TFT-Displays and Trident Cyber chipsets

Support knowledgebase (grimmer_cyber9385)
Applies to

SuSE Linux: Versions up to (including) 7.0
This article refers to an older version of SuSE Linux. Therefore some of the informations given in this article may be outdated or the article may contain stale links.

XFree86: Versions since 3.3.3

Symptom:

Running XFree86 on a laptop using a TFT display in combination with a Trident Cyber video chipset sometimes leads to a distorted display and a white glowing screen, which can even damage the display permanently.

Cause:

Certain BIOS settings negatively affect the behaviour of the X-Server.

Solution:

You must disable the "Panel Stretch" or "Extend Panel" option in the Laptop BIOS. This is the option that creates the full screen 640x480 and 80x25 text mode on these laptops.

Once you disable this option in the BIOS, the "glowing white screen" effect is gone. Then it takes some playing with options like "cyber_shadow" to get the display working. See the XFree86 Release Notes for Trident chipsets at /usr/share/doc/packages/xf86/README.trident for further info. Additionally, you must not use vesafb together with the X server it seems.

Update (8/5/99):
Obviously this phenomenom is also dependent on the BIOS-version of the Computer. Upgrading the System BIOS to the latest revision has solved the problem in one reported case (thanks to Martin Kolde for reporting this). The Option "cyber_shadow" has not been used in this case.


Keywords: TFT, LCD, NOTEBOOK, TRIDENT, CYBER, 9385, XFREE, XSERVER, LAPTOP

Categories: XFree86 , Graphic cards , X Window System

SDB-grimmer_cyber9385, Copyright SuSE Linux AG, Nürnberg, Germany - Version: 30. Jul 1999
SuSE Linux AG - Last generated: 29. Mai 2002 by sdb (sdb_gen 1.40.0)