# increase screen resolution for console in gentoo amd64

## willyg

Hello, I finally got my Second Gentoo system installed on a system with an Nvidia chipset and an AMD Athlon 64 processor. I am noticing that even though I enable frame buffer support under display devices when configuring my kernel. I still get a ridiculously low resolution rate. I also can't seem to get the 'VGA=*' and 'video=vesafb:*' arguments to work correctly. What do I need to do in order to get a 1280x1024 resolution for the text-mode console upon boot up. I realize that xorg can give the resolution I want once I set it up, but I would like to not e looking at 800x600 when my X-display is not running.

Any and all help is really appreciated.

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## Kasumi_Ninja

Are u running 32 or 64-bit Gentoo? In 32-bit you can set this in the kernel.

```

Device Drivers  ---> 

                 Graphics support  ---> 

 <*>   VESA VGA graphics support                                      │ │

  │ │        VESA driver type (vesafb-tng)  --->                          │ │

  │ │(1024x768@85) VESA default mode         
```

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## willyg

thanks, I already know about that option but it is not available in the kernel config for the 64-bit gentoo, which is what I am running.

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## Kasumi_Ninja

Hmm too bad. I hope someone can help you with the vesafb settings!

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## frzburn

I have exactly the same problem here.

I got my console resolution OK by compiling the nvidiafb module in the kernel. I was happy with it... Until I finished compiling my system... When I tried to install the NVidia Driver, it was complaining about the nvidiafb module... So I recompiled my kernel without it. Now the NVidia driver installs well, and Xorg runs at 1680x1050 (I have a widescreen laptop) without any problem. BUT, my console is back at that ugly low resolution, 320x200-like   :Confused: 

I tried different options in Grub, without any success... Without nvidiafb it just ignores them.

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## richfish

Compile Vesa VGA graphics support into your kernel and boot with "vga=775" on the kernel command line.  Note it is NOT IN CAPS.   :Smile: 

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## frzburn

```
 <*>   VGA 16-color graphics support

 <*>   VESA VGA graphics support

            VESA driver type (vesafb)  ---> 
```

That's how my kernel is already compiled.

I'll try "vga=775"....

Edit: And it works perfectly!! =D

Thanks a lot!   :Very Happy: 

I'll experiment with other resolutions...

Thanks again!

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## DINAMITA

Hello all, I have the same problem. I have compiled the kernel with VESA FB support, but when I try to boot with vga=775, nothing appears on my screen, just some dots. By the HDD's led i see there is activity and the system is booted, but there is no picture   :Sad:  . I have Gigabyte GeForce 6600 DP with 256 MB and a NEC 90GX2 (Default resolution is 1280x1024), using 64 bit version of Gentoo. Do You have any suggestions? 

Thank You for Your help in advance.

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## defenderBG

apperantly you have another resolution  :Wink: 

#colourdepth| 640x480  800x600  1024x768 1280x1024

#256(8bit)     |   769            771           773          775

#32000(15bit)|  784            787           790          793

#65000(16bit)|  785            788           791          794

#16.7 Mill.(24bit)|  786        789           792         795

choose yours

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## rAAbert

Compile the below into your kernel.

```

Device Drivers  ---> 

 Graphics support  ---> 

  Console display driver support --->

     [*] Video Mode Selection Support

   [*] Framebuffer Console support

```

Now you should be able to choose a resolution with "vga=..."

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## nixnut

Moved from Installing Gentoo to Kernel & Hardware.

Not about getting gentoo installed.

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## Crono81

is there a way to put it in 1280x800 (wide screen)?

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## humanthing

Hi,

I never had problems with my console resolution, but yesterday I tried to get splashutils working, and got a lot of problems, not only with the resolution.

Anyway, now I want to get everything working again, without fbsplash. So I changed my grub.conf back to:

```
title=Gentoo Linux Genkernel no-Splash

root(hd0,2)

kernel /boot/kernel-genkernel-x86_64-2.6.18-gentoo-r3 vga=794 video=radeonfb:mtrr3,ywrap root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc ramdisk=8192 real_root=/dev/sda3 udev

initrd /boot/initramfs-genkernel-x86_64-2.6.18-gentoo-r3

```

As you can see I'm using genkernel, and as I already read this thread I'm using "vga=794" instead of "vga=0x...". A look at dmesg shows this:

```
ich-ag ~ # cat /var/log/dmesg | grep fb

Bootdata ok (command line is vga=794 video=radeonfb:mtrr3,ywrap root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc ramdisk=8192 real_root=/dev/sda3 udev)

Kernel command line: vga=794 video=radeonfb:mtrr3,ywrap root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc ramdisk=8192 real_root=/dev/sda3 udev

radeonfb: Found Intel x86 BIOS ROM Image

radeonfb: Retrieved PLL infos from BIOS

radeonfb: Reference=27.00 MHz (RefDiv=12) Memory=250.00 Mhz, System=200.00 MHz

radeonfb: PLL min 20000 max 40000

radeonfb: Monitor 1 type CRT found

radeonfb: EDID probed

radeonfb: Monitor 2 type no found

radeonfb (0000:01:00.0): ATI Radeon Ya

vesafb: cannot reserve video memory at 0xf0000000

vesafb: framebuffer at 0xf0000000, mapped to 0xffffc20001100000, using 5120k, total 65536k

vesafb: mode is 1280x1024x16, linelength=2560, pages=24

vesafb: scrolling: redraw

vesafb: Truecolor: size=0:5:6:5, shift=0:11:5:0

fb1: VESA VGA frame buffer device

```

With X there are no resolution problems. I just can't figure out the problem. Could it be something about "vesafb: cannot reserve video memory at 0xf0000000"??

Thank you for your help in advance!

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## richfish

No, the problem is that you have both radeonfb and vesafb configured.  

If you are using gentoo-sources and have vesafb-tng configured, use:

video=vesafb:1280x1024-16,mtrr,ywrap

or

video=radeonfb:1280x1024-16,mtrr,ywrap

If you are using vanilla-sources and plain vesafb:

vga=794

You should not use vga= and video= together.

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## humanthing

Ok, I rebuilt the kernel with genkernel:

```
 * Running with options: --debuglevel=4 --menuconfig --no-bootsplash --no-gensplash --kernname=mini all 
```

Then changed my grub.conf, just like you suggested:

```
 title=Gentoo Linux new genkernel

root(hd0,2)

kernel /boot/kernel-mini-x86_64-2.6.18-gentoo-r3 video=radeonfb:1280x1024-16,mtrr3,ywrap root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc ramdisk=8192 real_root=/dev/sda3 udev

initrd /boot/initramfs-mini-x86_64-2.6.18-gentoo-r3

```

And rebooted... And still the resolution is quite bad!!!  :Sad: 

I really can't figure out! A look at dmesg shows no more strange things:

```
ich-ag ~ # cat /var/log/dmesg | grep fb

Bootdata ok (command line is video=radeonfb:1280x1024-16,mtrr3,ywrap root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc ramdisk=8192 real_root=/dev/sda3 udev)

Kernel command line: video=radeonfb:1280x1024-16,mtrr3,ywrap root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc ramdisk=8192 real_root=/dev/sda3 udev

radeonfb: Found Intel x86 BIOS ROM Image

radeonfb: Retrieved PLL infos from BIOS

radeonfb: Reference=27.00 MHz (RefDiv=12) Memory=250.00 Mhz, System=200.00 MHz

radeonfb: PLL min 20000 max 40000

radeonfb: Monitor 1 type CRT found

radeonfb: EDID probed

radeonfb: Monitor 2 type no found

radeonfb (0000:01:00.0): ATI Radeon Ya

vga16fb: initializing

vga16fb: mapped to 0xffff8100000a0000

fb1: VGA16 VGA frame buffer device

```

Any ideas?

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