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[Ultra Magnus]

I've installed Vector Linux on my AMD K6 500–odd MHz, 64MB RAM laptop. I chose 5.1 because of it's reduced RAM requirement.

The installation went without issue but on first boot, and all subsequent boots, the display dies after a second or two of displaying the username prompt. I'm baffled.

A bit of background, I'm a newbie to VL and Linux in general but this is the sixth distribution I'm trying—Ubuntu, Xubuntu, Fluxbuntu, DSL, DSL-N—of which, only Fluxbuntu and DSL have been successfully installed and only DSL was usable but at least I've learnt a fair bit along the way. My reason for trying VL was I couldn't get my Ralink PCMCIA Wifi driver going on DSL.

Cheers,
Ultra Magnus

[bigpaws]

Sounds like the X server is crashing.

You can check Linux on laptops for information about the laptop.

When asking for help please post the name,make and model number
of the problem hardware or name and version of the software so we
will be able to help you a little faster.

Solve the first problem and then move onto the ralink again if you
are having a problem post the hardware specs.

Bigpaws

[Ultra Magnus]

thanks for the help Big Paws,

my system is a Packard Bell EASYONE 4512A but I'm afraid it's so outdated it's not listed on Linux on Laptops.

you were half-right, the problem is, indeed, with the X Server however I don't think it's actually crashing (I did something earlier when it'd "crashed" which caused it to come back to the CLI just fine) I think it's just killing the screen.

I've tried a few different configurations using VASM but to no obvious effect. I took a look at the xorg.conf but there's nothing obviously out of place; the Trident CyberBlade i7d is detected and configured apparently correctly. I've tried adding a "VideoRam 8192" parameter and using the VESA driver instead of the Trident to no effect.

any ideas?

[Ultra Magnus]

P.S. an interesting, and possibly significant aside, when the display dies, the laptop will run on battery power only for the first time in years...

[lagagnon]

try changing default depth from 24 to 16.

[Ultra Magnus]

the default depth is current set to 16 but I've tried all the options apart from 24, which I know to be unsupported.

[bigpaws]

Try to google with the first word linux <then the laptop name>

that might help.

Please explain what you did to get to the CLI.

It could be the refresh rate for the screen.

Bigpaws

[Ultra Magnus]

I quite randomly typed "exit" and hit enter twice.

I did try the googling my laptop model but unfortunately none of the three results were in English.

the VESA and VideoRAM solutions yielded from a "linux cyberblade i7d" search but, as I said, they were ineffective in my case.

[bigpaws]

Here is one:

http://sysphere.org/~anrxc/local/Presario-1247/presario-1247.html

Bigpaws

[Ultra Magnus]

Big Paws, lagagnon, muchos thanks for your help.

I cracked it with the help of...

http://www.die.net/doc/linux/man/man4/trident.4.html

I just needed to add Option "Display" "LCD"

so simple when you know how, eh?