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[Sindi Keesan <keesan AT iamjlamb.com>]

I searched the web for other reports on the fact that mdacon won't work if 
you load parport_pc (kernel 2.2.16) - it scrambles the screen on all 
Hercules-mode terminals if you boot from VGA, and if you boot from 
Hercules mode all the terminals display in TTL none in VGA.

Nothing was reported so I am posting this info under the proper subject.
The cure is not to automatically load the module during startup and just 
use it from a VGA terminal to print, then reboot and reload mdacon to use 
the TTL monitor again after printing.  I have not checked whether the 
bare.i kernel has this problem (parport_pc built-in).

The problem occurs only on one of three computers.  SOmething to do with 
where the module is loaded into RAM conflicting with video RAM?  
Motherboards put the Hercules info into different places in RAM, as I know 
because another motherboard won't work at all with Hercules due to some 
memory conflict.  Both boards are 1997.


There is a linux parport_pc list to which I have just subscribed.  Other 
people have had problems with this module hanging linux.  You can specify 
io and irq as switches when loading it and sometimes it helps to specify 
irq=none if you want to disable the parport but need the module loaded.