Installation on Dell Optiplex GX60

[OleWilly]

Hi

I have tried to make a dualboot installation of Win XP and PCLinuxOS 2009.2. First I installed Win XP and then
PCLinuxOS. I could only boot in safe Vesa mode. All seemingly went ok. But when I rebooted and was asked for password etc. only the frame of the scheme could be seen and the keyboard did not work(froze). The machine is a Dell Optiplex GX60 with 512 MB ram and onboard video. When I installed Win XP I had to get sound and video drivers from Dell support. I have previously made several dual installations on other boxes, but never have this problem before. What to do ?

OW 

[OleWilly]

Hi

I tried PCLinuxOS 2009 Gnome edition. It worked. But the resolution is
so low that I can not update because I am unable to see the bottom part of the synaptic
scheme. And I have not been able to get a higher resolution. If I try the screen goes black.
The cpu is celeron 2.6 GHz and video is on the motherboard and 64 MB ram. The service tag on this Dell machine is: 64vr61j. Works fine with XP.

OW

[OleWilly]

Hi

Then I tried to update using the apt-get, though I have read somewhere that it is not adviceable. Getting the packages went ok but when reaching this: fuse-2.7.4-5 pclos2009.i586 the action stopped. I tried another repository and getting the packages ok again but when I reached committing changes at:
fuse-2.7.4-5 pclos2009.i586 it stopped. The update procedure stopped twice at the same point.    In between I had to reinstall because I could not start up. Win XP and PCLosOS detect the video card same.

OW 

[OleWilly]

Hi

Things are getting weirder. Just tried the Puppy Linux live cd. And it had no trouble at all getting the resolution I want. 

OW

[T6]

it seems that nobody has this system to compare it

are you sure that the video card is using 64 mbs?  i would expect on a dell machine to have a intel video card using a lot less mbs in video

i had a lpatop with 512 mbs of ram, it didn't booted 2009.1

when i added 1gb to that laptop, pclinux booted perfectly, no konsole or anything similar, can you add another 512mbs of ram just to test?

about puppy, it could be loading a specific video driver that is kinda old or with a specific parameter in the kernel that comes with puppy linux

[OleWilly]

Hi T6

Thank You for reply: Here is what Windows XP report about the card:

Navn   Intel(R) 82845G/GL/GE/PE/GV Graphics Controller
PNP-enheds-id   PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2562&SUBSYS_013A1028&REV_01\3&172E68DD&0&10
Korttype   Intel(R) 82845G Graphics Controller, Intel Corporation-kompatibel
Kortbeskrivelse   Intel(R) 82845G/GL/GE/PE/GV Graphics Controller
Kort-RAM   64,00 MB (67.108.864 byte)
Installerede drivere   ialmrnt5.dll
Driverversion   6.14.10.3691
INF-file   oem1.inf (i845G sektion)
Farveniveauer   1
Elementer i farvetabel   4294967296
Opløsning   1024 x 768 x 85 hertz
Bit/Pixel   32
Hukommelsesadresse   0xF0000000-0xF7FFFFFF
Hukommelsesadresse   0xFF680000-0xFF6FFFFF
IRQ-kanal   IRQ 16
I/O-port   0x000003B0-0x000003BB
I/O-port   0x000003C0-0x000003DF
Hukommelsesadresse   0xA0000-0xBFFFF
Driver   c:\windows\system32\drivers\ialmnt5.sys (6.14.10.3691, 91,78 KB (93.979 byte), 27-11-2009 23:06)

OW

[T6]

suposedly this intel 845 video card can take up to 64 mbs of ram but intel does this when it need to do it, it doesn't take all the time the whole 64 mbs of ram, it can take 11, 6, 30 or whatever it wants and that is a serious problem for games in windows and in linux as you see not all the time this works as expected

some bios can force to use a determined amount of ram for video but mostly this is done automatically by bios and video card

it takes a certain amount of ram from each ram module available, also depends on how big the ram module is, if you can try adding at least 512 mbs more so the system can take at least 32 mbs all the time

[OleWilly]

Hi T6

Thanks for reply. Funny thing is that every thing works fine in Win XP and also in Puppy Linux. I have never had this problem on any computer. Even on very old ones. But I have got an idea. This PC is one that was given to me free of charge. And I have noticed that the two ram blocks in it each one 256 MB ram, but they are not the same type. I will try to remove one of the ram blocks and see if that causes the problem. And I will come back.

OW 

[OleWilly]

Hi

I removed one of the ram blocks. This one is marked : 256MB -400MHz -CL3
PC3200. Still the same. If I try another resolution and click the test button, nothing happens.
I will try to change places of the two blocks. Win XP is ok but a bit slower. I will come back.

OW

[OleWilly]

Hi

I switched the two ram blocks so that the PC3200 is now in bank 1 and the PC2700 is in bank 2. That did not
help. I am stuck.

OW 

[T6]

i never said you should work with less memory, i said put more memory on it

if you have another pc 3200, ddr 400 memory module add it just to test, since this is a old pc, try with a 512 mbs module because a 1 gb module might not work

some dell machines doesn't like mixed speeds or brands of memory modules but since you installed win xp this shouldn't be a problem

[OleWilly]

Hi T6

Thanks for reply. I did not misunderstand You. But I do not have extra ram at hand. But now it is getting even weirder.
I am running now Mandriva One 2009 Gnome edition. As I have understood PCLinuxOS is a derivate of Mandriva.
This live version start with the resolution 1280 x 960 without any problems and no problem switching to 1024 x 768.
So I think is very weird.

OW

[T6]

yes, it is not common, it must be something in the kernel calling the driver for the video card different

check in mandriva the driver loaded, version and settings to replicate them in pclinux or stay with mandriva     

[OleWilly]

Hi T6

Here is what hardinfo in Mandriva say:

Display
Resolution   1024x768 pixels
OpenGL Renderer   Mesa DRI Intel(R) 845G 20061017 x86/MMX/SSE2
X11 Vendor   The X.Org Foundation

I installed Mandriva as I could use the same partitions made in PCLinuxOS. But I like PCLinuxOS better.

OW

[Ramchu]

use the Intel 810 video driver NOT the Intel 810 and Later driver.