I have a Diamond S540 3d graphics accelerator that is gorgeous in windoze but a
nightmare in linux.
32 meg of ram onboard 1600x1200x32bit etc.
Everything Linux used to hate it.
Can't run corel-linux 1.0 because of endless loop (they PUT you into init 5 and if it
won't go you are just out of luck).
No X under RH6.1 or Caldera Openlinux
Slackware 7.0 installed the FrameBuffer X server for me and it is Perfect. I get all
my colors, no flickering, and the edge of the screen is AT the edge of the screen
with no futzing with the monitor controls. And at bootup I get a cute little graphic
(not ansi) picture of a penguin...
But there are some drawbacks...
1. It is a little slower then an accelerated server.
2. It requires support for /dev/fbdev built into the kernel
3. Console mode graphics programs that use the SVGALIB stuff won't work (probably a
workaround somewhere)
4. I can't play quake in console mode (See 3) <---- Bummer!
5. To change from one color depth and size to another (i.e.: 800x600@16bit to
1024x768@24bit graphics) you must reboot
6. Only goes to 1280x1024 (I have a 19" Monitor so 1600x1200 would be too small to
see anyway...)
Performing a search at http://linuxdoc.org/search.html (is a great place for dox)
http://linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/Framebuffer-HOWTO-2.html
http://linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/BootPrompt-HOWTO-5.html <-- the Title comes up as "The
Linux BootPrompt-HowTo: Boot Arguments for Video Frame Buffer Drivers"
You will need to change kernels
/mnt/cdrom/Mandrake/RPMS/kernel-fb-2.2.14-15mdk.i586.rpm
and install the Frame Buffer Device
/mnt/cdrom/Mandrake/RPMS/XFree86-FBDev-3.3.6-4mdk.i586.rpm
Also is a good idea to read the kernel dox on it
/mnt/cdrom/Mandrake/RPMS/kernel-doc-2.2.14-15mdk.i586.rpm
As for a /etc/X11/XF86Config file
You may have to hand edit one that you have already made and set the link for X
yourself.
There is a "Screen" section at the bottom of the file that you might be able to point
to. Man XFree86 has some info and will
point to other places to look.
Xconfigurator is too M$tupid styled to deal with this.
xf86config and XF86Setup haven't a clue about using /dev/fbdev either, but at least
you get a chance to look around. There is no ready made one like in Slackware. I
could send you the one from Slackware for hints but you of course can't use it "as
is"
When I do my Slackware Distrib I boot from a dos systems disk and use loadlin so that
I can choose
color and size from a menu.
_____________________________________
Config.sys
[menu]
menuitem=Linux640
menuitem=Linux800
menuitem=Linux1024
menuitem=Linux1280
menuitem=DOS
menuitem=LinuxBaseVideo
menudefault=Linux800,10
[dos]
device=himem.sys
dos=high
[Linux640]
[Linux800]
[LinuxBaseVideo]
[Linux1024]
[Linux1280]
_______________________________
Autoexec.bat
@echo off
cd \linux
goto %config%
:LinuxBaseVideo
echo Normal VGA!
loadlin vmlinuz root=/dev/hda5
:Linux640
Echo VGA= FrameBuffer at 640x480 at 16bit Color
loadlin vmlinuz vga=785
:linux800
Echo VGA= FrameBuffer at 800x600 at 16bit Color
loadlin vmlinuz root=/dev/hda5 vga=788
:Linux1024
Echo VGA= FrameBuffer at 1024x768 at 16bit Color
loadlin vmlinuz root=/dev/hda5 vga=791
:Linux1280
Echo VGA= FrameBuffer at 1280x1024 at 16bit Color
loadlin vmlinuz root=/dev/hda5 vga=794
:dos
___________________________________________
I have different diskettes I can leave in drive for different default resolutions.
Hope this helps!
Good Luck
Jon
Victor Richardson wrote:
> No, I've never heard of it. Could you please explain or point in the direction of
> some documentation? I'll try anything now, or I'll have to reinstall 6.0.
>
> Vic
>
> Jon wrote:
>
> > Have you guys tried the frame buffer Xserver?
> >
> > Victor Richardson wrote:
> >
> > > Sad to say, but I have had the exact same problem for a month on a IBM
> > > Netfinity 3000 server (PII450, 128 meg, S3 Trio 3D) and still can't get it to
> > > work. X just doesn't like this card.
> > >
> > > Let me know if you find a solution.
> > >
> > > Victor
> > >
> > > Softec - Javier Matos wrote:
> > >
> > > > Hi everyone:
> > > >
> > > > I got a video card S3 Trio3D with my Pentium II 350. I had tried to
> > > > configure it with Mandrake 7.0 and 6.1 without success.
> > > >
> > > > I had proved with two monitors, a Dell 1501 FP and a Samtron SC-726DXL, and
> > > > all video modes, but in both cases I only can see a blue screen with a
> > > > vertical stripe in the middle of the screen.
> > > >
> > > > Has anybody a solution.
> > > >
> > > > Thanks.
