# vesafb not working

## sesamsys

Heys!

I installed gentoo with framebuffer support (vesafb) but despite the fact I added vga=0x315 video=vesafb lines to grub, it just loads the 80x25 lines console. I am a n00b, therefore I don't know where to look for the cause of this thing, but I want a high-res console with the gentoo-background indeed.  :Smile: 

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## fredgt

Are you using vesafb or vesafb-tng, take a look at this http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_fbsplash. There is a lot of information on how to get the framebuffer and splash (if you want to use it) working.

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## sesamsys

Using vesafb. But the problem is it does not do anything. I read the tutorial but it say how to compile the kernel with support, etc. That I have done. It just doesn't start up or something.

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## nixnut

Did you enable any other framebuffer drivers in the kernel config? You should use only one.

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## bonecrime

I use vesafb-tng, and I can post my lilo config if it'll help.

```
image=/boot/kernel-2.6.9-fb

        label=2.6.9-fb

        read-only

        root=/dev/hda3

        append="video=vesafb:ywrap,mtrr,1024x768-32@85 splash=silent,theme:Gentoo-Hornet"

        initrd = /boot/fbsplash-Gentoo-Hornet-1024x768
```

And as for what I have enabled in the kernel:

```

Device Drivers

    Graphics Support

        [*] Support for frambuffer devices

        <*> VESA vga graphics support

            VESA driver type (vesafb-tng)

        Console display driver support

            [*] Video mode selection support

            <*>Framebuffer Console support

        [*]Support for frambuffer splash

    Block Devices

        <*> RAM disk support

        (4096) Default RAM disk size (kbytes)

        [*]   Initial RAM disk (initrd) support

        [*] Support for Large Block Devices
```

That's all from the guide posted earlier in this thread and it works perfectly!

Edit: Doh! I saw you're using GRUB. Might still be a bit of help though.

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## sesamsys

With vesafb-tng I had the weirdest thing, it switched off my monitor instead of starting up framebuffer. That's why I switched to vesafb, which didn't do anything. Sooo, being a n00b and all I figured easiest is to use genkernel, since it perfectly handled video during the install.  :Very Happy:  Did that and now I have fb support. Atm it is compiling the gensplash module into the kernel. (400 Celeron. Slow, duh.  :Smile:  ) Thanks for the help tho.

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## sesamsys

Hm, why is LILO better? Most people I came across use it instead of GRUB.

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## bonecrime

If you get a black screen you probably have set something up wrong, or your gfx card dont work with vesafb perhaps.  :Confused:  I use Lilo because I'm familiar with it and I think it's easier to configure. Ok so maybe GRUB as a bunch of extra features that Lilo don't. But I really only use the bootloader to load the kernel. Don't need any bling-bling from it.

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## SilentGreg

 *bonecrime wrote:*   

> I use vesafb-tng, and I can post my lilo config if it'll help.
> 
> ```
> image=/boot/kernel-2.6.9-fb
> 
> ...

 

It helped me! Thank you!!

Greg

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## MickKi

 *sesamsys wrote:*   

> With vesafb-tng I had the weirdest thing, it switched off my monitor instead of starting up framebuffer. 

 The reason this happens is because you specify the wrong resolution in your grub.conf.  Mine would also go to sleep, until through trial and error I got the correct resolution.  BTW, vesafb-tng does not need vga=0x315, only something like: video=vesafb:ywrap,mtrr,1280x1024-32@60 splash=verbose,theme:emergence

initrd /boot/fbsplash-emergence-1280x1024

PS. Don't copy mine blindly, you'll need a configuration which is correct for your monitor.

PPS. Some old radeon cards require radeonfb NOT vesa!

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## lotw

 *sesamsys wrote:*   

> Hm, why is LILO better? Most people I came across use it instead of GRUB.

 

Lilo isn't better per say.  Lilo has been around longer and is a little easier to modify.  KDE and stuff can edit the Lilo config pretty easily from the control panel.  It all boils down to personal preference.  I use GRUB, but I used to use Lilo, but grub seemed to look better and work faster for me.  On my laptop Lilo was 10x slower to get the system booted, took forever to test the image file.  Grub it is instant.

Think if Grub and Lilo as Gnome and KDE are.  People love whichever one they love.  I have used both and I like a lot more of the features of Gnome than KDE, of coarse KDE has some good points to it also.

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## Deathwing00

Moved from Installing Gentoo to Kernel & Hardware.

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## AxisDigital

I'm installing gentoo-sources-2.6.12-r4, and I don't see a vesafb or vesafb-tng option anywhere in the framebuffer devices list.  Has it been removed? Does it depend on something else?

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## AxisDigital

menuconfig was helpfully loading my gentoo-sources-2.6.9-r9 .config file.  Something wasn't displayed, or I didn't check something in the list.  I found it.

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