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  • From: sindi keesan <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org>
  • To: baslinux AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [BL] Compiling framebuffer modules
  • Date: Thu, 15 Dec 2005 18:36:08 +0000 (UTC)

How would I make just a specific module from the .c code for it?

I want to compile one module which is listed in the kernel config and one that is not.

I need 'echo' to 'make modules', which is in BL3 but not BL2 busybox (I updated BL2 to use BL3 busybox). But this won't make the second module.

gcc -Wall module.o module.c ? It can't be this easy.

I compiled a 2.2.16 framebuffer kernel which does not work with the matroxfb.o that David compiled earlier for his framebuffer kernel. (I think the problem is something to do with number of color depths supported, and I had to compile with all of them for it to even boot). I needed to first insmod fbcon-cfb4.o (though I compiled 4-bit color support into the kernel) and when I insmod matroxfb I get a black screen with red speckles, and switching vt's gives solid black on all vt's.

In the /linux/drivers/video section of kernel source code, I found matroxfb.c and atyfb.c, and also virgefb.c (not in config).

S3 Virge is the perfect card for older hardware - 4MB RAM so does 1280 with Xvesa, displays at 1600 res on a 17" monitor (at under 70 HSync) that won't display at 1600 with any AGP card because they are too high frequency (except S3 Trio3D - which tells X_SVGA it has 64K RAM). It is PCI so coexists with MGA cards. It works perfectly with Xvesa, X, svgalib. Supposedly you can even rotate the screen (in X, option "Rotate").

Tseng PCI is also framebuffer but won't do X in one of three computers, and Xvesa keeps crashing, probably because it does not coexist well with MGA cards (as explained online). Matrox works but only to 1280 on 17" .
(This is adequate for browsing but not for viewing more than 150 dpi scans without scrolling.)

David attempted to compile vesafb with S3 patch, which did not work.

I found mention online of an s3triofb.c in /linux/drivers, from 1995. Did it get combined into virgefb.c (Cybervision 64/3D)? Also clgenfb.c (Cirrus Logic). The poster says 'I don't see them anywhere in menuconfig as options'. S3Trio works as vesa framebuffer, Virge does not.


My new kernel supports sound, scsi boot (have not tested it yet) and framebuffer. With framebuffer (if I wear glasses) I do not need to page down twice to log into my local library renewal site (which is apparently 1280) with text-mode links. I can see the due dates without scrolling (right, down, right, down.....), and I will no longer be paying overdue fines on things that I thought I had renewed but were listed as 'on hold'.
With Matrox and fbset it should be possible to switch between 1280 for browsing and a more readable 800 or 1024 text mode.

I know I can accomplish the same thing in xterm, given time.

I will post the kernel once I get matroxfb.o (Millenium only, no support for two VGA video cards at once = dual-head) and atyfb.o (Mach 64) compiled to work with it. David's mdacon.o for framebuffer works, so do slhc/ppp. I think just the actual framebuffer modules need recompiling.

David offered to compile a 2.4.31 version from my config which I want to be all-purpose for those of us with usb-storage devices.

Can you insmod ethernet modules from SW71 if you marked them N during make config? Sound modules? If not, I will add any requested ones.

I supported msdos/fat/vfat. I did not support network file systems or firewalls - can they be added as modules anyway? This is mostly based on BL2 config but I compiled in loop. I was able to chroot to BL3.

The kernel compiled with atyfb support boots on the Matrox (as vesafb) but does not load atyfb. If I compile for VESA and VGA, it assigns VESA to /dev/fb0 (which I made - see devices.txt in kernel docs) and VGA to /dev/fb1 (which I don't have). So with a Mach64 card you might want to make /dev/fb1.

keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org
SDF Public Access UNIX System - http://sdf.lonestar.org




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