Greetings.  We just installed Scientific Linux 5.0 on a Dell Optiplex
745 belonging to one of the professors here.  On the whole, the system
works just fine, but we've got one small, annoying glitch with the
video, and I'm seeking advice about it.  Note that we've installed the 
32-bit version of SL, on the theory that there would be better drivers, 
etc., for this version (and this is the prof's desktop system, not a 
number cruncher).

The monitor for this system is a Dell 2407WFP, with a preferred
resolution of [log in to unmask]  We're using the DVI interface to the
monitor.

The graphics adapter is identified as follows by "lspci":

01:00.1 Display controller: ATI Technologies Inc Unknown device 71a3
         Subsystem: Dell Unknown device 0d03
         Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
         Memory at dfdf0000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
         Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 2
         Capabilities: [58] Express Endpoint IRQ 0

We've downloaded what appears to be latest version of the ATI driver
(ati-driver-installer-8.37.6-x86.x86_64.run) and have used the included
aticonfig utility to help configure X-windows.  Note that the ATI web 
site has two choices for linux:

     Linux x86
     Linux x86_64

So far as I can tell, both choices lead to the same installer file, 
marked as "...x86_64...".

By the way, the ATI software identifies the graphics adapter as:

     Radeon X1300/X1550 Series

The difficulty is that X-windows insists on running the display at a 
resolution of:

     1600x1200

This makes for a perfectly clear display, IMHO, but it does give
characters and images the wrong aspect ratio: everything looks a little 
too short and a little too wide.

We opened a help ticket with ATI support and received the following
non-response:

 >The Linux drivers available from ATI are provide are "as is".
 >You may be able to get further assistance from the Linux community...

(All your video are belong to us.)

We've tried just cramming "1920x1200" into the mode line in xorg.conf,
but that is either ignored or causes the video subsystem to "hang",
depending on the detailed circumstances.

If you have any suggestions, please pass 'em along.  Thanks.

                                         - Mike
--
Michael Hannon            mailto:[log in to unmask]
Dept. of Physics          530.752.4966
University of California  530.752.4717 FAX
Davis, CA 95616-8677