Baslinux mailing list

[sindi keesan <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org>]

On Tue, 10 May 2005, David Moberg wrote:

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "sindi keesan" <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org>
>
> > > Does this brightness continue to vary if you switch resolutions in
> > > Windows? This sounds like a laptop that I used to have, a Dell
> > > Latitude CPi.
> >
> > It is at 800/16 dpi now. The same resolution in BL3 (800x600x12,
> > which proably means 15-bit) with swm did not have a brightness
> > problem, but neither did Windows for a while.  Windows does not
> > offer 15-bit.
> >
> > Should I try 640 in Windows or 1024?
> >
> > Also, in Windows, if I tilt the screen slowly sometimes it
> > brightens for a second or two.  This suggests a power problem to me.
>
> Oh. I thought it was a similar problem that I had. Mine only happened
> with certain resolutions (it looked like an interlaced TV). It sounds
> like yours is not the same problem.

I think I fixed things by disabling video expansion in CMOS.  Now instead 
of a full screen 12" in text I have 9" (diagonal) with 2" top and 1" side 
unused areas, but Windows and Xvesa display full-screen.  This may also 
have fixed the WIndows brightness problem.  I was able to turn brightness 
and contrast back down to normal and still see the screen.

Xvesa still displays everything in pale green, but the text in the rxvt is 
much better looking.  It also crashes things on exit, but I can try the 
SVGA X server instead of the framebuffer approach - have you ever tried to 
read 132 columns on a 9" screen?  I gave the neighbor three days to think 
of any other files she wants off the computer before I remove most of her 
programs, shrink Windows, and install BL3 to hard drive with svga server 
and/or framebuffer kernel as an option.

> > > What is the native resolution of the panel? It is likely trying to
> > > scale everything up to its resolution with a crude algorithm (my
> > > old laptop did this, too).
> >
> > How would I know this?  Do you mean it is something less than 640
> > (320?) and displaying text in graphical mode with 1/4 as many
> > pixels per character, but badly enlarged without smoothing?  It
> > looks sort of like a bad fax.
>
> The native resolution is usually the maximum that you can select.
> In your case, I would guess that it is 1024x768. This algorithm
> is horrible; you should avoid it, if you can, by switching modes
> or (see below about the BIOS option)

I switched away from video expansion.  It was not a 2:1 enlargement but 
something that stretches things more vertically than horizontally - no 
wonder the text looked spidery.


> > > This must be a NeoMagic card? 48K is a model number?
> >
> > Thanks, I will look this up. ------ I read about Neomagic video
> > chips, as found in Gateway and Sony Vaio.  128XD - 128-bit
> > accelerator.  Some later chips have 2MB (1999) or 3MB RAM, mine
> > probably only 1MB.  I am guessing it is 1998.
>
> Mine had 2MB, IIRC. It could do 1024x768x65536 max.

Windows says at 1024 it can do 256 colors.  I think this is a 1997 machine 
since it came with two Win95 certificates.

> > Xfree86 4 has a neomagic driver.  For Xfree86 3.3.6 use the svga
> > driver. Good chance to try out Steven's at 800x600 and 256 colors
> > if xfbdev works as well as Xvesa.
>
> If your screen can only do 1024x768x8, you will likely bump into the
> vesa/kdrive 8-bit problem. Your best option may be to use Steven's
> package. Second best is to build or find a kernel with NeoMagic
> framebuffer support (yes, such a driver does exist).

Yes, I will try svga driver.  There is a neomagic module but as you say I 
would need a kernel which supports it.  I don't know that I want 1024 on 
12" screen anyway, 800 should be just right, but this is a good place to 
experiment in setting up for 1024 (the other laptop only does 640).

> > There was a question in CMOS about whether to make it full screen
> > horizontal and vertical.  If I answered no I might have got a nice
> > looking smaller screen at 320.

That worked.  Video expansion disabled.

> It's definitely much nicer looking to have a letterbox instead of a
> horribly blurred display. My old laptop had an option like this,
> only I could change it on the fly by hitting a button combination.

I don't see that here.  I found LCD/CRT - would this override the CMOS 
setting which I left at LCD+CRT?  (Just in case the LCD dimmed again).
Why would ANYONE want the video expanded mode?

> Fn+one of the number buttons, which had a logo that looked like two
> capital letter A's, one in italic and one in boldface font (the idea
> is that it changes the way text looks)
>
> > > My laptop worked perfectly with vesafb.
> >
> > Good to know.  Will try this tomorrow.  First we need to figure out
> > why the 40GB drive someone else gave us won't work with DOS or
> > Windows, some problem with FAT tables, at least when formatting
> > with FreeDOS, and whether it will let us install linux/lilo. It
> > works some of the time with DOS and Windows (even installed Win98
> > once but not before or after). Having Windows on a laptop was to
> > try out a friend's wireless card so as to detect if any neighbors
> > have DSL and ask to share it.  Easier to carry around the house
> > (apart from not being able to read the LCD screen - maybe we can
> > power the 9" mono VGA with a battery?) in case reception is better
> > in some room.  I will check if the list discussed BL with wireless
> > PCMCIA card.

The 40GB drive works better if we substitute the 4DOS command.com for the 
FreeDOS one, says my partner.  As soon as I get my 1.2G drive back we will 
start installing linuxes to laptops (assuming the steady flow of neighbors 
with bikes lets up - four in two days).

> You will need a newer kernel, as usual. What brand of wireless card?
> If it's supported by this Mandrake kernel I have here, I can email
> this kernel to you.

truckstop.net  Hi-speed Wireless Internet
GetOn!  UNPLUG your laptop and surf the INTERNET the WIRELESS WAY 
It appears to work with both white and yellow trucks.

The neighbor lent it to us and may be interested in using it with linux. 
I think he is using Redhat, a recent version.
Someone sent us Slackware 9 - will a SW91 kernel work?
We have to return this card but could conceivably purchase one some day.
Is there some brand that is more likely to work?

> About the 9" screen, is this a backlight problem?

There is no longer a problem, unless you count the 9" LCD screen now.
We fixed another backlight problem once by replacing the bulb with 
something a bit shorter and you could use the screen with a front-light - 
this was different, just completely faded out.

> > There is a PDA to go with it once she finds it, working, with
> > keyboard, stylus and documentation.
>
> David

I have to let the neighbor phone now.