Kernel vga option causes black screen

Archer36 · 02-04-2006, 09:04 PM

Hey I have been trying to build my laptop and desktop kernel to 2.6. While it works great if I boot with "vga" ommited as soon as I add vga=0x317 I get a black screen. However the computer still works fine I can SSH into it and access the webserver. It does this both on my laptop and my desktop. Am I missing somthing in the kernel config? What options should I have enabled to use the "vga" option while booting?

Thanks

karmaflux · 02-04-2006, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Archer36

Hey I have been trying to build my laptop and desktop kernel to 2.6. While it works great if I boot with "vga" ommited as soon as I add vga=0x317 I get a black screen. However the computer still works fine I can SSH into it and access the webserver. It does this both on my laptop and my desktop. Am I missing somthing in the kernel config? What options should I have enabled to use the "vga" option while booting?

Thanks

don't use vga=0x317. use vga=normal. if you want framebuffer support, make sure you have that checked in the kernel config, along with the proper framebuffer video driver and the "console mode selection" option. here are possible video modes:

Code:

        | 640x480  800x600  1024x768 1280x1024
    ----+-------------------------------------
    256 |  0x301    0x303    0x305    0x307
    32k |  0x310    0x313    0x316    0x319
    64k |  0x311    0x314    0x317    0x31A
    16M |  0x312    0x315    0x318    0x31B

here's a good guide. It's by the gentoo kids but it works fine for slack:
gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Framebuffer_Support

This weird forum won't let me link you to it because I don't have an inflated postcount.

Archer36 · 02-04-2006, 09:34 PM

Ok, but 0x317 is listed under the table you posted? What will vga=normal produce? Im am looking for 1024x768 as on my laptop it does like 640x480 and its very annoying to use if I have to quit KDE or gnome.

karmaflux · 02-04-2006, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Archer36

Ok, but 0x317 is listed under the table you posted? What will vga=normal produce? Im am looking for 1024x768 as on my laptop it does like 640x480 and its very annoying to use if I have to quit KDE or gnome.

Those are possible video modes. If you set vga=normal it will give you a regular unadorned standard console like you see in the BIOS. The point is that vga=normal is a failsafe.

You're getting a black screen because either a) you have the incorrect drivers selected in the kernel config, or b) your monitor doesn't support 0x317 (1024x768@64k).

B is unlikely. A is probably the problem. Check your kernel config and read the guide at

gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Framebuffer_Support

Alien_Hominid · 02-05-2006, 01:56 PM

Archer36 I think you misunderstood that vga framebuffer only affects how your computer screen looks while booting linux. If you want to have good resolution in gnome, kde or etc. wm, you should install proper drivers and look at xorg.conf.

Archer36 · 02-05-2006, 02:39 PM

Yea, I know that the framebuffer does not effect KDE, however if I ever cause X to crash or somthing and have to work without X its nice to be able to fit as much as possible on the screen.

I just did it again using the VESA framebuffer for my ATI Radeon 9700 Pro and "vga=normal" works however the text is quite large probably 640x480 resolution.

Thanks

ETA: I missed the Framebuffer console support so I am in the process of rebuilding, my guess is that will do the trick.

ETA #2: Yep that did the trick, I don't know why I missed that one. Thanks for the link too.