[SOLVED] VGA framebuffer, lilo.conf, and Slackware64 13.37

bsdunix · 05-04-2011, 02:04 PM

Two different computers of mine do the same thing. I specified "vga = normal" for lilo.conf which should give me a 80x25 text console size, but during bootup the normal console size changes to some very high framebuffer setting making the characters on the screen very small. The runlevel is set to "3" in my inittab file. Same settings used in Slackware64 13.1 and I didn't have this framebuffer problem.

One computer is using an ATI Radeon HD5450 video card (DVI connection) and the other is using the onboard ATI Radeon HD3000 Graphics (VGA connection). Each computer is using a LCD monitor.

Below is my lilo.conf file, is something not right? Do I have to disable framebuffer support in the kernel?

Thanks in advance.

Code:

# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
boot = /dev/sda
#compact        # faster, but won't work on all systems.
# Boot BMP Image.
# Bitmap in BMP format: 640x480x8
  bitmap = /boot/slack.bmp
# Menu colors (foreground, background, shadow, highlighted
# foreground, highlighted background, highlighted shadow):
  bmp-colors = 255,0,255,0,255,0
# Location of the option table: location x, location y, number of
# columns, lines per column (max 15), "spill" (this is how many
# entries must be in the first column before the next begins to
# be used.  We don't specify it here, as there's just one column.
  bmp-table = 60,6,1,16
# Timer location x, timer location y, foreground color,
# background color, shadow color.
  bmp-timer = 65,27,0,255
# Standard menu.
# Or, you can comment out the bitmap menu above and
# use a boot message with the standard menu:
#message = /boot/boot_message.txt

# Append any additional kernel parameters:
append=" vt.default_utf8=0"
prompt
timeout = 50
# Normal VGA console
vga = normal
# Ask for video mode at boot (time out to normal in 30s)
#vga = ask
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
# vga=791
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x32k
# vga=790
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
# vga=773
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k
# vga=788
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x32k
# vga=787
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x256
# vga=771
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x64k
# vga=790
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
# vga=773
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k
# vga=788
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x32k
# vga=787
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x256
# vga=771
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x64k
# vga=785
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x32k
# vga=784
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x256
# vga=769
# ramdisk = 0     # paranoia setting
# End LILO global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
  root = /dev/sda2
  label = james
  read-only  # Partitions should be mounted read-only for checking
# Linux bootable partition config ends

piratesmack · 05-04-2011, 02:20 PM

This is because KMS (kernel mode setting) is now enabled by default on Intel, ATI, and Nvidia graphics chipsets.

You can disable it by adding "nomodeset" to the append line in your lilo.conf, but then Xorg will stop working with the Intel and ATI drivers.

A better solution is to specify a lower console resolution by appending something like "video=640x480" in your lilo.conf

This is all in CHANGES_AND_HINTS.TXT

bsdunix · 05-04-2011, 03:43 PM

Thanks for the reply, didn't realize the change as I generally just use the console and not worry about X11/graphics/chipset/framebuffer stuff.

Per your suggestion, I made the following changes and updated lilo:

Code:

#append=" vt.default_utf8=0"
append="video=640x480"

Works much better now.

wje_lq · 12-13-2012, 01:02 PM

I came looking for a solution to this problem, and stumbled upon it today. Whew!

For those using grub, there are several alternatives. Here are two:

The first alternative, which you can use to test this approach, is to press the "e" key when the grub boot screen comes up, and change the "linux" command so that it ends with

Code:

 video=640x480

(The initial space before video may be important, depending on your previous context, and it's always ok to insert it.)

The second alternative, which you can use to make this change permanent, is to change file /etc/default/grub so that the line

Code:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

becomes

Code:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="video=640x480"

Hope this helps.