You can't get by without being able to deal with 80x25 (and variants) text mode, because pretty much everything talks directly to the hardware, rather than using int10. The same is true with VGA 640x480.
Microsoft specifies a subset of VGA that must be supported for boot and stuff like that. I don't know what that specification is, but that is the subset we should implement so that Windows can display what it needs to during boot. My proposal is to point the A000:0000 memory block, which I think is the "framebuffer" at some part of our graphics memory. Then a bit of logic in our chip reads it and translates it to pixels so that the video controller can handle it. A fair amount of memory bandwidth, but only in that mode, and certainly fast enough to translate VGA in real-time. On Sat, 29 Jan 2005 04:54:32 -0500, Daniel Phillips <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Thursday 27 January 2005 20:24, Robert Loomans wrote: > > > The only interesting part is the text mode initialization. Nothing > > > beyond 80x25 monochrome text is required, and that's just for > > > convenience so you don't need a custom kernel to boot. > > > > I disagree. I frequently use the text console and find that 80x25 is > > not enough.... I suggest that at least 80x50 should be supported too. > > > > Further, I suspect that dropping colour support in text mode would be > > a mistake. Many Linux installers and boot scripts use colour to > > highlight important information, particularly red for failure. > > > > Going further, I don't think that a graphics card can be truly VGA > > compatible without the full range of text modes. > > Personally I see VGA compatibility as completely expendable, or at least > deferable to a later version, and the same with any text mode beyond > what is strictly required to display a neolithic monochrome console. > But if you don't agree, here is a vga core from opencores.org that > might work out, assuming the license is ok. > > http://www.opencores.org/projects.cgi/web/vga_lcd/overview > > Can somebody give me a hint please, what "FLEX: EPF10K50E-1: 1112lcells" > translates into in terms of Spartan III real estate? > > Regards, > > Daniel > _______________________________________________ > Open-graphics mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.duskglow.com/mailman/listinfo/open-graphics > List service provided by Duskglow Consulting, LLC (www.duskglow.com) > _______________________________________________ Open-graphics mailing list [email protected] http://lists.duskglow.com/mailman/listinfo/open-graphics List service provided by Duskglow Consulting, LLC (www.duskglow.com)
