black screen border - dell Inspiron

**corey_g_** · 10-08-2003, 07:22 PM

I have a Dell Inspiron 1100 Laptop..

I start knoppix and it boots fine, but there is like a 2 inch black border around the screen edge. Has anyone seen this or know cheatcodes to try or anything to tweak to get this to display properly?

btw,
the system uses an Intel 82845G/GL/GE/PE/GV Graphics Controller.
Monitor can support 1024x768

-Corey

**CivilEng** · 10-08-2003, 09:45 PM

Hey there;

I have had a very similar problem with my Toshiba Laptop. In my case, however, I had too much screen image for my screen (as a result only the top left hand two thirds of the screen was displayed, the rest remained virtual and unseen).

The solution is to boot knoppix with one of the cheat codes at the boot:. You can press "F2" to see them all, but the two of interest in this case would be screen=1024x768 and xserver=XFree86 xmodule=fbdev fb1024x768.

You might have to fiddle with those two a bit, try them together, etc... but that should do the trick. Let me (us) know by posting again.

Good luck!

Civ

**corey_g_** · 10-09-2003, 02:41 PM

still no luck..

i tried every combination of cheatcodes u mentioned..

using the fb1024x768, it starts to load, and when it gets to loading X11, my screen blinks a few times and I get the error "Error: no suitable X server found for your card" and then nothing.

the only odd thing i do notice if I boot with no codes (or with screen=1024x76

, I get : "you passed an unidentified mode number. press return to see video modes available".. i then try every mode in the list it gives me and there seems to be no difference.

Also, I am getting this black border always.. even at the initial screen where u enter the boot code.

any more ideas?

**corey_g_** · 10-09-2003, 07:35 PM

http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4625#21415

I found a thread with almost the exact problem and i tried all of the fixes mentioned there... still with no luck..

**jamie1123** · 10-10-2003, 02:16 AM

I have exactly the same problem, ive tried loads of diffrent modes, but havn't found one way yet!

-Jamie

**corey_g_** · 10-11-2003, 02:20 PM

looks like using cheatcode vga=normal gets rid of the "you passed an unidentified mode number" error. But that doesn't solve the black border problem. If anyone knows how to help.. please let us know.

-Corey

**robwelch100** · 10-12-2003, 12:18 AM

I may be missing the mark completely but, have you tried messing with the screen settings on the monitor and not the computer? You can just widen the image. Just a thought, sometimes the simple things are overlooked like in Mandrake linux 9.1 everyone asked what happened to sound and the answere was that it is default mute.

**corey_g_** · 10-13-2003, 02:44 PM

its a laptop (LCD) and has no controls to stretch the desktop like you mentioned.

-Corey

**Stephen** · 10-13-2003, 07:57 PM

Originally Posted by corey_g_

looks like using cheatcode vga=normal gets rid of the "you passed an unidentified mode number" error. But that doesn't solve the black border problem. If anyone knows how to help.. please let us know.

-Corey

Have you tried knoppix fb1024x768 xmodule=fbdev vga=normal?