Comment 3 for bug 150797

That's basically what https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/usplash/+bug/150797/comments/1 means IIRC. Newer BIOS may have a 1MB/8MB option while older BIOS have only .5MB/1MB options. IIRC, my GX150 i815 with Hardy has a BIOS with .5/1 option set to 1, while my Intel DLVA 845G with Hardy has the 1/8 option set to 8. I don't believe the other bug describes a workaround as much as it does full VESA support vs. partial VESA support in the motherboard BIOS, with full VESA support available only when there is an 8M BIOS option. On the systems with the 8M option available, the 0x120 mode does not work but the standard VESA modes do work; while on those with only .5/1 options, no standard VESA modes work, and 0x120 does.

see also https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=259577 and https://qa.mandriva.com/show_bug.cgi?id=39837