vga= all modes don't work

English Install/Boot/Login
#1

Hello!

I’ve installed OpenSuse 11.0 and I must say it’s wonderful!

Unfortunately the installation only worked with F3->VESA mode for my Nvidia Riva TNT2.

While booting the fontsize of messages is huge and if I choose any vga= mode, I’ll get some strange coloured boxes or a blank screen.
(edd=off doesn’t correct the bug).
Only the vga modes for console eg. 80x50 and the BIOS modes get accepted.

On the other side, framebuffer works well when I load vga16fb kernel module after booting in init 5. Then I’ll get some useful-sized ttys.

Unfortunately vga16fb only is a kernel module so I cannot make it a grub vga= option.

Does anybody know how to get framebuffer working to get useable boot messages in normal size (640x480 but not 80x25…!)?

greetings

#2

You wouldn’t happen to have an external USB hard drive attached and powered on during boot, would you?

v 11 has an issue with external USB hard drives being powered during boot that causes similar problems.

I don’t know if the problem was fixed or not.

#3

No, I haven’t connected any USB device at startup.

#4

try this in a konsole window:

“mkinitrd -s 1024*768”

  • the 1024*768 can be any size that your video can use. Unless you have a new video card, I would start there and go down.

Also check this out: Bootsplash issues

#5

I have a similar problem. I got no splash screen after booting into 11.1 and I got large text on my screen.
DEFAULT_VGA=“0x31a” is not recognized - openSUSE Forums
To summarize, user mingus725 suggested adding “edd=off” to my boot options. This works for my system.

I can also confirm this deal with the external usb drive was causing the real problem though. When I boot without my usb drive powered on, 11.1 boots normally without having edd=off in my boot options.
spopo

#6

Does not work.
I have had no bootsplash since first boot!

After starting OpenSuse Installation I had to choose

F3->VESA

to get a usable display.

But are the other modes installation menue modes 1024x768, 800x600… NOT VESA modes? What are these modes for instead?

I guess I need to select the framebuffer driver which F3->VESA in installation menue does use!

Does anyone know this driver’s name?

(EDD=off does not work.)

#7

Did you try mkinitrd -s 800600? or 640480? the 1024*768 might be too much for your video card. Try reducing the size and see if that works.

Also, did you check out the link with my other post? There is some useful information in there.

#8

Yes I did, but it didn’t work!

Also, did you check out the link with my other post? There is some useful information in there.

Yes I read these informations.
But I don’t have a bootsplash since installation. I didn’t alter anything. I Just installed openSuse with VESA display option and that was it. But no bootsplash :(.
glxmenu command is in grub.conf.
(Because of this and because the manual repair process also wants to check much more than just bootloader, I stopped the procedure. I wasn’t believing it.)

regards

#9

freistoff wrote:

>
> cybertaz;1916934 Wrote:
>> Did you try mkinitrd -s 800600? or 640480? the 1024*768 might be too
>> much for your video card. Try reducing the size and see if that works.
>

I am arriving late at this thread, but by any chance do you have a usb drive attached to the computer when you boot?

If so, the vga mode will not set properly. I get this problem if I boot with a usb thumb drive attached.

-G-

#10

I recently installed an ATI HD3450 graphics card (running OpenSUSE 11.1 x86_64). Downloaded official drivers from repo and did sax2 -r -m 0=fglrx. Later, I switched my screen resolution to 2048x1152, as suggested by the OSD in the display (Samsung Syncmaster 2343NWX). Everything ran smoothly, but when reseting my system or turning on the PC, I am redirected to a screen showing all available VESA modes (currently stored in boot options vga=0x352). No matter what resolution I choose, the system loads -initially- using this last resolution and not the one I had set from display options (within KDE).
Is there a way to bypass this VESA stuff at boot time or to boot directly in 2048x1152? Any clues or ideas?
Thanks!

#11

random753 adjusted his/her AFDB on Sunday 05 Jul 2009 15:07 to write:

>
> I recently installed an ATI HD3450 graphics card (running OpenSUSE 11.1
> x86_64). Downloaded official drivers from repo and did sax2 -r -m
> 0=fglrx. Later, I switched my screen resolution to 2048x1152, as
> suggested by the OSD in the display (Samsung Syncmaster 2343NWX).
> Everything ran smoothly, but when reseting my system or turning on the
> PC, I am redirected to a screen showing all available VESA modes
> (currently stored in boot options vga=0x352). No matter what resolution
> I choose, the system loads -initially- using this last resolution and
> not the one I had set from display options (within KDE).
> Is there a way to bypass this VESA stuff at boot time or to boot
> directly in 2048x1152? Any clues or ideas?
> Thanks!
>
>

You cannot bypass the vesa fb at start as the graphic drivers/modules for
your card are only loaded when you start the Xserver.

You can only use fb modes that the fb supports, I have 0x0365 set in GRUB
for a 1440x900 grub screen and console.

I am not sure on the complete list of modes that is supported a google might
find them for you IIRC that is how I found mine as it is not listed in the
kernel source documentation for the framebuffer ( or was not last time I
read it )

If you put a non-supported mode iin the boot menu thn it will “ask” for a
different mode or scan for a list that is supported on every boot.

HTH

Mark
Caveat emptor
Nullus in verba
Nil illegitimi carborundum