Changing Video Mode (attn Vegeta)

[Cloral]

Vegeta, the reason I put your name in the subject line is this relates to Linux, and I understand that you use Linux.

Anyway, here's the deal. I installed Linux on my computer tonight. It worked perfectly, except for one small detail. Somehow along the line, I got either the video card or mode to something that doesn't work. So when it goes to the login prompt (which I set to graphical mode), I get a fun snow of multicolored pixels. I can press Ctrl-Alt-F1 to get to a text console and log in that way (which works fine), I just need to know what commands I might use to get the XWindows display to somehting like 'generic display driver' and 'vga' so I can run it and then fix it from there.

PS: I have a GeForce2 MX 400 as my video card, which as I understand has the exact same interface as the GeForce2 MX. Because the MX 400 was not listed during installation, I selected the MX (which was also selected by default so I would guess that the install detected it so it should work).

[Menokh]

Well I can help too. I can't think of why this happened, but it is easy enough to fix. It doesn't reallt matter, but what distro is it? And yes Geforce2 MX 400's work fine.

-From the text prompt log in as yourself.
-Next type in the command: su root
-then it will ask for the root password.
-Now type in this command: xf86config
It is not exactly hard to use but be very careful what you select. It is alot harder to use than the graphical installation that you probably used and it will ask for monitor specs and video ram.

Once you've done that and saved the new config file, you should be ready to go. I believe pressing Ctrl-Alt-Backspace will restart X and give you the graphical log in again.

Now once you've logged in graphically you are ready to get the actual drivers for your card. Go to http://www.nvidia.com/view.asp?PAGE=linux and read carefully. Also read the README. It is easy to do, but requires you to edit the xf86config or xf86config-4 file.

[gdorf]

I currently had this same problem, and here is what I did.

- login as root (like menokh said)
- type 'XFree86 -configure'

This does much of what xf86config does, but automatically. It also makes the XF86Config file easier to work with.The only problem I had with this method is that it didn't write in the Horizontal Sync rate or the Vertical Refresh rate of the monitor automatically.It isn't hard to add them yourself though, just open 'vi' and add two lines to the 'monitor' section of the XF86Config file.

HorizSync x-x
VertRefresh x-x

The x's are obviously different for individual monitors. It should be in your monitors manual.Although this seems a little more complicated, it seemed to work best for me.

Have fun with Linux!

[Cloral]

Well, I've already got the hsync and vsync set (nice thing is it is a flat panel display so i don't have to worry about frying the thing), so I'll give your method a try.

It's nice to see there are a fair number of Linux users here. Shed Bill's shakels! :D

[gdorf]

Thats the Spirit!!!
You can usually get a faster response to your Linux questions in Programming :)

[Cloral]

OK, I'm going to try that now. And, when I try XFree86 -configure, it tells me that it is already running. What do I do?

[Beldaran]

Originally posted by Cloral


It's nice to see there are a fair number of Linux users here. Shed Bill's shakels! :D


No thanks. Bill's shackels save me hours of dicking around with my PC.:D

[gdorf]

Belderan: At the price of what? Hours of lost work due to a crash? Don't judge linux too much till you've experienced it yourself :)

Cloral:

- type ps -axu
This will give you a firaly long list of all running proccess's, find XFree86, and note it's PID.

-type kill -kill x
Where x is the PID of XFree86. This will.. well... kill the process. ;)

-now try XFree86 -configure again.


Good luck :)