fbset: fbset no longer works with xfree-4.0.2

Bug #15300 reported by Debian Bug Importer
4
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
Debian
New
Unknown
Ubuntu
Invalid
High
Matthias Klose

Bug Description

Automatically imported from Debian bug report #93991 http://bugs.debian.org/93991

Revision history for this message
Debian Bug Importer (debzilla) wrote :
Download full text (7.0 KiB)

Message-Id: <email address hidden>
Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2001 19:53:54 +0200
From: <email address hidden>
To: <email address hidden>
Subject: fbset: fbset no longer works with xfree-4.0.2

Package: fbset
Version: 2.1-6
Severity: normal

 The subject says it all: after upgrading my X server (XF86_Mach64
in the package xserver-mach64-3.3.6) to xserver-xfree86_4.0.2-7, the fbset
command no longer works. I get only garbage on the screen. The file
/etc/fb.modes is the same as before: the mode being used is the "TXncd"
mode which I have created specially for my fixed frequency TX NCD monitor
 The "bug" of course can come from the xserver side or perhaps an
incompatibility between the new X server and this version of fbset.

-- System Information
Debian Release: testing/unstable
Kernel Version: Linux puma 2.2.18 #1 SMP Tue Jan 30 12:45:28 CET 2001 i686 unknown

Versions of the packages fbset depends on:
ii libc6 2.2.2-1 GNU C Library: Shared libraries and Timezone
ii makedev 2.3.1-51 Creates special device files in /dev.

--- Begin /etc/fb.modes (modified conffile)
mode "640x480-60"
    # D: 25.175 MHz, H: 31.469 kHz, V: 59.94 Hz
    geometry 640 480 640 480 8
    timings 39722 48 16 33 10 96 2
endmode

mode "640x480-72"
    # D: 31.20 MHz, H: 37.500 kHz, V: 72.12 Hz
    geometry 640 480 640 480 8
    timings 32052 128 24 28 9 40 3
endmode

mode "640x480-75"
    # D: 31.50 MHz, H: 37.500 kHz, V: 75.00 Hz
    geometry 640 480 640 480 8
    timings 31747 120 16 16 1 64 3
endmode

mode "640x480-90"
    # D: 39.91 MHz, H: 47.969 kHz, V: 90.00 Hz
    geometry 640 480 640 480 8
    timings 25057 120 32 14 25 40 14
endmode

mode "640x480-100"
    # D: 44.90 MHz, H: 52.948 kHz, V: 99.71 Hz
    geometry 640 480 640 480 8
    timings 22272 48 32 17 22 128 12
endmode

mode "800x600-48-lace"
    # D: 36.00 MHz, H: 33.835 kHz, V: 96.39 Hz
    geometry 800 600 800 600 8
    timings 27778 56 80 79 11 128 12
    laced true
    hsync high
    vsync high
endmode

mode "800x600-56"
    # D: 36.00 MHz, H: 35.156 kHz, V: 56.25 Hz
    geometry 800 600 800 600 8
    timings 27778 128 24 22 1 72 2
    hsync high
    vsync high
endmode

mode "800x600-60"
    # D: 40.00 MHz, H: 37.879 kHz, V: 60.32 Hz
    geometry 800 600 800 600 8
    timings 25000 88 40 23 1 128 4
    hsync high
    vsync high
endmode

mode "800x600-70"
    # D: 44.90 MHz, H: 44.544 kHz, V: 70.04 Hz
    geometry 800 600 800 600 8
    timings 22272 40 24 15 9 144 12
    hsync high
endmode

mode "800x600-72"
    # D: 50.00 MHz, H: 48.090 kHz, V: 72.19 Hz
    geometry 800 600 800 600 8
    timings 20000 64 56 23 37 120 6
    hsync high
    vsync high
endmode

mode "800x600-75"
    # D: 49.50 MHz, H: 46.875 kHz, V: 75.00 Hz
    geometry 800 600 800 600 8
    timings 20203 160 16 21 1 80 3
    hsync high
    vsync high
endmode

mode "800x600-90"
    # D: 56.64 MHz, H: 57.097 kHz, V: 89.92 Hz
    geometry 800 600 800 600 8
    timings 17656 120 8 16 8 64 11
    hsync high
    vsync high
endmode

mode "800x600-100"
    # D: 67.50 MHz, H: 62.500 kHz, V: 100.00 Hz
    geometry 800 600 800 600 8
    timings 14815 216 0 14 7 64 4
    hsync high
    vsync high
endmo...

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Revision history for this message
Debian Bug Importer (debzilla) wrote :

Message-ID: <email address hidden>
Date: Sun, 15 Apr 2001 12:02:36 +0200
From: Hartmut Koptein <email address hidden>
To: <email address hidden>, <email address hidden>
Subject: Re: Bug#93991: fbset: fbset no longer works with xfree-4.0.2

> Package: fbset
> Version: 2.1-6
> Severity: normal
>
> The subject says it all: after upgrading my X server (XF86_Mach64
> in the package xserver-mach64-3.3.6) to xserver-xfree86_4.0.2-7, the fbset
> command no longer works. I get only garbage on the screen. The file
> /etc/fb.modes is the same as before: the mode being used is the "TXncd"
> mode which I have created specially for my fixed frequency TX NCD monitor
> The "bug" of course can come from the xserver side or perhaps an
> incompatibility between the new X server and this version of fbset.

You don't use the framebuffer for X11, so it is for the console. On console,
fbset works perfectly, it hasn't an dependency on XF if you don't use the
framebuffer entry in the XF86Config(-4).
A 'little' garbage on the console screen comes from time to time from a newer kernel,
not from X11 or a xserver version.
I use also two ati cards, a 3d range II+ and a ati-128, both works.
Please check your kernel settings.

Greetings,

   Hartmut

Revision history for this message
Debian Bug Importer (debzilla) wrote :

Message-ID: <email address hidden>
Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2001 09:54:07 +0200 (CEST)
From: <email address hidden>
To: Hartmut Koptein <email address hidden>
Cc: <email address hidden>
Subject: Re: Bug#93991: fbset: fbset no longer works with xfree-4.0.2

Hartmut Koptein writes:
 > > Package: fbset
 > > Version: 2.1-6
 > > Severity: normal
 > >
 > > The subject says it all: after upgrading my X server (XF86_Mach64
 > > in the package xserver-mach64-3.3.6) to xserver-xfree86_4.0.2-7, the fbset
 > > command no longer works. I get only garbage on the screen. The file
 > > /etc/fb.modes is the same as before: the mode being used is the "TXncd"
 > > mode which I have created specially for my fixed frequency TX NCD monitor
 > > The "bug" of course can come from the xserver side or perhaps an
 > > incompatibility between the new X server and this version of fbset.
 >
 > You don't use the framebuffer for X11, so it is for the console. On console,
 > fbset works perfectly, it hasn't an dependency on XF if you don't use the
 > framebuffer entry in the XF86Config(-4).
 > A 'little' garbage on the console screen comes from time to time
 > from a newer kernel, not from X11 or a xserver version.
 > I use also two ati cards, a 3d range II+ and a ati-128, both works.
 > Please check your kernel settings.

I am not using frame buffer and I haven't changed nothing on my
fb.modes file when I switch to xserver-xfree86_4.0.2. I am using
framebuffer for the console and it has worked perfectly before (with
xserver-mach64-3.3.6) and now it no longer works. I absolutely need
the console framebuffer because I have a fixed frequency monitor. As a
result I have to downgrade to my old server.

So it cannot be my kernel setting because it has worked and continue
to work with Xfree-3.3.6. The only thing I can think of is that my
XF86Config-4 is wrong. I am using the standard configuration and only
change the video timings to accomodate my monitor. I have checked this
file and see no mention about framebuffer. The garbage I mention is
probably due to the fact that the scan frequency (in the console
framebuffer mode) is wrong: As my monitor has fixed frequency, an
error in the scan frequency (especially horizontal) will produce
garbage. Now I just though that my video setting for fb.modes is too
tight so I tried a standard setting, "1280x1024-70" to be precise: it
still won't work.

Please help. As I have said, because of this problem, I am stuck with
the old X11 server.

--
PHAM Dinh Tuan | e-mail: <email address hidden>
Laboratoire de Modelisation et Calcul | Tel: +33 4 76 51 44 23
BP 53, 38041 Grenoble cedex 9 (France) | Fax: +33 4 76 63 12 63
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Revision history for this message
Debian Bug Importer (debzilla) wrote :

Message-ID: <email address hidden>
Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2001 13:35:50 +0200
From: Hartmut Koptein <email address hidden>
To: <email address hidden>
Cc: <email address hidden>
Subject: Re: Bug#93991: fbset: fbset no longer works with xfree-4.0.2

> fb.modes file when I switch to xserver-xfree86_4.0.2. I am using
> framebuffer for the console and it has worked perfectly before (with
> xserver-mach64-3.3.6) and now it no longer works. I absolutely need
> the console framebuffer because I have a fixed frequency monitor. As a

What you describe has nothing to do with the xserver or any version of it.
It must be another problem here.
Can you see the kernel-messages if you boot the system? And are you sure,
you use the same kernelversion for both setups?

Framebuffer and console depends only on an ati-driver in the kernel and
the fbset utility. Nothing more. It is not possible, that it doesn't
work with different xservers.

Please correct me: you have a setup with xserver-3.3.6 an a workable fb-console.
Then you update the xserver to version 4.0.2 and after that, the console
shows nothing anymore? You do the upgrade on the console? The

crw-rw-r-- 1 root tty 29, 0 10.05.1999 /dev/fb0

is still available?
What is the fixed frequency of the monitor? What is the corrosponding
modeline for fbset (/etc/modes) and x11 (XF86Config-4)?
What tells you fbset -i?

I hope you don't mean xterm as a console? :)

Greetings,

  Hartmut

--
Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Hartmut Koptein | Debian Maintainer and Porter
Tel.: 0178-koptein (0178-5678346) | Use Debian GNU/Linux!
Commercial Emails: <email address hidden> | <email address hidden>

Revision history for this message
Debian Bug Importer (debzilla) wrote :
Download full text (4.5 KiB)

Message-ID: <email address hidden>
Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2001 18:21:39 +0200 (CEST)
From: <email address hidden>
To: Hartmut Koptein <email address hidden>
Cc: <email address hidden>
Subject: Re: Bug#93991: fbset: fbset no longer works with xfree-4.0.2

Hartmut Koptein writes:
 > > fb.modes file when I switch to xserver-xfree86_4.0.2. I am using
 > > framebuffer for the console and it has worked perfectly before (with
 > > xserver-mach64-3.3.6) and now it no longer works. I absolutely need
 > > the console framebuffer because I have a fixed frequency monitor. As a
 >
 >
 > What you describe has nothing to do with the xserver or any version of it.
 > It must be another problem here.
 > Can you see the kernel-messages if you boot the system? And are you sure,
 > you use the same kernelversion for both setups?

My system is setup to boot directly into xdm. I don't remember for
sure if fbset is working (that is I have the framebuffer) before xdm
(and hence the xserver) starts. To check that I need to reboot the
system, but it is currently in use (I will do that when possible and
report to you). It is quite possible is that fbset is indeed working
at boot. But it *ceases* to work when xdm starts. Before (that is with
xserver-3.3.6) I can switch to the text console with Ctr-Alt-F1 and
work on it, now (with xserver-4.0.2) when I do that there is nothing
but garbage on the screen. Even if I kill xdm I won't get back the
console. (I would have to log in remotely to restart xdm.)

The kernel havn't changed. It have changed sometimes (2.2.17 by now)
but fbset always works with xserver-3.3.6.

 > Framebuffer and console depends only on an ati-driver in the kernel and
 > the fbset utility. Nothing more. It is not possible, that it doesn't
 > work with different xservers.

They both use the ATI card, right. Perhaps the new server leaves the
card in an unuseable state for framebuffer, or fbset doesn't
reinitialise the card.

 > Please correct me: you have a setup with xserver-3.3.6 and a
 > workable fb-console.
 > Then you update the xserver to version 4.0.2 and after that, the console
 > shows nothing anymore? You do the upgrade on the console? The

I don't remember if I do the upgrade on the console or in an xterm.
But nothing happens, only after restarting xdm (hence the new
xserver), the problem appears.

 > crw-rw-r-- 1 root tty 29, 0 10.05.1999 /dev/fb0
 >
 > is still available?

yes, but there is no read acces for other than root:
ls -l /dev/fb0
crw--w--w- 1 root tty 29, 0 Jun 7 2000 /dev/fb0

 > What is the fixed frequency of the monitor? What is the corrosponding
 > modeline for fbset (/etc/modes) and x11 (XF86Config-4)?

Here they are (from the vendor)
  o Horizontal timing
        HSYNC pulse width 1.28 usec
        Front porch 256 nsec
        Back porch 1664 nsec
        Blank time 3.2 usec
        Video total 10.24 usec
        Dot clock 125 MHz
        Horizontal frequency 74.4 KHz

  o Vertical timing
        VSYNC pulse width 40.32 usec
        Front porch 0 usec
        Back porch ...

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Revision history for this message
Matthias Klose (doko) wrote :

imported by mistake as part of gcc-3.4/gcc-4.0 related bugs, closing.

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