On Thu, 17 Feb 2000, you wrote:
> 1. FIC PAG 2130 with AMD K6-2 and 128M RAM Built-in Cyberblade (Trident) video
> and "SB-compatible:" sound on the SouthBridge VIA MVP4 Chipset
>
> GRaphical install worked. Sound reported "device or resource busy" Tried
> three more installs with different BIOS settings for enabling/disabling sound.
> Tried Lother, which also saw the sound, but could not make it audible.
>
> Video was twitchy. 640x480 at 16 bit depth was all the install would do.
> After playing with the graphical configurator for a while, I managed to get a
> flickering 1024x768 at 32 bit. Strangely enough, Xconfigurator on LM 6.1
> working with this board found a non-flickering 1024x768 in 32 bit depth the
> first time.
>
> 2. S3 Trio 64V+ with 2 Meg... Vanilla sound card (ESS1688) Cyrix 686MX PR-200
> processor on an Antec Motherboard using the 430 TX intel chipset. Stayed in
> text install. Froze "in second stage install" and this was from a boot off
> the CD-ROM. CD was a vanilla 24X and HDD was WD24300. Only other hardware
> present was an RTL8029 NIC. This one was running SuSE 6.1.
>
> 2a. Trident 9440 video substituted Came up in graphics this time, but froze
> "in second stage install" again.
>
> 2b. Switched to a Cyrix 686-PR200+ Processor and dropped the bus speed to 66,
> making it essentially a 686-pr166+ Graphical install started working. This is
> probably an artifact of the TX chipset overclocking the PCI bus when it is
> pushed past 66MHz (but why did SuSE work?).
>
> I have had more difficulty with Cyrix Processors under Mandrake than I can
> properly deal with. I still have two machines that won't update (Cyrix GXi-S
> types) because, while Mandrake will install, the update packages claim "this is
> for a different architecture". Moreover, in the linuxmall ads, it is posted
> that there are issues with Mandrake and Cyrix processors and that while a patch
> exists, it was never made available on the Mandrake sites.
>
> I have machines running 686MX-PR200 processors running L-M 6.1 using terrible
> chipsets, but not the Intel 430TX, which seems to be in a category by itself.
> Strangely, the TX Chipset can be used to advantage at 75MHz bus speed with a
> K6-233 running at 3x bus speed, and LM 6.1 runs there as well, but it fails
> with a 686MX running at 2x 75MHz on the 430TX. I am beginning to wonder if some
> instructions do a "not quite back to back" bus locking that evokes a version of
> the 686 coma bug which shows up only at the higher clock speed with the timing
> of the intel 430 TX chipset for the bus.
>
> Anyone have any similar experiences to share?
>
> Civileme
>
As a follow-up. We froze again on SCSI detection in #2. I hate Intel 430TX
chipsets!!!! That same chipset is on the J-mark J5TX and the Shuttle HOT-569
which have also given me problems.
HOWEVER, after all this "not so good" news, I can report absolutely ZERO
problems installing on a Cyrix MEdiaGXi-S 200 on a board made in Hong Kong and
otherwise nameless. This is not the full MediaGX chipset but just the MediaGX
processor with someone's conception of a compatibility chipset (and the board
with processor and fan sold for about $38), and an S3-VIRGE/DX and an ALS-001
(Avance) cheapie ISA Soundcard. Looks snazzy except DrakX comes up in text
modes for most of the buttons. Perhaps that has to do with a low security
setting. (Hard-crunchy outside and soft, chewy center security model with no
routes in except through a masquerading firewall.)
Civileme
