Need guidance installing Red Hat 7

[Horsepower]

I can get to the part where I select the resolution, then it seems like X tries to start, and it hangs at a black screen. I erased the drive and tried it twice more with the same result. I think I may need to add a driver, but I'm very green with Linux. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Damaged]

What vid card?

 

[FOBSIDE]

are you selecting the correct video card? that makes a difference. i have a matrox g100 and i wasnt sure if it was 4mb or 8mb and so i selected, being optimistic and all and X wouldnt load. you have to be sure your video card you selected is right.

 

[Horsepower]

I have a Matrox G450, RH sees it as a G400. Matrox has Linux drivers, but I don't know how to get them installed without getting past X. Thanx.

 

[TonyRic]

First don't let the X Configuration utility test the configuration and don't let it start X automatically when you restart (this is all in the installation routine)... Then when you reboot (first boot) log in (this will be strictly text mode) ftp tp the site that Matrox had the G450 Drivers and d/l them and run the instructions contained in the README file...

 

[Horsepower]

Thanx for the reply. I have choices at the beginning of the install (graphic, text, and expert) graphic won't run, so I use text. I let it do most on it's own, but when I get the the resolution screen how do I proceed as not to let X run??

 

[Damaged]

It will ask you "do you want to test the setup?" Answer no. It will also ask you "do you want to start X everytime?" (or something like that), just answer no to that as well.

 

[Horsepower]

Ok, this time I got further and I downloaded the newest Matrox Linux driver and copied it into the driver directory. The XConfigurator still detects a G400, and when X starts I see the Gnome picture and a white warning box, and the screen quivers like a refresh rate problem.

 

[UnixFreak]

Try installing just the generic Matrox Millenium Driver, I have found it works well with most matrox cards. You may have to go easy on the colors and resolution until you can find the right driver or tweak something into place. You probably wont find a whole lot of difference in the generic driver and the proper one, although you might not get an accelerated server to run.

 

[thornc]

My ten cents...

Just try to install everything using the generic SVGA driver XF86_SVGA, it should work ok
and give you at least 640*480 256 colors....if it doesn't there might be something wrong
with you card...

Have you tried looking at some linux newsgroups to see if anybody has had the same problem??

Now, if it works with the SVGA driver, then its for certain a driver selection problem,
if you copied the driver file into the right place, try to edit the XF86Setup and
check everything mannually, also don't forget the "X" link in /etc/X11 directory this
link "MUST" point to the right driver...

good luck...

 

[dapic]

I installed SuSE 6.4 on my machine with a Rage Fury, but when I upgraded it to AIW Radeon, it's black screen when I boot linux. Is there a shortcut to stop the X server at that point?

Also, BeOS wouldn't recognize the vid card and runs in in BW! :|

 

[Horsepower]

I would love to try any other video card setting, but everytime I get a screen that says "Matrox G400 detected" and NO choices.

 

[jtshaw]

There is a text based program called XF86Configure...it isn't a RedHat program, but it comes with the x server (unless those RedHat bastards removed it) that will let you set up EVERYTHING manually. By everything I mean the card, refresh rates, ect. You have to know a lot of stuff to use it but it will always work I recommend trying it out.

 

[jtshaw]

Oh, my bad, it is xf86config and it should be located in the /usr/X11R6/bin directory incase it isn't in your path for some reason.

 

[Horsepower]

After more suggestions from Red Hat support, and thanx to JTShaw for that info (which was available) and I tried several different configs, I am now back at a black screen. I installed the latest driver from Matrox, but when I list, it shows in white text (instead of green). Not sure what's with that.

 

[jtshaw]

If it shows something as white text that is suppose to be green it means the file is not marked as executable. You can use the chmod command to changes file attributes. (Do a man chmod for details on how it works or look it up at linuxdoc.org) Are you sure you have uncompressed and "installed" the matrox driver though? Also, if you do a ls -la it will show you the file attributes.

 

[Horsepower]

Ok, I used the chmod command and the driver is now green. When X starts, I still get a black screen and the monitor goes into power save.

 

[jtshaw]

It still doesn't sound like you are installing the driver to me. What kind of file extension does it have?

 

[Horsepower]

I changed the permissions, made it executable, and made it setuid root. I believe it is working. I stumbled on to a Matrox forum where there are dozens having the exact same problem, so I'll cruise along there for a while. Thanx for all of the help.

"With Linux and no knowlege of C, I am lost!"

 

[Horsepower]

Success!! I stumbled across a post about installing the s-video adapter (only) on the second monitor socket, and the system came up !! Mine is not to reason why