Latest revision as of 11:13, 21 December 2010

[edit] How to : Framebuffer: Userspace VESA VGA graphics support

Uvesafb is an improved framebuffer driver for Linux systems with some enhancements compared to vesa.

[edit] Kernel configuration

Device Drivers ->
    <*> Connector - unified userspace <-> kernelspace linker  --->
    Graphics support ->
        [*] Support for frame buffer devices  --->
            [*] Enable firmware EDID
            Console display driver support ->
                [*] Video mode selection support
                [*] Video mode handling helpers
            Frame buffer hardware drivers
            [*] Userspace VESA VGA graphics support

CONFIG_CONNECTOR=y 
CONFIG_FB_UVESA=y

Build the kernel, do not install the kernel and modules. Note, that you can choose uvesafb as module, unlike vesa.

[edit] Klibc

This step is necessary because klibc has to be compiled against a kernel that includes uvesafb, you need to do it once, if you planning to update the kernel anytime.

[edit] v86d

v86d is the userspace helper that runs an x86 code in emulated environment. uvesafb will not work without v86d.

[edit] Back to kernel configuration

Reconfigure the kernel

General Setup->
(*)Initial RAM filesystem and RAM disk (initramfs/initrd) support

and use /usr/share/v86d/initramfs in Initramfs source file(s)

CONFIG_INITRAMFS_SOURCE="/usr/share/v86d/initramfs"

rebuild the kernel: make and install it, install the modules

[edit] Bootloader configuration

add video=uvesafb:1440x900-32,mtrr:3,ywrap (or similar) to your kernel command line, like in example boot.conf

boot {
        generate grub
        default "Funtoo Linux uvesafb" 
        timeout 3 
}
  "Funtoo Linux uvesafb" { 
        kernel bzImage-uvesafb[-v]
        params += video=uvesafb:1440x900-32,mtrr:3,ywrap
}

Then run

and

and enjoy uvesafb!