Configuring X

[Kevin Kinsey]

Walker, Michael wrote:

>Hi All,
>
>I am having a real problem setting up X under FreeBSD 5.3 on a Acer
>Travelmate 280 laptop.
>The laptop uses the Intel onboard i810 video controller, I know Xorg has
>issues with this controller from past experience, so I added the necessary
>line to my /etc/make.conf and proceeded to build XFree86-4. (My ports tree
>is updated as of yesterday afternoon)
>
>However I can't seem to find a useable mode, when I try to configure X using
>"xf86cfg -textmode" I select the appropriate values, and run the test it
>specifies, the test works great, I get a plain screen with nothing on it,
>and the mouse (touchpad in this case) is working perfectly, but the
>resolution is low, it looks less than 800x600 to be honest.
>If I try to "startx" at any depth setting the screen just goes black and
>locks up, I cant return to the console, and ctrl+alt+del does not restart X.
>I have to turn the machine off and back on manually, which results in the
>boot up sequence complaining about things not being correctly unmounted.
>
>  
>

Scary, to be sure, but probably not life threatening just yet.  Take a
backup ;-)

Surely you meant "CTL-ATL-Bksp". <?>  Another strategem
I have used --- CTL-F2 to another vtty, login as root, re-edit
the config file, and -HUP the X server.  Or, you could shutdown
from there.  At any rate you can probably find a way around a
hard reboot if you try (include #disclaimer.h)

{I guess you could at least consider that encouragement?}

>I have used XFree86 on this laptop before, however that was using FreeBSD
>5.2.1 and it worked fine. And it also works fine on my desktop machine (that
>to has a Intel i810 controller)
>Does anyone have any ideas where in my setup I am going wrong, or have a
>working XF86Config file for their Intel video controller.
>
>Regards
>
>Mick Walker 
>NAAFI Finance International 
>  
>

Nothing much.  The handbook does state that:

    If you are using *XFree86 4.1.0* (or later) and messages about
    unresolved symbols like fbPictureInit appear, try adding the
    following line after Driver "i810" in the X11 configuration file:

		Option "NoDDC"


Of course, I have no idea if you are getting such messages, and
if the box is locking up, you probably don't either.  Nor do I know
if that particular section has been changed lately, or if it needs
to be.  I seem to remember getting X up on an 810 once, but I
don't have that box anymore, and it wasn't a laptop anyhow.

Anything in the log files?

You might attached your configuration file and see if anyone
can spot something you might have missed.

Good luck,

Kevin Kinsey