Fiesty on Pismo screen resolution problem

[Jim Baker]

As a real noob I'm struggling with the terminal and screen resolution. I got Feisty to run a liveCD install procedure of KDE on my Pismo 400/512, with apparent full screen and good resolution during kernal load. But then the screen whacks to scrolling horizontal lines. One thing I noticed was at start of load, option to select *live powerpc. I presume that's correct for my Pismo, NO?

Still, with that selected, only thing that changes is the color of the horizontal stripes at end of load. I found some posts that seem to hold the solution—reconfigure xorg. but I tried typing the commands in the startup window, just got an invalid volume error or something invalid and stopped loading. This is really elementary, I know, but how do I get a terminal window on startup, or am I already in one when the screen is black and text white with what seems like load commands and options?

I tried F9 and Shift-F9 at start and different pointsduring loading like someone suggested, that doesn't seem to do anything. Help getting unstuck would be appreciated.

[ajmctaggart]

Jim,

Before we try anything else, I would like you to do this...

Open Terminal Applications-->Accessories-->

type this into the prompt

sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.screweddisplay

Then

sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Copy and Paste this after using Ctrl+K till all lines are deleted


#PPC xorg.conf that works
# /etc/X11/xorg.conf (xorg X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the /etc/X11/xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man /etc/X11/xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
# sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "Files"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/misc"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/Type1"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/100dpi"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/75dpi"
# path to defoma fonts
FontPath "/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "i2c"
Load "bitmap"
Load "ddc"
Load "dri"
Load "extmod"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx"
Load "int10"
Load "type1"
Load "vbe"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "kbd"
Option "CoreKeyboard"
Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
Option "XkbModel" "pc104"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "CorePointer"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Synaptics Touchpad"
Driver "synaptics"
Option "SendCoreEvents" "true"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Protocol" "auto-dev"
Option "HorizScrollDelta" "0"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Driver "wacom"
Identifier "stylus"
Option "Device" "/dev/wacom" # Change to
# /dev/input/event
# for USB
Option "Type" "stylus"
Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" # Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Driver "wacom"
Identifier "eraser"
Option "Device" "/dev/wacom" # Change to
# /dev/input/event
# for USB
Option "Type" "eraser"
Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" # Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Driver "wacom"
Identifier "cursor"
Option "Device" "/dev/wacom" # Change to
# /dev/input/event
# for USB
Option "Type" "cursor"
Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" # Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "ATI Technologies, Inc. Rage Mobility M3 AGP 2x"
Driver "ati"
BusID "PCI:0:16:0"
Option "UseFBDev" "true"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Generic Monitor"
Option "DPMS"
HorizSync 28-51
VertRefresh 43-60
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "ATI Technologies, Inc. Rage Mobility M3 AGP 2x"
Monitor "Generic Monitor"
DefaultDepth 16
SubSection "Display"
Depth 1
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 4
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
# SubSection "Display"
# Depth 24
# Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
# EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen "Default Screen"
InputDevice "Generic Keyboard"
InputDevice "Configured Mouse"
InputDevice "stylus" "SendCoreEvents"
InputDevice "cursor" "SendCoreEvents"
InputDevice "eraser" "SendCoreEvents"
InputDevice "Synaptics Touchpad"
EndSection

Section "DRI"
Mode 0666
EndSection


After that is pasted in (Shift +Ctrl+v), either Ctrl+Alt+Delete or restart the computer to have your working display...

Let us know how this works for you,

Good Luck,
ajm

[Jim Baker]

Hi AJM,
II'm a little farther afield on this than I was yesterday, though I have verified that my Kubuntu (Feisty) CD works on my G4 450/512. I've surfed around the liveCD and everything seems o.k., though I balked on the installation pending more info on partitioning my G4 hard drive.

Back to the Pismo. Either my internal CD ROM drive has failed or I messed up something in the firmware yesterday mucking around in there (I checked Apple/support for firmware update and didn't find anything). The Pismo CD drive won't read a CD at all (I tried my Apple restore disk and it's not recognized), though my C key does direct the boot to the CDROM. So, I guess the drive has failed.

I've tried booting from an external CD/DVD Samsung drive in both Firewire and USB modes with no success.

I will try target mode with my G4 later. But even if I get back to where I was where the kernel loaded and I just had a flaky screen, I can't issue commands because I can't see anything.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestions. Forgive my naivte, but would I need to have Kubuntu already running to input the commands you suggest? Please clarify, did you mean to issue those commands while in OS X or in Kubuntu?
Thanks! Jim

[ajmctaggart]

Sorry Jim,

I thought you had installed onto Pismo already. My Pismo only boots from CD w/ original drive, although dvd cd drives do work in OS X, but system can't boot from those drives...

Target Disk will not work to get a yaboot (boot loader) installed, it will install the base system, but yaboot won't install via firewire, just FYI...


Those commands would have worked if you had installed Ubuntu already on the system, not if you are running a live cd...(maybe it would, but that would be pointless)

The commands assume you successfully installed Ubuntu and now the X server isn't configured already...inevitably when you do get the Pismo installation sorted out, the X server will be broke, and you will still need my previous post, so your best bet is to keep that xorg.conf saved on your working Ubuntu box...

It'll all get sorted out eventually- google resetting the nvram and pram on the machine, just in case something got mucked up along the way...

Also, it has worked for me in the past that when you hear the CD drive start to "whirr" upon boot, to forcefully push it in a little further than it sets normally. I noticed on a Lombard I had that the casing that converts the drive to be hot swappable was loose and this was the only problem with booting from disk, just a thought...

Good Luck,
ajm

[ajmctaggart]

***also, Re: The Screwed Up Screen, Try A Ctrl+alt+f2 To Get To A "terminal" Next Time ...this Should Work, No Matter What Problems You're Having...if You Can Get The Pismo's Drive To Work, You Can Get It Installed And Configured, I Guarantee It...

[Jim Baker]

HI AJM,
Thanks for the tips and encouragement. I think I'm out of luck for the moment on the Pismo until I get another cd cassette. If there's any other way to get yaboot in there, please let me know.
I tried cleaning up the contacts with an electrical solvent today and I had been pushing it in before like you suggested—that doesn't work now either. I can't get it to register any cd on the screen at all. The C key does activate the cd's motor, though. I'm going to stop by the Apple store tomorrow and get an opinion. Could it be something electonic in the logic board? It's like the old days when you took a car to a mechanic—they'd just start replacing parts, the most obvious to the least and hope they got it sooner rather than later.

That Feisty runs on my G4 with an acceptable screen fill is nice. I haven't installed it there yet, but will try tomorrow if I get my hard drive partitioned. I do have a clone of that hard drive so I'm not too concerned, but would like to do things smoothly, rather than the wreck and rebuild approach.

I'm keeping the code you sent me. That seems like the main thing I might need to get my Pismo xorg set up.
Best,
Jim