[SOLVED] How to activate framebuffer with Fedora 18?

SharpyWarpy · 04-29-2013, 06:51 AM

I boot into multi-user mode and like to use the framebuffer with mplayer to view videos. With

Code:

grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg

I know I can generate a new /boot/grub2/grub.cfg after editing a line in /etc/default/grub. Specifically the line "GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=". What should I add there? I had this information for the old grub backed up on another HDD but lost it to a nasty divorce. I'm using a Toshiba Satellite A665 with a wide screen. Thanks ahead of time.

EDIT: Apparently the framebuffer is working, it's a problem with mplayer, which I downloaded from rpmfusion. Here's the output from mplayer:

Code:

mplayer -vo fbdev some_video.mpg
FATAL: Cannot initialize video driver.t
Movie-Aspect is 1.33:1 - prescaling to correct movie aspect.
VO: [fbdev] 720x480 => 720x540 BGRA
FATAL: Cannot initialize video driver.t
Movie-Aspect is 1.33:1 - prescaling to correct movie aspect.
VO: [fbdev] 720x480 => 720x540 BGRA
FATAL: Cannot initialize video driver.t
Movie-Aspect is 1.33:1 - prescaling to correct movie aspect.
VO: [fbdev] 720x480 => 720x540 BGRA
FATAL: Cannot initialize video driver.t
Movie-Aspect is 1.33:1 - prescaling to correct movie aspect.
VO: [fbdev] 720x480 => 720x540 BGRA
FATAL: Cannot initialize video driver.t
Movie-Aspect is 1.33:1 - prescaling to correct movie aspect.
VO: [fbdev] 720x480 => 720x540 BGRA
FATAL: Cannot initialize video driver.t
Movie-Aspect is 1.33:1 - prescaling to correct movie aspect.
VO: [fbdev] 720x480 => 720x540 BGRA
FATAL: Cannot initialize video driver.t
Movie-Aspect is 1.33:1 - prescaling to correct movie aspect.
VO: [fbdev] 720x480 => 720x540 BGRA
FATAL: Cannot initialize video driver.t
Movie-Aspect is 1.33:1 - prescaling to correct movie aspect.
VO: [fbdev] 720x480 => 720x540 BGRA
FATAL: Cannot initialize video driver.t

FATAL: Could not initialize video filters (-vf) or video output (-vo).

Should I compile mplayer from source??

Andy Alt · 05-01-2013, 08:45 AM

I'm not sure the problem is mplayer. You might be getting those error messages because the framebuffer isn't enabled.

Do a google search:
enable framebuffer in kernel

Yes, there are some options you can pass to grub.

SharpyWarpy · 05-01-2013, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy Alkaline

I'm not sure the problem is mplayer. You might be getting those error messages because the framebuffer isn't enabled.

Do a google search:
enable framebuffer in kernel

Yes, there are some options you can pass to grub.

fbi framebuffer image viewer works, so the framebuffer is enabled. Thanks for the reply.

Andy Alt · 05-01-2013, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SharpyWarpy

Should I compile mplayer from source??

That's what I usually try when I can't get something to work.

I don't know how much experience you have building, but if you want to play it safe, pass --prefix=$HOME so you can install it as a non-priveleged user, so you don't have to worry about overwriting any files provided by "official" packages.

Or you might want to wait a few days and see if anybody more knowledgeable than myself replies.

SharpyWarpy · 05-02-2013, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy Alkaline

That's what I usually try when I can't get something to work.

I don't know how much experience you have building, but if you want to play it safe, pass --prefix=$HOME so you can install it as a non-priveleged user, so you don't have to worry about overwriting any files provided by "official" packages.

Or you might want to wait a few days and see if anybody more knowledgeable than myself replies.

Thanks for the reply. I thinks that's what I'll do, I've done it several times in the past. Thanks again.

SharpyWarpy · 05-06-2014, 01:14 PM

Sorry about resurrecting this old thread but I think it might help somebody.

I solved this by using

Code:

mplayer -vo fbdev2 <some_video_file>

I don't know why it won't use /dev/fbdev but /dev/fbdev2 works.

Andy Alt · 05-14-2014, 08:18 AM

If I recall right, I too had to use fbdev2 last time I tried using the framebuffer with mplayer (because fbdev didn't work). I don't know why either.

SharpyWarpy · 05-14-2014, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy Alkaline

If I recall right, I too had to use fbdev2 last time I tried using the framebuffer with mplayer (because fbdev didn't work). I don't know why either.

Yeah, it's really weird. For others who want to use mplayer in a console environment I use this script I wrote that maximizes the screen - necessary for utilizing the entire screen instead of a little block in the middle:

Code:

#!/bin/bash
if [ ! $DISPLAY ]
then mplayer -vo fbdev2 -vf scale=1366:768 -mixer-channel Master -quiet $1
else mplayer -vo x11 -mixer-channel Master -quiet $1
fi
exit 0

The "-quiet" option is nice, removes all that stuff mplayer puts in the bottom of the screen. The "-mixer-channel Master" option is there because mplayer volume control doesn't work with the default "PCM" channel.