Re: Linux does not initialize graphics cards on x86 (was atyfb with 2.3.30 on x86)

Marc Lehmann (pcg@opengroup.org)
Wed, 8 Dec 1999 16:48:49 +0100

On Wed, Dec 08, 1999 at 09:48:22AM +0100, Gregoire FAVRE <gregoire.favre@urbanet.ch> wrote:
> Hmm, this means the card wasn't initialized at all. Looks like we'll have to
> write our own memory probing code for platforms where only one video card is
> initialized. On PPC, all ATI cards get initialized by Open Firmware.

FYI, xfree86 is working on a x86 emulator for just this purpose:
initializing multiple cards where the bios doesn't.

Interestingly, I can use an S3 as the primary adapter (for X) + the matrox
framebuffer (matroxfb) on my uninitialized second gfx card.

Xfree86, however, will just freeze the machine when it tries to take over
the framebuffer'ed gfx card.

> So I could have one fb, depending of my BIOS setting of AGP/PCI first... very bad, isn't it?

Jepp.

> I think that's a linux problem on x86 (I have an ASUS P2B-LS with recent BIOS) (or is there a

I think thats a bug in your BIOS (some get it right, interestingly), and
if would be ultra-cool if linux worked around it, since this is very
common on pcs.

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