an ancient Viglen Envy 17PE. Under Windows it runs at 1024x768 @ 75Hz,
which is the setting I'm aiming for with Xorg.

My video card is an ATI Radeon 9600 Atlantis with 256MB memory (so it says on the box
at least!). Windows seems to list it as "NVIDIA GeForce4 MX440".

Here's my xorg.conf file, I've removed the #ed out lines, so the thing isn't a mile long,
hopefully it'll be cleared to read as a result. I aimed for a very conservate VESA setting
which I hoped would run on pretty much anything (but doesn't it appears!) :-


--------------------------------
Section "Module"
Load "dbe" # Double buffer extension

SubSection "extmod"
Option "omit xfree86-dga" # don't initialise the DGA extension
EndSubSection

Load "type1"
Load "speedo"
Load "freetype"

Load "glx"
EndSection


Section "Files"
RgbPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/rgb"

FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/local/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/TTF/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/"
EndSection


Section "ServerFlags"
EndSection


Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Keyboard1"
Driver "Keyboard"

Option "AutoRepeat" "500 30"

Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
Option "XkbModel" "pc101"
Option "XkbLayout" "gb"
EndSection


Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Mouse1"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "PS/2"
Option "Device" "/dev/mouse"

Option "Emulate3Buttons"
EndSection


Section "Monitor"
Identifier "viglen"

HorizSync 31.5 - 57.0
VertRefresh 50-70
EndSection


Section "Device"
Identifier "Standard VGA"
VendorName "Unknown"
BoardName "Unknown"

Driver "vga"
EndSection


Section "Device"
Identifier "gen vesa"
Driver "vesa"
#VideoRam 16384
EndSection


Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen 1"
Device "gen vesa"
Monitor "viglen"
DefaultDepth 24

Subsection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
EndSection


Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Simple Layout"
Screen "Screen 1"

InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

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

try this: redo xorg the sameway you have it now except when it says: "view card database" say: yes, and type: 18 and hit enter then finish the config like normal. startx, does it work?

hi there

what i need is the vertical and horizontal refesh rates of ur monitor
look them up in ur manual

regards

the entry no..6 and 18 in the video card database in xorgconfig can be tried upon

regards

I tried number 18, and now it works! Thanks for the help, and this posting
has been done via slackware!

awesome!!

awesome. I don't think windows was lying when it said it was:"NVIDIA GeForce4 MX440". 18 is the generic nvidia driver. I'd have a talk with the person who sold it to you.

My dad just gave it to me, as he had changed his; I didn't really check the box
and the card were the same thing! He's probably got the Radeon card...

Yeah your prolly right. I'd go to nvidia and download the right driver.