Hi, I have installed debian 3.1r4 Sarge on my computer, however, i had some problems configuring the video. i have installed xfree86, gnome, and gdm. I dont really understand what the configuration menus are doing. the first time I installed i couldnt select 1024x768 as a resolution, and no matter what i did with dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86 the problem remained, i finally started messing with the XF86Config-4 file, but that just broke my xserver.
my hardware is an old Compaq motherboard, with a duron 900, 128mb pc133 and an old TNT 2 - M64 32mb. Now what i think is happening is that my Xserver is trying to run my TNT 2 in 32bit colour even though when prompted i selected 16bit as opposed to 24(32bit?), which as i recall from using this thing for gaming back in teh day was a big no-no, and generated the same type of distortion (its actually a bunch of pink dots everywhere). I also get some random lock-ups in gnome. when i was prompted in the configuration of XFree86 i selected the driver nv for my video hardware, should i have selected auto? and how do i make changes now without breaking my system? should i try a different xserver? please help, i am new to linux and if i read another manual in nano that doesnt explain anything helpful to me im gonna lose my mind.

I have started a reinstall of debian, AGAIN.. this time i am going to try another xserver if i can.

Given the age of your hardware, Sarge should handle that properly. Oh well, if you want to re-install the lot, do so with Debian Etch. The installer is improved over Sarge, it now recognizes practically every piece of hardware, past and present

Given your hardware, install a lightweight like XFCE as desktop enviroment, DE's as Gnome and KDE are eating up too much resources.

Mind you, re-installing isn't necessary, but for inexperienced and new Linux users by far the fastest and easiest way. Unless you like "being thrown in at the deep end"

i cant connect this machine to the internet, so etch is out of teh question. I am stuck with 6 cds from Sarge, it seems to detect everything fine, but it appears as though it is forcing 32bit color. dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86 does NOTHING to change that, it doesnt even update the supported resolutions in gnome. gnome runs fine, just has the color issues.
this will be the fourth time i have reinstalled... when i start playing with the config files, i break the system. so i might as well reinstall.

so im about to try xfce, do i need to install anything else with it?
and then once i do apt-get install xfce4
what do i do to start using it? startx?

Debian is smart, apt knows what other packages to install when you order it to install xfce. Use the startx command to fire up a xfce session. You may also try IceWM.

bah, i tried startxfce4 and got an xwindow error
so now i'm installing xfree86, which i didnt want to do... bah bah bah
reinstall 5 coming up i bet.

No, the command is just simply "startx", nothing behind that. If that fails (I guess you've tried it already, right?) post the contents of the file /etc/X11/XF86Config-4. Please remove all lines starting with a hash (this character: #) to make it smaller. Use the code tags when posting that data.

so as far as debian being smart....
why does nothing work,
startx gives error,
startxfce4 gives error
xfree86 is the only window manager i have gotten to work even abit, and its display is all messed up.
icewm does not work,

i removed xfree86 via apt-get
should i reinstall?

No, just re-install XFree86.

ok, atm i have removed everything i have installed (xfce4, icewm, xfree86) and now i am reinstalling xfce4.
going to try startx again,
and if fails, check my xf86 config
also reinstalling xfree86...

it just failed with an I/O error, and said i should install x-window-system
which i am doing now.

ok, installing x-window-system then running startx WORKS!, but back to square one, i have garbled video, with pink stuff everywhere (looks like its forcing 32bit, even though i told it to run 16bit) and now it is locked up. I thought apt-get was smart, why do ihave to install 3 different things, just to get one program to work. and then it still doesnt work. I also thought sarge was supposed to be stable, wtf.

Post the Xfree config file I asked about earlier.

I think its a hardware problem, i'm getting a lan card for the linux box so i'll get it on the internet. I need to replace the video card, its not working for windows either, same distortion. tried swapping the motherboards too.