Laptop screen looks like vertical window blind with raindrops on it
Martin Baker
Can anyone help me I'm new to Linux and I've been trying to install SuSE 9.0
on a Dell laptop. Everything goes fine until KDE starts up when the laptop
screen looks like vertical window blind with raindrops on it, this then
washes out to white then coloured vertical line appear.
I tried Demo Linux which is a givaway distribution which boots and runs
directly from the CDROM. This works perfectly so the problem is specific to
SuSE.
I am not very impressed with SuSE specially as I have sent them a support
request and have received nothing in 3 days apart form an automated
acknowledgement. I would not recommend anyone else to buy from SuSE.
I have put details about the display controller in my support request which
is copied at the end of this message.
Thanks,
Martin
------------------------------------------------
From: "Support SUSE LINUX AG" <support+2003...@suse.de>
To: <mar...@martinb.com>
Subject: Re: Ticket [20031103430002072] graphics not working when KDE starts
Date: 03 November 2003 10:09
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Fault report to SuSE support:
I am attempting to install Suse Linux professional 9.0 on a Dell Inspiron
3700 450GT.
The configuration appeared to go without problems (except there is a black
border round the screen) and when I boot up the system it looks alright
until it starts up KDE when the screen looks like a vertical window blind
with raindrops on it this gets brighter and then the screen ends up covered
with coloured vertical lines.
If I plug a monitor into the back of the laptop this works properly, so its
something to do with the driver for the built in LCD screen.
If I look at the hardware configuration in YaST it has set it up as follows:
Graphics cards
* ATI 3D rage p/m mobility AGP 2x(ATI) connected to monitor
--> VESA 800x600 @ 60Hz [800x600@16bit]
* 3d acceleration unavailable
Monitor
Vesa 800x600@60Hz
Color & resolution (0) 800x600 16bit(65536)
Virtual resolution not configured
3D acceleration not configured
The LCD is actually 1024x768 so I tried using YaST to set the monitor to
800x600@60Hz but this made no difference. I also tried making other changes
at random, such as changing the graphics from VESA to LCD it makes no
difference.
I then tried Demo Linux which is a givaway distribution which boots and runs
directly from the CDROM. I used the option 1024VESA as they recommend and
this worked perfectly! The laptop display shows KDE the desktop, so its not
a hardware problem and it is a problem specific to SuSE Linux. On their
distribution when I look at KDE system control - KDE control module, the
following is configured:
Display Controllers
Rage mobility p/m agp 2x(VGA compatible controller)
Please can you help me to get KDE running on the built in LCD.
Martin
mjt
> I am not very impressed with SuSE specially as I have sent them a support
> request and have received nothing in 3 days apart form an automated
> acknowledgement. I would not recommend anyone else to buy from SuSE
... on the contrary, i would recommend SUSE for anyone
interested in a good distro. i've installed 8.2/9.0 to
a wealth of machines with differing architectures,
including [dell] laptops
as to the OP, you've provided ZERO details about your machine,
so not many will be able to assist you. try here:
http://sdb.suse.de/sdb/en/html/key_form.html
and use "laptop" for the search string
.
--
/// Michael J. Tobler: motorcyclist, surfer, skydiver, \\\
\\\ and author: "Inside Linux", "C++ HowTo", "C++ Unleashed" ///
Resisting temptation is easier when you think you'll
probably get another chance later on.
anc
> ... on the contrary, i would recommend SUSE for anyone
> interested in a good distro. i've installed 8.2/9.0 to
> a wealth of machines with differing architectures,
> including [dell] laptops
>
I would second that as I run multiple distros of Mandrake, Redhat,
Slackware and SuSE. SuSe 8.2 is my favorite, I run it on a Dell Latitude
CPi A400XT and also on my desktop Intel P3 800MhZ and 256M of Ram.
anc
> I am attempting to install Suse Linux professional 9.0 on a Dell Inspiron
> 3700 450GT.
What is the video card and chipset in your Dell Inspiron ??
My Dell Latutude has a Neomagic 256AV graphics card and chipset with
4M video memory. My laptop works best at 1024x768 60Hz only, (in windows and
linux).
Plug a monitor into labtop so you can see what youre doing. Press
ctrl-alt-F1 to log into an alternate console as root.
Type init 3, wait for the command prompt then type sax2. Manually check
that the display resolution. colour depth, match that of windows 9if you
use it) or set 1024x768 60hz only and check that the chipset is correct.
Once you get a display, type init 5 to switch back to your normal run level.
Martin Baker
computer is a Dell Inspiron 3700 450GT, I don't have the manual
anymore and I installed over the windows OS (I should have made a note
of the original windows configuration before I did this, but its too
late to go back now).
All I know, as I said in the original message is that the Demo Linux
distribution worked correctly and detected the Display Controller as:
Rage mobility p/m agp 2x(VGA compatible controller)
vesa1024
But SuSE did not work and this detected the following:
Graphics cards
* ATI 3D rage p/m mobility AGP 2x(ATI) connected to monitor
--> VESA 800x600 @ 60Hz [800x600@16bit]
* 3d acceleration unavailable
Monitor
Vesa 800x600@60Hz
Color & resolution (0) 800x600 16bit(65536)
Virtual resolution not configured
3D acceleration not configured
(still no reply from SuSE) I tried a search as suggested but I could
not see any faults like mine (most seem to be about PCMCIA).
So I would appreciate any further ideas.
Martin
paul cooke
This just got posted over in comp.os.linux.setup. It may give you some clues
:)
<Message-ID: <a4fafa9d.03110...@posting.google.com>>
|
| I've been spending a lot of time getting various Omnibook machines to
| work with Linux (I have a pile of old ones to play with, so why not?)
| and just started tackling the Omnibook 900b this afternoon.
|
| This machine has no built-in CD-ROM or floppy drive, and I have
| neither the external drive cabling nor the docking station, so I
| installed Suse 8.2 on an Omnibook 4150a, then swapped the drive into
| the 900b. Lo and behold, it worked!
|
| Sadly, it did not work completely -- the video card and monitor needed
| to be re-setup (Sax found the ATI Mobility AGP 2x automatically, and I
| manually selected a 1024x768@60hz LCD monitor), but washed out to an
| unreadable state when the machine was booted into KDE (Sax itself
| displayed the test screen properly.)
|
| For anyone out there who might be having the same problem on an
| Omnibook 900b running Suse 8.2, here's how I fixed it:
|
| #1: use these boot parameters:
|
| acpi=off
| vga=normal
| noapic
|
| This will get you booted successfully into KDE, but your background
| color will develop stripes and garbage as you open, close and move
| windows. No fun at all.
|
| #2: go into sax and manually change the following EXPERT monitor
| setting:
|
| Change the Modeline Algorithm from...
|
| CheckDesktopGeometry
|
| to...
|
| XServerPool
|
| Test, restart X, and you're good to go. :)
HTH, HAND
--
COMPUTER POWER TO THE PEOPLE! DOWN WITH CYBERCRUD!
Martin Baker
Thanks for this, it describes exactly what I am seeing and its
interesting that it also involves ATI Mobility AGP 2x. However the
suggested fixes don't work.
I tried typing acpi=off vga=normal noapic into the boot options line,
no difference.
I tried following changes in sax2: 1024x768@60hz monitor and changed
CheckDesktopGeometry to XServerPool, again no difference.
Still no reply from SuSE support, it must be getting on for 5 days
now.
Any other ideas about what I could try? thanks for any ideas,
Martin
paul cooke
use the VESA framebuffer FBdev for X and forget having 3D hardware
acceleration. It's what I have to do with my Packard Bell iGo laptop with
sis graphics.
<http://www.eecs.umich.edu/~steveh/inspiron/xserver.html>
directly relates to getting X going on a Dell inspiron laptop... :)
Your SuSE kernel has prebuilt framebuffer support
these articles in the support database refer how to get it up and running.
and how to get the fbdev Xserver going as well.
<http://portal.suse.com/sdb/en/2002/11/wessels_fbdev_grub.html>
<http://portal.suse.com/sdb/en/2002/11/wessels_sax247.html>
<http://portal.suse.com/sdb/en/2001/03/cg_framebuffer-x4_0.html>
If you've already got the graphical boot going then you should only need to
use the second or third of those links.
> Martin
Martin Baker
Partial success!! – the laptop display is working now but only in
800*600 mode.
I did this by typing (from one of the links you suggested):
Init 3
Sax2 –m 0=fbdev
Sax says its configured for 1024x768@60Hz, but this does not seem to
affect it in this mode.
I have spent all day trying to follow the Dell specific link you
suggested, but this does not work because SUSE does not seem to have a
XF86_Mach64 file?
Any idea how I can get the display working in 1024x768 i.e. without
the black border round it?
Thanks, Martin
paul cooke
nah, sorry, but without actually getting my little mitts on it... Have you
got a Linux Users Group near where you live??? (I take it with a btinternet
account and the name "Martin Baker" you are English...)
<http://www.lug.org.uk/> has a list of LUGs available in the UK with links
to them.
Martin Baker
Yes, good idea, I'll checkout the user groups.
Thanks again for your help.
Martin