Display unreadable

jsl112 · 12-05-2007, 02:36 PM

I just got a new laptop,

Dell Inspiron 1501
AMD Athlon 64 x 2 TK-55 (1.8GHz/512KB)
ATI RADEON Xpress1150 with 256MB HyperMemory
Dell Wireless 1390 802.11g Mini Card (54Mbps)

and I installed openSuse 10.3 from a cd. The install went perfectly, and the screen was readable with great graphics.

But once I booted from the hard drive the first time it gave me the screen to choose normal or failsafe mode, and started correctly, but when it reached the point where I would log in, the screen became distorted and unreadable, like on a cathode ray tube. I couldn't make out the icon.

Booting into safe mode works fine, but I'm new to Linux and unfamiliar with the commands. I've read that I need to get the drivers for my video card (and wireless card), but I can't imagine the computer would be unusable without it installed.

I'm looking forward to trading in Windows for Linux, has anyone ever seen this before?

Any fix will have to be done via command line in safe mode, the GUI is unusable.

rootboy · 12-05-2007, 10:13 PM

Try here:

http://linux.wordpress.com/2007/10/1...-installation/

I had the same problem, but being lazy and not much of a gamer, I simply changed the driver to the non-3D one.

Fred Caro · 12-06-2007, 12:18 AM

dear jsl112
drivers for 3D can be found on the net but try dissableing the wireless event first. If that works then at least you know everything else works then go back to acttacking the rest.

Fred.

jsl112 · 12-06-2007, 05:49 PM

Thanks for the help!

As someone new to Linux I appreciate the help I can get. I followed the link provided by rootboy, but they didn't have the driver in 64 bit Linux for my card.

Does anyone know where I can get it?

rootboy · 12-06-2007, 09:21 PM

There is also a fallback driver that isn't the ATI one. I forget the name of it at the moment, but it's the one that I am currently using at home.

jsl112 · 12-07-2007, 09:59 AM

Does it work as well? Where can I get it?

Is there a way to download it via bash command from safe mode?

rootboy · 12-07-2007, 09:59 PM

Ah, here it is:

http://opensuse.us/phpBB2/viewtopic....745&highlight=

"I found a link that go me going, it had me change the "radeon" driver in section "device" to "vesa" (all of this is in your /etc/X11/xorg.conf file, BTW). Save the file and you should be good to go.

http://www.linuxfriends.info/v1/opensuse103.html
"

And yes, hit Control-Alt-F2 and log in as root, do your thing, and then log out.