my config, and kernel build problems were just due to brain fade, as many 
of you might have guessed.

after building the kernel with a minor change to the config file my 
display problems are cured.

I will be playing with patches to the com driver and/or switching to 
-current to hopefully solve my com port difficulties.


Thanks to everyone who helped me out. Hopefully I'll be able to get the 
rest of this working without posting anymore.
(having said that i am sure I am wrong)

once again thanks.

aron roberts
aron@c2.org