[CentOS] Video driver questions

[Robert Moskowitz]

MHR wrote:
> On Wed, Oct 8, 2008 at 1:22 PM, Robert Moskowitz <rgm at htt-consult.com> wrote:
>   
>> I have changed inittab to: id:3:initdefault:
>>
>> I am logged in as root, and run:  system-config-display --reconfig
>>
>> I go into the Hardware tab.  There I see it lists my video card; when I go
>> into configure the video card, it shows VESA (my video card is not a listed
>> card).  For the monitor type, I select LCD Monitor 1280x1024.  Back to the
>> Settings tab, I select 1024x768.  I click on OK to save all this, and
>> system-config-display ends.
>>
>>     
>
> First thought: Can you get a video driver for Linux from the
> manufacturer of your card?  nVidia has them, so perhaps the others do
> if yours is not nVidia.
>   

It is "VIA Technologies, Inc. CX700M2 UniChrome PRO II Graphics".

OQO does not have drivers, I guess I need to check out VIA (Yom Kippur 
starts in a couple hours, so this will be done on friday).


> Second, double check on the back of your monitor (or its manual) that
> your horizontal and vertical refresh frequencies in the xorg.conf are
> within tolerances and change them if not.
>   

OK. DOn't know what the internal display is, will have to ask OQO, Will 
have to look at my external monitor (connected via a Belkin KVM).

> Third, are you sure your video card is VESA compatible?  (That one
> just flashed through my head - wag.)
>   

Yes. that is what other LInux distro users use. I have seen messages 
about using xvesa driver so you can use the key to turn the monitor 
90degrees. But I can't find anything about an xvesa driver for Centos.

>   
>> I then run:  init 5
>>
>> It comes up in 640x480 mode (according to Preferences>Screen Resolution),
>> and no other mode is listed.
>>
>> I go to Administration>Display, where it lists the current mode as 640x480,
>> I select 1024x768 and click on OK (can barely see the OK button).  I open a
>> terminal window and run init 3 to get me out of X.  I run init 5 again.  The
>> login screen is at a higher resolution than before, but once I log in as
>> root, it is back to 640x480!
>>     
>
> To get out of X, just log out or type <ctrl><alt><backspace> (this
> works in gnome, I'm guessing it also works in kde).
>
> Also, you could try to reset the preference to 1026x768 before restarting X.
>   

Where?

>> The display subsection in /etc/X11/xorg.conf lists only the modes:
>>  "1024x768" "800x600" "600x480".
>>
>>     
> You can edit this to be anything you like, including the 800x480 or
> other w/s modes.  Restart X and they should take effect.
>   

How to restart X other than init 5?


thanks.