# How do I detect and compile support for my chipset..

## chatgris

OK, I've read a lot around the forums abotu compiling in support for your chipset..  I also get a message when boot gentoo that says VP_IDE chipset support not compiled in..  so basically my questions are..

What is this chipset people are talking about?  Is it my motherboard?  If so, I looked I have a Asus KX133 K7V and I didn't see anyhting in the kernel mentioning  that..  maybe it's in a section I've missed?

Basically, I'd like to how to figure out what chipset I have, and how to compile support for it into my kernel.

Josh.

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## sisyphus

The chipset is a VIAKX133. I don't have a box to hand that I can run make menuconfig on to check which option will be most appropriate but one way or another it'll be one of the VIA options.

EDIT:

VIA Apollo Pro KX133 is the full name of the chipset.

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## thegarbageman

From the Gentoo boot CD, try:

```
cat /proc/pci
```

That will give you a lot of information on what is connected to your bus.

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## chatgris

I'm not too familiar with the kernel yet, I guess my question could be better phrased as under what menu would I look for that option =) .

Josh.

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## darktux

On the ATA/IDE/MFM/RLL support, and then go to IDE, ATA and ATAPI Block devices, where you'll find support for the VIA Chipset.

I also have a VIA chipset, and only had support for my model on this latest kernel! HURRAY!!!

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## rtn

 *chatgris wrote:*   

> I'm not too familiar with the kernel yet, I guess my question could be better phrased as under what menu would I look for that option =) .
> 
> Josh.

 

Try this guy:

ATA/IDE/MFM/RLL support  ---> 

    IDE, ATA and ATAPI Block devices  ---> 

        VIA82CXXX chipset support

--rtn

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## rommel

aslo wasnt there some patch or work around for a couple of the earlier via chipsets in the newer gentoo kernels?

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## chatgris

Thanks guys, it all worked =).  When I 

cat /proc/pci

I say a lot of stuff that fit the VIA82CXXX category. (was VIA82C626 or something like that).

Josh.

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## taskara

also compile support for the VIA APG  :Smile: 

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## chatgris

Ok, I'm TOTALLY a n00b when it comes to kernel configuration..  would be so kind as to tell me what menus I should look for this?

It's not that I'm all that lazy, but when other ppl have told me to enable something, I've looked and maybe found 2-3 things that i think could all match what they told me to enable =)

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## taskara

don't have my linuc pc here atm.. can't tell you exactly, so you'll have to find it.

Just go through each menu - you can't miss it. It's called AGP gart, and it has Intel, VIA, and SIS support.

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## chatgris

Ahh I think I found it..

./dev/agpgart (AGP Support)

one of the options under it is VIA Chipset Suport.

I think I got it compiled in =)

I guess it's also safe to get rid of all other chipsets like Intel etc...

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## taskara

yep  :Smile:  unless you have some weird intel / via mainboard  :Smile: 

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## chatgris

haha..  ok, so it sounds simple, but I"m a n00b (someone, please, reduce my ranking on the forums I don't wanan give gentoo a bad name   :Cool:   )

Thanks a lot for you help guys.

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## nouse66

I'm having a problem with the via 82cxxx chipset also (I've only had getoo installed for about a week). I'm using an Asrock k7vt2 motherboard which uses the Via KT266a chipset and my southbridge is not being detected.

dmesg gives me this:

```

Uniform Multi-Platform E-IDE driver Revision: 6.31

ide: Assuming 33MHz system bus speed for PIO modes; override with idebus=xx

VP_IDE: IDE controller on PCI bus 00 dev 89

PCI: Hardcoded IRQ 14 for device 00:11.1

VP_IDE: chipset revision 6

VP_IDE: not 100% native mode: will probe irqs later

VP_IDE: Unknown VIA SouthBridge, contact Vojtech Pavlik <vojtech@ucw.cz>

```

I DID compile in via82cxxx support so I'm pretty lost for what to try.

I saw this in my /usr/src/linux/.config file:

# VIA Chipset Fixes

#

# CONFIG_VIA_OOPS_FIXUP is not set

# CONFIG_VIA_NORTHBRIDGE_FIXUP is not set

I was thinking maybe that might help but I'm hoping someone here might have some ideas.

Thanks!

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## Wedge_

I've seen that some kernels have nForce support listed, and I was wondering if this is just for nForce, or if it includes nForce2 as well. Anyone know?

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## taskara

it has basic nforce ide support, and NO ago support yet. ide support fails to compile into the kernel on my nforce2 board if it's selected, so I'm guessing not... haven't tried on nforce1 mainboard..

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## taskara

 *nouse66 wrote:*   

> I'm having a problem with the via 82cxxx chipset also (I've only had getoo installed for about a week). I'm using an Asrock k7vt2 motherboard which uses the Via KT266a chipset and my southbridge is not being detected.
> 
> dmesg gives me this:
> 
> ```
> ...

 

dunno dude, I am currently using my friend's pc with kt266a chipset, and this is what I get on dmesg

 *Quote:*   

>  VP_IDE: IDE controller on PCI bus 00 dev 89
> 
> VP_IDE: chipset revision 6
> 
> VP_IDE: not 100% native mode: will probe irqs later
> ...

 

did you compile support for via ide DIRECTLY into the kernel, or as a module ? try directly if you loaded as a module..

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## Wedge_

 *Quote:*   

> it has basic nforce ide support, and NO ago support yet. ide support fails to compile into the kernel on my nforce2 board if it's selected, so I'm guessing not... haven't tried on nforce1 mainboard..

 

It seems to compile and run OK if I select it, but from looking at the output from dmesg, it's still just using the generic IDE driver. Are they planning on introducing full support for it at some point?

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## taskara

I'm sure they woudl like to, but don't know if it will happen any time soon. nVidia keeps everything closed source, so it's hard.

Perhaps nVidia will release an ide and agp driver - that would be great..

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## Wedge_

Well, maybe they won't have to release an IDE driver. I just tried the newest ac-sources, compiled in the nforce support, and it detected an nForce2 on bootup:

```
NFORCE2: IDE controller at PCI slot 00:09.0

NFORCE2: chipset revision 162

NFORCE2: not 100% native mode: will probe irqs later
```

It seems to be working fine. I ran hdparm -tT on my HD, and got:

```
/dev/hda:

 Timing buffer-cache reads:   128 MB in  0.27 seconds =474.07 MB/sec

 Timing buffered disk reads:  64 MB in  2.10 seconds = 30.48 MB/sec

```

The disk read score is pretty normal, but I'm sure I was only getting around 300 MB/sec for the first test before this, so that looks like a nice boost.

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## taskara

coool.. I'll have to check it out!

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## nouse66

 *taskara wrote:*   

> 
> 
> dunno dude, I am currently using my friend's pc with kt266a chipset, and this is what I get on dmesg
> 
>  *Quote:*    VP_IDE: IDE controller on PCI bus 00 dev 89
> ...

 

I don't think you CAN compile it as a module.  It looks like there only 2 options (enabled/disabled).

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## nouse66

 *nouse66 wrote:*   

> I'm having a problem with the via 82cxxx chipset also (I've only had getoo installed for about a week). I'm using an Asrock k7vt2 motherboard which uses the Via KT266a chipset and my southbridge is not being detected.
> 
> dmesg gives me this:
> 
> ```
> ...

 

ok, now this is even more weird.  i just compiled a 2.4.20 vanilla kernel with my saved config file from a couple weeks ago.   i used that config file on redhat 7.3 (2.4.20 kernel) with exactly the same hardware and the southbridge was detected just fine.  

anyone have any ideas?

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## taskara

maybe the redhat kernel has other via patches ? can u post your config file? I'd be interested to see the one that doesn't work on vanilla sources..

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## nouse66

 *taskara wrote:*   

> maybe the redhat kernel has other via patches ? can u post your config file? I'd be interested to see the one that doesn't work on vanilla sources..

 

well, i got it figured out.  somehow i didn't copy the bzimage correctly. i think i must have cp'd /usr/src/linux/arch.... to /boot before i actually set the usr/src/linux link to point to my 2.4.20 sources.  i made sure i check /boot for a  bzimage with a timestamp for 1-13-2003 but it was a copy of my old kernel. doh!

anyways, the southbridge works great with the vanilla sources and my old config file.

thanks for the help

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## taskara

hehe.. no probs  :Smile: 

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## XL-Reaper

Where is the Nforce-Support in the ac-sources hidden ?

I just can´t find it ....

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## volospin

suppose K7VT2 has a 8235 south bridge?

 *nouse66 wrote:*   

> I'm having a problem with the via 82cxxx chipset also (I've only had getoo installed for about a week). I'm using an Asrock k7vt2 motherboard which uses the Via KT266a chipset and my southbridge is not being detected.
> 
> dmesg gives me this:
> 
> ```
> ...

 

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