Re: help with 2.5.70 on Dell inspiron - no display

[James Simmons]

> I've been playing wiht 2.5.70 on my laptop, but I can't get any screen
> output. The Inspiron uses a
> VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Rage Mobility P/M AGP 2x (rev 100).
> according to /proc/pci. I started wiht a working .config from my 2.4
> kernel and did make oldconfig, and I've been playing wiht the
> framebuffer and console options, but the best I've been able to do is
> get the cursor to appear, but no text. I know the box is booting
> beacuse the cursor moves like it's writin output.

You have to many fbd4ev drivers selected. You need to pick one.

> # CONFIG_FB_RIVA is not set
> # CONFIG_FB_MATROX is not set
> CONFIG_FB_RADEON=y
> CONFIG_FB_ATY128=y
> CONFIG_FB_ATY=y
> CONFIG_FB_ATY_CT=y
> CONFIG_FB_ATY_GX=y
> CONFIG_FB_ATY_XL_INIT=y
> # CONFIG_FB_SIS is not set
> # CONFIG_FB_NEOMAGIC is not set
> # CONFIG_FB_3DFX is not set
> # CONFIG_FB_VOODOO1 is not set
> # CONFIG_FB_TRIDENT is not set
> # CONFIG_FB_PM3 is not set
> # CONFIG_FB_VIRTUAL is not set
> 
> #
> # Console display driver support
> #
> CONFIG_VGA_CONSOLE=y
> # CONFIG_MDA_CONSOLE is not set
> CONFIG_DUMMY_CONSOLE=y
> CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE=m

?? You are booting into VGA text mode and framebuffer console as a 
modules. I bet you have vga=0x7XX which makes the hardware switch to 
graphics mode. Not good with vgacon.