gentoo full version startup

Patrick · External Since: Mar 09, 2009 Posts: 1

Hello,
When I run the full version that I downloaded and wrote to CD ROM, it loads
fine but the resolution is too high for my monitor. It looks like a nice GUI
of a sign on form but I'm seeing it in triplicate and with much over lap to
where it is unreadable. How do I boot with 640x480?

Thank you.

Paul Gover · External Since: Mar 18, 2009 Posts: 1

Patrick wrote:

> Hello,
> When I run the full version that I downloaded and wrote to CD ROM, it
> loads fine but the resolution is too high for my monitor. It looks like a
> nice GUI of a sign on form but I'm seeing it in triplicate and with much
> over lap to where it is unreadable. How do I boot with 640x480?
>
> Thank you.

Assuming you still have the problem, does the CD start with a GRUB menu? I
haven't used the CD download, so I don't know. If it does, what you
probably need to do is press "E" when the GRUB menu appears, which should
display 2 or three lines of grub commands. The last of these should be
something starting with "kernel" followed by several parameters. Try
adding "vga=ask" to the end of the line (check as you do in case there's
already a vga= parameter - if so, replace its value with "ask"). Then when
you boot you should get a confusing list of codes and screen resolutions,
one of which should correspond to 640x480.

If this makes any sense(!), it's worth reading up a little on grub and the
linux framebuffer drivers, which are what interpret the "vga=" parameter.

Aragorn · External Since: Feb 22, 2009 Posts: 13

On Wednesday 18 March 2009 11:04, someone identifying as *Paul Gover* wrote
in /alt.os.linux.gentoo:/

> Patrick wrote:
>
>> Hello,
>> When I run the full version that I downloaded and wrote to CD ROM, it
>> loads fine but the resolution is too high for my monitor. It looks like a
>> nice GUI of a sign on form but I'm seeing it in triplicate and with much
>> over lap to where it is unreadable. How do I boot with 640x480?
>>
>> Thank you.
>
> Assuming you still have the problem, does the CD start with a GRUB menu?
> I
> haven't used the CD download, so I don't know. If it does, what you
> probably need to do is press "E" when the GRUB menu appears, which should
> display 2 or three lines of grub commands. The last of these should be
> something starting with "kernel" followed by several parameters. Try
> adding "vga=ask" to the end of the line (check as you do in case there's
> already a vga= parameter - if so, replace its value with "ask"). Then
> when you boot you should get a confusing list of codes and screen
> resolutions, one of which should correspond to 640x480.
>
> If this makes any sense(!), it's worth reading up a little on grub and the
> linux framebuffer drivers, which are what interpret the "vga=" parameter.

I don't think this is the OP's problem. The CD starts up with a regular
bootprompt, and I'm guessing he's using the graphical installer, which is
trying to use a VESA resolution larger than what his screen can handle.

He should use the menudriven installer instead, or - preferably - use the
manual install procedure described in the Gentoo installation manual.

To the OP, no offense, but you are posting your message with Outlook
Express, which indicates that Gentoo might not be the right distribution
for you. If I were you, I'd look into Mandriva, SuSE, CentOS, Ubuntu or
PCLinuxOS. That might be more along your taste and skills. Wink

--
*Aragorn*
(registered GNU/Linux user #223157)