[gentoo-user] dummy console

[gentoo-user] dummy console

[Jorge Almeida]

I upgraded from kernel 2.6.11 (gentoo-sources r4) to 2.6.12 (r6), and
lost my framebuffer console. No console whatsoever, actually, but xdm
starts OK. Checking .config, I see
 	# Console display driver support
 	#
 	CONFIG_VGA_CONSOLE=y
 	CONFIG_DUMMY_CONSOLE=y
 	CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE=m
 	# CONFIG_FONTS is not set
 	CONFIG_FONT_8x8=y
 	CONFIG_FONT_8x16=y

I was under the impression that CONFIG_DUMMY_CONSOLE is set only when
CONFIG_VGA_CONSOLE is unset. Wrong? I'm assuming that the dummy console
overrides the vga console...
There is no way to unset the ugly thing. I tried make menuconfig and
make xconfig. I tried commenting out that line.

The line in grub.conf:
kernel (hd1,2)/boot/linux-2.6.12-gentoo-r6 root=/dev/hdb3 video=vesafb:ywrap,mtrr vga=0x31a pci=usepirqmask

-- 
Jorge Almeida
-- 
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

Re: [gentoo-user] dummy console

[Richard Fish]

Jorge Almeida wrote:

> I upgraded from kernel 2.6.11 (gentoo-sources r4) to 2.6.12 (r6), and
> lost my framebuffer console. No console whatsoever, actually, but xdm
> starts OK. Checking .config, I see
>     # Console display driver support
>     #
>     CONFIG_VGA_CONSOLE=y
>     CONFIG_DUMMY_CONSOLE=y
>     CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE=m
>     # CONFIG_FONTS is not set
>     CONFIG_FONT_8x8=y
>     CONFIG_FONT_8x16=y
>
> I was under the impression that CONFIG_DUMMY_CONSOLE is set only when
> CONFIG_VGA_CONSOLE is unset. Wrong? I'm assuming that the dummy console
> overrides the vga console...
> There is no way to unset the ugly thing. I tried make menuconfig and
> make xconfig. I tried commenting out that line.
>
> The line in grub.conf:
> kernel (hd1,2)/boot/linux-2.6.12-gentoo-r6 root=/dev/hdb3 
> video=vesafb:ywrap,mtrr vga=0x31a pci=usepirqmask
>

My guess is that you just don't have the appropriate framebuffer drivers 
configured in "Device Drivers->Graphics Support".  With the Gentoo 
sources, I recommend at least CONFIG_FB_VESA=y and 
CONFIG_FB_VESA_TNG=y.  If you do you will need to change your boot 
options, as VESA_TNG doesn't use the vga= parameter:

kernel (hd1,2)/boot/linux-2.6.12-gentoo-r6 root=/dev/hdb3 
video=vesafb:1280x1024-16@60,ywrap,mtrr pci=usepirqmask

-Richard

-- 
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

Re: [gentoo-user] dummy console

[Jorge Almeida]

On Mon, 25 Jul 2005, Richard Fish wrote:

>
> My guess is that you just don't have the appropriate framebuffer drivers 
> configured in "Device Drivers->Graphics Support".  With the Gentoo sources, I 
> recommend at least CONFIG_FB_VESA=y and CONFIG_FB_VESA_TNG=y.  If you do you 
I have CONFIG_FB_VESA=y and CONFIG_FB_VESA_STD=y. 
> will need to change your boot options, as VESA_TNG doesn't use the vga= 
> parameter:
>
> kernel (hd1,2)/boot/linux-2.6.12-gentoo-r6 root=/dev/hdb3 
> video=vesafb:1280x1024-16@60,ywrap,mtrr pci=usepirqmask
>
> -Richard
>
>

Jorge
-- 
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

Re: [gentoo-user] dummy console

[Richard Fish]

Jorge Almeida wrote:

> I upgraded from kernel 2.6.11 (gentoo-sources r4) to 2.6.12 (r6), and
> lost my framebuffer console. No console whatsoever, actually, but xdm
> starts OK. Checking .config, I see
>     # Console display driver support
>     #
>     CONFIG_VGA_CONSOLE=y
>     CONFIG_DUMMY_CONSOLE=y
>     CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE=m


Oh, and also, FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE should be =y

-Richard

-- 
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

Re: [gentoo-user] dummy console

[Jorge Almeida]

On Mon, 25 Jul 2005, Richard Fish wrote:

>
>
> Jorge Almeida wrote:
>
>> I upgraded from kernel 2.6.11 (gentoo-sources r4) to 2.6.12 (r6), and
>> lost my framebuffer console. No console whatsoever, actually, but xdm
>> starts OK. Checking .config, I see
>>     # Console display driver support
>>     #
>>     CONFIG_VGA_CONSOLE=y
>>     CONFIG_DUMMY_CONSOLE=y
>>     CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE=m
>
>
> Oh, and also, FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE should be =y
>
Will try that (only tomorrow night, I can't access my home box until
then).
Still, what about the "dummy" thing? The configurator doesn't give a
chance. Is it OK like this?

Thanks,

Jorge
-- 
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

Re: [gentoo-user] dummy console

[Richard Fish]

Jorge Almeida wrote:

> On Mon, 25 Jul 2005, Richard Fish wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Jorge Almeida wrote:
>>
>>> I upgraded from kernel 2.6.11 (gentoo-sources r4) to 2.6.12 (r6), and
>>> lost my framebuffer console. No console whatsoever, actually, but xdm
>>> starts OK. Checking .config, I see
>>>     # Console display driver support
>>>     #
>>>     CONFIG_VGA_CONSOLE=y
>>>     CONFIG_DUMMY_CONSOLE=y
>>>     CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE=m
>>
>>
>>
>> Oh, and also, FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE should be =y
>>
> Will try that (only tomorrow night, I can't access my home box until
> then).
> Still, what about the "dummy" thing? The configurator doesn't give a
> chance. Is it OK like this?
>

Seems ok (I have the same thing).  Looking at the Kconfig file in 
drivers/video/console, I find:


config VGA_CONSOLE
        bool "VGA text console" if EMBEDDED || !X86
        depends on !ARCH_ACORN && !ARCH_EBSA110 && !4xx && !8xx && 
!SPARC32 && !SPARC64 && !M68K && !PARISC
        default y
[...]

Which means that VGA_CONSOLE is only configurable if you are doing an 
EMBEDDED or non-x86 configuration.  For normal x86 builds, VGA_CONSOLE 
will always be available, since it defaults to 'y'

Later on, we find:

config DUMMY_CONSOLE
        bool
        depends on PROM_CONSOLE!=y || VGA_CONSOLE!=y || 
SGI_NEWPORT_CONSOLE!=y
        default y

There seems to be a bit of a hole in the logic here, becuase 
PROM_CONSOLE is only configurable if you are on SPARC, and 
SGI_NEWPORT_CONSOLE is only configurable if you are on an SGI.  So on 
x86, you are guaranteed both that VGA_CONSOLE will be =y, which means 
the middle conditional fails, but both of the other conditionals are 
true, so the whole statement is true.  So you will get DUMMY_CONSOLE, 
and you will not have a chance to configure it since there is no title 
after the "bool".

-Richard

-- 
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

Re: [gentoo-user] dummy console

[Jorge Almeida]

On Tue, 26 Jul 2005, Richard Fish wrote:

>>> Oh, and also, FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE should be =y
>>> 
Well, that made it! :)
>
> Seems ok (I have the same thing).  Looking at the Kconfig file in 
> drivers/video/console, I find:
>
>
> config VGA_CONSOLE
>       bool "VGA text console" if EMBEDDED || !X86
>       depends on !ARCH_ACORN && !ARCH_EBSA110 && !4xx && !8xx && !SPARC32 && 
> !SPARC64 && !M68K && !PARISC
>       default y
> [...]
>
> Which means that VGA_CONSOLE is only configurable if you are doing an 
> EMBEDDED or non-x86 configuration.  For normal x86 builds, VGA_CONSOLE will 
> always be available, since it defaults to 'y'
>
> Later on, we find:
>
> config DUMMY_CONSOLE
>       bool
>       depends on PROM_CONSOLE!=y || VGA_CONSOLE!=y || SGI_NEWPORT_CONSOLE!=y
>       default y
>
> There seems to be a bit of a hole in the logic here, becuase PROM_CONSOLE is 
> only configurable if you are on SPARC, and SGI_NEWPORT_CONSOLE is only 
> configurable if you are on an SGI.  So on x86, you are guaranteed both that 
> VGA_CONSOLE will be =y, which means the middle conditional fails, but both of 
> the other conditionals are true, so the whole statement is true.  So you will 
> get DUMMY_CONSOLE, and you will not have a chance to configure it since there 
> is no title after the "bool".
>
> -Richard
>
Thank you for the explanation. 
>
Cheers,

Jorge
-- 
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list