Blank screen after starting X11

**DinB** · 04-11-2004, 02:00 AM

I am struggling to run knoppix on a machine that is my main linux box.

Its starts fine, goes as far as entering run level 5, then I see starting X11, then the screen goes blank and after a while the monitor goes on standby.

The CD and hard drive keep working so I guess its a video card / monitor issue.

The videocard is an onboard ATI 3D rage pro and the monitor a Mag 1595

This occurs with both knoppix 3.3 and knoppix 3.4-ct

I have installed RH 9 and SUSE 9 Pro on this machine before without a problem

I've looked in the FAQs and tried running as VGA=VESA and the other one recommended ( this is from memory so I could have got it the wrong way around)

Can any one point me in the right direction?

thanks a mil

:P

**Stephen** · 04-11-2004, 02:44 AM

Try typing inknoppix xvrefresh=60 xmodule=ati screen=1024x768 at the boot screen then enter. You probably only need the xvrefresh=60 cheat code in the line and you can use a lower screen value if you want.

**DinB** · 04-11-2004, 03:15 AM

Stephen you are a star

the xvrefresh=60 did the trick

what was going wrong with the normal boot? and how did you pick that up?

thanks a mil

**Stephen** · 04-11-2004, 05:00 AM

Originally Posted by DinB

Stephen you are a star

the xvrefresh=60 did the trick

what was going wrong with the normal boot? and how did you pick that up?

thanks a mil

It is older hardware that monitor will not do the 72 hz refresh rate (IIRC) at 1024x768 that knoppix tries to use when it starts X. I have an old Acer here that was made around the same time as yours the best I can get it to use is 67 hz.

**DinB** · 04-12-2004, 11:29 PM

ok that explains it, intersting it was not an issue with RH or SUSE, but now I know

thanks again stephen

**Stephen** · 04-13-2004, 12:30 AM

Originally Posted by DinB

ok that explains it, intersting it was not an issue with RH or SUSE, but now I know

thanks again stephen

Never happened to me with Mandrake either, I have the same ATI card in that machine only Knoppix has a problem with the monitor if I put a more recent model of monitor there it works fine. Strangely enough Knoppix will do 1152x768/60hz on that monitor but no other distro will so go figure eh!