2003-02-12 05:02:20

by Thomas Molina

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Subject: problems with console configuration

I've seen a number of postings to the list complaining of output to the
console ceasing after the Uncompressing Linux line at the beginning of
boot. I ran into this myself.

I believe one cause of this is the new console on framebuffer console
configuration option. I believe some people are not turning on the
option, but then are trying to output to the framebuffer by selecting a
video mode which does that.

I've also ran into what seems an anomaly in the configuration options. If
Input device selection is set to modular (CONFIG_INPUT) then it doesn't
seem to be possible to turn on virtual terminal (CONFIG_VT) or support for
console on virtual terminal (CONFIG_VT_CONSOLE). At least in make
menuconfig, those options don't appear if the former isn't set to y. It
is going to be rather difficult to see console output if those aren't
available isn't it?


2003-02-12 15:48:51

by James Simmons

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Subject: Re: problems with console configuration


> I've seen a number of postings to the list complaining of output to the
> console ceasing after the Uncompressing Linux line at the beginning of
> boot. I ran into this myself.
>
> I believe one cause of this is the new console on framebuffer console
> configuration option. I believe some people are not turning on the
> option, but then are trying to output to the framebuffer by selecting a
> video mode which does that.

The reason is because the framebuffer layer can run without the VT console
system. You cna even run fbdev with vgacon if the driver supports it.

> I've also ran into what seems an anomaly in the configuration options. If
> Input device selection is set to modular (CONFIG_INPUT) then it doesn't
> seem to be possible to turn on virtual terminal (CONFIG_VT) or support for
> console on virtual terminal (CONFIG_VT_CONSOLE). At least in make
> menuconfig, those options don't appear if the former isn't set to y. It
> is going to be rather difficult to see console output if those aren't
> available isn't it?

The console system is layered on top of the input layer. Now all keyboards
are being ported over to one api. This is a plus :-)


2003-02-12 16:02:05

by Thomas Molina

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Subject: Re: problems with console configuration

On Wed, 12 Feb 2003, James Simmons wrote:

> The console system is layered on top of the input layer. Now all keyboards
> are being ported over to one api. This is a plus :-)

All good stuff, but I occasionally have problems seeing the video display
as an input device :) It sometimes turns into an adventure syncing with
the latest bk archive and wondering what I need to do to get console and
keyboard.

This is in addition to not getting bootup messages past the Uncompressing
Linux message. The extreme weirdness is that when this happens, something
happens to the ext3 journal and I get a boot failure next reboot.

2003-02-12 16:06:59

by James Simmons

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Subject: Re: problems with console configuration


> All good stuff, but I occasionally have problems seeing the video display
> as an input device :)

Misunderstanding. The input api devices are used for input devices like
keyboards and such. On the other end we have display drivers. Now I for
the framebuffer console I have seperated the console code out of the low
level drivers.

> It sometimes turns into an adventure syncing with
> the latest bk archive and wondering what I need to do to get console and
> keyboard.

Input api built in. Sorry but the VT console system isn,t modular yet.
Enable framebuffer devices and then go into the console menu at the bottom
and select framebuffer console support.