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Installing on a Samsung NC20 with Via VX800 video

I've tried several times to install Artix on an old Samsung NC20 that I have, but I can't get the video to work.  This laptop has a Via Nano processor and the Via VX800 video setup which works from openchrome.  With the install DVD, I add the parameter "modprobe.blacklist=viafb" in order to boot (without ending up with a screen flashing primary colors), and the LXQT desktop  comes up and works perfectly.  After the install is completed, however, I reboot, add the kernel parameter, and end up with just a command line.  I can log in, but whenever I try to startx, I get error messages about the monitor not being found.  In the xorg logs, it says that a monitor was found, but the resolution could not be set.  I'm not sure  how to fix this issue.  If it works with the live-CD, then it ought to work when running from the harddrive, shouldn't it?.  Any suggestions?

Re: Installing on a Samsung NC20 with Via VX800 video

Reply #1 –
Quote from: Avid109 – on
Any suggestions?

I'd take a guess as to say that your installation doesn't have a monitor/xorg config under /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/ and so xorg auto-configures. Then xorg fails at auto-configuring. You should make a monitor config or see if the install DVD has a monitor config you can copy/paste as this will bypass xorg auto-configuring.

This happens to me when I move my ssd between computers. I used to use manjaro's mhwd-gpu tool to ease my transition, make a config file, or fix my monitor, but I have no concrete way of switching my monitor configs for different drivers on Artix. EX: nouveau to intel,amdgpu, or ati. I'd appreciate if any one could tell me how.

I'll add an arch link for you to look at https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/xorg#Monitor_settings.

Edit:In case you don't find a monitor/xorg config on either your install or the booted DVD: I reinstalled mhwd to have it generate an xorg.conf for openchrome and copied it below. Put it under /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/ and name it 10-openchrome.conf or xorg.conf. If you could list what you already have in that folder would help.
Code: [Select]
##
## Generated by mhwd - Manjaro Hardware Detection
##
 
 
Section "Device"
	Identifier  "Device0"
	Driver      "openchrome"
	Option      "DRI"    "true"
EndSection
 
 
Section "DRI"
        Group  "video"
        Mode   0666
EndSection
 
 
Section "Extensions"
	Option "Composite" "Enable"
	Option "RENDER"    "Enable"
EndSection
 
 
Section "InputClass"
	Identifier          "Keyboard Defaults"
	MatchIsKeyboard	    "yes"
	Option              "XkbOptions" "terminate:ctrl_alt_bksp"
EndSection


Hope that helps. If it still doesn't work add and modify the following I got from arch's xorg.conf example, so the resolution is defined. Make sure it is your screen's resolution.
Code: [Select]
Section "Monitor"
Identifier             "Monitor0"
EndSection


Section "Screen"
Identifier             "Screen0"  #Collapse Monitor and Device section to Screen section
Device                 "Device0"
Monitor                "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth           24 #Choose the depth (16||24)
SubSection             "Display"
Depth              24
Modes             "1024x768_75.00" #Choose the resolution
EndSubSection
EndSection

Re: Installing on a Samsung NC20 with Via VX800 video

Reply #2 –
EDIT: Could not delete this post...

Re: Installing on a Samsung NC20 with Via VX800 video

Reply #3 –
Thanks for the help.  After trying your suggestions and adding the additional parameters, it still won't go into a graphical environment.  When I try to startx, it gives me the same error message:

"Server terminated with error (1).  Closing log file."

Here are the warnings and error messages from that log file (/var/log/Xorg.0.log):

"(WW) Open ACPI failed (/var/run/acpid.socket) (No such file or directory)"

"(EE) Screen 0 deleted because of no matching config section."

"Device(s) detected, but none match those in the config file."

"(EE) Fatal server error:  no screens found (EE)"

I couldn't find any configuration files in the live CD directories.  Very frustrating.


Re: Installing on a Samsung NC20 with Via VX800 video

Reply #4 –
Quote from: Avid109 – on

"(WW) Open ACPI failed (/var/run/acpid.socket) (No such file or directory)"

Well try running
Code: [Select]
rc-update
and see if "acpid" is listed on the left. If not, run
Code: [Select]
rc-update add acpid default
and restart. Maybe that will help? Also could you upload what rc-update output?

Did you find anything under your installed /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/ directory? Also is there a /etc/xorg.conf by any chance?

Re: Installing on a Samsung NC20 with Via VX800 video

Reply #5 –
When I ran "rc-update," acpid was not on the list.  When I ran "rc-update add acpid," I got, "rc-update:  service acpid does not exist."

In the installed /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/ there was only the "00-keyboard.conf" (which was the same on the live disc) file before I added the monitor file.  There is no /etc/xorg.conf.

For what it's worth, acpid is installed. 

One other thing that was listed when I tried to startx was  that it said "using config directory: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d" and "using system config directory /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d"  There was no "/etc/share/X11/xorg.conf.d" on the computer.  I added the directory and copied the config file, but that didn't change anything either.

Re: Installing on a Samsung NC20 with Via VX800 video

Reply #6 –
Oh!

Install galaxy/acpid-openrc
Code: [Select]
pacman -Sy acpid-openrc

Then run
Code: [Select]
rc-update add acpid default
to add acpid to openrc so acpid can be started when you turn on your computer.

Reboot.

Maybe then? Also what does rc-update output?

Re: Installing on a Samsung NC20 with Via VX800 video

Reply #7 –
I've installed acpid-openrc and added it.  After rebooting, however, I still have no graphics and the same error in the logs about no screen.  The rc-update output does list acpid now.  I'm wondering if I ought to try removing the screen/monitor parameters that I put in.

Re: Installing on a Samsung NC20 with Via VX800 video

Reply #8 –
Well try to do so, but what is the log say before and after?

Also try
Code: [Select]
Modes             "800x600_60.00" #Choose the resolution

What did rc-update ouput? Maybe you are missing other startup scripts?

Re: Installing on a Samsung NC20 with Via VX800 video

Reply #9 –
While I would never want to make a definitive pronouncement on the topic, my experience, which has been replicated by others, is that kernels higher than 4.4 usually don't work with Openchrome.  There are some exceptions but, in all events, I know of no explanation for this phenomenon.

https://forum.manjaro.org/t/openchrome-finally-starts-on-via-vx800/9586

Re: Installing on a Samsung NC20 with Via VX800 video

Reply #10 –
Changing the resolution numbers didn't change anything.  Here are the warnings & errors from the log file:

(WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/Type1/" does not exist.

(EE)  Screen 0 deleted because of no matching config section.

(EE) Device(s) detected, but none match those in the config file.

(EE) No screens found.

(EE) Server terminated with error (1).

Maybe the kernel is the problem.  I used to have the LXQT version of Manjaro running on this computer, but after sitting unused for a month or so, it had over 100 updates.  After running the updates, it wouldn't boot anymore.  I had hoped that since the live CD version of Artix worked, perhaps it could be used.  I've tried a few other linux distros on this computer.  The only one that I've found that will install and work is Vector Linux.  I'd just hoped to have an Arch-based distro.

Re: Installing on a Samsung NC20 with Via VX800 video

Reply #12 –
Good news.

The latest Parabola Openrc (10-03-17) iso will boot so long as you edit GRUB, adding 'vga=800x600 modprobe.blacklist=viafb'.

Then, after some delay, it will bring up the Mate desktop. The kernel is 4.13.5-gnu-1 and so it looks like the openchrome changes were finally incorporated.  Huzzah for those of us with horrible Via hardware!

Re: Installing on a Samsung NC20 with Via VX800 video

Reply #14 –
Quote from: sullivad – on
Good news.

The latest Parabola Openrc (10-03-17) iso will boot so long as you edit GRUB, adding 'vga=800x600 modprobe.blacklist=viafb'.

Then, after some delay, it will bring up the Mate desktop. The kernel is 4.13.5-gnu-1 and so it looks like the openchrome changes were finally incorporated.  Huzzah for those of us with horrible Via hardware!

I tried the Parabola live DVDs (both MATE and LXDE), and both would work, but the MATE version wouldn't install and the LXDE version would install, but not boot.  I have, however been able to get AntiX up and running on the NC20.

As for Artix, I've installed it on one of my desktop computers -- dual booting with Arch.  I'm looking forward to when Artix reaches the point that it can run anything that runs in Arch.