Re: [gentoo-user] Re: [drm] loading RV710 Microcode fails

[Gregory Shearman <zekeyg@gmail.com>]

In linux.gentoo.user, you wrote:
> Gregory Shearman <zekeyg <at> gmail.com> writes:
>
>
>> Are you using kernel modesetting? If you are then you have to get your
>> microcode built into the kernel.
>
> Not sure, can you be more specific on "modesetting" as 
> grepping the /usr/src/linux/.config does not find anything,
> so I'm not exactly sure what "modesetting" refers to....

I run an ATI HD5660 graphics card and use the open source Radeon driver
found in the kernel. When I select this driver, there's a second option
about allowing kernel modesetting by default. I've found that 3D
graphics and even the Xserver doesn't run on the 2.6.36 kernel unless
Kernel Modesetting is selected. This driver requires microcode to be
installed (emerge radeon-ucode). Now, I don't run an initramfs and
because kernel modesetting requires that the kernel handle the
framebuffer it loads the graphics driver before it has accessed any of
the system's hard drives. This means that for the kernel to find the
microcode it must be included when the kernel is compiled.

I can't help you further as I'm not sure what graphics card you run, nor
whether or not you're using the proprietary driver nor have you provided
the context for the error message provided in the subject.

>
> Nothing undeer the "Generic Driver section of the kernels
> I have been using has changed. The kernel worked before
> I began following web pages and notes from this list
> on removing hald and the hal flag from the system. I did
> rebuild the kernel-2.6.36-gentoo-r5 after these
> hal purge exercises began.....

I don't think HAL is your problem. Your kernel cannot find the microcode
for your graphics card. See above.

>> You need CONFIG_EXTRA_FIRMWARE, and provide the filenames of the
>> firmware you require (in the form of a space delimited string) to run
>> your graphics card.
>
> Here are the setting from .config, as they always have
> been: (I'd prefer not to use modsetting, unless provided
> a GOOD reason to use it?)
>
>
> CONFIG_UEVENT_HELPER_PATH="/sbin/hotplug"
> # CONFIG_DEVTMPFS is not set
> CONFIG_STANDALONE=y
> CONFIG_PREVENT_FIRMWARE_BUILD=y
> CONFIG_FW_LOADER=y
> CONFIG_FIRMWARE_IN_KERNEL=y
> CONFIG_EXTRA_FIRMWARE=""

See CONFIG_EXTRA_FIRMWARE=""?

This needs to be where you place your filenames for your kernel
microcode required by your graphics card.

You should also have:

CONFIG_EXTRA_FIRMWARE_DIR=""

This should show the kernel the directory where your firmware is stored.
Mine is in /lib/firmware.

-- 
Regards,
Gregory.