HD Install :: Can dsl save this old laptop?

In looking over your XF86Config-4 file,
I'm not seeing any depth/modes lines in your screen section.

Is it possible that your xfree is defaulting to 4 color?
The icons won't show up in 4 color mode..
It's one of the last good reasons I can think of as to why your
XVesa/Xfbdev work fine, and your XFree86 doesn't ..

Are you using an X.Org XF86Config-4 file?
I see those ending without depth/modes lines occasionally.

Here is my current one as an example..

I'll dig my working XF86Config-4 out of my old compaq,
( with the wigged out mouse ) and post it here soon.

73
ke4nt

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Card0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultColorDepth 16
SubSection "Display"
Depth 1
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 4
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 32
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "DRI"
Mode 0666
EndSection

I'd previously tried xorg's version to no avail. Adding your sample lines above into my current file (currently dsl's supplied XF86Config-4) is still unable to produce the icons.

I've encountered the same problem before, but after a while I decided to revert to a frugal install. There seems to be a file missing when you do a HDinstall. Try to click on "enhanced desktop" from the menu if you have access to it, or try to find the shell script (I think something like "enhanced.sh"). Then look at the output, it will tell you what file is missing. I stopped there, but with the forum you might be able to find some more help.

original here.