# vesafb: probe of vesafb0 failed with error -6

## Bob P

I'm working on a Stage 1 install on an old boatanchor P133.  (i know, i'm a glutton for punishment).  if possible i'd like this PC to have gensplash support.

the video system is an S3 Virge board with a paltry 2MB memory.  the output of dmesg shows the following errors:  

```
vesafb: probe of vesafb0 failed with error -6

vga16fb: initializing

vga16fb: mapped to 0xc00a0000

Console: switching to colour frame buffer device 80x30
```

i have two questions:

1. can anyone point me to a resource where i can look up error 6?

2.  is it possible to get a vesafb working with this card, or am i SOL, needing to dig up another video card.

```
# lspci

<snip>

0000:00:0d.0 VGA compatible controller: S3 Inc. 86c325 [ViRGE] (rev 06)

</snip>
```

TIA!

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## Bob P

/* bump */

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## drescherjm

I have the same error on an AMD64 system with a nvidia fx 5200 card.

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## Bob P

ah, the thread rises from the dead...

i gave up on it.  i threw away the video card and put an old Matrox Mil in its place, and everything is working fine now.

i wouldn't recommend that with your nvidia card, though.

good luck.

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## zaai

Same problem here.

MSI Neo platinum with MSI TI4200 card.

It worked fine before on an Asus board with a P4 and the same graphics card.

Now with the new board and the amd64 install it gives exactly the same error.

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## dfy

Heh yep, same here with a PNY Ti4200.... strange.

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## LinuxDolt

to all of you who gave up on this.  do you have a working framebuffer?

if not, the solution is making absolutely certain that you have enabled Video Mode Selection Support in your kernel.

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## Bob P

yep, that's a necessary condition for fb to work, but unfortunately its not sufficient condition to make the fb work on all cards.

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## zaai

LinuxDolt thanks for the tip. In my case the option CONFIG_VIDEO_SELECT=y is set.

I found a way around it.  :Very Happy: 

On the kernel boot line instead of passing "video=vesafb...", use the old "vga=794". 

This is probably due to not (able to) using FB_VESA_TNG   :Question: 

Eg, my grub line:

 *Quote:*   

> title=Gentoo Linux-2.6.9-gentoo-r12: Athlon-64 compiled
> 
> root (hd0,0)
> 
> kernel (hd0,0)/kernel-2.6.9-gentoo-r12 vga=794 root=/dev/hda5

 

My graphics support kernel options:

 *Quote:*   

> #
> 
> # Graphics support
> 
> #
> ...

 

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## Bob P

 *zaai wrote:*   

> LinuxDolt thanks for the tip. In my case the option CONFIG_VIDEO_SELECT=y is set.
> 
> I found a way around it. 
> 
> On the kernel boot line instead of passing "video=vesafb...", use the old "vga=794". 
> ...

 

yes, passing a command line parameter that is compatible with your selected video driver is an absolute must.

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