[ale] SuSE-9.3/Gateway Redux: SuSE, kde, and shallow color (8 bpp)

[Mills, John M.]

ALErs -

My Gateway('G6-330')/ SuSE-9.3 startup problems seem to stem from the
'mpact 2' chip/ VESA/framebuffer on-board video (4Mby video RAM). Does
anyone have experience setting this up with SuSE-9.3? In principle the
video ram should allow c. 1200x1024x24bpp, but I don't think I'm getting
close to that.

For example, failed color mapping seems to cause the problems I earlier
reported with an incomplete logout panel and frozen-out mouse buttons:
starting X11 from a console and returning there at lockup, shows X is
stuck in a loop with failing color selection.

This may also be why the KDE/xdm login panel never appears, but I don't
have evidence for that [yet].

I have been picking away with Sax2 but my choices don't seem to work
well nor to 'stick'.

Run-level 3 and user-startup of X11 works with undemanding window
managers (c.f., Windowmaker), but it's no solution for the 'newbie' who
will get this system.

Convincing SuSE & KDE to live with few colors might make this setup
usable. Could someone please tell me how to do this?

BTW, Win98 is treated even shabbier! 640x480x8!! I found a new driver to
try for that environment, though.

TIA for shared wounds or wisdom.

 - Mills