Framebuffer and 2.6.9 kernel? (knoppix 3.7 manual install)

[mallyone]

I guess I should start out by apologizing for the length of this post, a quick summary of my problem:

:: Summary ::
Framebuffer starts with blank screen when booting recompiled, apt-get'd 2.6.9 kernel (and headers) using grub, passing the appropriate kernel options video and vga..

:: Long Version ::
I have an nvidia geforce 2 card and fb works great when booting from a knoppix disk, it works great, but won't work after an hd install. A quick history of my install, I wasn't able to use the knoppix-hdinstall script because of some file errors I was getting from both the cd and a mounted knoppix 3.7 iso so I followed the hd install script and installed pretty much by hand (save a few kde locale files). I then did an apt-get upgrade for all the packages to make sure any missed files would be included. Since I did that, I haven't been able to get the frame buffer working for a 2.6 kernel. It appears to boot ok, but once out of grub, the screen goes blank and it chugs on the harddrive for a while and then stops. This leads me to believe everything but the FB setup is correct. Cycling the power on the monitor or or switching vterms doesn't do anything.

I've rebuilt the kernel with apt-get'd sources, included vesa and framebuffer support using the following framebuffer specific configs:

Code maturity level options  --->[*] Prompt for development and/or incomplete code/drivers
Processor type and features  --->[*] MTRR (Memory Type Range Register) support
Device Drivers  --->
   Block devices  --->
       <*> Loopback device support
       <*> RAM disk support
       (4096) Default RAM disk size[*]   Initial RAM disk (initrd) support
Graphics support  --->[*] Support for frame buffer devices[*]   VESA VGA graphics support
   Console display driver support  --->[*]   Video mode selection support
       <*> Framebuffer Console support

I grabbed that from a gentoo faq, but other research I've done seems to verify this as being right. All are compiled in, instead of modules.

One config item I couldn't find that was in the gentoo instructions was

   Bootsplash configuration  --->[*] Bootup splash screen

I have no idea if I need to patch my kernel or if that option is even needed.

Anyhow, I've compiled and recompiled, setting rivatnt to compile in, then module. Compiled the nvidia kernel module etc, etc. Tried various vga= modes, ranging from 640x480 with 256 colours up to 1280x1024 with millions of colours. I've also used various incarnations of init.d images created using the current kernel and modules, all with the same result.

my grub looks like this:

groot (hd0,0)
root (hd0,2)
kernel (hd0,0)/vmlinuz-2.6.9 ro root=/dev/hde3 ramdisk_size=10000 lang=us video=vesafb:ywarp,mtrr vga=0x31a
savedefault
boot

I can boot to command-line if I remove the video and vga options.

I figured I could just boot to the blank screen, wait until the hardrive stops chugging and throw in a knoppix cd and read /var/dmesg, but it appears this hasn't been written to since 2001!?!?! Is there a knoppix specific place this is stored?

The funny thing is, the untouched 2.4.x kernel works fine, so I figure it must be a setup issue in menuconfig.

If this looks in the least bit familiar, please drop a quick hint of where I should go digging next. this has eaten up an entire weekend plus and it's getting totally frustrating .

Thanks in advance for any help your able to offer...

[eon]

:: Long Version ::
I have an nvidia geforce 2 card

Maybe this is no help but have you tried "knoppix xmodule=nv" ?
If you have a AGP graphics card ( not an integrated-onboard graphics processor
which probably won't work...correctly) then you shouldn't need to use the framebuffer.

Oh, and the bootsplash configuration is for grub/lilo so it should not be
relevent.

[mallyone]

:: Long Version ::
I have an nvidia geforce 2 card

Maybe this is no help but have you tried "knoppix xmodule=nv" ?
If you have a AGP graphics card ( not an integrated-onboard graphics processor
which probably won't work...correctly) then you shouldn't need to use the framebuffer.

Oh, and the bootsplash configuration is for grub/lilo so it should not be
relevent.

I no longer have the boot option (since I put it manually on the hd), I'm curious if I could throw that param into my grub? or is it used for dynamically setting up the xconfig file?

I figured the framebuffer shouldn't matter to xwindows, but it seems to insist that it use /dev/fb0, which doesn't get setup unless the kernel is passed the config.

I have tried using nv (after compliation from source) but xwindows still complains about the framebuffer.

Thanks for the pointers though, it's great to a second set of eyes looking at the problem as I feel as though I'm too focused in one area to see the problem (which is probably painfully obvious ). I'll have to read more on xwindows boot up sequence and how it chooses a device as the frame buffer seemed like a red herring to begin with.

m.

[eon]

As to your question about grub:
Yes you can edit menu.1st and add those boot
parameters. Perhaps you could even copy & paste
your menu.1st here. I am curious as to what's there and
what the actual value is for"vga=?"