Re: [gentoo-user] X Windows setup questions on my new machine

[Willie Wong]

On Sun, Jun 27, 2010 at 12:13:13AM +0100, Mick wrote:
> > >  However, my new machine's Intel integrated graphics chip doesn't agree.
> > > X will *NOT* work unless I enable i915 DRM driver in make menuconfig,
> > > like so...
> > >
> > > <*>   Intel 830M, 845G, 852GM, 855GM, 865G (i915 driver)  --->
> > >
> > >  This results in framebuffer being *FORCED* on.
> > >
> > > <*> Direct Rendering Manager (XFree86 4.1.0 and higher DRI support
> > > -*- Lowlevel video output switch controls
> > > -*- Support for frame buffer devices  --->

> Walter, have you tried to find the vga modes that your card supports using
> vbetools (you'll need vbetest) or running 'hwinfo --vbe' ?

With the intel driver and X, he needs to have kernel mode setting
enabled. I seem to remember that it doesn't play well with the vga
mode setting for framebuffers. 

But Walter: you should be able to add a line on your lilo/grub prompt
for the Intel KMS to set the display resolution at boot time. See the
Kernel documentation in /usr/src/linux for the Intel GMA driver for
more info on that. (Technically you should be able to rung the console
at a different resolution than X; there may require another tweak at
the kernel level to make the switch to VT after starting X play nice.
See the gentoo-wiki article on Kernel Mode Setting.)

Also, have you tried just using larger fonts on the console? If you
emerge sys-apps/kbd, there should be some fonts in
/usr/share/consolefonts. You can use "setfont <name>" to test which
one you want to use (some of them are bigger fonts). You may also want
to try media-fonts/terminus-font (what I use), it claims to have a
16x32 variant which is twice as large as the default console fonts. 

After finding a font you like you can set it in
/etc/conf.d/consolefont to automatically load at boot time. 

Cheers, 

W
-- 
Willie W. Wong                                     wwong@××××××××××××××.edu
Data aequatione quotcunque fluentes quantitae involvente fluxiones invenire 
         et vice versa   ~~~  I. Newton