Warning: complete newbie alert! : Can't get StartX to work

[Blackjack]

Ok I'm completely new to Linux... Tried installing Mandrake - no luck, installer hangs up, hardware incompatiblity apparently.

Tried installing Red Hat - ok, it installs but no GUI! Try typing StartX but it tells me:

Using config file: "/etc/X11/XF86Config"
VESA(0) No matching modes
Screen(s) found, but none have usable configuration

Fatal server error:
no screens found

Ok so I try Xf86config - it asks me what monitor type I have - none match so I try the most conservative option then it asks for my video chipset etc- again it's not on the list (I have a SiS 740), fill in the rest of the details as best I can but StartX is still not working - any ideas?

[Tux]

Firstly get the correct figure for your monitor from here:
http://www.monitorworld.com/Monitors/

See if they work, if not, come back here.

[Blackjack]

Ok, I entered the vertical/horizontal freq info from that website into xf86config but still no joy, I got the error message:


> log file: "/var/log/xFree86.0.log"
> Using config file: "\etc\X11\XF86Config"
> VGA(0): Driver can't support depth 24
> Screens found, but none have usable configuration.

> Fatal server error:
> no screens found.


I have this video chipset combination:
SiS 740 Rev 0
Software version: 2.09b
Video memory 64mb
Video memory clock: 134mhz
BIOS(OEM Vendor name) Silicon Integrated Systems Corp.
On a PCI board I think.

Someone else suggested I try: 'running as root: "X - configure" then trying that configuration with "X -xf86config XFConfig.new".' Now, I'm not sure what any of that means but I did try the first thing and the result was this:

> Fatal Server error:
> XFree86 has found a valid card configuration. Unfortunately the
> appropriate data has not been added to xf86Pcinfo.h
> Please forward 'scanpci -v' output to XFree86 support team

Any thoughts?

[TheQuirk]

By no means am I an expert, but I think this line:

> VGA(0): Driver can't support depth 24

Somewhat gives it away. I'm not an expert at this, but this is my guess:

Your graphics card driver can't support color depth 24 (I think...), but your monitor can. Simply change

DefaultDepth 24

In your XF86Config file to

DefaultDepth 16

[Blackjack]

Ok.... so how do I go about that then plz?

(Total newbie remember?!)

[Calum]

are you still using red hat? if so, then you need to use a text editor to edit the file "/etc/X11/XF86Config". I don't know which text editors you might have installed, possibly pico, emacs or vim, and you can usually just type "nameofeditor /etc/X11/XF86Config" where nameofeditor is a text editor that you have installed. before you do that, you will want to find out how to use the text editor to edit and save documents, or you'll just get stuck in the file with no way of clocing the editor.

your best bet is to use vi in my opinion.
type 'su' to make sure you are 'root' and enter the root password if you need to, then type 'vi /etc/X11/XF86Config' now find the line (using the arrow keys) and then press 'I' to go into 'insert' mode, now you can use the arrow and delete keys to replace the '24' with '16', and once you have done that, press 'ESCAPE' to go back into normal mode, now type ':wq' to save the file and exit the editor. now you're finished, try running 'startx' now.