"Linux Gazette...making Linux just a little more fun!"

The Answer Guy

By James T. Dennis,
Starshine Technical Services, http://www.starshine.org/

XFree86 on Trident Providia 9685

From Simon Zlachevsky on 13 Jul 1998 in the comp.unix.questions newsgroup

Hi, kind of linux guru, I was tring to configure my X window manager for about two weeks using XFree86, but i didn't get results.... I have a trident providia 9685 vga card, and a view sonic E51 monitor, any advice?

I also download the latest version of xfree86 and ipgrade my own but still without results, so any advice?, hint?, tip? or such

Simon Zlachevsky

Technically you don't configure your window manager for the video card, you configure the X server for the combination of video card and monitor that you have, then you configure the window manager to suit your prefences within any constraints imposed by you X server (and the underlying hardware).

This card is listed as "supported" by recent versions of XFree86 (though the support is listed as "limited" or "not maintained). It's also been listed on the "Red Hat Linux Hardware Compatibility List for Intel" (http://www.redhat.com/support/docs/rhl/intel/rh42-hardware-intel-10.html) since at least version 4.2.

You don't give any clue as to what the problem is or what steps you've taken. Also, as I've pointed out many times I'm not much of an eXpert. I'm sorry that the XFree86 crew doesn't have an "answer" crew of their own --- but you should at least read throught their FAQ at: http://www.xfree86.org

Unfortunately there don't even appear to be any vendors providing commercial technical support for XFree86. That might be subsumed in some of the vendors that will sell you support for Linux (I would think it would).

You can also read through the LDP "XFree86 Video Timings HOWTO" by Eric S. Raymond (http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/HOWTO/XFree86-Video-Timings-HOWTO.html) and the more general: XFree86 HOWTO (http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/HOWTO/XFree86-HOWTO.html).

Copyright © 1998, James T. Dennis
Published in Linux Gazette Issue 31 August 1998

	backup	uidgid	connect	95slow	badblock	trident	sound
	kernel	solprint	idescsi	distrib	modem	NDS	rpm
	guy	maildns	memleak	multihead	cdr