Frmebuffer problem on intel 945GM

redzi · n00b Joined: 16 Sep 2005 Posts: 6

Hi.

I have HP compaq nx7400 notebook with intel 945GM graphics card. I've installed Gentoo with gentoo-sources 2.6.23-r3 x86 and cannot get any reasonable resolution in the console. My screen is 1280x800@60. I tried intelfb, vesafb and uvesafb none of which worked for me. In the kernel menuconfig I can't find vesa-tng, anyone knows why it isn't there?
Has anyone got his intel 945 run on anything more than 80x60 chars?
If so please post what should be done to make it running.
Maybe it would be worth to create some kind of walkthrough because quite many people have similar problem?

Best regards.
Rafal

semtex · n00b Joined: 01 May 2007 Posts: 18

I think that you should use the forum search option because a lot of people had the same question recently, including myself. Anyway, here is everything I know about the problem and how to fix it:

You will need the following kernel options (maybe not all of them, but it won't hurt to activate all of them):

skypjack · Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 11:04 pm Post subject:

I have an Intel 945GM and I use vesafb-ng for the framebuffer.
Of course, resolution is 1024x768 and it's the better one (1280x80 is possible but difficult to obtain).
semtex, why do you have uvesa and you don't use vesafb-ng?

semtex · n00b Joined: 01 May 2007 Posts: 18

I'm using x86_64

redzi · n00b Joined: 16 Sep 2005 Posts: 6

I added initramfs line in grub.conf.
During bootup I get following messages:

uvesafb: failed to execute /sbin/v86d
uvesafb: Geting VBE info block failed (eax=0x4f00,err=-2)
uvesafb: vbe_init() failed with -22
uvesafb: probe of uvesafb.O failed with error -22

Do you have any idea what could it be?

redzi · n00b Joined: 16 Sep 2005 Posts: 6

Ok, it works on 1280x800 now (wow).
I added CONFIG_INITRAMFS_SOURCE=/usr/share/v86d/initramfs in the kernel configuration and deleted the line with initrd in the grub.conf.

drFUNK · n00b Joined: 23 Oct 2007 Posts: 6 Location: noVA, USA

skypjack · Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 2:25 pm Post subject:

What's kind of driver do you have: uvesafb or intelfb?
Thanks so much ...

drFUNK · n00b Joined: 23 Oct 2007 Posts: 6 Location: noVA, USA

skypjack · Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 12:18 pm Post subject:

Ok. Thanks.
I'm using vesafb-ng, whit kernel 2.6.22. I know that uvesa start by kernel 2.6.23 so I'll try it in the near future ...
If it works whit your 915gm maybe it will work also with my 945gm ... Don't you think so?
Thansk ...
Bye bye

skypjack · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 11:49 pm Post subject:

Hi there,
I'm using uvesafb now, and fbcondecor with gentoo theme.
I can't start 1280x800 resolution, because the framebuffer crash to 640x480 ...
Trying without fbcondecor into boot runlevel and without the initrd line into menu.lst the result is the same: framebuffer doesn't work at 1280x800!
I don't know why ... Someone has an idea?
I have an intel 945gm, too ...

Thanks in advance ...

write2prasadk · n00b Joined: 27 Mar 2006 Posts: 29 Location: Kerala, India

hi skypjack,

me too using uvesafb on a 945GM with tuxonice-2.6.25-r4, did you get 1280x800 resolution work??, if yes please reply
_________________
Acer Aspire/C2D1.73/945GM/1.5GB/160GB/DVD-RW/Gentoo x86/TuxOnIce 2.6.25-r4/GCC 4.3.1/Fluxbox 1.0
Linux Registered User #404517

superlusr · n00b Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 7

Is an initial ramdisk required for frame buffer console decoration?

szczerb · Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 10:57 am Post subject:

Only if you want it right after grub.

superlusr · n00b Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 7

d2_racing · Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 2:11 pm Post subject:

You need a initrd to have a console decoration and if not, you will only have a framebuffer.

superlusr · n00b Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 7

s4e8 · Guru Joined: 29 Jul 2006 Posts: 311

I prefer the KMS fb support.

d2_racing · Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 11:43 am Post subject:

Hi, in fact nowadays, we have the VESAFB and the new UVESAFB.

For my concern, if I want to use a framebuffer, I prefer to use the one inside the kernel, but for what I know, the uvesafb is working pretty good too