Tiny Core Linux

Tiny Core Base => TCB Q&A Forum => Topic started by: LazyLarry on November 06, 2013, 11:43:44 AM

Title: [SOLVED] Xvesa and low res monitors
Post by: LazyLarry on November 06, 2013, 11:43:44 AM

I seem to have an opposite problem to most. I have a 640X480 touchscreen LCD that cant handle the gui. ie when the system boots up, i get the normal text stuff on startup, but after startx, the display switches to the expected desktop, but its like the monitor can't sync and it just flashes repeatedly. I can just make out the core logo mid screen. If I plug in another monitor, ie normal dell 15" it does display the 640X480 signal correctly.
when the display flashes, i can do ctl alt del and get back to a prompt. playing with all options in xsetup and doing startx doesn't sort it.
I'm using tinycore plus 5.02 and the motherboard has a geode display chip

This board and display work fine with ubuntu.

Any suggestions?

Title: Re: Xvesa and low res monitors
Post by: Juanito on November 06, 2013, 11:50:03 AM

Things work with ubuntu and Xvesa or ubuntu and Xorg?

Title: Re: Xvesa and low res monitors
Post by: LazyLarry on November 06, 2013, 11:51:55 AM

ubuntu and Xorg (i think). How do i check?

Title: Re: Xvesa and low res monitors
Post by: Juanito on November 06, 2013, 12:24:41 PM

"which Xvesa" and "which Xorg"

Title: Re: Xvesa and low res monitors
Post by: LazyLarry on November 06, 2013, 01:08:34 PM

which Xorg gives /usr/bin/Xorg, so i reckon thats the one.

Title: Re: Xvesa and low res monitors
Post by: Juanito on November 06, 2013, 10:21:54 PM

..so I'd try Xorg in tc, rather than Xvesa, and see what happens

Title: Re: Xvesa and low res monitors
Post by: LazyLarry on November 15, 2013, 08:01:17 PM

ok, so finally got Xorg running, but its the same flashing screen. I've modified the xorg.conf.vesa, saved it as xorg.conf to attempt to force it into low res, but no joy. I've added the Modes lines below

Section "Screen"
   Identifier "Screen0"
   Device     "Card0"
   Monitor    "Monitor0"
   DefaultDepth 24

   SubSection "Display"
      Viewport   0 0
      Depth     16
      Modes     "640x480"
   EndSubSection
   SubSection "Display"
      Viewport   0 0
      Depth     24
      Modes     "640x480"
   EndSubSection
EndSection

Also, I note the following section
Section "Device"
   Identifier  "Card0"
   Driver      "vesa"
EndSection

Should I change this from vesa? if so, to what?

Thanks for your help.

Title: Re: Xvesa and low res monitors
Post by: curaga on November 16, 2013, 04:45:53 AM

You probably need the geode video driver instead of vesa. It's not yet available for 5.x, so you'd need to compile it.

Title: Re: Xvesa and low res monitors
Post by: LazyLarry on November 18, 2013, 05:46:59 PM

ok, thanks for that. This is a bit "above my pay grade". Is there a guide i can follow to do this?

Title: Re: Xvesa and low res monitors
Post by: LazyLarry on November 19, 2013, 07:50:53 AM

or how about the xf86-video-geode driver? would that do the trick?

Title: Re: Xvesa and low res monitors
Post by: curaga on November 19, 2013, 08:01:43 AM

That's the one I meant.

Title: Re: Xvesa and low res monitors
Post by: LazyLarry on November 19, 2013, 11:37:09 AM

So, do I just download the xf86-video-geode.tcz extension, and modify xorg.conf like so?

Section "Device"
   Identifier  "Card0"
   Driver      "vesa" <-- change this to "geode"
EndSection

Title: Re: Xvesa and low res monitors
Post by: gerald_clark on November 19, 2013, 11:52:21 AM

You should not need an xorg.conf file.

Title: Re: Xvesa and low res monitors
Post by: Rich on November 19, 2013, 12:06:10 PM

Hi LazyLarry

Quote

So, do I just download the xf86-video-geode.tcz extension ...

According to curaga you have to compile a new one, so using the one from the 4.x repository probably won't work.

Title: Re: Xvesa and low res monitors
Post by: Juanito on November 20, 2013, 08:22:22 AM

xf86-video-geode recompiled for tc-5.x/Xorg-7.7 and posted

Title: Re: Xvesa and low res monitors
Post by: LazyLarry on November 20, 2013, 08:03:27 PM

Juanito,
I love you and want to have your babies ;-)

problem sorted with the new update. Thanks for your efforts.