nvidia with framebuffer

TrentonAdams · n00b Joined: 16 Aug 2008 Posts: 64

Hi Guys,

I tried compiling the nvidia framebuffer into the kernel, and using the x11 nvidia-drivers as well for XOrg, but it complained and said I would have to remove it from the kernel.

So, what other alternative do I have? I can't stand the 80x25 screen resolution. It used to work in 2.6.17, but I can't remember the stuff I enabled. Now I'm using 2.6.28.

Thanks.

mikegpitt · Advocate Joined: 22 May 2004 Posts: 3224

Have you tried uvesafb? Instructions are here:
http://dev.gentoo.org/~spock/projects/uvesafb/

pappy_mcfae · Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 6:11 am Post subject:

You can also try VESA VGA, which is what I use. You don't need anything else with VESA VGA. With uvesafb, there is a user space program needed.

Blessed be!
Pappy
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TrentonAdams · n00b Joined: 16 Aug 2008 Posts: 64

Just tried it at your request, and it does not work. Any ideas???

TrentonAdams · n00b Joined: 16 Aug 2008 Posts: 64

TrentonAdams · n00b Joined: 16 Aug 2008 Posts: 64

Disabling the VGA one did nothing to make uvesafb one to work. I throw my hands in the air.

CapnBuzzkill · n00b Joined: 16 Mar 2007 Posts: 23 Location: Holland

I have an nvidia card myself and I use the vesa framebuffer (like pappy_mcfae said above). The following works for me:

- enable CONFIG_FB ("Support for frame buffer devices") and CONFIG_FB_VESA ("VESA VGA graphics support") in your kernel .config
- use this to boot your kernel (so add the "vga=" and replace your own "video=") : vga=0x31B video=vesafb:mtrr:3,ywrap

The number after "vga=" indicates the resolution and color depth you wanna use, in this case it's 1280x1024 with 24-bits color. For more options (also for "video=") see this link.

TrentonAdams · n00b Joined: 16 Aug 2008 Posts: 64

That doesn't work for me. I can only select number of characters. e.g. 80x50, 80x60, etc.

TrentonAdams · n00b Joined: 16 Aug 2008 Posts: 64

Oops, I had disabled the VGA one, let me try again.

TrentonAdams · n00b Joined: 16 Aug 2008 Posts: 64

Okay, the vesa does something now. But, the screen is blank. Going try it without the mtrr.

TrentonAdams · n00b Joined: 16 Aug 2008 Posts: 64

No, nothing seems to work properly in VESA mode.

CapnBuzzkill · n00b Joined: 16 Mar 2007 Posts: 23 Location: Holland

First you say "the vesa does something now" and now you say "nothing seems to work properly". What exactly do you mean? Do you only get a black screen without any visible text? Have you tried different values for the "vga=" parameter?

Can you please post:
- all the framebuffer options you have enabled in your kernel (ie. run "grep -i _fb /usr/src/linux/.config")
- your "kernel" line from your grub.conf / menu.lst
- your dmesg output (there should be something in there about the frame buffer)

TrentonAdams · n00b Joined: 16 Aug 2008 Posts: 64

Sorry, I meant nothing works as in I get a blank screen, and changing the mtrr option did nothing. I'll try disabling ywrap too though. I'm recompiling first though.

CapnBuzzkill · n00b Joined: 16 Mar 2007 Posts: 23 Location: Holland

With regard to the mtrr setting in the "video=" parameter, I think you either have to have CONFIG_MTRR enabled in your kernel .config, or you have to use mtrr:0 there, perhaps you can enable CONFIG_MTRR anyway just to be sure. Have you tried using a numerical value with the "vga=" parameter instead of "ask", ie "vga=0x301"?

When looking through my own kernel .config, I see two more options that seem relevant: CONFIG_VGA_CONSOLE and CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE. Do you have these two enabled as well? If not, could you test with those enabled?