RH 9 ..mode not supported

[yfsh]

hi
I am new to linux world.
I tried with one of my frieds to install RH 9 in my desktop
it worked fine
but just one day after installation when ever i turn on my PC linux start when it comes just before the log in screen I get this message from the monitor " mode not supported"?
plz guys I am very interested in Linux

[oubipaws]

can you access a command line or does it stop at the error message and not allow you do anything at all?

If you can get to the login... then login and try typing startx

[yfsh]

no I can't access the command line.
is it the monitor that can't support the mode or Linux OS?

[DMR]

It sounds like your system is set up to boot directly into the GUI, yes. If so, it might just be something corrupted in your video configuration. Of course, there's also the possibilty that your video card has toasted, but let's hope not. If you can at least get a proper video display when you boot from the first installation CD, your video card and monitor are probably fine.

Chapter 9 (http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/linux/RHL-9-Manual/custom-guide/ch-rescuemode.html) of the Redhat Customization Guides explains a few different ways to boot into "rescue" modes from which point you should be able to run one of Redhat's configuration tools to fix the video setup.

If you can at least boot to a command prompt via one of the rescue methods, type the following command to run the video config utility:

redhat-config-xfree86

[mdwatts]

If you are using Grub as your bootloader, follow these instructions to boot into runlevel 3 (commandline).


. Boot up to the grub menu screen.

2. Highlight the linux os that you would like to boot and press the letter e to edit the entry.

3. Highlight the second line on this next screen and press e to edit it.

4. Cursor over all the way to the end of the line and press the spacebar and enter the runlevel to boot into:

a. 1 = single user mode

b. 2 = Multiuser mode

c. 3 = Full Multiuser mode

d. 5 = X11

5. After you have entered the runlevel desired, press the enter key and then the letter b to boot the linux os.

[yfsh]

mdwatts

I followed the steps and at the end before pointer satarted blinking I got these lines (I am not sure is it LNLT or INIT)

Telling LNLT to go to single user mode
LNLT : going single user
LNLT : sending processes the term signal
LNLT : sending processes the term Kill sgnal
sh-2.05b#

[mdwatts]

You are using Grub and not Lilo?

Highlight and edit the kernel line

i.e.

kernel = /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.21-pre2-modular vga=normal idebus=66 ide0=autotune quiet noapic root=/dev/hda3

move to the end (after hda3), press the spacebar, enter 3, press enter and then 'b' to boot.

It will look like this

kernel = /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.21-pre2-modular vga=normal idebus=66 ide0=autotune quiet noapic root=/dev/hda3 3

[DMR]

Originally posted by yfsh
I followed the steps and at the end before pointer satarted blinking I got these lines (I am not sure is it LNLT or INIT)

Telling LNLT to go to single user mode
LNLT : going single user
LNLT : sending processes the term signal
LNLT : sending processes the term Kill sgnal
sh-2.05b# That's right; the "sh-2.05b#" is the command line prompt. By the way, it's "INIT" as in initialise.

As I posted earlier, you should be able to run the video utility from the command prompt. You should have your monitor and video card manuals ready, as the utility might ask you to supply some information about them. Since your monitor reports "mode not supported", verify that your horizontal and vertical refresh/scan rates and your resolutions are correct. You can find those values in your /etcX11/XF86Config-4 file; to see the file, type the following command:

less /etc/X11/XF86Config-4

[yfsh]

I tried my friend old CRT monitor with my pc, there is no problem with Linux.
but my new COMPAQ 15" TFT moniter report " mode not supported" just before the login screen.
windows XP work fine with my TFT monitor.
What is the problem?

(DMR when i type less /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 i get there is no file called ....)

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by yfsh

(DMR when i type less /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 i get there is no file called ....)

Then have a look in the /etc/X11 directory to see what the correct filename is.

ls -al /etc/X11

Either XF86Config-4 or XF86Config

[DMR]

As mdwatts suggets, perhaps the name/location of the XF86 configuration file has changed in Redhat 9 (also, don't forget that filenames are case-snsitive in UNIX; XF86Config isn't the same as xf86config).

Since you mention that the monitor is TFT- what's the exact model #?

[yfsh]

it is COMPAQ FP745A
max res 1024 by 768 pixels
I use 800 by 600 pixels

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by yfsh
it is COMPAQ FP745A
max res 1024 by 768 pixels
I use 800 by 600 pixels

I didn't get any hits with a G4L search for 'COMPAQ FP745A' or just 'FP745A'.

Did you try selected 'generic lcd' when configuring X?

You may be able to manually enter in the refresh rate, modes etc. that you can get from the manual or from Compaq's site.

[DMR]

For the FP745A monitor:

Display Resolutions Refresh Rates:

1024 x 768 75, 70, 66 and 60 Hz

800 x 600 75, 72, 60 and 56 Hz

720 x 400 70 Hz

640 x 480 75, 72 and 60 Hz

640 x 400 70 Hz

Horizontal Frequency: 31.5 kHz - 60 kHz

Vertical Frequency: 56 Hz - 75 Hz

[yfsh]

"Did you try selected 'generic lcd' when configuring X?"

I didn't select the hardware config it was automaticlaly dedected

by the way when I instaled Redhat 9 on my pc we were using CRT monitor not my TFT monitor.....do u think this is the problem?

when Redhat find a new hardware it ask to configer it or to ignore it (when the ignore option is selected the OS will not ask again if it dedect the hardware next time)...let say that the ignore option was selected and I would like Redhat to respond and configre the hardware how can I do that?
the problem I am facing might be because of selecting ignore option by mistake

[DMR]

Your explanation would account for problem you're seeing. The command "redhat-config-xfree86" should fire up the video configuration utility so you can set up the new monitor.

If you have trouble there, post the contents of the Config file. If you still haven't found its location, use the "locate" command:

locate XF86Config

[yfsh]

when I run the command 'redhat-config-xfree86' I get this message

' /cof . py: Fatal IO error 2 (connction reset by peep) on x server; 17.0.
sh-2.05b# '


when I run the command 'locate XF86Config' I get this message

' waring: locate : could not open database:/var/lib/slocate/slocate.db:NO such file or directory
waring: you need to run the "updatedb" coomand (as root) to create the database"
sh-2.05b#'

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by yfsh

' waring: locate : could not open database:/var/lib/slocate/slocate.db:NO such file or directory
waring: you need to run the "updatedb" coomand (as root) to create the database"
sh-2.05b#'

Run

updatedb

and then try the locate command again.

It will take a minute or so to complete depending on your filesystem size.

[DMR]

After creating the locate database as mdwatts suggested, check out this link (http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/Linux/Q_20585010.html); it relates to your problem.

Once you find your XF86Config (or XF86Config-4) file, please post the contents; we might have to walk you through manually editing that file to fix the problem.

[yfsh]

ok I did run "updatedb" command

also the command "locate XF86Config" and here is what I got
/etc/X11/Xf86Config
/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/XF86Config
/usr/X11R6/man/man5/XF86Config.5X.g2

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by yfsh

/etc/X11/Xf86Config


That is your correct X config file.

/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/XF86Config (is an example/template)

/usr/X11R6/man/man5/XF86Config.5X.g2 (is the manpage)

<edit>

The X config is usually always in /etc/X11 and is either named XF86Config-4 or XF86Config.

The XF86Config manpage (man XF86Config) explains the directory and filename order in which it searches for it's configuration file.

[yfsh]

now what is the next step?
is it typing the command 'etc/X11/XF86Config'?
any way
I typed the command 'etc/X11/XF86Config'
I got this message
permission denied

[DMR]

You need to open the config file in a text editor (most/all Linux config files are in plain-text format), but since you can't get into the GUI you must be posting from another machine. In that case I'd copy the file to a DOS floppy and open it on the machine that you're using to access the Internet, then cut-n-paste the contents of the file from there.

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by yfsh

I typed the command 'etc/X11/XF86Config'
I got this message
permission denied

And that is due to attempting to execute a text file.

/etc/X11/XF86Config

You need to either display the contents using i.e. cat

cat /etc/X11/XF86Config

or open in a comandline based text editor such as vi

vi /etc/X11/XF86Config

ESC - :q (to quit vi)

I believe JL has a vi tutorial in the Help File area.

[yfsh]

By running the command ‘cat /etc/X11/XF86Config’ I got this
Section “Device”
Identifier “Videocard0”
Driver “nv”
VendorName “Videocard vendor”
BoardName “NVIDIA GeForce 2MX (generic)”
VideoRam 65536
EndSection

Section “Screen”
Identifier “Screen0”
Device “VideoCard0”
Monitor “Monitor0”
DefaultDepth 24
Subsection “Display”
Depth 24
Modes “800×600” “640×480”
EndSubSection
EndSection
Section “DRI”
Group 0
mode 0666
EndSection


And by running the command “vi /etc/X11/XF86Config’ I got a lot of information like the input devices and the output devices and here is the monitor section that we are interested in (u can see the monitor that we used when we installed Redhat it’s a CRT monitor made by IBM and my monitor that I am using now is TFT COMPAQ which display ‘mode not supported’ now I think the question is how to tell Redhat that the monitor is no longer the IBM monitor )

Section “Monitor”
Identifier “Monitor0”
VendorName “Monitor Vendor”
ModelName “IBM 6639 P77”
Display Size 330 240
HorizSync 30.0-94.0
Refresh 48.0-170.0
Option “dpms”

[mdwatts]

Ooops. :o I forgot you were in 'text mode' and cat would scroll off the screen.

Use less instead of cat.

less /etc/X11/XF86Config

PgUp - PgDn
'q' to quit less

Is “IBM 6639 P77” the correct model name and are the other values the right ones for the monitor?

HorizSync 30.0-94.0
Refresh 48.0-170.0

[yfsh]

the IBM monitor is the one that we used when I installed the redhat and it's not mine. My monitor is COMPAQ FP745A. I tried 2 CRT monitors and they are working fine with redhat...but my COMPAQ TFT monitor doesn't work....it displays this message "mode not supported" just before the login screen.

[DMR]

Originally posted by yfsh
Section ?Monitor?
Identifier ?Monitor0?
VendorName ?Monitor Vendor?
ModelName ?IBM 6639 P77?
Display Size 330 240
HorizSync 30.0-94.0
Refresh 48.0-170.0
Option ?dpms?


Those values are out of the range of your TFT; you need to replace them with the horizontal and vertical ranges I posted earlier. I would also comment out the "Display size" line (by putting a # at the beginning of the line).

You can use vi to this:

1. Make a backup copy of the file!
cp /etc/X11/XF86Config /etc/X11/XF86Config.bak

2. vi /etc/X11/XF86Config

3. Hit the "Insert" key to enter edit mode

4. After making the changes, hit "Esc" and then type
:wq