X problems on Dell Latitude w/i915 graphics (and Fn-key questions)

[Toralf Lund]

jim lawrence wrote:

>On Thu, 24 Feb 2005 15:39:34 +0100, Toralf Lund <toralf at procaptura.com> wrote:
>  
>
>>We're having problems with the X server when running Fedora or Red Hat
>>Linux (i.e. we've tried both FC3 & older stuff) on a Dell Latitude 610
>>notebook with an Intel 915 graphics chip. Firstly, no driver but "vesa"
>>appears to work at all, but we don't mind that too much. However, we
>>can't get a correct display with that either. Symptoms:
>>
>>    * A black screen is displayed by default.
>>    * When using an external monitor instead of the built-in LCD screen,
>>      everything works fine.
>>    * If starting up with external display, then switching to the
>>      build-in one via and Fn-key combination (Fn+F8 in this case), the
>>      built-in one also works.
>>    * The same is true after starting with the internal one (and getting
>>      a black screen), then switching to external and back to internal.
>>    * In the above two cases, display is once again lost if we switch to
>>      a different VT via Ctrl+Alt+F-keys, then back to the X server.
>>
>>Any ideas how to get around this? I mean, how to get the internal
>>display to work directly?
>>
>>Related question: What exactly happens when the Fn-combination is
>>pressed? I mean, I've sort of seen this operation as akin to pulling out
>>the cable to the monitor, then inserting another one, but to get the
>>behaviour described above, there must also be some kind of software
>>signalling involved, mustn't there?
>>
>>- Toralf
>>
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>>
>>    
>>
>
>The Fcn + key  is most likly being controlled by the BIOS  in some way
>same or form.
>  
>
That's what I've been thinking. However, what I'm trying to say that it 
now seems to me that the X server is in *some* way told about this key 
press, and that it takes some kind of action when it is. If it isn't, 
how can the display start working all of a sudden after the switch? (And 
stop working after restart or VT-change.)

>take a look at   /etc/X11/xorg,conf  ( which is written bu
>system-config-display)
>  
>
Uhhh. Haven't got it in front of me right now, but all we have is a very 
simply "generic" entry.

>look at your monitors section of the above file 
>
>
>Another thought, have you tried to set them as a generic LCD display?
>  
>
We've only used variants of generic display as nothing else seemed to match.

- Toralf