Hrm.

So, I'm trying to install Red Hat 9 on a friends laptop.
XServer will not start...in other words, my friend is screwed unless I can get this working .

[edit] Oh yeah, it's a Dell Latitude C600. No www.linux-laptop.net didn't help :-\.[/edit]

So, lspci sez:
ATI Technologies Inc Rage Mobility M3 AGP 2x (rev 02).

XF86Config sez:
Selection "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "Monitor Vendor"
ModelName "Unprobed Monitor"
HorizSync 31.5 - 90.0
VertRefresh 59.0 - 75.0
Option "drms"
EndSection

Selection "Device"
Identifier "Videocard0"
Driver "ati" [Note: I changed this myself...I forgot what it was originally... -_- Either way it didn't work :P.]
VendorName "Videocard vendor"
BoardName "ATI Rage 128 Mobility"
VideoRam 8192
EndSection

Selection "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Videocard0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth 16
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection

Section "DRI"
Group 0
Mode 066
EndSection

Before you tell me to run XF86Config...
is there something I don't know?
locate -i xf86config sez:
/etc/X11/xf*
/usr/share/doc/pyxf*
/usr/lib/python2.2/site-packages/ixf*
/usr/lib/python2.2/site-packages/xf*
/usr/X11RC/lib/X11/XF86Config [<-- same as /etc/X11/xf* ?]
/usr/X11RC/man/man5/XF*

Is it the .py XF's?
I've never used python before so I'm hesitant too.

On my HP ze4125 and using Redhat 9.0 the only video driver that will work is the VESA driver, found in the "other" file. I have tried all the ati drivers listed, and none of them will work with this laptop.

I cannot get xserver to start. It recognizes the radeon card, but not the monitor. How do I navigate via text, (logged in as root, of course) to the directory with the vesa driver. I at first thought it was the monitor and needed to adjust horizontal and vertical refresh rates, but now, from reading other posts, it appears that only the vesa driver works. Any help would be appreciated. Oh, the details of my configuration are windows xp on the main partition, redhat linux installed and running on the third partition, a second partition with the files for mandrake 9.1, a failed hd install, on the fat32 filesystem,and a floppy drive connected by usb. The optical drive is cdrw/dvdrom. I devoted 6gb to redhat, but don't know the commands to navigate around. Have the Redhat 8.0 linux bible right beside me. Short of reading it cover to cover, what could I do to fix this problem?

I got mine to work .
Although, the monitor shouldn't matter. Mine is unprobed/monitor0...works just peachy .

My fix:
cd .. until you're at /
cd etc
cd X11
vi XF86Config (may be called XF86Config-4, ls to find out)
oh, and you may not have vi installed, you may have to 'pico XF86Config'

Modify all 'Driver' video sections to make sure it's set to "vesa".

Save, quit, startx. Have fun.
If you don't know how to use vi/pico. Search around, or ask me for help (only if you use vi).

if your display doesn't work still after changing to vesa mode then remove the resolution settings from your monitor section.

Have any of you tried to get two heads working in RH9? I have a ATI Radeon M9 card on a laptop and ive been having some weird problems with the second screen/display/monitor. if you have any insight on how to modify XF86Config... that would be sweet....

oh yeah... and why does everyone say to use VI or PICO... i dig EMACS, seems to work fine.

*shrugs* VI works for me...

Can't help you with the dual-monitor thing, although if someone does, I'd appreciate it.
Good reference for later.

Hi, I'm a newbie to, and I have a simular problem on my laptop too... It's a Gericom M§-T 1200mhz, with a Radeon Mobility AGP 4 screenadapter. I've installed Red hat 9 and before 8, but when it boots it gets to a black screen on the loading X command. I've tryed to use 'Knoppix CD' but the same problem happens. I've been talking a lot about this on a dutch linux forum, but no solution came up yet...
My comment/question is this: is'nt it so that when you use the VESA driver it always works because then you don't use your video hardware acceleration card ? So that isn't a good sollution, or am I misinformed ?
LEt me know if anyone has an new idea on my problem too...
thx!
'trich