xfree works but is crappy, and if I change it it wont boot.

detz · Apprentice Joined: 19 Feb 2004 Posts: 175

Kernel is 2.4.22 benh xfree 4.3.0.1
I did the Xautoconfig and got X running but its in 8 bit...I tried changing the depth and driver around but then X wont start, says no screens found. Do I need to upgrade something....any advice would be greatly appreciated. Also, I have the new 2.6 kernel but it wont load....I guess I don't know what settings to select in the conf. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Immortal Q · Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2004 8:43 pm Post subject:

Regarding Xfree, check out this guide. It should help you out. If that fails, there are several apps that can help you with xfree configuration - unfortunately, I've forgotten what they're called. (Might be mentioned in that guide..)

As for the kernel thing, If you've compiled it and everything, you still need to move it to /boot, and you need to change yaboot.conf to reflect the new kernel name.

If you haven't compiled the kernel, or don't know how, then check out the this chapter from the Gentoo Handbook.
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fb · l33t Joined: 08 Dec 2003 Posts: 636 Location: New Zealand

Ah, the 8-bits depth problem, I had this one you should check my
earlier thread:
https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=126669

look at the last post of the thread. I don't know if you have the exact
same hardware so not everything may be relevant.
If you use Xeasyconfig like I said in my post, there is something
I found out since then that I didn't post, the config file generated
by Xeasyconfig doesn't include the following line:
Load "freetype"

which enable antialiasing of true type fonts, that should help with
the ugliness

so you should had it.

detz · Apprentice Joined: 19 Feb 2004 Posts: 175

I compiled the kernel and everything and can get it to come up...just not finish booting. It always freezes on something...I just dont' know what to check and uncheck in the config file.

fb · l33t Joined: 08 Dec 2003 Posts: 636 Location: New Zealand

Immortal Q · Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2004 7:46 pm Post subject:

To ease debugging, if you have GDM/XDM/KDM enabled, turn them off - that way the boot issues can be more easily separated from the xfree ones. If you don't know what I'm talking about - skip it.

Have you successfully booted Gentoo on this machine before?
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detz · Apprentice Joined: 19 Feb 2004 Posts: 175

I can boot up in the 2.4.22 kernel fine but I can't get Xfree to run. 2.6.x boots up until it says mounting /proc and it freezes there. I just don't know what kernel, what options to check, what xfree verion...what anything for that matter.

kwiqsilver · Guru Joined: 19 Mar 2003 Posts: 360

detz · Apprentice Joined: 19 Feb 2004 Posts: 175

OK...I guess I can explain everything. I installed 2.6.3 first, wouldn't boot so I booted off CD and did 2.4.22...which after messing with it a little botted. Then I did Xfree and ran the config and it started. Next, I figured I was set and emerged KDE and when it was done and I started KDE it looked like crap because it was only 8-bit. I tried different configs and ideas and nothing worked. I then read someone about someone using the new drivers with the older version of XFree so I downloaded the drivers(from a zip on this forum) and put them in the drivers dir. After that I couldn't get xfree to start no matter what. So I decided to try the 2.6 kernel again but get a more stable one, 2.6.1r2 which gives me the freeze when booting proc. So now im back to the working 2.4.22 kernel but no xfree. Tonight I'm going to recompile xfree to see if I can get it working again even with just 8-bit...its a start. Then I might recompile 2.4.22 and see if I missed anything dealing with the video. So after all this, any ideas on what would be the best approach?

fb · l33t Joined: 08 Dec 2003 Posts: 636 Location: New Zealand

Well I may look insistent, but once again can you tell us about your
hardware. Not all apple products are identical and things have to
be done slightly differently for different hardware...

So what do you have? And more to the point what is your video card?

detz · Apprentice Joined: 19 Feb 2004 Posts: 175

This is a learning process for me and I want to learn what all this is and everything but I would like to get it up and running and then learn from upgrading...like new kernels, new versions and such. It will would good if someone with the same computer(iBook G4, 800Mhz, 12") could send me their config files and tell me what versions to compile so I could have a working system. Just my thoughts...

fb · l33t Joined: 08 Dec 2003 Posts: 636 Location: New Zealand

detz · Apprentice Joined: 19 Feb 2004 Posts: 175

Ok, I got xfree back up an running but again it will only start with the fdev driver and 8-bit...if I change on this it says no screens found and wont start. Module problem in kernel?

PowerPC G4 (3.3)
800Mhz
256 mb Memory

AGP
ATY, RV280M9+
32mb
ATI

Does not say anything more about that just the LCD.
Does this help...i'm thinking about re-compiling the kernel tonight and see if its something in there with the drivers. Also, while I was reading some people said you need to emerge xfree-drm, I think I did that when I first put xfree on but does that make a difference?

ryanCD · n00b Joined: 28 Aug 2003 Posts: 60

I had trouble with XFree untill I disabled all the kernel frame buffer drivers I didn't need. So, in the 2.4.x kernel do the make menuconfig, and under console drivers->frame-buffer support get rid of everything but the radeon driver. Leave the fonts if you like, but kill everything else.

This might not be your problem, but it's worth a shot, and probably won't hurt anything. Kernels compile pretty quick. Anyway, that's all I can think of at the moment. Good luck.
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fb · l33t Joined: 08 Dec 2003 Posts: 636 Location: New Zealand

I agree with ryanCD. If you followed the instruction of my thread to the letter you used the rivafb driver (nvidia Riva support) instead of the
radeon driver (ATI Radeon display support) which is what you need,
at least I hope I don't know for sure from what you say that it is
an ATI radeon. But ryanCD seems to be authoritative on it.
I you still have problem send us your Xfree86 configuration file
(/etc/X11/XF86config-4) and we will have a look at it.

detz · Apprentice Joined: 19 Feb 2004 Posts: 175

I don't think it has anything to do with the xfree config...like i said its at the bare minumum and it will run just only in 8-bit. I think its more of a kernel issue so I'm going to try and recompile with some of the things said and see if that helps.

detz · Apprentice Joined: 19 Feb 2004 Posts: 175

I just redid the kernel like ryancd said above but same thing...only boots with the fbev driver and only in 8-bit.

fb · l33t Joined: 08 Dec 2003 Posts: 636 Location: New Zealand

Can you run the command "fbset -i" from the console and post the output
to this forum?

Before recompiling the kernel, did you uncheck:
"Open Firmware frame buffer device support"?
It is important in my experience to leave it out.

ray5300 · n00b Joined: 01 Mar 2004 Posts: 2

I am no linux whiz, but this worked for me on YDL, i dont know why it did it just did...it might work for you.
Boot into mac os and set you screen res to 1024x768 @ 1,000s of colours.
boot to linux, try to startx ... if it worked great, if it didnt read on.
run Xautoconfig, then as root, open your xfree config file
"pico /etc/X11/XF86Config"
and change depth from 16 bit to 15 bit .
save to config file, then startx
hope it helps,