[techtalk] SB Live! and SiS 5597 on linux

[Laurel Fan]

Excerpts from linuxchix: 22-Mar-100 [techtalk] SB Live! and SiS.. by "m
d"@hotmail.com 
> This is my first posting, so forgive me if this is a worn-out question.
> Can I get SB Live! to work under linux?  I'm using Redhat 6.0 on a
> Pentium.  Windows98 is also loaded.

Yes. There is a driver at http://opensource.creative.com (called        
    emu10k1, i think).  There is also an ALSA driver at                 
        http://www.alsa-project.org.

> I'm also having an annoying problem with the monitor in X.  If I run in 
> 1024x768, I get a default bit depth of 8.  It won't let me choose any
> other. 

I assume you've tried startx -- -bbp 24.

Make sure your HorizSync and VertRefresh are right, because X will
refuse to use a mode if it thinks your monitor can't do it.

Also make sure the dotclock of your video card is set right.

Make sure you have a Display subsection for that depth in the screen
section.

You can specify multiple resolutions to try (switch between them with
Ctrl-Alt-Numpad+ and Ctrl-Alt-Numpad-) by specifying multiple modes
like this:

    Subsection "Display"
        Depth       16
        Modes       "640x480" "800x600" "1024x768" "1280x1024" "1600x1200"
        ViewPort    0 0
    EndSubsection

Also make sure you have an appropriate modeline.  The XFree86 
Video Timings HOWTO explains what it all means, and also
how to do your own if you want:
http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/XFree86-Video-Timings-HOWTO.html

This HOWTO will also tell you how to make an interlaced mode (which
I suspect is how Windows gets 1024x768).  There's only one of those
my autogenerated XF86Config, so adding your own might help.

The squashed thing sounds like it's trying to use a doublescan
mode, and not working.  You might want to comment those out, or
just not use a resolution that low (640x480 should be low enough)