How to enable kernel mode setting with Intel onboard graphics

[John Summerfield]

Petrus de Calguarium wrote:
> My laptop has a built-in Intel graphic board. I read that kms for Intel is 
> supposed to be included in kernel-2.6.29, but whenever I put rhgb on the 
> kernel boot line i grub (and remove vga= and remove nomodeset), then the 
> computer boots and I can tell that it's logging into kde, but the screen is 
> just black and I am unable to change to another vt. When I use vga= and 
> nomodeset, then Plymouth works and so does X.
> 
> Am I missing an option on the kernel boot line in grub? Do I have to 
> configure something? How do I enable the native modeline required to get 
> my laptop to use its native resolution? I tried xrandr, but it was unable to 
> use the native resolution. Yet, I have read that the kernel is now supposed 
> to do this...
> 
> Any ideas?

I've been through this a few times over the last couple of years. As 
best I can figure it, VGA= on the kernel line is interpreted by vesafb, 
and works if vesafb supports your card.

On my current desktop, an HP DC7700, vesafb drives my screen at 
1280x1024 so I don't need to go further.


Earlier releases didn't support the Intel graphics in various of my 
computers, so that tends not to work.

If it does work, then it gets undone when some smartiepants decides to 
load a font I don't need or want, and the screen gets set to 30 lines. 
So I need to turn that off.

If I get to the login screen (runlevel=3) in a text console mode, then 
usually the best driver to use is intelfb. For some fairly decent 
information on it,
modinfo intelfb

I like 1280x1024. so in /etc/modprobe.conf I have this:

options intelfb mode=1280x1024 at 70

Sometimes, something upsets the console and it goes all distorted so I 
have to do this too:
fbset -a 1280x1024-70

Valid arguments are listed in /etc/fbset

Note, I think that that graphical boot console is all very nice, but not 
on my computers. I turn it off, and remove quiet too: if something goes 
wrong, I want to know about it first time.



-- 

Cheers
John

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