Hello Friends,
I have just burnt an iso for SimplyMEPIS 3.4-3.I am trying it on my Desktop system.

The configurarion is -
1) Intel Pentium III (933 MHz) Coppermine processor.
2) Intel 82810E Chipset Vesta Mainboard.
3) 128 MB SDRAM.
4) 4 MB onboard VGA.
5) LG Studioworks Monitor (max 1024x768x24 with 60 Hz)

The CD boots it in text mode while the same CD boots my friend's new laptop in graphical mode.
As the X Server starts, the screens flickers very fastly that I can't see anything.
I have tried the diffrent kernel boot options. Sometimes the monitor gets shutdown (all leds start blinking) and other times nothing but flickering.
Is this something related to the monitor's refresh rate? How can I fix it?

Usually X has trouble with the video chipset when it does things like that. With only 4 MB, you might not be able to get KDE up and running anyway. Can you install a PCI video card to see if you do any better? A 64 MB PCI video card should be about $10.00 on E-Bay or at a used computer parts store. AGH. I just noticed where you are. I suppose they have used parts in India.

I am gonna change my computer shortly so I don't really wanna put in any more bucks on it.
Anyway, I have successfully ran these distros on the same machine -
1) Redhat Linux 7.3
2) Debian 3.1 r1
3) Ubuntu 6.06 (Dapper Drake)
4) Ubuntu 5.10 (Breezy Badger)
5) Kubuntu 5.10 (Breezy Badger)
6) SuSE 9.1
7) Fedora Core 1.
8) MandrakeLinux 10.1 Official.

None of these distros had a single problem by the first install. Then why is it only MEPIS that needs so much?

As I said, it was my assumption that KDE wouldn't run in so little video RAM. That wasn't Mepis specific. As far as any distro sucessfully installing in graphical mode, that is entirely hit or miss. Different distros support different hardware in different ways. I had one computer that deb wouldn't install on unless I gave a vga=770 on boot for instance. FWIW, if you had Debian and Kubuntu on it, then you pretty much had Mepis on it anyway except for a little different control panel stuff and some different eye candy.

Yes, I am pretty much happy with Kubuntu 5.10. But, still gonna try to make MEPIS work. It is a fully loaded OS out of the box and ofcourse it's compatibility to Debian repositories can't be ignored.
I will be informing you if I succeed to make it work. Thanks for your help. Enjoy.

I need to look, but I am wondering if the Debian or (K)Ubuntu command line options will work in Mepis. I never tried but I suspect they will. One other option you have is to download the new version of Mepis, it is 6.0A2 right now. I am using 6.0A1 and love it. Funny thing, it is the only distro that picked up my D-Link DWL-G520 wireless card without any manual futzing at all.


(futzing="messing with" )

Alright, I got MEPIS to work finally. But, the only problem now that persist is that the resolution is 800x600. All boot options that lead to a 1024x768 display showed flickering or led blinking problems. I tried changing it from the Kcontrol but, it shows only two options. ie. 800x600 and 640x480. Really didn't got nice stuff on how to fiddle with /etc/X11/xorg.conf.

Here's mine:

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "unknown"
ModelName "unknown"
#Option "DPMS" "true"
HorizSync 30.0 - 82.0 # Warning: This may fry old Monitors
VertRefresh 50.0 - 70.0 # Very conservative. May flicker.
Modeline "640x480" 25.175 640 664 760 800 480 491 493 525 #60Hz
Modeline "800x600" 40.12 800 848 968 1056 600 601 605 628 #60Hz
Modeline "1024x768" 75 1024 1048 1184 1328 768 771 777 806 -hsync -vsync
Modeline "1024x768" 85 1024 1056 1152 1360 768 784 787 823
ModeLine "1152x864" 65 1152 1168 1384 1480 864 865 875 985 Interlace
Modeline "1152x864" 92 1152 1208 1368 1474 864 865 875 895
Modeline "1152x864" 110 1152 1240 1324 1552 864 864 876 908
Modeline "1152x864" 135 1152 1464 1592 1776 864 864 876 908
Modeline "1152x864" 137.65 1152 1184 1312 1536 864 866 885 902 -HSync -VSync
Modeline "1280x768" 80.14 1280 1344 1480 1680 768 769 772 795
ModeLine "1280x800" 80.58 1280 1344 1480 1680 800 801 804 827 -HSync -VSync
Modeline "1280x1024" 80 1280 1296 1512 1568 1024 1025 1037 1165 Interlace
Modeline "1280x1024" 110 1280 1328 1512 1712 1024 1025 1028 1054
Modeline "1280x1024" 126.5 1280 1312 1472 1696 1024 1032 1040 1068 -HSync -VSync
Modeline "1280x1024" 135 1280 1312 1456 1712 1024 1027 1030 1064
Modeline "1280x1024" 135 1280 1312 1416 1664 1024 1027 1030 1064
Modeline "1280x1024" 157.5 1280 1344 1504 1728 1024 1025 1028 1072 +HSync +VSync
Modeline "1280x1024" 181.75 1280 1312 1440 1696 1024 1031 1046 1072 -HSync -VSync
Modeline "1440x900" 106.47 1440 1520 1672 1904 900 901 904 932 +HSync +VSync
Modeline "1400x1050" 129 1400 1464 1656 1960 1050 1051 1054 1100 +HSync +VSync
Modeline "1600x1200" 162 1600 1664 1856 2160 1200 1201 1204 1250 +HSync +VSync
Modeline "1600x1200" 189 1600 1664 1856 2160 1200 1201 1204 1250 -HSync -VSync
Modeline "1600x1200" 202.5 1600 1664 1856 2160 1200 1201 1204 1250 +HSync +VSync
Modeline "1600x1200" 220 1600 1616 1808 2080 1200 1204 1207 1244 +HSync +VSync
Modeline "1680x1050" 147.14 1680 1784 1968 2256 1050 1051 1054 1087
ModeLine "1800x1440" 230 1800 1896 2088 2392 1440 1441 1444 1490 +HSync +VSync
ModeLine "1800x1440" 250 1800 1896 2088 2392 1440 1441 1444 1490 +HSync +VSync
Modeline "1920x1200" 230 1920 1936 2096 2528 1200 1201 1204 1250 +HSync +VSync
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "ATIMonitor"
VendorName "unknown"
ModelName "unknown"
#Option "DPMS" "true"
HorizSync 30.0 - 82.0 # Warning: This may fry old Monitors
VertRefresh 50.0 - 70.0 # Very conservative. May flicker.
EndSection