Albert Hopkins <mar...@letterboxes.org> wrote:
>
>
> On Monday, July 4 at 13:10 (-0500), Harry Putnam said:
>
> > Are you saying it does not require `xorg-x11'.
> >
> > Step 2) says in large type:
> > `2. Installing Xorg'
> >
> > Then a big note in a green box later on says:
> >
> > ,----
> > | Note: You could install the xorg-x11 metapackage instead of the more
> > | lightweight xorg-server. Functionally, xorg-x11 and xorg-server are
> > | the same. However, xorg-x11 brings in many more packages that you
> > | probably don't need, such as a huge assortment of fonts in many
> > | different languages. They're not necessary for a working desktop.
> > `----
> >
> > So I'm a little confused.
>
> Perhaps pointing to the xorg documentation was a mistake. I only
> pointed there because it had instructions on setting up KMS.
>
> KMS (kernel mode setting) does not require X. It gives the kernel the
> ability to set the modes of your graphics cards, more efficiently and
> usually beyond the capabilities of what the *vesa drivers can do.
> Perhaps a better, non X-centered explanation of what KMS is can be found
> here [1].
>
> Regardless, KMS is the newer, better, what-all-the-cool-kids-are-doinger
> way to what we've traditionally called "framebuffer console". It also
> helps with X, especially switching between console and Xorg (faster and
> more seamless). It also gives you some xrandr-like abilities for the
> console.
>
> E.g. my laptop does native 1366x768 but does not support that vesa mode
> (it's not in the VESA standard afaik). But KMS can set that mode without
> me even having to specify it.[2]
>
> Anyway some proprietary X drivers (I've heard) don't support KMS (some
> still don't even support xrandr), but if you are not running Xorg then
> that may not be applicable to you anyway.
>
> [1]
> http://kernelnewbies.org/Linux_2_6_29#head-e1bab8dc862e3b477cc38d87e8ddc779a66509d1
>
> [2] http://ompldr.org/vOWN0cg/kms.png
I tried to use kms, but it conflicted with the nvidia driver and did not
give me as much screen size in the console as uvesafb.
--
Your life is like a penny. You're going to lose it. The question is:
How do
you spend it?
John Covici
cov...@ccs.covici.com
