Linux

Ask something
Discussion Locked

Display problems switching to GUI

0 helpful
5 replies

by gerry c

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

I have just installed Linux (Red Hat 7.2) onto my Toshiba Satellite 4080XCDT laptop (64Mb RAM).

The system works fine except whenever I switch to a console screen (ctrl-alt-F1) and back to the GUI screen (ctrl+alt+F7), I lose the GUI display - I only get a bright but blank screen. This happens in both KDE and GNOME. I then have to use Ctrl+Alt+Backspace to reboot the X windows system. This then allows me to log in again.

The display driver seems to be the right one as it matches the display stated on the Toshiba web site.

When I check free memory there is only about 2Mb of base free although there is plenty of swap.

Any ideas anyone? If it is memory, what can I close down (ie services) to maximise available memory.

5 replies

by feizhou

You are probably facing a driver problem. Laptop graphic chips are usually customized a little bit to match the LCD display or for some other reason.

I do not boot into GUI mode and I have previously come out of X Windows and stared in horror at the screen because I thought Mandrake was now totally messed up when I saw total gibberish on the screen instead of a console.

I now regularly get the same weird screens when I shut down my laptop after the X server has stopped but before my laptop has powered down.

I suggest using a X console window instead of switching to a console screen.

Christopher

by rouse

I'd suggest the same as the previous. Try clicking on the little terminal icon at the bottom on the screen and see if that works ok if you need the command prompt.

This discussion is closed to new replies.