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I'm running an install of Slackware 8.0 and having trouble getting the video settings right. After the install is complete and I run "startx", I can only see the upper left quarter of the desktop. Have run and rerun xf86config but no joy. I'm sure I've got the monitor (CTX VL400) sync rates correct and the graphics card (Trident ProVidia 9680 - 1Meg) settings correct but it just wont come up right.
I have tried every setting possible but I get the same result everytime. The install runs like a champ, I just can't get a decent screen. Any advice??
- Check your XFree log file (often /var/log/XFree*) and screen output and look for any errors.
- Try changing resolution, color depth or any combination (try editing /etc/X11/XF86Config directly instead of using xf86config, you'll earn time.
- Do you use XFree 3.3.x? If you have a straight 8.0 install, you do. Get the 4.2.0 packages from slackware-current and try them. This could fix your problem if the problem is in the X driver.
- Check the X docs at xfree86.org for information about the driver your card uses. Often this documentation includes some tricks that work.
- Search the web (www.google.com) for pages that include XFree and your graphics card. You will be surprised.
If you're only seeing the top left quarter of the screen, then you're undoubtably starting up in the wrong resolution. Try pressing Alt-Control-
Keypad + (the plus on the numeric keypad). This should cycle you through the various resolutions. You'll have to edit your XF86Config file to set your default screen depth and resolution if this is the case.
Thanks for all the suggestions ... very much appreciated. I'm still unable to get the video working correctly though.
I installed xfree86 4.2.0 after dling from ftp.xfree86.org but I'm now getting a black screen when I try to run startx. I ran the slackware 8.0 install several times and tried a bunch of different xf86config options but no go.
I did find someone via google who had the exact same problem I'm having with this Trident card so at least I can somewhat rule out user error. Unfortunately there was no solution posted.
Also tried the "XFree86 -configure" and ctrl/alt/+ routes but still no fix. This videocard has got to go. I'm sure it would work with a different one. Completely maddening!
JT,
I' m writing to you because I read your message in the forum and I realised
I have exactly the same problem that you had (I get a black screen when I
try to run startx, etc)
I really don't know what to do, and no-one could help me in the net, I would
like to know if you had been able to work it out or if you just changed the
Trident.
I would appreciate any help given
Thanks in advance
Hector
Please correct me if I am wrong. But the Trident TGUI9680 chip is usually a PCI based adapter from around 8 years ago. Even Win95 had problems being stable on that chip. Win3.1 did OK but it was only a 16 bit app. And with only 1 Mbyte RAM the best video possible is 640x480x256 colors. I would think that only simple VGA mode will work at all. Even if it had 2 MByte RAM it will produce a little better video but it would still only display interlaced video if I recall. I don't recall ever seeing the ProVidia part. But that could just be something added by the OEM that produced the board.
I do not think that X version 4.2 will support those older cards. Only X 3.3 using the VGA server or the Trident server will run on it. I believe that would explain your blank screen under 4.2.
The card works most excellent in a server at console mode only. You should seriously consider replacing it for use with X windows graphics. If PCI is all your machine can accept. I would consider something like an ATI or S3 chip PCI based with 4 Mbyte RAM. Even then I am not sure about X 4.2 support. You should probably check the hardware support list though.
[NOTE: I have used this card for Slackware version 3.4 - 8.0. Currently running X 4.1 (I haven't yet upgraded to SW8.1/X4.2) - I will paste my XF86Config at the end of this note.]
On a Slackware IRC channel, someone with this card had upgraded to Slackware8.1 and X4.2 and found that the "trident" driver included produced the blackscreen problem. His [successful] solution was simple to copy the trident driver from 4.1 to his current install. I'm guessing there is a bug with this driver and X4.2 that may need to be tracked. As far as I know, the Trident 9680 is still supported.
As promised, here is my very successful and reliable XF86Config for this card:
I'm guessing the problems with the new X version might be with the way the unused defaults are configured in XFree86 (like the defaulted boolean varlues are different now or something). But I haven't yet tried it.
Just looked at the doc/Status file and the Providia entries I see for the trident driver is "9682" and "9685" for both X 3.3.6 and 4.1.0 (still haven't looked at version 4.2).
Got carried away by the above mention of "TGUI 9680" :)
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8.0 display problems
Unfortunately there was no solution posted.
