linux on a laptop

[stavefan]

Hi all...

I tried to install redhat 6.2 on a sharp 9000 laptop, and found that i had to do a text install, which i did....

I sucessfuly managed to install...X configurator found my chipset and video card, which was a pleasant surprise, but i had to finegale(sp?) with the monitor choice..i chose like a CTX 1451 with 800x600 for both 8 and 16 bits....I was able to see the screen and the message asking me if i could see the screen....i then told it NOT to start X at startup...i wanted the bash prompt...

everything seemed to go okay until the reboot after install...the machine starts to boot, goes through the whole redhat boot up sequence, and then gets to the point when it should dump me into a bash prompt....this is when the whole machine pukes all over itself...the screen just begins to scroll with the same set of ascii characters....absolute gibberish...i can not get control of the machine for a min or two, and then all of a sudden it just stops and does not respond to any key combo....this has happened each of the 3 times i tried to install redhat on the machine (2x as kde workstation and the third as gnome)

I am totally lost...did i choose the wrong monitor? if so where can i find out which one to choose?, because the manual for the computer gives no indication whatsoever (not even horiz and vertical synchs)...did i totally screw the machine up? do i have a hope/prayer of getting linux on this machine?

thanks for any advice,
stavefan

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Sometimes strange things can be very beautiful...

Aleixa, "V", "Honey Lake"

[Phreakee]

have you tried skipping the X configuration and just waiting tillh you get to a bash prompt to run Xconfigurator. Have you tried not installing X during install and installing it after you have a stable machine?

a real good site to visit is http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/kharker/linux-laptop/

it is the Linux On Laptops web site..

[stavefan]

I haven't tried to install without installing X...i'm still very new to linux and am not sure how to install X by itself on a machine...is it easy, or do you end up pulling your hair out?

thanks
stavefan

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Sometimes strange things can be very beautiful...

Aleixa, "V", "Honey Lake"

[hungarian]

I just read a week or so ago another person having similar problems and decided to install RH 7.0, that apparently worked out great with the new X v4.0. You might want to try to install RH 7.0 on it.

Hope it helps.

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http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/frankkru

[Evil Jeff]

I have debian running on a laptop, but I've also had redhat 6.2 and 7.0 both running on it, and have done text installs of both.

With Red Hat, for my monitor, I always chose one of the generic lcd monitors. Under the text install, choose one without a sync rate, since it doesn't matter with an lcd. I use the generic 1024x768 70megahertz monitor. Find the one that works for your resolution, but be sure to test it during the install, or you can run XF86Setup and it should probe your monitor for a safe resolution for you.

Evil Jeff
www.hellincorporated.com (http://www.hellincorporated.com)

[stavefan]

Evil Jeff-
do you remember what the listing for the generic lcd monitor was?...there are so many monitors, i just pulled the CTX one out of the air hoping it would work...

thanks,
stavefan

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Sometimes strange things can be very beautiful...

Aleixa, "V", "Honey Lake"

[Phreakee]

the generic lcd is under the "l"(lcd 1024x768) in 6.x and in the "g"(generic lcd 1024x768) in 7

[stavefan]

Is there an lcd(800x600)?

..this is a 4 yr old laptop and that is the best it can do...

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Sometimes strange things can be very beautiful...

Aleixa, "V", "Honey Lake"

[stavefan]

Is there an lcd(800x600) in the listing?

..this is a 4 yr old laptop and that is the best it can do...

sorry for all the q's about this, but i am at work and the laptop is at home...

thanks,
stavefan

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Sometimes strange things can be very beautiful...

Aleixa, "V", "Honey Lake"

[Evil Jeff]

Yeah, at least in RH6.2's graphical install, it's under the generic set. It's just lcd 800x600. Under the text install, it should be under lcd or generic, it shouldn't matter what sync rate and all you use, since it's an lcd monitor.

Evil Jeff
www.hellincorporated.com (http://www.hellincorporated.com)