Some observations regarding FC* on UP2000+

[Dialup Jon Norstog]

To the list:

I have been messing 'round with fc8 on my spare machine for a week now - It is
really an improved product over the last few months.  It will do a complete
new install in graphic mode.  It seems to have everything you need to put
together the stuff you need and want.

The biggest weakness I've seen so far is the X-server.  The good news is you
get one with the install.  The bad news is it is kinda shaky.  I've tried
rewriting xorg.conf to get a little more screen real estate.  It worked once,
but when I swapped out a Permedia2 card for an old Voodoo 3 the Xserver
wouldn't load and couldn't be backed out of either.  It would get to the stage
where you get the houndstooth check screen with a cursor and hang.  

Redoing Xorg.conf from rescue mode did not solve the problem.  In the end I
did a reinstall - it was seemed like it would be quicker than what was looking
like an extensive trouble shoot with all the repair work done in vi!  The
reinstall, this time with a stronger, 8 meg Vram permedia card, went OK as
usual but still could not get anything for video beyond800 x 640.  A rewrite
of xorg.conf - just adding a few modes to the 16-bit color line - led to the
same Xserver hangup.

I'm thinking that, on my machine at least, Anaconda is not doing its job, at
least WRT video adapter and monitor.  The xorg.conf file you get out of an
install is pretty spare compared to what I got on AC3 on my XP1000. More
important the Xserver seems sensitive to any changes in that file.

This is perhaps a machine issue or one related to the SMP kernel? I haven't
tried a single processor kernel install.  Anyway, it looks like I won't be
able to sort the install out before the weather gets warm.  Winertime, the big
UP is really nice in my study, keeps it warm even when the house heat is
truned down.  Summer, it's gonna be too much .... 

later!

jn 

I couldn't afford a Maserati, so I got a DEC Alpha instead 

www.thursdaybicycles.com  check it out!

--
Allidaho LLC (http://www.allidaho.com)