2000-12-09 22:24:25

by Jeff V. Merkey

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: 2.2.18-25 DELL Laptop Video Problems



2.2.18-25 with Frame Buffer enabled will frizt and trash LCD displays
on DELL laptop computers when the system kicks into graphics mode,
and attempts to display the penguin images on the screen. It
renders the anaconda installer dead in the water when you attempt
even a text mode install (not graphics) of a 2.2.18-25 kernel (and 24)
on a DELL laptop. Is there a way to turn on frame buffer without
kicking the kernel into mode 274 and killing DELL laptops during
a text based install?

Jeff


2000-12-09 22:33:17

by Bob Lorenzini

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: 2.2.18-25 DELL Laptop Video Problems

On Sat, 9 Dec 2000, Jeff V. Merkey wrote:

>
>
> 2.2.18-25 with Frame Buffer enabled will frizt and trash LCD displays
> on DELL laptop computers when the system kicks into graphics mode,
> and attempts to display the penguin images on the screen. It
> renders the anaconda installer dead in the water when you attempt
> even a text mode install (not graphics) of a 2.2.18-25 kernel (and 24)
> on a DELL laptop. Is there a way to turn on frame buffer without
> kicking the kernel into mode 274 and killing DELL laptops during
> a text based install?

Jeff the change that broke or first broke is in 2.2.17-15 if thats any help.

Bob

2000-12-09 22:35:37

by Jeff V. Merkey

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: 2.2.18-25 DELL Laptop Video Problems

On Sat, Dec 09, 2000 at 02:03:08PM -0800, Bob Lorenzini wrote:
> On Sat, 9 Dec 2000, Jeff V. Merkey wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > 2.2.18-25 with Frame Buffer enabled will frizt and trash LCD displays
> > on DELL laptop computers when the system kicks into graphics mode,
> > and attempts to display the penguin images on the screen. It
> > renders the anaconda installer dead in the water when you attempt
> > even a text mode install (not graphics) of a 2.2.18-25 kernel (and 24)
> > on a DELL laptop. Is there a way to turn on frame buffer without
> > kicking the kernel into mode 274 and killing DELL laptops during
> > a text based install?
>
> Jeff the change that broke or first broke is in 2.2.17-15 if thats any help.
>
> Bob

Alan,

Id there a workaround for this for DELL laptops. Frame buffer needs
to be enabled because you don't really know what system you are on
until after it installs, and the X probing stuff needs it enabled in
order to properly detect the hardware. Any ideas?

:-)

Jeff

2000-12-09 22:46:58

by Bob Lorenzini

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: 2.2.18-25 DELL Laptop Video Problems

IIRC you need to do a text mode install on the Dell.

Bob

2000-12-09 22:59:21

by Alan

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: 2.2.18-25 DELL Laptop Video Problems

> > and attempts to display the penguin images on the screen. It
> > renders the anaconda installer dead in the water when you attempt
> > even a text mode install (not graphics) of a 2.2.18-25 kernel (and 24)
> > on a DELL laptop. Is there a way to turn on frame buffer without
> > kicking the kernel into mode 274 and killing DELL laptops during
> > a text based install?

Are you including the ATI frame buffer code or not - I assume yes.
>
> Jeff the change that broke or first broke is in 2.2.17-15 if thats any help.

2.2.17pre15
o ATI video fixes for PPC (Benjamin Herrenschmidt)

So if thats the one that does it perhaps you can go over it with the powerpc
folks ?

2000-12-09 23:04:04

by Alan

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: 2.2.18-25 DELL Laptop Video Problems

> Id there a workaround for this for DELL laptops. Frame buffer needs
> to be enabled because you don't really know what system you are on
> until after it installs, and the X probing stuff needs it enabled in
> order to properly detect the hardware. Any ideas?

Hard to be sure. Without knowing precisely which board they have and which
options you used I can't guess which code path changed


2000-12-10 00:47:34

by Jeff V. Merkey

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: 2.2.18-25 DELL Laptop Video Problems

On Sat, Dec 09, 2000 at 02:16:58PM -0800, Bob Lorenzini wrote:
> IIRC you need to do a text mode install on the Dell.
>
> Bob


Can't. When 2.2.18-25 boots up, when it tries to flash the penguin
image on the screen, it fritzes the laptop.

Jeff

>
> -
> To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
> the body of a message to [email protected]
> Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/

2000-12-10 00:49:24

by Jeff V. Merkey

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: 2.2.18-25 DELL Laptop Video Problems

On Sat, Dec 09, 2000 at 10:34:30PM +0000, Alan Cox wrote:
> > Id there a workaround for this for DELL laptops. Frame buffer needs
> > to be enabled because you don't really know what system you are on
> > until after it installs, and the X probing stuff needs it enabled in
> > order to properly detect the hardware. Any ideas?
>
> Hard to be sure. Without knowing precisely which board they have and which
> options you used I can't guess which code path changed


I will get this information on Monday when the testing person at Canopy
is in. We wer testing with their equipment. I'll get you the info.

Jeff

>

2000-12-10 17:20:06

by Dominik Kubla

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: 2.2.18-25 DELL Laptop Video Problems

Use the VESA fb driver instead of the ATI fb driver. I have been doing so
ever since i got my DELL Inspiron 7500: the ATI driver won't recognize the
Rage Mobility chips (well, i could convince it to do so but the 1400x1050
LCD panel timing never worked...)

Dominik
--
Drug misuse is not a disease, it is a decision, like the decision to step
out in front of a moving car. You would call that not a disease but an
error of judgment. --Philip K. Dick. Author's Note, A SCANNER DARKLY, 1977

2000-12-10 22:25:29

by Jeff V. Merkey

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: 2.2.18-25 DELL Laptop Video Problems

On Sun, Dec 10, 2000 at 05:49:06PM +0100, Dominik Kubla wrote:
> Use the VESA fb driver instead of the ATI fb driver. I have been doing so
> ever since i got my DELL Inspiron 7500: the ATI driver won't recognize the
> Rage Mobility chips (well, i could convince it to do so but the 1400x1050
> LCD panel timing never worked...)
>
> Dominik

Can you enable both at the same time? It's an installer issue with laptops
and I need tobe able to detect whatever is running.

:-)

Jeff


> --
> Drug misuse is not a disease, it is a decision, like the decision to step
> out in front of a moving car. You would call that not a disease but an
> error of judgment. --Philip K. Dick. Author's Note, A SCANNER DARKLY, 1977

2000-12-11 07:57:38

by Dominik Kubla

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: 2.2.18-25 DELL Laptop Video Problems

On Sun, Dec 10, 2000 at 03:50:16PM -0700, Jeff V. Merkey wrote:
>
> Can you enable both at the same time? It's an installer issue with laptops
> and I need tobe able to detect whatever is running.
>

IIRC you can choose at boot time using a kernel parameter.

Dominik
--
Drug misuse is not a disease, it is a decision, like the decision to step
out in front of a moving car. You would call that not a disease but an
error of judgment. --Philip K. Dick. Author's Note, A SCANNER DARKLY, 1977

2000-12-11 17:47:19

by Jeff V. Merkey

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: 2.2.18-25 DELL Laptop Video Problems

On Mon, Dec 11, 2000 at 08:26:46AM +0100, Dominik Kubla wrote:
> On Sun, Dec 10, 2000 at 03:50:16PM -0700, Jeff V. Merkey wrote:
> >
> > Can you enable both at the same time? It's an installer issue with laptops
> > and I need tobe able to detect whatever is running.
> >
>
> IIRC you can choose at boot time using a kernel parameter.

Then this is the vga=271 stuff?

Jeff

>
> Dominik
> --
> Drug misuse is not a disease, it is a decision, like the decision to step
> out in front of a moving car. You would call that not a disease but an
> error of judgment. --Philip K. Dick. Author's Note, A SCANNER DARKLY, 1977

2000-12-13 01:05:44

by Dominik Kubla

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: 2.2.18-25 DELL Laptop Video Problems

On Mon, Dec 11, 2000 at 11:11:41AM -0700, Jeff V. Merkey wrote:
...
> Then this is the vga=271 stuff?
>
> Jeff

No, that's just selecting the VGA resolution. I am referring to the
video parameter:

video=<driver>:<option>[,<option>,...]

Look at linux/Dokumentation/fb/modedb.txt.

Yours,
Dominik Kubla
--
Drug misuse is not a disease, it is a decision, like the decision to step
out in front of a moving car. You would call that not a disease but an
error of judgment. --Philip K. Dick. Author's Note, A SCANNER DARKLY, 1977

2000-12-13 01:17:14

by Jeff V. Merkey

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: 2.2.18-25 DELL Laptop Video Problems

On Wed, Dec 13, 2000 at 01:34:46AM +0100, Dominik Kubla wrote:
> On Mon, Dec 11, 2000 at 11:11:41AM -0700, Jeff V. Merkey wrote:
> ...
> > Then this is the vga=271 stuff?
> >
> > Jeff
>
> No, that's just selecting the VGA resolution. I am referring to the
> video parameter:
>
> video=<driver>:<option>[,<option>,...]
>
> Look at linux/Dokumentation/fb/modedb.txt.
>
> Yours,
> Dominik Kubla

Thanks! I will. I did have VESA FB enabled, BTW and I still see the
problem.

:-)

Jeff


> --
> Drug misuse is not a disease, it is a decision, like the decision to step
> out in front of a moving car. You would call that not a disease but an
> error of judgment. --Philip K. Dick. Author's Note, A SCANNER DARKLY, 1977

2000-12-14 03:00:13

by Petr Konecny

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: 2.2.18-25 DELL Laptop Video Problems

On Wed, Dec 13, 2000 at 01:34:46AM +0100, Dominik Kubla wrote:
> On Mon, Dec 11, 2000 at 11:11:41AM -0700, Jeff V. Merkey wrote:
> ...
> > Then this is the vga=271 stuff?
> >
> > Jeff
>
> No, that's just selecting the VGA resolution. I am referring to the
> video parameter:
>
> video=<driver>:<option>[,<option>,...]
>
> Look at linux/Dokumentation/fb/modedb.txt.
>
It's not in my tree (2.2.18), the only documentation I could find was
the source code. Anyway, it seems that atyfb gets a precendence over
vesafb and screws up the LCD. Right now I use the following kernel params:
video=atyfb:off video=vesa:mtrr vga=795

For reference this is Dell Inspiron 5000, lspci -vv says this:
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc 3D Rage P/M Mobility AGP 2x (rev 64) (prog-if 00 [VGA])
Subsystem: Dell Computer Corporation: Unknown device 009f
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping+ SERR- FastB2B-
Status: Cap+ 66Mhz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
Latency: 66 (2000ns min), cache line size 08
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 11
Region 0: Memory at fd000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable)
Region 1: I/O ports at 2000
Region 2: Memory at fc000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable)
Capabilities: [50] AGP version 1.0
Status: RQ=255 SBA+ 64bit- FW- Rate=x1,x2
Command: RQ=0 SBA- AGP- 64bit- FW- Rate=<none>
Capabilities: [5c] Power Management version 1
Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1+ D2+ AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0-,D1-,D2-,D3hot-,D3cold-)
Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-


Regards, Petr
--
Snow Day -- stay home.

2000-12-14 07:51:48

by Dominik Kubla

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: 2.2.18-25 DELL Laptop Video Problems

On Thu, Dec 14, 2000 at 03:29:11AM +0100, Petr Konecny wrote:
> >
> > Look at linux/Dokumentation/fb/modedb.txt.
> >
> It's not in my tree (2.2.18), the only documentation I could find was
> the source code. Anyway, it seems that atyfb gets a precendence over
> vesafb and screws up the LCD. Right now I use the following kernel params:
> video=atyfb:off video=vesa:mtrr vga=795

My fault: i was looking at a 2.4.0-test* tree... But i think that information
holds true for 2.2.* as well.

Dominik Kubla