usplash and sis framebuffer

[Étienne BERSAC]

Hello,

Just replacing vga16fb with sisfb in /usr/share/initramsf-tools/hooks/usplash
make usplash work **perfectly** on my sis 630 card !!! So it seem's usplash is
able to work with other driver than vga16fb. Why not implement a way of
selecting the driver to be loaded in the initramfs instead of loading vga16fb ?

Thanks.

[joe (joerg-unglaub)]

(In reply to comment #0)
I also own a sis laptop and had set the vga=...
boot-option to get a 1024x768 console but usplash
than refused to run. As I already set sisfb in in
initramfs/modules I patched usplash to not load
any fbdev drivers but start if there is a vga= option

see the patch

[joe (joerg-unglaub)]

Created an attachment (id=3676)
Patch to enable usplash with vga=.. option and other fbdev drivers

Other fbdev drivers must be set in initramfs/modules or hopefully autodetected

[Étienne BERSAC (bersace)]

Hello,

You're patch is good. But, the problem is that we can't include all fb driver in
initramfs. see : http://bugzilla.ubuntu.com/show_bug.cgi?id=11541#c2 .

We should implement a way to select the right module or at least vesa and vga ?
But sis need sisfb for dri (in fact i still do not have dri).

On laptop, we should be able to say : this is the right fb module, touch
initramfs-tools/modules.d/sisfb and that's all, but for desktop, this is not a
good solution : if i change my card from a rage128 to a nVidia GeForce whatever,
what is the result ?

Do we have to put a vga= in the cmdline as the fb driver is mean to handle
automaticaly vga mode ? Is it possible to use vesa without breaking dri ?
Clearly, we can't continue with just one driver (e.g. vga16fb), we must be able
to provide a driver selection at installation or at boot (but this bload the
initramfs with fb modules ....)

I'm a bit tired with this problem of changed a key component like graphic card,
this is very sadely handle for usplash and for xorg.

Thanks.

[joe (joerg-unglaub)]

> I'm a bit tired with this problem of changed a key component like graphic card,
> this is very sadely handle for usplash and for xorg.

Had this issue on making my own distro for a course at university. It was aimed to
have a graphical install process. My solution was to determine graphicsdriver
thru discover
and dynamicaly produce an xorg.conf but that worked not 100%.
My question is if usplash has to be started in initramfs the initrd has to so
only the very rudimenatry
thing like find my rootfs and start it. even the fb drivers could be loaded
after initrd and so could be
determined at systemstart. save it width pci vendor id and if vendor id changes
don't load it
and request to change or detect it

[Étienne BERSAC (bersace)]

Hello,

In my mind, the problem is not just to configure xorg at every boot. I dream
about a system were, hotplug just load the driver needed for your cards, your
keyboards, your mouses and your tablet, like ethernet card, etc. Then a program
is loaded, When a card driver is loaded, it detect the resolution of the screen
and set the right resolution. No matter of it later. When the tablet driver is
loaded, it select the right resolution of the tablet and no matter of it later :
it's done for all the system. Then, a simple programm is started to manage
graphics and I/O peripheral (keyboards, mouse, etc.). then we can have the boot
splash and all you want. And then, start a graphic server which manage windows
and share graphical resources over the network. No matter of which card it is
(ati, nvidia, etc.). And then, launch a display manager. And then log in, And
then launch your Desktop environment.

If i have a componant plugged in, the kernel must load the right driver in order
to make this device available for all application, without knowing which product
it is. See ethernet card, mouses, hard drive,etc. What else does apps see than
"eth0", "hda", etc. ? Nothing, no apps care about which device it is. the
graphic server say : "I manage graphics, not cards an monitors, but i need cards
and monitor".

I know this is a bit unreal. But see : when you change you're ethernet card from
a realtek to an sis900, who care about that ? only the kernel ! Nobody else !
So why, for graphics cards, monitor and so on, graphic server care about that ?

thanks.

[joe (joerg-unglaub)]

your description looks like BeOS uurgh its not free but here linux could get
some ideas
but then a mach kernel would fit better. an option for linux 3.0 ;-) modularised
with userspace
serves that manage all need with drivers independent from kernel core. but that
goes to far sorry...

[Étienne BERSAC (bersace)]

Hello,

GNU Mach is not very cool. In fact, it sux. (this is what said Neal Walfield at
LSM 2005 :D). I think the Hurd will offer something like that, but, we have
time, a lot of time ...

Regards.

[Étienne BERSAC (bersace)]

Okey,

as usplash now work correctly with vesafb, sis work by booting the installer
with vga=791. Then usplash work without vga16fb.

Thanks.