Dell Latitude C840/Opensuse 10.2 Problem -Fixed-!

[kentonwilliams]

Hello,

Computer:
Dell Latitude C840
P4M 1.6 Ghz
1GB RAM
60GB HDD
Nvidia Geforce4 MX440 Go
1600x1200 panel (the troublesome one)

I had a problem with OpenSuse 10.2 when I installed the Nvidia drivers. I followed the instructions on OpenSuse's website as well as the more involved method with the same result - the panel would black out completely upon attempting to start X. Not just a blank screen, but a completely black screen, as in completely turned off. The computer was still running, just no display.

I followed a solution found within this forum describing a very similar problem. The solution is this:

Switch to console using Ctrl-Alt-F1, logon with permissions to edit xorg.conf
Edit /etc/X11/xorg.conf using the editor of your choice
Comment out any ModeLines in the "Modes" section
Add this line to the Device section: Option "UseDisplayDevice" "DFP"
Save your changes
Restart X or Reboot

That's it! It works great! I like the new Nvidia splash screen...

This is an easy solution for a particularly obscure problem. I cannot run the live disc of Sabayon Linux for the exact same reason (I haven't tried this fix for that yet).

Hope this helps someone else out with the same finicky computer out there!

Have fun!

Kenton W.