Re: Console screen resolution / font during initramfs, KMS
On Mon, Jul 28, 2025 at 11:58:55AM -0400, Felix Miata wrote:
> Andy Smith composed on 2025-07-28 15:35 (UTC):
>
> > The video= kernel command line looks promising and I will try this when
> > I've finished using my laptop for work today :)
>
> > It would help though if anyoen were able to confirm that I'm on the
> > right track with that.
>
> You are. I've been using it ever since KMS went mainstream going on two decades
> ago, using video=1440x900 by default as my goto for 1680x1050 and higher native
> resolution displays. However, video= only takes effect when KMS engages. If BIOS
> supports it, vga= though deprecated, still will apply to the period between kernel
> load and KMS engagement (which blanks the display). video= with most hardware will
> apply only to the vttys, overridden by X. The exception is when using the
> (optional, with no official version upgrade in over a decade, stuck on
> 2.99.917.9....) intel display driver provided by upstream's xf86-video-intel,
> which Debian inexplicably provides by a different name.
Not knowning what KMS means, made me do a websearch. Now sharing my find.
KMS is short for Kernel Mode Setting. It is _Display_ Mode Setting, it
is about screen resolution, color depth and refresh rate.
See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mode_setting
Groeten
Geert Stappers
--
Silence is hard to parse
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