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List:       gentoo-amd64
Subject:    [gentoo-amd64]  Re: [SOLVED?] Re: KMS can't find firmware
From:       Duncan <1i5t5.duncan () cox ! net>
Date:       2009-12-13 7:57:30
Message-ID: pan.2009.12.13.07.57.30 () cox ! net
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Sebastian Beßler posted on Sun, 13 Dec 2009 01:32:59 +0100 as excerpted:

> I hope somebody could help me with a last problem I have regarding KMS.
> 
> With KMS the framebuffer uses the correct resolution (1440x900) but only
> part of the screen is used. On the right and bottom side of the screen
> is a thick white border.
> The part of the screen that is used shows all contents so the problem is
> annoying but no stopper.
> 
> With X there a no problems so far.

I /think/ I might have the answer, but I've never tried it without the 
other module since I knew I needed it, so I'm not sure whether the 
behavior you describe is what would result if it wasn't there or not, but 
it sounds like what I'd expect the problem to be, so I'll explain and you 
can check and see if I'm right, or not. =:^)

There are two separate kernel console interfaces, the traditional low 
resolution vgacon, and the higher resolution fbcon, that works with 
whatever framebuffer driver your hardware runs with (or the generic 
vesafb or vga16fb, if nothing else).

What the symptoms sound like to me is that you have KMS going, but only 
have vgacon turned on, so its limited resolution is going in the corner 
of the higher resolution KMS based framebuffer, because you don't have 
fbcon turned on.

FWIW, that's in kconfig under device drivers, graphics support, console 
display driver support.  You want both framebuffer console support (aka 
fbcon), and vga text console (aka vgacon), turned on, framebuffer for 
normal use, and vgacon as a backup, when things go wrong, or so if the 
card goes bad you can put whatever in and be up and running again at 
least with the lower vga resolution, even if the new card doesn't use the 
same kms driver and thus won't come up in kms/framebuffer mode.

If both of those are on, then it's something else, but that sure sounds 
to me like what I'd guess vgacon only, on a kms driven monitor, would 
look like, so that's what I'm guessing it is.

-- 
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman


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