[NTLUG:Discuss] video problems

[Steve Baker]

chris at chrisbaker.net wrote:
> I'm having a small problem with GNOME. I'm using RedHat 7.3. On 
> the left side of the screen, I am getting some funny distortion on the 
> screen. When I boot up and take down X, everything is fine.
> 
> I am using an ATI video card with Mach 64 chip set, I think. The 
> problem has been somewhat intermittent. Monitor is a Gateway 
> EV500, and it had been working fine. It also works fine during 
> startup and shutdown.

THe video timings are completely different in text mode than when
running graphics - so we can't deduce much from the fact that it's
OK when X/GNOME isn't running.

Just out of interest - do you have another monitor - or some other
electrical device right next to your monitor?   If so, you might
try moving it.

I've found these kinds of distortions when older monitors are
pushed to the limits of their resolution and then subjected
to external magnetic fields.

> Incidentally, the system seems rather slow to being with, especially 
> the GNOME RPM. Programs start up very slowly, too. It's a Pentium 
> 200 with 64MB of RAM. I always thought the main reason for using 
> Linux is that it works on old systems, but this has been somewhat 
> disappointing.

Linux certainly *works* on older systems - but it doesn't magically
extract performance that was never there to start with!

Your slowdown is probably to do with having "only" 64Mb RAM - memory
is spectacularly cheap right now - could be time for an upgrade?

Failing that, I'd look to things that could reduce your RAM needs.
Find a simpler window manager, don't use big images for wallpaper,
don't leave programs running that you aren't actually using - that
kind of thing.

Linux uses whatever RAM is free as a disk cache/buffer.  If you don't
have much free memory - then disk acesses get dramatically slower.

---------------------------- Steve Baker -------------------------
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