# [SOLVED] uvesafb & v86d complications

## mljohns4

Greetings

I recently performed a fresh install of Gentoo 2008.0, migrating myself from a somewhat unstable system still running 2004.1

My current question is regarding uvesafb & v86d; I have just recently finished the base install using the minimum x86 cd and have performed a full update (emerge -vpD --update world). I have followed spock's guide regarding uvesa and v86d with my resolution apparently stuck at 800x600 while I am specifing a resolution of 1024x768-32.

So here is my info:

```

sasquatch sbin # dmesg | grep -i uvesa

Kernel command line: root=/dev/hdc3 quiet video=uvesafb:1024x768-24@60,mtrr:3,ywrap

uvesafb: Intel Corporation, Intel(r)852GM/852GME/855GM/855GME Graphics Controller, Hardware Version 0.0, OEM: Intel(r)852GM/852GME/855GM/855GME Graphics Chip Accelerated VGA BIOS, VBE v3.0

uvesafb: VBIOS/hardware supports DDC2 transfers

uvesafb: monitor limits: vf = 60 Hz, hf = 48 kHz, clk = 65 MHz

uvesafb: scrolling: redraw

uvesafb: framebuffer at 0xe8000000, mapped to 0xf8d00000, using 832k, total 832k

```

```

sasquatch linux # cat .config | grep -i CONFIG_CONNECTOR

CONFIG_CONNECTOR=y

```

```

sasquatch linux # cat .config | grep -i CONFIG_FB_UVESA

CONFIG_FB_UVESA=y

```

```

sasquatch linux # cat .config | grep -i CONFIG_INITRAMFS_SOURCE

CONFIG_INITRAMFS_SOURCE="/usr/share/v86d/initramfs"

```

```

sasquatch linux # cat /boot/grub/grub.conf

default=0

timeout=10

splashimage=(hd0,0)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz

title Gentoo 2.6.25 Release 9

root (hd0,0)

kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hdc3 quiet video=uvesafb:1024x768-24@60,mtrr:3,ywrap

```

And subsequently the "a ha..." moment:

```

sasquatch ~ # cat /var/log/messages | grep -i v86d

Nov 19 06:23:16 sasquatch uvesafb: failed to execute /sbin/v86d

Nov 19 06:23:16 sasquatch uvesafb: make sure that the v86d helper is installed and executable

```

Double checking v86d & klibc

```

sasquatch ~ # emerge -vp v86d klibc

These are the packages that would be merged, in order:

Calculating dependencies... done!

[ebuild   R   ] dev-libs/klibc-1.5.12-r1  USE="-debug (-n32)" 0 kB

[ebuild   R   ] sys-apps/v86d-0.1.9  USE="-debug* -x86emu*" 0 kB

```

```

sasquatch ~ # ls -ahl /sbin/v86d

-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 83K Nov 19 23:42 /sbin/v86d

```

So... any suggestions as to what is going on and/or how to proceed next. It would appear that everything is installed and configured correctly, but for whatever reason uvesafb is not finding v86d.

----------

## devsk

are you using an initrd for boot? initrd needs to have /sbin/v86d executable as well. Use a recent (3.4.10-r2 I guess) genkernel to create the initrd.

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## mljohns4

While I can understand the relationship between using a genkernel and a initrd image, I'm having a difficult time understanding the necessity of using an initrd for a non-genkernel user such as myself. This same configuration is currently installed and functioning on other boxes of mine (ie.. roll my own kernel, uvesafb for my frame buffer, and userspace helper such as v86d) with no initrd in use. Granted, it has been approx. a year since I performed those installs, but the configuration is the same. So I have a suspicion that 1 of 3 thing has happened, either uvesafb has changed with the latest kernel (2.6.25-r9), or something with v86d has changed, or the documentation for this process needs updating to now reflect a new requirement of creating a initrd image to be loaded at boot in order for the v86d helper program to be found correctly.

I have no qualms about using an initrd image, I guess for me it is more of an exercise in curiosity as to why I now need an initrd image where as before this wasn't necessary in addition to having other boxes currently running with similar configurations / no initrd.

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## Lori

 *mljohns4 wrote:*   

> So I have a suspicion that 1 of 3 thing has happened, either uvesafb has changed with the latest kernel (2.6.25-r9), or something with v86d has changed, or the documentation for this process needs updating to now reflect a new requirement of creating a initrd image to be loaded at boot in order for the v86d helper program to be found correctly.
> 
> 

 

I also suspect some changes to uvesafb starting from 2.6.25-r9. I had 2.6.25-r8 installed for a long time, and after upgrading to 2.6.25-r9, and recently to 2.6.26-r3, I started to have some issues. First off, there is a considerably longer delay at boot time until something is visible after switching to the frame buffer, then, switching between VTs takes a much longer time than previously: I have a blank screen for more than a second between switches, while using 2.5.25-r8 it was instantaneous. And now, my Intel X11 driver (2.1.1 - stable version) refuses to run at 1280x1024, the resolution I used before. I speculate that something in the Gentoo patches added after 2.5.25-r8 must be the culprit.

Any suggestions?

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## ramsesxi

 *Lori wrote:*   

>  *mljohns4 wrote:*   So I have a suspicion that 1 of 3 thing has happened, either uvesafb has changed with the latest kernel (2.6.25-r9), or something with v86d has changed, or the documentation for this process needs updating to now reflect a new requirement of creating a initrd image to be loaded at boot in order for the v86d helper program to be found correctly.
> 
>  
> 
> Any suggestions?

 

Build the ramdisk into the kernel.

CONFIG_INITRAMFS_SOURCE="/usr/share/v86d/initramfs"

I have actually one in the kernel and one on /boot. Both can be used at the same time

----------

## Lori

 *ramsesxi wrote:*   

> 
> 
> Build the ramdisk into the kernel.
> 
> CONFIG_INITRAMFS_SOURCE="/usr/share/v86d/initramfs"
> ...

 

In my case, it is already built into the kernel.

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## ramsesxi

 *Lori wrote:*   

> 
> 
> In my case, it is already built into the kernel.

 

I quoted wrong post, sorry. It was ment for mljohns4

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## mljohns4

This ended up being a configuration error in my kernel. I had forgotten to compile in support for the framebuffer.  I will have to add more information at a later date since I'm currently away from my Gentoo box.

----------

## mljohns4

So essentially this was a screw up on my part. I didn't have "Frame Buffer Console" support enabled in the kernel. The enabler was the following:

FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE=y

Found under Device drivers, Graphics Support, Console display driver support, Framebuffer Console support.

----------

