Re: [PATCH] Video mode fixes in linux loader

[Pavel Roskin]

On Mon, 2009-04-13 at 16:45 +0200, Robert Millan wrote:
> On Mon, Apr 13, 2009 at 04:16:57PM +0200, Robert Millan wrote:
> > > The default VGA mode is now GRUB_LINUX_VID_MODE_NORMAL, not the mode of
> > > the kernel we tried to load before.
> > 
> > Ok, BUT if we're already in vesa mode, and we know it works (since we're 
> > using
> > it), there's no point in wasting time only to get a worse mode.
> > 
> > We should just make sure subsequent calls to "linux" command override the
> > previous one.
> 
> I think this should do it.  Can you confirm this works for you?

I actually installed GRUB with gfxterm on a laptop that has Intel
framebuffer support.  Now the kernel starts in VESA mode and then the
screen goes blank because intelfb cannot deal with it.  Sure, intelfb
should be fixed, but we should be liberal in what we accept.  Some
kernels may not support VESA modes at all.

Adding vga=0 to the kernel command line didn't fix it.  That's bad.
"vga=0" means text mode 80x25.  Adding "vga=1" fixed the problem.  The
text mode was 80x25, not 80x50, so that's another issue.

"vga=ask" is not a warning now.  It causes "error: You need to load the
kernel first", apparently from initrd.  In other words, the "linux"
command fails and there is no visible warning.

-- 
Regards,
Pavel Roskin