# very slow console in KVM, slowing boot time

## c00l.wave

I installed Gentoo into a KVM guest today. For some reason, graphics get very slow as soon as the framebuffer is activated (see my recording on YouTube). Direct rendering is disabled; vga=nofb, video=normal etc. do not have any effect, I always get a framebuffer even if I try to disable it through parameters. Support for Cirrus graphic cards has been compiled into the kernel. If I try to set a higher resolution with video=vesafb... it doesn't have any effect either. The framebuffer works fine with Ubuntu or the Gentoo minimal install ISO on the same VM, it's fast and supports higher resolutions. Any idea what kernel option I may have missed?

I have had slow framebuffers on every PC I ever installed Linux on but this VM's speed is ridiculous (20 seconds until the kernel itself is done scrolling and OpenRC finally gets started, scrolling at the same speed). The VM itself (if I log in via SSH) runs at normal speed, it's only the framebuffer console that is slow.

I copied the kernel config to Pastebin.com. It would be great if someone who knows the graphics modules better than me could have a quick look at this.

Thanks!

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## dman777

i have this same problem that i'm battling out. let you know if i find a solution.

EDIT: I turned off all framebuffer support in the kernel and recompiled and it fixed the lag. However, I have yet to find how to make the console window larger as the gentoo live dvd iso is.

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## jormartr

Maybe this is not what you want, but when you say :

 *c00l.wave wrote:*   

> I always get a framebuffer even if I try to disable it through parameters.

 

you mean you want to disable completely the video, and run qemu without output on the screen? Well, if it is, you want to use the -nographic option.

Hope it may help.

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## Ant P.

Use a spice client and the qxl video driver instead. It can run KDE with compositing fast enough so the console should work too.

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## dman777

what is a splice client? 

 it does not matter what video driver is enabled in the kernel...regardless Cirrus Logic will be used for VGA.

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