Re: Matrox frame buffer not working
> Hi folks,
>
> I'm sure I have seen something similar to this problem on the list
> recently, but I wasn't able to find anything helpful in the list
> archives.
>
> I recently installed a Matrox Mystique in my debian machine, which had
> been in my windows machine for a few years until I got a new card. I
> used to run the VGA16 framebuffer with no worries, but thought it would
> be cool to run in something other than minimum resolution and 16 colours
> on the console.
>
> I recomiled my 2.2.15 kernel, removing the VGA16 framebuffer, and
> inserting the matrox framebufer as a module.
>
> I rebooted with the new kernel, and at the lilo prompt typed in:
>
> linux video=matrox:vesa:0x114
>
> (which should give me 800x600x16bit), according to the matrox
> framebuffer documentation in the kernel sources.
>
> The new kernel proceeded to load, but only with the standard VGA text
> console - no sign of a framebuffer to be seen. However, if I tried
> modprobing matroxfb, the framebuffer will load correctly, and can be set
> from fbset. There was no error or anything when using the lilo line
> (typed in maually at the "lilo:¨ prompt, not "append"ed in lilo.conf),
> it just didn't appear.
>
> My preference is to have it load automatically, which I'd believed it
> should do giving my lilo command line (isn't the idea that kmod
> automatically loads modules when needed?). Any idea what I'm doing
> wrong? If I'd compiled it in would it have made a difference?
Yes, I think you found the solution by yourself.
As far as I know the FB staff is done right at the beginning when the kernel
is loaded. So passing the lilo parameter doesn't work as the matrox framebuffer
is compiled as module, and the kernel can't load modules at that stage.
So either compile it into the kernel, or load the module during init.
Jo
>
> Any pointers greatly appreciated.
>
> cheers,
>
> damon
>
> --
> Damon Muller (dm-sig6@empire.net.au) / It's not a sense of humor.
> * Criminologist / It's a sense of irony
> * Webmeister / disguised as one.
> * Linux Geek / - Bruce Sterling
>
> - Running Debian GNU/Linux: Doing my bit for World Domination (tm) -
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