Re: [PATCH] Video mode fixes in linux loader

[Robert Millan]

On Mon, Apr 13, 2009 at 11:41:36AM -0400, Pavel Roskin wrote:
> I actually installed GRUB with gfxterm on a laptop that has Intel
> framebuffer support.  Now the kernel starts in VESA mode and then the
> screen goes blank because intelfb cannot deal with it.  Sure, intelfb
> should be fixed, but we should be liberal in what we accept.

We could detect this situation by checking video= parameter, and setting
text mode if intelfb is found.  But then again do we want to prevent
future versions of intelfb from gracefuly transitioning from vesa mode
without screen glitch?

> Some
> kernels may not support VESA modes at all.

I don't think this is applicable;  all modern versions of Linux include
vesa modesetting in its 16-bit entry code, and older versions are already
detected by the new loader (user is prompted to use linux16).

> Adding vga=0 to the kernel command line didn't fix it.  That's bad.
> "vga=0" means text mode 80x25.  Adding "vga=1" fixed the problem.  The
> text mode was 80x25, not 80x50, so that's another issue.

Shouldn't be hard to fix.  Do you know how to switch to 80x50 mode?

> "vga=ask" is not a warning now.  It causes "error: You need to load the
> kernel first", apparently from initrd.  In other words, the "linux"
> command fails and there is no visible warning.

Sounds like my error code is wrong, but we could turn it into a warning
like you suggested.

-- 
Robert Millan

  The DRM opt-in fallacy: "Your data belongs to us. We will decide when (and
  how) you may access your data; but nobody's threatening your freedom: we
  still allow you to remove your data and not access it at all."