I just installed slack and need to know how do I fix the resolution and get grub....

bling bling · 06-29-2003, 03:19 PM

Hi I just installed slackware and am wondering on how to do a few things.
Like fix my resolution. At the moment it looks like it's 800x600 but when I look at my xf86config file it says that it is set to as a max 1024x768 I am guessing it didn't boot to 1024 and thus why it looks like I am using 800x600. So I am wondering how would I fix this. I would put my whole config file at the bottem but for some reason copy and past wont work.

For my second question how do I install grub?

acid_kewpie · 06-29-2003, 03:21 PM

resolution - please search this site for deatils on this.... try a title only search for "change resolution" you'll get dozens of threads.

grub - best quick install docs i've seen are on the http://gentoo.org x86 installation guide, around step 27 or something, have a look.

bling bling · 06-29-2003, 03:39 PM

Ok thanks.
One more thing since I have windows (For games only) should I put grub in my mbr or where should I put it.

[EDIT]
I tried the gentoo grub install guide and it didn't work.
Remember I have no boot loader now I am using my boot disk to boot.
So how would I install grub to my mbr from the source package that I got from there site?

SLaCk_KiD · 06-30-2003, 12:49 PM

to change your resolution in X did you try:

alt + ctr + '-'

or

alt + ctrl + '+'

that changes your res if you have more then one in your config file.....for grub, i recently tried to install gentoo and had some problems, but after you get the package and install it, all you need to do is run grub, and follow the gentoo instructions....grub is different then lilo, you need to specify the drive that has windows on it (i am assuming that it is hda) and then in the directions it says to type

root(hd0,0) that installs grub onto the MBR of hda.....follow the rest of the instructions, i had some troubles getting it to boot correctly, but a litle tweaking and you should be good, just make sure you actually read it.

bling bling · 06-30-2003, 03:40 PM

Ok thanks I decided to use lilo because it is so easy.
Two things if I told it to pass "vga=792" to my kernel would that help?
And I remember this same problem with the resolution when I had redhat and it was that my horizontal and vertical refresh rates needed to be fixed in my XF86config file.
So far I have looked at the compaq web site I have talked with their "tech" support on the phone, live chat and sent a e-mail to them and I am yet to get the correct answer from them.

So does anyone know what the horizontal and vertical refresh rates of a compaq MV520 are?

I would go back to the forum where I got them for redhat but the site wont work I don't know why it just doesn't.

SLaCk_KiD · 07-01-2003, 09:34 AM

i cant get the table to look right, but if you need a pretty one to look at then go here

Quote:

People who have selected framebuffer in their kernel should add vga=xxx to their bootloader configuration file as a kernel parameter. xxx is one of the values in the following table:

640x480 800x600 1024x768 1280x1024
8 bpp 769 771 773 775
16 bpp 785 788 791 794
32 bpp 786 789 792 795

all of that is right out of the gentoo tutorial...i dont mind helping you out cause i know what its like to be in your spot, i have been there recently, but some of the peeps on here see the same ?'s over and over so i can understand their fustration, just remember google and searching these forums is essential to finding your answers before asking questions. heres the info about the monitor, found it on the first hit form google:

Quote:

5" (13.8" Viewable) 0.28 mm Dot Pitch

1024 x 768 Max Resolution @ 60 Hz

JBL Platinum Series Speakers with Digital Audio Player Port

One Year Limited Warranty

Additional Specifications:

Standard Features: JBL Platinum Series Speakers with Digital Audio Player Port

Monitor Type: Color, multi-frequency
Monitor Chassis: 54 kHz digital controls
Picture Tube: 15" flat square, polished
Viewable Image Area: 13.8"
Dot Pitch: 0.28 mm dot pitch

Display Resolutions Refresh Rates: -
1024 x 768 / 60 Hz (maximum resolution)
800 x 600 / 85 Hz (maximum flicker-free resolution)
800 x 600 / 75 and 60 Hz
720 x 400 / 70 Hz
640 x 480 / 85, 75 and 60 Hz
640 x 400 / 70 Hz

Operating Temperature: 50° - 86° F (10° - 30° C)
Relative Humidity: 20% - 80%
Bandwidth (Dot Rate): 65 MHz
Input Impedance: 75 +/- 3% Ohms
Horizontal Frequency: 31.5 - 54 kHz
Vertical Frequency: 50 - 120 Hz
Universal Power Supply: - 90 - 132 V, 50 - 60 Hz - 190 - 265 V, 50 - 60 Hz
Inrush Current: - 30 Amps at 120 V - 60 Amps at 220 V Maximum Power Rating: <80 watts
Synch Input: TTL
Signal Cable: 15-pin miniature D-sub
Microphone: Integrated microphone
Power Management: Yes
Energy Star Compliant: Yes
Plug-and-Play: Yes
Quick Setup Poster: Graphical
Power Management States: - On - Green LED color <80 watts - Standby/Suspend - Yellow LED color <15 watts - Sleep - Amber LED color <5 watts Digital On-Screen Display
Brightness - Adjusts display brightness (white level) Contrast - Adjusts display contrast (black level) Degauss - Demagnetizes screen to reduce color impurities Exit - Exits the OSD menu Horizontal Position - Shifts display right or left Horizontal Size - Increases and decreases display width Parallelogram - Adjusts the tilt of the display sides to the left or right Pincushion - Adjusts the concave and convex portion of the picture Reset - Resets monitor to factory default values Trapezoid - Adjusts the top and bottom display widths to make them even Vertical Position - Shifts display up or down Vertical Size - Increases and decreases display height JBL Platinum Series Speakers with Digital Audio Player Port: Illuminated push-button On/Off control Line input jack (Digital Audio Port Input) Headphone jack Power LED Power: 3 watts RMS per channel @ 10% THD Frequency Response: 100 Hz - 20 kHz UL/CUL approved Speaker Cord Length: 5 feet to CPU, 5 feet from speaker to speaker Speaker Weight: 3 pounds Manufactured by: Compaq Manufacturer Part No: 153721-001"

you get the idea, i am not going to format the rest of the stuff....

one last thing, as far as the passing the vga=xx to the kernel, if you set up lilo through the slack CD it asks you the frame buffer mode that you wantto use, you can even choose to select the size you want everytime you boot up!!! you should be able to go into /etc/lilo.config and you should see all the modes commented out, delete the "#" in front of the corresponding mode that will work on your PC and save it and your good to go....any other questions, search first and then come back to this thread and ask ill be happy to help if you have trouble, and let me know how things turn out.

bling bling · 07-01-2003, 10:35 AM

Thanks man.

Funny thing is I just got a E-mail from compaq tech support saying my monitors refresh rates are

Horizontal Frequency is 31.5 - 54 kHz
and the
Vertical Frequency is 50 - 100 Hz.

So now I just wonder who is right.
Well anyway I think I screwed up royally with my resolution editing in my XF86Config because I took out all but 1024x768 and now it wont start a gui when I type startx. I just get
NO USABLE MODES

So I take it, it doesn't think I can go to 1024x768 but I am sure I can.

So yes this is a newb question but how would I set it back to the backup file or edit it from a command line?

SLaCk_KiD · 07-01-2003, 12:10 PM

just type 'xf86config' and it will take you through the setup, which you undoubtly already did...then it wil ask you a host of questions, including your refresh rates, so pick the corresponding ones with what you just told me, they should work.....just make sure that you have the correct driver for your video card, that may be why your getting the no usable modes...i think that i usally go with the vesa, or vga one, either way its a generic and you should get it to work correctly

bling bling · 07-01-2003, 12:15 PM

Ok thanks.
One thing is my video card doesn't have linux drivers you could say.
It's a intel extreme integrated graphics chip.
And because Intel is in bed with M$ they don't have drivers for lnux that I can find.
I remember finding them once on their site but I can't find them now.
I think I will go back and check again after I try xf86config again.

SLaCk_KiD · 07-01-2003, 01:57 PM

don tworry about finding the drivers the vesa and vga work fine.....i think i knwo what computer you have, is it a presario?? cause i used to have the matching presario and 540 monitor, and it was a piece, the graphics was intergrated onto the motherboard, adn it even used the system RAM, i had to upgrade, i just got rid of it, but i am thining about using it with mosix, i am not sure yet....anyways that was off tpoic, jet let me know what happens, ill try to help best i can