Baslinux mailing list

[sindi keesan <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org>]

On Tue, 27 Feb 2007, Samual Acorn wrote:

> heres freeware s3 specific vesa tsr;
> http://mephitus.no-ip.org/archive/Software/DOS/Utilities/s3vbe20.zip
> only gives vesa 2.0 but hey... its free..
>
> ...tho i still think using dos tsrs of any kind with linux is a bad idea....
>
> note: link will only work at night... 7pm to 7am...

It was posted in TWO locations online, one of them only for members.  To 
be used with OS/2 to play Quake. I downloaded it. Only 12K.  Thanks a 
bunch!

You only need VESA 2.0 for framebuffer.  I will compare the results.

Do you have a better idea than using this TSR, other than paying (shudder) 
for a different video card?  The S3s are perfect for Xvesa and svgalib.

> > sdd653-d.exe  Shareware.  I used to use the older univesa to upgrade ISA
> > cards so they would display 1024 at 256 colors in DOS programs.

This is about 1MB.  It also worked with my Matrox Millenium II with 8MB 
RAM.  Went from Vesa 2.0 to Vesa 3.0 with 58 instead of 20 modes.
4MB framebuffer before and after.

Xvesa worked for this card BEFORE I loaded SDD, but afterwards did not.
Interrupt pointer does not point at ROM.  xfbdev loads faster than Xvesa.
You have to use fbset -n 1024x768-68 etc. to set the resolution of the 
console before using the same resolution X (unlike Xvesa, which can
specify resolution).

xfbdev worked with and without SDD.  insmod the matrox fb modules first.


Xvesa -listmodes lists 27 modes without SDD, including 1280 and 1600 in 
16-bit color.  (8MB should do better?).

After loading SDD

Xvesa -listmodes:

Interrupt pointer doesn't point at ROM
Modes only up to 640x480, and 1 or 4-bit color except for 320x200x8, which
is similar to what i810 does with Xvesa, I think.

Xvesa won't load even at 640x480x4. Interrupt pointer doesn't point at ROM 
again.  Segmentation fault.

Maybe it would still help the i810 but it could disable Xvesa entirely.

I should check the Virge for Xvesa.  vesafb does not allow use of fbset to 
change resolutions so xfbdev would work only at the resolution into which 
you boot (vga=788, etc., on the loadlin line).

xfbdev loads faster - does it work better in some way than Xvesa?

X SVGA is scrambled with or without SDD on this card, which may be newer 
than the server (2000) and SDD (1998).

I see no advantages to SDD for the Matrox. It disables Xvesa.  It still 
does not make possible 1600x1200x24.

The Virge does not need Xvesa.  There is a Virge server.

Sindi