Geforce4 + framebuffer = blank screen after mobo replacement

Operations · n00b Joined: 05 Oct 2002 Posts: 5

Hi all,

Recently I have replaced my PC's mainboard.
The old one was an Asus P4B with an Intel 845 chipset, the new one is an Asus P4PE with an Intel 845PE chipset.
Other components replaces are the memory (256MB SDRAM was replaced with 1GB DDR SDRAM) and the network adapter (was a 3COM 3C905C-TX-M, now using the Broadcom onboard gigabit adapter)
The video card is an Asus V8460DeLuxe, with an nVidia GeForce4 Ti4600 GPU.

Since this replacement I am unable to get the linux framebuffer console to work. I have the VesaFB compiled in the kernel (of which I have tried several versions: 2.4.19-gentoo-r10; 2.4.20-gentoo-r1, 2.4.21-pre3-ac4 and 2.5.59-mm6) but when I try to boot using bootparameter 'vga=791' I get a blank (black) screen.
My monitor's OSD tells me the correct graphics mode was selected; 1024x768 @ 60HZ.
'Behind' the black screen the system boots normally, and eventually X (kdm) starts and I can log in to KDE.
Trying to switch back to the console using CTRL-ALT-F1 results in a many-colored screen Piet Mondriaan would be yealous of

I can switch back to X using ALT-F7.

/dev/fb/ is empty, so is /proc/fb

I tried many different kernel compile options and bootparams, from different threads on this forum and tips I found using google.

I really want this to work, since using 1024x768 resolution on a 1024x768 TFT monitor results is much sharper image than the 720x400 textmode resolution (which results in interpolation and blurry characters)

I really hope someone knows a solution to this problem!!

Thanks in advance,
Arnoud

edit:
After re-reading the kernels bootlog I found the following line in it:

Operations · n00b Joined: 05 Oct 2002 Posts: 5

After removing half my memory, it does work...

Any ideas how to make it work with 1GB memory?

cato` · Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2003 3:35 pm Post subject:

you could try to tell the kernel the size of your memory...

I think append mem="1000M" is the right command....but Im not sure if that helps you... try google :wink:

CPU: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 1.60GHz stepping 04
..... CPU clock speed is 2138.1129 MHz.
..... host bus clock speed is 133.6320 MHz.

Heavy overclocked ?

Operations · n00b Joined: 05 Oct 2002 Posts: 5

mwah... heavy, heavy

Just increased the FSB speed from 100 to 133 MHz.. Still rockstable

(Same with the memory, PC2100 DDR designed for 266MHz (2x 133) now running at PC2700 speed; 333MHz (2x166))

Using mem=1000M or mem=1024M doesn't help, however mem=768M does

When I let it use all memory, it divides it in 896M of low memory and 127M of high memory. It seems the kernel needs to map the video memory (128M) in low memory, so letting the kernel use 768M leaves 896-768=128M for video mem and then it works

Kind of a luxury problem methinks...
Oh well... Gentoo runs just fine in only 768M

bushwakko · Guru Joined: 25 Mar 2003 Posts: 495

I have this problem too, however I only have 512 mb ram! and it works perfectly with the 2.4.20 kernel but 2.5.65 has a problem with it

barrettg · n00b Joined: 24 Jul 2002 Posts: 3

I have the same problem. Asus A7N8X, Geforce 4 TI 4800 1Gig Corsair 333. Black screen on boot, if I pass the mem=768M everything is fine. Weird!

cartman · n00b Joined: 06 May 2003 Posts: 1 Location: Sweden

https://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=19061
Had the same problem, works rock stable now!

sweede · n00b Joined: 02 Jan 2003 Posts: 45

Wierd, i have that asus board, a gig of pc2700(running at 180fsb woot!) and a geforce ti4200, it ran a 1024x768 framebuffer just fine

http://www.underthemain.net/~sweede/fb.png

I also use SATA drives so i had to use the 2.4.21-pre3-ac4 kernel

processor type and features -> High mem Support (changed to 4gb)
just in case
also make sure you have MTRR support.

Char devices, enhanced real time clock support
No, not even a module, AGP support (this is because of my motherboard, nforce doesnt work with kernel AGP)