# vesafb and kernel 2.6.14 on AMD64

## faceman

Here's the deal: I've got an nvidia card working with the accelerated driver, but I can't get vesafb to work.  Different console modes worked with the nvidiafb driver, but once I switched to vesafb, only default console text mode works.

I went through that howtos, no good.

Here's grub.conf:

```

default=0

timeout=8

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

title Gentoo Linux

   root (hd0,0)

   kernel=/boot/kernel root=/dev/sda3

   video=vesafb:ywrap,mtrr vga=0x318 splash=silent,fadein,theme:emergence quiet CONSOLE=/dev/tty2

   initrd /boot/fbsplash-emergence-1024x768

```

and grepping vesafb gives nothing.

Emerged fbset, it says

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> open /dev/fb0: No such file or directory
> 
> 

 

Obviously, it's not working.  I don't even get error messages saying I have the wrong mode or anything.  I've tried several different modes, nothing works.

I'd love to get this resolved - anybody?

By the way, vesafb-tng is not available in the AMD64 kernel, so that's not an option.  And I don't have any other fb drivers compiled in the kernel.[/code]

----------

## olger901

Make sure you got the following options enabled in the kernel:

Support for Framebuffer Devices

The Framebuffer devicetype (vesafb in your case)

Framebuffer video selection Mode

Support for splash screens (in case you wish to use a fancy background)

----------

## faceman

All those options are selected.

Anyone?

----------

## faceman

Noone?

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## mikemcquaid

```
title=Gentoo Linux 2.6.14-m249

root (hd0,0)

kernel /kernel-2.6.14-gentoo-m249 root=/dev/hda3 vga=795 video=vesafb:ywrap,mtrr splash=silent,theme:livecd-2005.1 quiet CONSOLE=/dev/tty1
```

Thats mine, works with my nVidia 6800GT on AMD64. Give it a go!

----------

## faceman

Tried it, nothing.

I've also tried a bunch of other configs.  I don't think my config is the problem.

dmesg tells me this:

 *Quote:*   

> Console: colour VGA+ 80x25

 

So at least we know the kernel is British...

----------

## Taki

Good day gentleman.

I had my splash working 100's until I upgraded to kernel-2.6.14. My boot progress boot process still works but theres is no background picture in my console. What's strange though is that if I start enlightenment and then restart the splash daemon, the background suddenly appears.

I is a rather strange.....

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## nkmcc

 *faceman wrote:*   

> 
> 
> Here's grub.conf:
> 
> ```
> ...

 

I'm assuming that you actually have:

```

kernel=/boot/kernel root=/dev/sda3 video=vesafb:ywrapp,mtrr vga=0x318 splash=silent,fadein,theme:emergence quiet CONSOLE=/dev/tty2

```

all on one line? - if not, it needs to be.

Also, is there a particular reason you are using tty2 instead of tty1 ?

=================================

here's what works for me: (using kernel 2.6.14-gentoo-r2 on amd64, with vesafb and framebuffer support compiled into the kernel)

=================================

1.  emerge testing version of splashutils

   1.1 (this requires adding ~amd64 keywords for media-gfx/splashutils and dev-lib/klibc in /etc/portage/package.keywords)

        (see man portage for more info)

2.  splash_geninitramfs as described in howto

3.  Edit grub.conf

now, I cannot for the life of me get 1600x1200 resolution - vesafb seems to max out at 1280x1024

basically, my grub.conf is pretty similar to yours, the primary differences being vga=0x31B and I have CONSOLE=/dev/tty1

================================

this is just a guess, but the newer version of splashutils may play nicer with the more recent kernel.

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## faceman

That was it!  It all needs to be on the same line.

Now I have another problem.  It can't read the cfg files for the themes...for example, it says that it can't read /etc/splash/emergence/1280x1024.cfg - or the gentoo theme @ that res.

It will boot in silent mode and give a background, the text is full screen and not in the appropriate box (so it's hard to read).  If I don't boot in silent, I get no background.

----------

