I want to install linux on my PC, but keep running into the same problem with every distribution I try.

Here is my basic hardware:
AMD Sempron 2200+
640mb RAM
Seagate 400gb
ATI x1600 AGP 8x
Samsung 172w
Creative Audigy 2

I boot off a linux install disc and everything starts fine. I get through the entire hardware detection, then when the install is about to get to config menu or start the Live OS my display dies. If I am using DVI it just powers off. If I try using the analog connector it still kills my monitor but displays "Video Mode not supported."

I try defining the resolution and refresh to use on the boot: command line but nothing works.

This has happened with every Linux distro I have tried! (That's about 5 different ones right now). Can any of you help me get past this odd problem?

I would try changing the video card first- try an older ATI card.

After you get it up and running with an older card that works, install the latest ATi binary driver, then shut down and install the X1600. Google to check if there are specific issues with the X1600. Try AGP 4x instead of 8x in your BIOs, too.

Use Ubuntu 6.1 32bit x86- don't use any 64 bit distros until you get a 32bit one working. Too many people I know had problems with the 64bit Ubuntu- too early with immature drivers or kernal issues.

Use the VGA port. Select the vesa driver when you confiure during install.

I have finally got something to work.
I burned a Live CD of KnoppMyth and got it to boot with these boot parameters:
knoppmyth vga=0 xmodule=vesa
But of course that just gives me an ugly low res environment, at least it is something to work with.

But I want to install either Ubuntu or Fedora 6.
I have tried the above boot param. with Ubuntu and nothing changes. I'm still downloading Fedora.
Anyone have experience with this?

Note: It seems like every distro is trying to run my screen at 1280x1024... though its max resolution is 1280x768. For some reason it keeps adding this res as a modline into xorg.conf.

Anyone have experience with this?Yes, I've run into a similar problem before.

Things you can do:
- Instead of booting into X, boot to the command line. Log in as root and then modify your /etc/X11/xorg.conf -- replacing inappropriate values with the correct ones (specs from your monitor's manual very handy here). Then startx.
- or pretty much do the same, but try the vesa 2D X driver (which, in case you didn't know, is not the same as the vesa framebuffer driver) ... then when X is working with that, proceed to go to your 3D X driver of choice

BTW, what driver is trying to be loaded by defaullt? (guessing their trying to load the 'radeon' driver)

OK, So I found the ultimate solution to 99% of my problems.
I found PCLinuxOS. This kills Fedora or Ubuntu! Man, this loaded up fast and everything just worked! So I am happy now. If only I could find out how to get my FusionHDTV2 running (my 1% problem) I could ditch the pit that is Windows.

Thanks to those that gave input to help fix my problems.

Ah! You just made me download another Linux distro! It definitely sounds cool from their website.

OK, So I found the ultimate solution to 99% of my problems.
I found PCLinuxOS. This kills Fedora or Ubuntu! Man, this loaded up fast and everything just worked! So I am happy now.Nice to read things worked out for you.
If only I could find out how to get my FusionHDTV2 running (my 1% problem)see here (http://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/DViCO_FusionHDTV_II)

I just installed PCLinuxOS last night. Once you get Beryl set up (you need to edit xorg.conf to get it running properly) it looks beautiful. The Windows are stretchy and transparent:
http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/5397/snapshot1db8.png
The features are much more convenient than you would think. You can just pull part of a maximized window out of the way to see what's behind it. You can just put your mouse in the top right corner of the screen to open up a windows manager which will show you all the open windows. You can just drag a window to another workspace by pulling it to the right or left side of the screen.

Ha, nice screen shot! Yeah, glad you like PCLinuxOS too... I was certainly happy when I found it.

CityK: thanks for the link. Looks like I'll just have to wait around for this card to get more support.

Looks like I'll just have to wait around for this card to get more support.Let me be blunt - I assure you that sitting on your hands is NOT going to get you support.

Sure, someone else (i.e. other card owners) might take some initiative, but guess what -- only tji did when I solicited users to test this out over a year ago ... and even he seemed to lose interest, or has forgotten (as he stopped reporting back and/or testing). And as this is a relatively older and not widely adopted device, the chances of someone else showing interest only diminish with time.

Proper support is NOT going to develop itself. None of the developers, that I know of, have the card. Which begs the questions:
- what's the point in anyone working on something that they can't test ??
- what's the point in anyone working on something that they can't even derive personal benefit from ?? (They aren't getting paid to do this work)
- personal benefits aside, and outside of academic interests, what's the point in anyone working on something that no one in the community is even asking about ??

Indeed, there are many, many, many other areas that are more of interest, need attention, and can be benefited from if resources are devoted to them.

In other words - if you want support, you're going to have to pick up the ball and play (i.e. contact m/l, get patches, test, report findings), or develop it yourself.

You might have been able to change the X resolution with ctrl-alt-+ or ctrl-alt-- while the setup was running. With regards to the Fusion 2: I have one of these cards, I wish I knew effort was going into it a year ago.

Historically ATI card support in Linux has been poor at best. If you're into 3D acceleration go with either Nvidia or the Intel 9* cards. Either of those will work if you're into the desktop bling of Compiz or Beryl.

I have one of these cards, I wish I knew effort was going into it a year ago.Okay, that's four of you guys now, that are from around here or other similar m/l, that have a F2; David Cary, jflatt, MentatGom & tji. I just pinged Todd (I see he is active on the board today) to draw his attention to the issue. Hopefully you guys could together coordinate and provide some feedback on the dvb m/l to get support for this old timer.

Things to note:
There are two different versions of the card.
- One had a Philips tin can tuner module + the external Oren demodulator
- One had a Temic tin can tuner module + the external Oren demodulator

In addition, there are a couple of variants in regards to the PCI ID (likely just in reference to the OEM):
- dbc0:d200 ... dbc0:d240
-18ac:d200 ... 18ac:d240

You can find out which board you have via 'lspci -vn'

As Todd was pretty close to getting things going with his card in his last attempt, I really think you guys should give it a shot.