# uvesafb/v86d no longer working

## [n00b@localhost]

I have a PC with a widescreen monitor which runs at a native resolution of 1920x1080.  I have a framebuffer set up using uvesafb and v86d (in an initramfs) with fbsplash running on top of that.  For a while it has been working but since around gentoo-sources 2.6.30 uvesafb has been unable to select the correct resolution and I get several beeps when I try to switch to a console after X has started at which point the monitor switches off until I switch back to X.

The framebuffer is defaulting to using 320x240 which is making it very difficult to use and prevents the fbsplash theme from loading.

dmesg | grep uvesafb

```
[    0.000000] Command line: root=/dev/md3 video=uvesafb:ywrap,mtrr:2,1920x1080-32@70

[    0.000000] Kernel command line: root=/dev/md3 video=uvesafb:ywrap,mtrr:2,1920x1080-32@70

[    1.127381] uvesafb: NVIDIA Corporation, GT200 Board - 08910052, Chip Rev   , OEM: NVIDIA, VBE v3.0

[    2.912300] uvesafb: VBIOS/hardware doesn't support DDC transfers

[    2.912392] uvesafb: no monitor limits have been set, default refresh rate will be used

[    2.913221] uvesafb: scrolling: redraw

[    3.173295] uvesafb: framebuffer at 0xf7000000, mapped to 0xffffc90010100000, using 10240k, total 14336k

[  132.883654] uvesafb: mode switch failed (eax=0x14f, err=0)
```

zgrep FB /proc/config.gz

```
CONFIG_FB=y

# CONFIG_FB_DDC is not set

# CONFIG_FB_BOOT_VESA_SUPPORT is not set

CONFIG_FB_CFB_FILLRECT=y

CONFIG_FB_CFB_COPYAREA=y

CONFIG_FB_CFB_IMAGEBLIT=y

# CONFIG_FB_CFB_REV_PIXELS_IN_BYTE is not set

# CONFIG_FB_SYS_FILLRECT is not set

# CONFIG_FB_SYS_COPYAREA is not set

# CONFIG_FB_SYS_IMAGEBLIT is not set

# CONFIG_FB_FOREIGN_ENDIAN is not set

# CONFIG_FB_SYS_FOPS is not set

# CONFIG_FB_SVGALIB is not set

# CONFIG_FB_MACMODES is not set

# CONFIG_FB_BACKLIGHT is not set

CONFIG_FB_MODE_HELPERS=y

# CONFIG_FB_TILEBLITTING is not set

# CONFIG_FB_CIRRUS is not set

# CONFIG_FB_PM2 is not set

# CONFIG_FB_CYBER2000 is not set

# CONFIG_FB_ARC is not set

# CONFIG_FB_ASILIANT is not set

# CONFIG_FB_IMSTT is not set

# CONFIG_FB_VGA16 is not set

CONFIG_FB_UVESA=y

# CONFIG_FB_VESA is not set

# CONFIG_FB_N411 is not set

# CONFIG_FB_HGA is not set

# CONFIG_FB_S1D13XXX is not set

# CONFIG_FB_NVIDIA is not set

# CONFIG_FB_RIVA is not set

# CONFIG_FB_LE80578 is not set

# CONFIG_FB_MATROX is not set

# CONFIG_FB_RADEON is not set

# CONFIG_FB_ATY128 is not set

# CONFIG_FB_ATY is not set

# CONFIG_FB_S3 is not set

# CONFIG_FB_SAVAGE is not set

# CONFIG_FB_SIS is not set

# CONFIG_FB_VIA is not set

# CONFIG_FB_NEOMAGIC is not set

# CONFIG_FB_KYRO is not set

# CONFIG_FB_3DFX is not set

# CONFIG_FB_VOODOO1 is not set

# CONFIG_FB_VT8623 is not set

# CONFIG_FB_TRIDENT is not set

# CONFIG_FB_ARK is not set

# CONFIG_FB_PM3 is not set

# CONFIG_FB_CARMINE is not set

# CONFIG_FB_GEODE is not set

# CONFIG_FB_VIRTUAL is not set

# CONFIG_FB_METRONOME is not set

# CONFIG_FB_MB862XX is not set

# CONFIG_FB_BROADSHEET is not set

CONFIG_FB_CON_DECOR=y
```

cat /boot/grub/grub.conf

```
default 0

timeout 3

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

title Gentoo Linux

root (hd0,0)

kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/md3 video=uvesafb:ywrap,mtrr:2,1920x1080-32@70

initrd (hd0,0)/initramfs.cpio.gz

title Gentoo Linux no framebuffer

root (hd0,0)

kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/md3 video=uvesafb:off

title Gentoo Linux old

root (hd0,0)

kernel /boot/vmlinuz.old root=/dev/md3 video=uvesafb:ywrap,mtrr:2,1920x1080-32@70 splash=silent,fadein,fadeout,theme:natural_gentoo quiet console=tty1

initrd (hd0,0)/initramfs.cpio.gz

title Gentoo Linux old no framebuffer

root (hd0,0)

kernel /boot/vmlinuz.old root=/dev/md3 video=uvesafb:off
```

zip -dc /boot/initramfs.cpio.gz | cpio -tv

```
drwxr-xr-x   7 root     root            0 Jun  3 11:34 .

drwxr-xr-x   3 root     root            0 Jun  3 11:33 etc

drwxr-xr-x   3 root     root            0 Jun  3 11:34 etc/splash

drwxr-xr-x   3 root     root            0 Jun  2 02:18 etc/splash/natural_gentoo

-rw-r--r--   1 root     root          989 Sep 22  2009 etc/splash/natural_gentoo/1920x1080.cfg

drwxr-xr-x   2 root     root            0 Jun  3 11:34 etc/splash/natural_gentoo/images

-rw-r--r--   1 root     root        35849 Sep 22  2009 etc/splash/natural_gentoo/images/verbose-1920x1080.jpg

-rw-r--r--   1 root     root        42339 Sep 22  2009 etc/splash/natural_gentoo/images/silent-1920x1080.jpg

-rw-r--r--   1 root     root        66372 Jun  2 02:16 etc/splash/luxisri.ttf

drwxr-xr-x   3 root     root            0 Jun  3 11:34 lib64

drwxr-xr-x   4 root     root            0 Jun  3 11:34 lib64/splash

drwxr-xr-x   2 root     root            0 Jun  3 11:34 lib64/splash/proc

drwxr-xr-x   2 root     root            0 Jun  3 11:34 lib64/splash/sys

drwxr-xr-x   5 root     root            0 Jun  3 11:34 dev

crw-------   1 root     root       5,   1 Sep 17  2009 dev/console

crw-------   1 root     root       1,   5 Sep 17  2009 dev/zero

crw-------   1 root     root       1,   1 Sep 17  2009 dev/mem

crw-------   1 root     root       4,   1 Sep 17  2009 dev/tty1

drwxr-xr-x   2 root     root            0 Jun  3 11:34 dev/fb

drwxr-xr-x   2 root     root            0 Jun  3 11:34 dev/misc

drwxr-xr-x   2 root     root            0 Jun  3 11:34 dev/vc

crw-r--r--   1 root     root       1,   3 Jun  3 11:34 dev/null

crw-r--r--   1 root     root       4,   0 Jun  3 11:34 dev/tty0

drwx------   2 root     root            0 Sep 17  2009 root

drwxr-xr-x   2 root     root            0 Jun  3 11:34 sbin

-rwxr-xr-x   1 root     root       111224 Jun  2 12:29 sbin/v86d

-rwxr-xr-x   1 root     root       616200 Jun  3 11:34 sbin/fbcondecor_helper

lrwxrwxrwx   1 root     root           24 Jun  3 11:34 sbin/splash_helper -> //sbin/fbcondecor_helper
```

----------

## DONAHUE

intel video chipset? other folk are having your problem

kernel mode setting (kms) in kernel config?

nouveau driver? radeonhd driver? 

kms and vesafb uvesafb vga can't coexist and kms is becoming default/mandatory 

References:

http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/Framebuffer

http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/Kernel_Mode_Setting

http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/Intel_GMA

----------

## [n00b@localhost]

No its got two nvidia cards in it.

I've disabled the KMS setting in the kernel and only have the uvesafb driver selected (all others are off because I'm using nvidia-drivers).

----------

## DONAHUE

2.6.31-gentoo-r10 and nvidia-drivers is still ok with uvesa here. 

Will kernel update and see what happens.

----------

## DONAHUE

2.6.33-gentoo-r1 went south

normal 30 line useable display with no video= entry on the kernel line in grub.conf

12 line basically unuseable display with video=uvesafb:1920x1080-32@60 there

BTW had to go to ~amd64 for nvidia-drivers with this kernel

suspect the kernel devs rush to kms has derailed uvesafb even if kms is not configured; removing video= may give you a workable screen

----------

## [n00b@localhost]

Thanks for trying that for me.

I don't understand how my home PC (Athlon64 X2, nVidia Geforce GTX 285, gentoo-sources-2.6.34) and my laptop (Core 2 Duo, nVidia Quadro NVS 140M, tuxonice-sources-2.6.33-r2) work fine and this one (Core i7, nVidia Geforce GTX 285 x 2, gentoo-sources-2.6.34) doesn't.

I'll have to take a closer look at the kernel .configs for both and see if there are any significant differences.

----------

## ernov

Any positive results on your investigation?

----------

