I'm by no means an expert, but I'd check the lines in the XF86Config file to
make sure none of the important ones are commented out... I guess I was
lucky in that two years ago when I first started playing around with Redhat
5.2, I had a video adapter (Diamond Stealth 3D/S3 Virge chipset) that was
well supported--otherwise, I think I would have very quickly become
frustrated and given up on Linux entirely... I haven't acquired or installed
the latest version of XFree86 yet, but from past experience I have almost
always had to tweak with the XF86Config file a bit because the autoload
utilities (i.e. xf86config and Xconfigurator) never seem to work quite
right... There also seems to be a problem with Redhat 7.0's (haven't gotten
around to finding anything more recent than that yet either) graphical
installer where I get these weird lines going across the screen horizontally
and everything is shifted right about two or three inches... That didn't
bother me though because I almost always install in text mode... I took a
training course this spring to prepare for SAIR certification and the first
thing that this guy in my class who was way more advanced than me did was to
go into the XF86Config file and start deleting out superfluous lines...
Here's a really stripped down XF86Config file (based on an example from Mark
Minasi's "Linux for NT Admins").  You may have to adjust it a bit to get the
right font path, monitor settings, and modeline but I have four different
machines with four different video cards/chipsets (one of them also required
an entry for an accelerated driver) and this seems to work pretty well...

Section "Files"
    RgbPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/rgb"
    FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/TrueType"
    FontPath "unix/:7100"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
EndSection

Section "Keyboard"
    Protocol "Standard"
    XkbRules "xfree86"
    XkbModel "pc101"
    XkbLayout "us"
EndSection

Section "Pointer"
    Protocol "Microsoft"
    Device "/dev/mouse"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier "monitor"
    HorizSync 31.5-70
    VertRefresh 50-80
    Modeline "800x600" 40 800 840 968 1056 600 601 605 628 +hsync +vsync
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier "video"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Driver "svga"
    Device "video"
    Monitor "monitor"
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth  16
        Modes  "800x600"
        ViewPort 0 0
    EndSubsection
EndSection

----- Original Message -----
From: Brian Densmore <DensmoreB@ctbsonline.com>
To: <kclug@kclug.org>
Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2001 8:21 AM
Subject: Thanks RE: Weird Video

> First off, thanks for all the suggestions and help.
>
> Well, my little video problem is fixed. Don't ask me how, 'cause I don't
> know. But here is what I did.
>
> 1. Optimized the MB (now at least it runs really fast).
>    (no impact on XWindows)
> 2.I started the Mandrake Control Center,
>   chose the XWindows configuration,
>   changed the video card to generic VGA
>        (this added an entry for Generic VGA to the XF86Config),
>   tested the setting (it came back and said no valid screens found),
>   ok'ed it,
>   it then reset the setting to Sis6326.
>   I then selected 16 bit color rather than 24 bit color,
>   ok'ed it,
>   restarted X11.
> Problem fixed.
>
> Ok now here's the clincher, are you ready for this ...
> The XWindows is now running in 24 bit color perfectly.
> I have looked at the XF86Config file and it shows the default as Sis6326
24
> bit color 1024x768.
> Also I couldn't find any answers in the log files.
> I wish I had looked at the XF86Config file before, because it also lists
> these settings,
> "sw_cursor" and "no_accel".
> I am going to have to do some research on this, I don't like problems that
> fix themselves!
>
> Totally perplexed,
> Brian
>
>