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From: af@biomath.jussieu.fr (Alain FAUCONNET)
Message-Id: <199610010926.AA03266@iaka.biomath.jussieu.fr>
Subject: Re: Installation Question
To: adrl@whoweb.com
Date: Tue, 1 Oct 1996 10:26:10 +0100 (GMT+0100)
Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
In-Reply-To: <3250BF72.4369@whoweb.com> from "Advanced Digital Research" at Oct 1, 96 02:51:30 am
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Advanced Digital Research wrote / a ecrit:
> 
> I'm having trouble starting an X server and building a customized kernel
> after performing an installation using the Walnut Creek FreeBSD 2.1
> CDROM distribution media.  My system configuration and installation
> steps are included at the end of this mail.  Thanks in advance for any
> help you can lend.
> 
> 	Jon
> 
> 
> 1.)  Executing 'startx' causes the system to panic.  The monitor goes
> blank for approximately 15 seconds and then the system reboots.  Upon
> startup, fsck is required to repair disk inconsistencies caused by the
> panic.  

[point 2 deleted -- no clue]

> 3.)  After failing at #2 above a number of times trying different
> config file entries, I took a different approach and copied the GENERIC
> config file to MYKERNEL and added only the XSERVER option and the psm0
> option.  After building this kernel, the system was able to boot, but
> startx still paniced the system as described under #1 above.
> 

I have seen similar problems with a P133 system  (Intel  Endeavor  MB)
and a Diamond Stealth Video VRAM 64 (a.k.a 3400) adapter.
Probable cause was that base of frame buffer  memory  was  not  mapped
correctly (adapter hardware/firmware bug ? MB BIOS bug ?  human  error
on  my  part  ? ;-). I  have  found  the  following (admittedly dirty)
workaround in the XF86Config file:

Section "Device"
    Identifier  "Diamond Stealth 64 Video VRAM"
    VendorName  "Diamond"
    BoardName   "Stealth 64 Video VRAM"
    MemBase     0x8000000
    Option "sw_cursor"
    Option "Diamond"
# Use Option "nolinear" if the server doesn't start up correctly
# (this avoids the linear framebuffer probe). If that fails try
# option "nomemaccess".
# Refer to /usr/X11R6/lib/doc/README.S3, and the XF86_S3 man page.
EndSection

[rest deleted]

_Alain_

-- 
Alain FAUCONNET    Ingenieur systeme - System Manager     AP-HP/SIM
Public Health                91 bld de l'Hopital 75013 PARIS FRANCE
Medical Computing Research Labs         Mail: af@biomath.jussieu.fr
Tel: (+33) 1-40-77-96-19                   Fax: (+33) 1-45-86-80-68
    I've RTFMed. It says: "Refer to your system administrator"
            But... I *am* the system administrator :-]