[kde-linux] Non-functional KDE 4.6 in openSUSE 11.4

[FrankK]

Hello again list, Felix, Duncan, et al, Posting back
to myself after openSuse 12.1. See below!


>------- Original Message -------
>From    : FrankK[mailto:frankk at oregoncoast.com]
>Sent    : 11/23/2011 7:40:35 AM
>To      : kde-linux at kde.org
>Cc      : 
>Subject : RE: Re: [kde-linux] Non-functional KDE 4.6
in openSUSE 11.4
>
 >
Dale Wrote:


>------- Original Message -------
>From    : Dale[ mailto:rdalek1967 at gmail.com ]
>Sent    : 11/23/2011 12:06:48 AM
>To      : kde-linux at kde.org
>Cc      : 
>Subject : RE: Re: [kde-linux] Non-functional KDE 4.6
in openSUSE 11.4
>
 >Duncan wrote:
> FrankK posted on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:58:30 -0800 as
excerpted:
>
>> Apparently some of the updating I did online in
between the DVD install
>> and the kde 4.6 pattern install changed some
dependencies. Rather than
>> risk breaking what I have now, I'll wait for the
12.1 DVD to arrive.
> Being on a dialup modem... sucks!  I have serious
respect for anyone
> still doing software updates, etc, on dialup,
regardless of the OS
> they're using, and yeah, I'd likely be doing a lot
of waiting for DVDs,
> etc, too, if I were in that situation.
>
> This is well OT now, but...  I haven't any idea
where you're located or
> what your connectivity options are, but at least
here (Phoenix, AZ, USA),
> the lowest-level broadband connection available
seems to be Cox's 1.5 Mbps
> service, AFAIK $35/mo unbundled bottom-line price,
after all taxes, etc.
> If the cost of the dialup ISP is added (assuming
it's not free), it's no
> contest, the cable service is about the same cost
but a FAR better always-
> on net connection.
>
> An always-on net connection also gives you VoIP as
an alternative to
> phone service.  Since with a net connection, the
VoIP provider can be
> located anywhere, competition is far better and
thus so is the price vs.
> service balance.  With a ~$200 equipment
investment, full bare-bones
> phone service replacement including
nationwide-as-local calling and a
> phone system phone number for inbound calls, is $0,
monthly, or more
> services (caller ID, call-waiting, forwarding,
3-way, voice-mail, user-
> controlled call-routing including to voicemail or
to faked phone number
> invalid) are available for $10-20/mo with a far
smaller upfront
> investment, tho one may need to pay a year at a
time to get the lower end
> of that cost range.
>
> Depending on your voice-phone usage patterns, VoIP
may offer you either
> way better service or way lower costs if not both,
thus making the always-
> on internet connection look even better.
>
> But unfortunately, such always-on connections
aren't available
> everywhere, and/or may costs hundreds of dollars a
month.  And some
> nations, particularly those with state-based telco
monopolies, ban VoIP
> to force use of the phone monopoly.  (Of course,
some places offer 100Mbit
> Fast-Ethernet comparable speeds for $20/mo, too,
but obviously neither
> you nor I have that sort of option. =:^( )
>
> What I'm saying is... look into it if you DO have
DSL or cable Internet
> available in your area.  A lot of people simply
don't realize that for
> what they're paying for the phone line and ISP,
they could have an always-
> on connection at far faster speeds, and/or be
paying less for better VoIP
> based phone service, as well.  Unfortunately that's
not everywhere, tho,
> and if you're simply out of luck where you are...
then as I said, wow, I
> have a *LOT* of respect for those still having to
use dialup.
>

I was in the same situation until a year or so ago. 
I was on one really 
slow dial-up that cost me more than DSL not even
counting the phone 
itself.  Dial-up was about $20.00 a month plus about
$45.00 for the 
phone line.  DSL is about $15.00 and no phone needed.
 Went to cell 
phones now actually.

I hope you get a faster connection soon.  I too
remember a Open Office 
update taking two to three days to download or about
the same for KDE.  
That was in the KDE 3.5 days too.  KDE 4 is larger still.

If you live in the USA, let us know.  One of us may
can download a CD or 
something and mail it to you.  I live in Mississippi
myself.

Dale

:-)  :-)


Dale, Duncan, Thanks for the co-miseration!

Right now I'm in Northern Wisconsin where DSL only
reaches the five wire-miles from the switch. Switches
are too expensive for the rural population density here.

Having written that, my address now requires some
explanation. My home is about ten miles from the
Pacific in northwest Oregon. Since that is my
registered kde-linux address, I'm having to use my
Oregon ISPs webmail to post on this list.

You guys can probably picture what it's like to deal
with two "keyholes" in series - the local dial-up
line and a webmail ISP 2K miles away!

Last spring DSL did come to my Oregon home, but I'm
on the end of the line. All I get there is 256K
bits/second, but that's a near infinity speed factor
over dial-up.

The snail-mail DVDs have been working well for me.
Usually any updates I do from Wisconsin are
"overnighters". I have two boxes here to update, so I
make use of the "keep packages" option.

My 12.1 DVD should be here in a few days. I'll report
back on how the kde 4.7 display works out. Frank K


New Post Starts here:

12.1 was a big disappointment! Both kde4.7 and lxde
were buggy for me. I'm back to 11.4 with kde 4.6.0.

With 11.4 with kde 4.6.0, I have a display after
using "nomodeset" as a kernal parameter. Also I added
the 70- file to xorg.conf.d.

There is a problem with this kde display, but I think
it's the result of the graphics driver which is more
of an openSuse matter than kde. I would like to get
some help here with my kde 4.6 display problem if
it's appropriate for this list.

Since my last post, I switched to a beefier machine
than the Compaq. I'm hoping that Felix has had some
experience with this Emachine box that has the kde
4.6 display problem.

root[501] lspci | grep VGA
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation
82845G/GL[Brookdale-G]/GE Chipset Integrated Graphics
Device (rev 03)

root[502] hwinfo --gfxcard
11: PCI 02.0: 0300 VGA compatible controller (VGA)
  [Created at pci.318]
  Unique ID: _Znp.DBsAKLI2lO9
  SysFS ID: /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:02.0
  SysFS BusID: 0000:00:02.0
  Hardware Class: graphics card
  Model: "Intel i845"
  Vendor: pci 0x8086 "Intel Corporation"
  Device: pci 0x2562 "i845"
  SubVendor: pci 0x109f "Trigem Computer Inc."
  SubDevice: pci 0x3186
  Revision: 0x03
  Memory Range: 0xf0000000-0xf7ffffff
(ro,non-prefetchable)
  Memory Range: 0xe8000000-0xe807ffff
(rw,non-prefetchable)
  IRQ: 16 (no events)
  I/O Ports: 0x3c0-0x3df (rw)
  Module Alias:
"pci:v00008086d00002562sv0000109Fsd00003186bc03sc00i00"
  Driver Info #0:
    XFree86 v4 Server Module: intel
  Driver Info #1:
    XFree86 v4 Server Module: intel
    3D Support: yes
    Extensions: dri
  Config Status: cfg=no, avail=yes, need=no,
active=unknown

Primary display adapter: #11

The main problem with the kde4.6 display is the
single modeline that the display is forced to use:
1024x768 at 76Hz and 8 colors!

One attempt I made to test this box was to install an
old XP OS on an HDD partition. The display came up
the same way initially. Also there was no sound.
Googling around I found an 82845G driver from Intel
that fixed the display problem. Now on the same HW, I
have1024x768 at 70Hz with 32K colors. A Realtec AC97
download fixed the sound.

kde4.6 has the AC97 figured out, and has good sound.
I noticed that Intel also has some linux chipset
drivers, but I kept dial-up browsing in a circle.
Intel may have a solution, but I didn't find it.

Most likely you all can picture what an 8 color
display looks like in a modern graphical environment!
I think this Emachine box has all the HW capabilities
I need to run kde4.6 if I can get the beans out of
the can!

Can I get help fixing this particular display problem
here?

This is already a long post in a long thread. If I
can get help here, great! If not, I would appreciate
a suggestion of where to take it. Frank K