Gentoo Archives: gentoo-user

From: waltdnes@××××××××.org
To: Gentoo Users List <gentoo-user@l.g.o>
Subject: [gentoo-user] X Windows setup questions on my new machine
Date: Sat, 26 Jun 2010 21:37:22
Message-Id: 20100626213615.GC3594@waltdnes.org
1 1) Text sucks on webpages, and other GUI apps. For a sample, see...
2 http://clients.teksavvy.com/~walterdnes/misc/webtext.png where I snipped
3 2 sentences from the CNN webpage. How can I fix it?
4
5 2) Back in 2000, one of the things that drove me to linux was the
6 availability of true console text mode, and also true console text mode
7 apps. Up till now, I've used text mode when possible, because it's a
8 lot easier on my eyes. I'm realistic about using X for web browsing and
9 spreadsheets, and other GUI-oriented stuff. But email and text files
10 should be textmode, dammit.
11
12 However, my new machine's Intel integrated graphics chip doesn't agree.
13 X will *NOT* work unless I enable i915 DRM driver in make menuconfig,
14 like so...
15
16 <*> Intel 830M, 845G, 852GM, 855GM, 865G (i915 driver) --->
17
18 This results in framebuffer being *FORCED* on.
19
20 <*> Direct Rendering Manager (XFree86 4.1.0 and higher DRI support
21 -*- Lowlevel video output switch controls
22 -*- Support for frame buffer devices --->
23
24 Let's just say that framebuffer video on a 1920x1200 24" LCD "sucketh
25 to the max". I get 74 rows by some ridiculous number of columns of
26 miniscule, virtually unreadable font. This is with the default VGA
27 boot, not with VGA=6. Is there any way I can get rid of framebuffer
28 mode, while retaining X functionality? Why the bleep does X Windows
29 require framebuffer, anyways? The "lspci -vv" output for my video card
30 is listed below...
31
32 00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Clarkdale
33 Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 12) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
34 Subsystem: Micro-Star International Co., Ltd. Device 7636
35 Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop-
36 ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx+
37 Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort-
38 <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
39 Latency: 0
40 Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 31
41 Region 0: Memory at fb800000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4M]
42 Region 2: Memory at d0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
43 Region 4: I/O ports at cc00 [size=8]
44 Expansion ROM at <unassigned> [disabled]
45 Capabilities: [90] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit-
46 Address: fee0f00c Data: 4199
47 Capabilities: [d0] Power Management version 2
48 Flags: PMEClk- DSI+ D1- D2- AuxCurrent=0mA
49 PME(D0-,D1-,D2-,D3hot-,D3cold-)
50 Status: D0 NoSoftRst- PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-
51 Capabilities: [a4] PCI Advanced Features
52 AFCap: TP+ FLR+
53 AFCtrl: FLR-
54 AFStatus: TP-
55 Kernel driver in use: i915
56
57 --
58 Walter Dnes <waltdnes@××××××××.org>

Replies

Subject Author
Re: [gentoo-user] X Windows setup questions on my new machine Christopher Swift <christopher.swift@×××××.com>