have 2 computers get a video mode error on startup saying something along the lines of i have entered a bad paramater(?) i then get the option of seeing available video modes, which i don't have a clue as to what to enter, or wait 30 seconds. if i just hit the spacebar, they boot fine.

both machines are intel celeron i810's.

any help is appreciated. thanks

When does this occur? When you boot from the CD wanting to install or after you've installed to the hdd?

Is this right away in the startup? If so, it might be in your /etc/lilo.conf file. I noticed an odd setup "feature", where Zenwalk wants to install Lilo using a special VESA graphical mode. Since I have an older machine, I picked the mode that seemed the least intense. But it was not the default that Zenwalk wanted me to use, for some reason.

I'm new to Zenwalk so this is just a stab in the dark, but what does your /etc/lilo.conf say your vga mode is set to? Mine is set to "vga = normal", which (in my lilo.conf file) is right above all the VESA framebuffer console modes, which have options of "vga=790", "vga=769", etc.

this occurs after zenwalk has been installed. not on either of those machines right now. will try to get on one of those later tonight.

thanks so far.

here is my /etc/lilo.conf:
# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
append="resume2=swap:/dev/hda5 splash=silent "
boot = /dev/hda
bitmap=/boot/splash.bmp
bmp-table=234p,348p,1,4
bmp-colors=220,0,,255,220,
bmp-timer=539p,396p,220,0,
prompt
timeout = 50
# Override dangerous defaults that rewrite the partition table:
change-rules
reset
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
vga = 791
# 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
# End LILO global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hda1
label = Zenwalk
addappend = acpi=force
initrd = /boot/initrd.splash
read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends

yes, this is the first thing i see (the error) when starting either of these machines.