Debian: Reconfiguring X to new video card

Wed Jan 28 19:56:20 UTC 2004

I tried to install the debs for the new x server. However, Debian really 
doesn't like it when you do that. I got a *lot* of packages it wanted to 
uninstall, which I created a script to reinstall again. It would only reinstall 
the stuff if I first got rid of the new X server. So I was back to square one. 
That is, I am relieved to report that I had gotten nowhere rather than 
backwards.

Great. Now, Lennart said something about going to www.apt-get.org to download 
some kind of animal called a "back port". It sounds like an attempt to shoehorn 
the compatabilities in 4.3 into 4.1. Getting 4.3 is a non-starter, since Debian 
won't allow it, won't configure it without downloading a bunch of other 
upgrades such as a later version of libc6 than the one I have. It won't find 
those packages anyway. If I can add things to 4.1 to make it recognise my card 
like 4.3 does, then so much the better.

AFAIK, my Debian is current to release 2, and there doesn't seem that there is 
any way to tell apt-get about the unstable distribution, nor of any intention 
to upgrade to unstable (I thought all you needed to do was edit sources.list). 
apt-get update sees the unstable directories added, yet won't recognise it when 
I tell it to install 4.3.

dselect would be nice to use if I could get the 4.3 server listed in its 
database somehow. It seems to automatically add anything I need to support a 
package by selecting just the one package.

Paul King

> 
> > 
> > From: Anton Markov <anton-F0u+EriZ6ihBDgjK7y7TUQ at public.gmane.org>
> > Date: 2004/01/28 Wed AM 10:30:29 EST
> > To: tlug-lxSQFCZeNF4 at public.gmane.org
> > Subject: Re: [TLUG]: Debian: Reconfiguring X to new video card
> > 
> > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> > Hash: SHA1
> > 
> > Try upgrading to XFree86 4.3 as others have suggested, then make sure
> > your XF86Config-4 file specifies "radeon" rather than "ati" as the
> > driver module for the video card.  Debian seems to not detect Radeons
> > properly (even the "unstable" version detects my Radeon 7000 as a ATI
> > Radeon VE and loads "ati" rather than "radeon" module for it).  Also,
> > take a look on the ATI website under "drivers".  They have special
> > FireGL drivers for Linux for their 9x00 cards.
> > 
> 
> DOne that. Thanks. I am currently downloading the debs for the 4.3.0 packages in
> X
> 
> > You may also have to get the latest 2.4 kernel to have support for the
> > 4.3 version DRI modules (radeon amongst them).  The latest kernel also
> > has added support for AGP devices, although that is probably not the
> > problem in your case.
> > 
> > Also, try:
> > 
> > # lsmod | grep agp
> > # lsmod | grep radeon
> 
> I don't see any of these running. But that is probably because X is not running.
> I know that agpart.o usually runs. I also have a module for radeon (radeon.o),
> which *I think* runs.
> 
> > 
> > to see if the radeon/agp drivers are loaded.  Load them if they aren't,
> > then do:
> > 
> > # dmesg | grep agp
> > # dmesg | grep radeon
> > 
> 
> I get:
> 
>      bash (54) $ dmesg | grep radeon
>      [drm] Initialized radeon 1.1.1 20010405 on minor 0
> 
> 
> > if there is a problem with your hardware drivers, there should be an
> > error in there.  If you can't figure it out, send the output to the list.
> > 
> > Which kernel version are you running?
> > 
> > # uname -a
> > 
> > 
> Version 2.4.18-k7 - That's the Debian stock kernel for the AMD K7 processor.
> 
> Attempts to compile a 2.6 kernel were met with failures in X coming up, even
> with my old Radeon card. I also get no printer and no network, no sound, no
> nothing even with using compilation settings I have been accustomed to using for
> years in "make xconfig". In addition, the number of modules that are loaded
> under 2.6 is extremely low. Therefore, I still have to boot into 2.4.
> 
> Paul King
> 
> > 
> > Paul King wrote:
> > > Thanks for that, although it doesn't get me the graphical interface.
> > > 
> > > Secondly, doiing a "startx" after dpkg-configure doesn't detect my card, and
> > > if it does detect it (as happens under "xf86cfg"), it fails to configure a
> > > screen for it.
> > > 
> > > lspci finds an ATI card at 1:0.0, but doing a scanpci says the card is an
> > > ATI, but goes no further in offering information on the model.
> > > 
> > > The card works perfectly under M$ Windows 2000.
> > > 
> > > Any suggestions? Is the card too new? (the model has been out for about 2
> > > years now). It is a Radeon 9200 AGP card, with 128 MB RAM.
> > > 
> > > Paul King
> > > 
> > > 
> > >>Paul King wrote:
> > >>
> > >>>Hello:
> > >>>
> > >>>Just wondered what suggestions people have for reconfiguring X under Debian
> > >>>3.
> > >>
> > >>...
> > >>dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86
> > >>
> > 
> > - -- 
> > Anton Markov <("anton" + "@" + "truxtar" + "." + "com")>
> > 
> > GnuPG Key fingerprint =
> > 5546 A6E2 1FFB 9BB8 15C3  CE34 46B7 8D93 3AD1 44B4
> > 
> > *** LINUX - MAY THE SOURCE BE WITH YOU! ***
> > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
> > Version: GnuPG v1.2.1 (GNU/Linux)
> > Comment: Using GnuPG with Thunderbird - http://enigmail.mozdev.org
> > 
> > iD8DBQFAF9WbRreNkzrRRLQRAhknAKCGkt1hZxLrmrltwgObmtb4dVkU8wCglYCb
> > Cxt2WfEZCTv785akVp6/3cU=
> > =n6oN
> > -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
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=========================================================
Paul King              http://www3.sympatico.ca/pking123/

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