[SOLVED] Video problems with Intel chips

[jibe74]

Hi,

I'm just discovering PClinuxOS and trying to install it on 2 computers, but I have some video problems...

First Computer

Mother board : Intel D845GVSR
Processor : Céleron 1700MHz
RAM : 1Go
Video : Intel 82845G/GL [Brookdale -G]/GE

Other OS used or successfully tried : XP, Linux Mint (several versions from Bea to Lisa), CentOS 6, Knoppix, ArchLinux, System Rescue CD (with KDE).

PClos (not !) installed : education (last ISO).

Problem : Impossible to install : freeze at various times (never the same !!!) when booting the CD, preparing the install, or installation itself... The same happens with the LXDE 2012 4 Fr version.

Second computer

Mother board : Asus P5GC-MX/1333
Processor : Pentium Dual Core 2Ghz E2180
RAM : 1Go
Video : Intel 82845G/GL [Brookdale -G]/GE

Other OS used or successfully tried : Linux Mint (Helena, Isadora, Lisa), Knoppix, ArchLinux, System Rescue CD (with KDE).

PClos installed : LXDE 2012 4 Fr.

Problem : Seems to work properly, but the display is very bad with any application :




Note : I just think that all other OS I tried on the 2 computers were with Gnome 2.x, sometimes KDE or Windows, but never LXDE. I quickly tried Archlinux and Sabayon both in LXDE version on the second computer and I have the same bad display... So, it seems possible that the problem is not specially with PClinuxOS, but with LXDE... I wanted to try PClinuxOS with Gnome, but seems not clear how to get/install it (according to my first quick searches).

Some ideas, explanations, way(s) to have PClinuxOS working on these computers ?

(Edit : added flag [SOLVED])

[Phil]

Maybe try the main KDE install.

Once done you can apply any desktop you like via synaptic, search for task-  , and select your preferred desktop from the login screeen (session).

If the graphics drivers are being troublesome revert to vesa as a temp measure. Someone will advise on best grapics driver.

[jibe74]

Hi,

Thanks for your reply !

I tried from the LXDE install on my second computer. I was able to open a gnome session, but there is still the same problem.

Do you think that it's interresting to download the KDE edition just to try ?

Probably better to find and install a good driver, isn't it ?

[jibe74]

Hi,

I tried to change the driver, and the text is now OK but ugly. I had "Intel 810 and later" and I have now "Vermillon-based cards".

The problem seems to be here... Must I install a new driver, or this one is OK and I have just to configure it better ?

[T6]

the 810 and later driver covers almost every intel video card so afik there is no other driver to install that could help, this is the driver intel offers to us linux users

kde4 can will work on the second machine, the celeron, how much ram do you have, 1 gb? (1 Go is a little confusing)

the first machine will surely work with kde4 if it has 1 gb too

[Yankee]

Hi,

I tried to change the driver, and the text is now OK but ugly. I had "Intel 810 and later" and I have now "Vermillon-based cards".

The problem seems to be here... Must I install a new driver, or this one is OK and I have just to configure it better ?

You need to add "DebugWait" "true" to the xorg configuration.
It reads data blocks more logically and will solve the bad font
problem.

Can be added to xorg.conf or in the xorgconf.d directory to a
config file.   

Looks like this in :

/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/01-monitor.conf

Section "Device"
    Identifier "device1"
    VendorName "Intel Corporation"
    BoardName "Intel 810 and later"
    Driver "intel"
    Option "DPMS"
    Option "DebugWait" "true"
EndSection

[jibe74]

Hi,

Thanks a lot, Ferdes Fides : your solution is excellent ! 

I put this in /etc/X11/xorg.conf, as I have no /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/01-monitor.conf. Probably, I could create it (would it be better ?), but I'm surprised of the name : why this name "monitor" ? Should not it be "device" ?

[Yankee]

Hi,

Thanks a lot, Ferdes Fides : your solution is excellent ! 

I put this in /etc/X11/xorg.conf, as I have no /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/01-monitor.conf. Probably, I could create it (would it be better ?), but I'm surprised of the name : why this name "monitor" ? Should not it be "device" ?

Yes, you could create the 01-monitor.conf file.   Most important is that it begin with
a number.   Some people do that and rename xorg.conf to xorg.conf.old
They think it's more acceptable use of the config file for xorg.   Either way works
no doubt.

I wish they'd put DebugWait in the xorg intel driver package we get.

Have a good one.    Thanks for marking SOLVED.     

FF

[jibe74]

Hi,

Thanks for those explanations !

By the way : for my first computer, the solution was :

- Install through the "safe video mode" (choice at boot),
- Change the /etc/X1/xorg.conf so that it uses intel driver with "DebugWait" "true".

and now all works properly 

[Yankee]

and now all works properly 

Well pass the word around, Intel machines are too easy to get.
There must be hundreds of them running with slightly bad fonts.
One thing I can't stand is an Intel machine with bad fonts, almost
as much as I can't stand a TB HD that won't accept a format or
won't mount.

I'm looking at a machine right now with Intel HD graphics and 128 MB
graphics memory (a laptop) and I'm 99% sure DebugWait will be req'd.

Thanks for the response.

Patrick013