Re: fbcon

["Adam C. Powell, IV" <adam powell nist gov>]

Zeen,

UPDATE: matroxfb works in *text mode* on 164LX with Millennium II, 4 MB VRAM, 2.2.0
and 2.2.0-final (since sound is broken on 2.2.0).  Text modes that worked for me:
video=matrox:vesa:0x108 or 0x10B or 0x10C (i.e. 640x480, 1056x400, 1056x480; though
0x10C seems to only work on reboot, not on initial BIOS/ARC startup).  You don't get
the penguin in these text modes, but all of them allow quite a bit more text than
the standard VGA console.

One problem: when dropping out of X (3.3.3-1, SVGA mode, 1600x1200 16 bpp), I get a
blank or solid-colored screen which persists for quite a while.  Switching consoles
around (e.g. alt-F2) got me back, but I haven't had the patience to drop out of X
and let it sit long enough to come back on its own. :-)

xeno@clark.net wrote:

> > >         There is currently a matroxfb in development which provides
> > > partial acceleration for the console framebuffer.  It can be found in the
> > > cvs right now, and will probably be a part of 2.1.129.  It doesn't work on
> > > Alphas at the moment, but I'm working with the author to remedy that
> > > situation; Petr has been very helpful and cooperative so far.
> >
> > Cool!  Any progress in the last two months?  I tried building 2.2.0-final with
> > matroxfb and booting, but no dice, even with video=vc.  Same problem as others
> > on this list: I get the first line of kernel output then it dies, regardless of
> > the video variable I give it.
>
>   Which processor does this work under? I tried building on my avanti only
> to discover that there was no matrox option in the framebuffer section,
> only a tga. This is the one great thing in my opinion that sucks really
> hard under alphas right now. :(
>   If I knew anything about coding framebuffer stuff, I'd be more than
> willing to help.
>
> Eric

You have to set CONFIG_EXPERIMENTAL which is the first question in make config.
Then after answering "Y" to CONFIG_FB, CONFIG_FB_MATROX should be the second option
that comes up.  (Funny- it doesn't *say* "EXPERIMENTAL", but it's pretty clear from
the Config.in that you need it.)  If you want to boot with fbcon, answer "Y" not
"M".  Then there are four sub-options for Matrox drivers.

My compressed kernel is only 47K larger with matroxfb compiled in than with no frame
buffer.  Pretty cool!!  When it really works for alpha, I'd love to see some apps
for the framebuffer.  Or could an alternate gdk wrapper be written for it, so GIMP
and most of GNOME could run without X?  Or does one need something like GGI or
kgicon?  Or does Adam not know what he's talking about? :-)

For those really interested in fb development...  Trolling through linux-kernel
archives, I found an announcement of a couple of weeks ago from Geert Uytterhoeven
of a new linux-fbdev list.  To join, send mailto:Majordmo@vu.union.edu with message
body "subscribe linux-fbdev".  No word on an archive (yet... I'm going to ask and
will post if I get a reply).

Zeen,

-Adam `Cold Fusion' Powell, IV http://www.ctcms.nist.gov/~powell/ ____
USDoC, National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST)  |\ ||<  |
Center for Theoretical and Computational Materials Science  | \||_> |