Re: [gentoo-user] Re: about boot with framebuffer

[Albert Hopkins <marduk@letterboxes.org>]

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