Firebird -> Firefox -> veer to left: Athlon

[Roger Oberholtzer]

On Fri, 13 Feb 2004 14:14:15 -0800
"Net Llama!" <netllama at linux-sxs.org> wrote:

> > #1
> > I cannot switch virtual terminals from a graphic one. So, I can get a
> > GUI login and can log in. However, If I do anything that does a virtual
> > terminal switch the system stops dead. This includes trying to configure
> > the display, starting another session, trying to switch to another text
> > VT, or logging out.
> 
> That's a videocard problem.

Me thinks so as well. But not the nVidia one greatly discussed in these
parts. The laptop has some VIA chip:


lspci reports:

 01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: VIA Technologies, Inc.: Unknown device
			7205 (rev 01) (prog-if 00 [VGA])
        Subsystem: Acer Incorporated [ALI]: Unknown device 0033
        Flags: bus master, 66Mhz, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 4
        Memory at f0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=64M]
        Memory at d1000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16M]
        Expansion ROM at <unassigned> [disabled] [size=64K]
        Capabilities: [60] Power Management version 2
        Capabilities: [70] AGP version 2.0

SUSE have set up the X server to use the fbdev driver. I have just tried to
use X's via driver. The driver seems to load ok, but it does not like the
screen definitions. In addition, I get complaints that functions
like MPSDevice and drmClose are unresolved in the driver. This is reported
by the driver which is (I think) loading these things itself. So they are
not inherently fatal. Except the via driver results in a black screen. I
need to sort out an X config file for this chip and display. SUSEs is a bit
too smart. The vis driver does report the chip as being a KM400. So I think
I will look there as well. Oh, and, of course, do some real work as well.

It is the 'Power Management stuff that all the PCI devices report that is, I
think, at the bottom of this.

> > #2
> > I cannot use any power management or the system stops cold after some
> > minutes. So I have to run the kernel without it and not start any
> > programs to do so. So I do not get a peep when the battery is low. I
> > also suspect that in the absence of power management the CPU is running
> > at its slowest speed. 
> 
> which kernel version are you using?  Does this box use apm or acpi or
> both?

I an mot using ACPI or APM. The kernel is 2.4.21-166-athlon, which is SUSE's
latest Athlon kernel for SUSE 9.

I do plan on trying a newer kernel.

-- 
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