framebuffer fails in standard kernel

Matthew Saltzman mjs at CLEMSON.EDU
Wed Jul 25 13:13:34 UTC 2007


On Tue, 2007-07-24 at 22:38 -0400, Bill Davidsen wrote:
> I generally don't care about using framebuffers, and when I do I have 
> been building a kernel from source with the framebuffer built in. 
> However, in the last month, I've had three cases where I wanted to boot 
> with a stock modular kernel and framebuffer, and it hasn't worked.
> 
> I have built a new initrd with the framebuffer and any needed modules 
> added with "--preload" to get them in early. I have put video=<fb> 
> information in the boot, and always the kernel boots, reads the boot 
> options, and just goes away. Verified using intelfb, radeonfb, and 
> atyfb, each with any needed drivers. But if I build these kernels from 
> source, changing the default config only by building-in the same 
> modules, it works fine.
> 
> The last time I tried this with a post-2.4 kernel, it worked, but that 
> was a 2.5 kernel, and I haven't needed any video performance since.
> 
> Is this typical, should it just work, or ??? I have multiple systems to 
> try, and all with work fine if I build in the exact same modules.

Not sure if this is your exact issue, but it may help anyway.

To get the FB module inserted whenever you install a distro kernel,
create /etc/sysconfig/mkinitrd with contents:

        MODULES="radeonfb"

Put any module options in /etc/modprobe.conf before rebuilding the
initrd.

I use the radeonfb on my Thinkpad to deal with a suspend power issue,
and those two steps work for me.


> 
> 
-- 
                Matthew Saltzman

Clemson University Math Sciences
mjs AT clemson DOT edu
http://www.math.clemson.edu/~mjs




More information about the fedora-list mailing list