Thanks for the help so far. I HAVE now managed to get a readable display following these instructions with one change for the VGA setting : From within WIN DOS prompt
C:
CD \LINUX
Loadlin linux24 initrd=minirt24 dsl vga=785 (original instruction was 786)
The above loads and gives me a readable 640 x 480 screen.
Attempts to change ot 800 x 600 have so far failed. I've tried 770, 787, 788 and 808 all have failed to load or given unreadable screen.
I'll try your other suggestions.
How do I build onto into DSL directories from the DOS partition.
regards,
Ken.

How do I build onto into DSL directories from the DOS partition.

Not sure what you mean by that. I am no Dos expert. If you mean install software, You can use apt in Dsl for installing software.

It looks as though 640 x 480 is the best the graphics card can handle in the Dell XPI P133. If I set to 800 x 600 256 colours I can read the screen but the colours are all wrong. It might work with a resolution somewhere between.
If I accept the 640 x 480 resolution which wireless cards will get me on the net. I was thinking of the Linksys WPC11 Ver 3 which can switch between 16 and 32 bit. Slower than the V4 but it's a question of what is compatible with DSL and the DELL laptop. Any ideas.
Ken