bill@ssbn.WLK.COM (Bill Kennedy) (12/11/89)
In a companion article I posted the list of known-to-work VGA
cards and the modes in which they are supported. I wanted to
share my own experiences installing X11 on 386/ix 2.0.2 in hopes
of keeping someone out of a dead end street with my footprints
in it.
Before doing that, let me "Thanks a bunch!" to all those who wrote
with suggestions and solutions. Since I'll be naming a few, I'm
sure to omit others, thanks again to all.
This site, ssbn, was running 386/ix 1.0.6, a 16MHz Micronics 387, no
math chip, 6Mb memory and a pair of 72Mb ST-506 Miniscribes. When the
X-windows bug bit I knew that more hardware and software would be
needed to do what I wanted. I bought a WD-1007 controller and a pair
of ESDI CDC 150Mb Wren's, 386/ix 2.0.2 and the X-windows package. I'll
report what I encountered in sequence (as briefly as I can) to try to
fit it all together at the destination.
The first problem I encountered was that I could not get the ESDI
controller to install 2.0.2. I got some help from Santa Monica
tech support, but the real culprit turned out to be an ancient Award
1.0 motherboard BIOS. Replacing that (eventually) with a Phoenix 1.10 10
got the ESDI's up and running with the install. There were numerous
false starts, choking and gagging to get everything genned into a
working kernel, but I got the Logitech Bus Mouse (IRQ5), Everex streaming
tape (IRQ3) to coexist by removing all async support other than the
CompuTone AT-8 Intelliport. Mouse C A U T I O N ! !
Do not physically install the Logitech bus mouse until after you have
put in the X-windows software and built a kernel for it. There is
apparently some personality disorder within the interface card that
can interfere with getting booted up and installed. Even after the
installation I encountered numerous problems that all vanished when I
removed the mouse card. I'll not claim that all of the Logitech cards
do this, but if in doubt, leave it out until you get installed and you
have the X-windows support configured into the kernel. You don't need
it before then anyway.
The next thing I encountered was a persistent refusal, by the X server,
to establish the streams pipe for local operation without a TCP/IP
socket (I have no TCP/IP on ssbn). Here there were two answers by Stan
Voket (sp?) and Bill Bunton. First, if you have more memory than one
of the kconfig selections, take the next lower selection. I tried to
interpolate and make my own tunable parameters. That worked just fine
in 1.0.6 and it might be OK in 2.0.2, but a lot of my headaches went
away by just choosing 4Mb memory size. The other thing to watch out for
and be careful of is _when_ to install X-windows.
I just blindly installed everything I was going to use and tried to
configure from there. Stan pointed out that his system started
behaving in a strange way when he added memory and built a new kernel.
He suggested re-installing X after everything else was in and stable,
I must wholeheartedly agree. It might work another way, but I can
assure you it goes a lot smoother if you take things one step at a time
and install X *last*. If you have already installed X, then install it
again, *last*. If you make significant kernel changes, then by all means
install X again after you have everything the way you want it.
One more caution, pay attention to your console display during shutdown
and boot up. I had a phenomenon that kept us all guessing until I
tracked it down. I found that X would come up and play each time I
booted a "fresh" kernel. If I shut down and rebooted it wouldn't even
wiggle. During the shutdown sequence I would get a report that it was
relinking the /unix kernel. I thought that was odd but didn't pay much
attention to it (other than to notice it). It turns out that it was,
in fact, relinking /unix. In /etc/conf/cf.d there was a /unix that had
no streams support in it. A "fresh" kernel would bring in all of the
right stuff and X would play, but as soon as I shut down, the old kernel
would overlay the new one and I was right back to a "no X" kernel. It
was as easy as going to /etc/conf/cf.d and removing the unix, but it took
some time to find it (and five kernels!).
Before anyone gets the notion that this is an ISC flame, it most
assuredly is not. I am delighted with the way that X performs under
2.0.2. It took me a month of weekends to be able to say that, but I
WAS BESET by some subtle but lethal hardware and software incompatibilities.
Here are some observations regarding VGA and monitor combinations.
Based on Scott Wiesner's list of known-to-work equipment I bought an
Orchid ProDesigner VGA (I want 1024x768 display, non-interlaced) and
I started with a Seiko CM-1430 monitor. It was not possible to get a
good display with the Seiko because its fixed frequencies did not agree
with what the Orchid wanted to use. There is an X3 and X4 update
diskette to fix that and the latest (1.1) release of X has the fixes
built in. You can do 800x600 (which is quite acceptable) but without
the X3 fix, you won't get to 1024x768, or buy the 1.1 upgrade. I opted
to get a Sony CPD-1304HG monitor because it specifically stated that it
could do 1024x768 non-interlaced. It does, that's what I'm using right
now. Bill Bunton is using the same Orchid VGA and a NEC Multi-sync
3D at 800x600 and is well pleased. We agree that the smaller phosphor
pitch (.26mm for Seiko & Sony) is more pleasing to the eye, but the NEC
3D is less expensive than the Sony or the Seiko. I'm not sure that the
NEC will do 1024x768 non-interlaced, so it wasn't a candidate for what
I wanted. If you get the Sony, be sure that you get a cable or 15->9 pin
adapter, the tube is 9 pin, the board is 15. The one I got was for a PS/2,
it works just fine. The NEC comes with the adapter and the Seiko comes
with a 15 pin cable attached. I still haven't gotten good results at
1024x768 but I haven't applied X3 yet. The 800x600 is enough for most text
type applications and all but the finest resolution graphics.
That was a lot of prose, but hopefully it will save someone from flailing
around like I did for a month until I finally got the right combinations
and sequences. The net was helpful as was ISC, but I had so many things
interacting with each other that there was no single thing to track down.
Here are my summary recommendations:
1) Buy from a vendor who will let you return hardware, no questions asked,
if you can't make it work the way you want. There wasn't a thing wrong
with the Seiko monitor, but it wouldn't do what I wanted with the rest
of the system.
2) Build and groom your 2.0.2 the way you want before you try to install
X-windows. That might not be necessary, but I was able to introduce
some incompatibilities that dissolved when I postponed the X installation.
3) Get a good coach. I had some X-windows experience before I embarked on
this trip, but there's no substitute for someone with a similar or
identical installation. There are quirks and things that will confound
and confuse you if you're trying to do it solo.
I suppose that's just common sense, but I spent long hours and lots of
frustration and disappointment developing the list. Finally (mercifully)
I want to make it clear that ISC was helpful and cooperative, but they
were just as puzzled as I was with some of the wierdness I encountered.
I'm delighted with their X11. It's complete and robust. I'm especially
impressed that I can run it on a 16MHz system without an 80387 and find
the performance completely acceptable. Thanks again to all who helped.
--
Bill Kennedy usenet {attctc,att,cs.utexas.edu,sun!daver}!ssbn!bill
internet bill@ssbn.WLK.COM or attmail!ssbn!billlarry@nstar.UUCP (Larry Snyder) (12/11/89)
> working kernel, but I got the Logitech Bus Mouse (IRQ5), Everex streaming > tape (IRQ3) to coexist by removing all async support other than the > CompuTone AT-8 Intelliport. Mouse C A U T I O N ! ! Are you using the Wangtec driver supplied with ISC 2.02 for the Everex tape? Is there a way other than manually editing one of the files in /etc/conf to change the default irq from 5 to 3 for the tape (assuming you are using the internal driver supplied with the OS?) > removed the mouse card. I'll not claim that all of the Logitech cards > do this, but if in doubt, leave it out until you get installed and you > have the X-windows support configured into the kernel. You don't need > it before then anyway. I have an ATI VGA wonder with the build in mouse and will install the mouse last just to play it safe. > One more caution, pay attention to your console display during shutdown > and boot up. I had a phenomenon that kept us all guessing until I > tracked it down. I found that X would come up and play each time I > booted a "fresh" kernel. If I shut down and rebooted it wouldn't even > wiggle. During the shutdown sequence I would get a report that it was > relinking the /unix kernel. I thought that was odd but didn't pay much > attention to it (other than to notice it). It turns out that it was, > in fact, relinking /unix. In /etc/conf/cf.d there was a /unix that had > no streams support in it. A "fresh" kernel would bring in all of the > right stuff and X would play, but as soon as I shut down, the old kernel > would overlay the new one and I was right back to a "no X" kernel. It > was as easy as going to /etc/conf/cf.d and removing the unix, but it took > some time to find it (and five kernels!). I installed the hostess driver yesterday, and every time I power down I get the "relinking the kernel" message, than the kernel that boots doesn't support the ASY driver. Strange but know I know were to look. Thanks! Thanks Bill. I plan on adding a NEC 3D with the VGA wonder (256K). larry@nstar -- Larry Snyder, Northern Star Communications, Notre Dame, IN uucp: root@nstar -or- ...!iuvax!ndmath!nstar!root
tim@comcon.UUCP (Tim Brown) (12/13/89)
This is in responce the afore mentioned article, in particular the part where the kernel re-links! I fix this by making my own link right after I build a kernel and re-boot. I just ln /unix /etc/conf/cf.d/unix and no more relinking. Could probably be added to the rebuild script but don't have time to do it. Besides, everytime I fix some little thing in ISC scripts it gets lost the next time I re-install or upgrade. Hard to remember all those persnickity details! Tim Brown | Computer Connection | (attmail or uunet)!comcon!tim |