linuxconsole-dev

Newbie seeks help

[D I F. <lin...@qu...>]

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Hi there.

I have a machine with multipul VGA cards, and USB, I would love to set
this up so that I can have several people use this in console mode, each
tty on a seperate monitor and usb Keyboard and mouse? 

I spoke to one kernel hacker and they said it wasn't possible. Are they
right?

Thanks

K
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Re: Newbie seeks help

[Svetoslav S. <sv...@gm...>]

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> Hash: SHA1
> 
> 
> Hi there.
> 
> I have a machine with multipul VGA cards, and USB, I would love to set
> this up so that I can have several people use this in console mode, each
> tty on a seperate monitor and usb Keyboard and mouse? 
> 
> I spoke to one kernel hacker and they said it wasn't possible. Are they
> right?
> 

if you have checked the archives, you would know 
that it's possible and is used by a bunch of people
:-)

so here are some links that should inform you how to 
get it up and running

http://startx.times.lv/
http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/XFree-Local-multi-user-HOWTO/
http://disjunkt.com/dualhead/

there is also another aproach, but i consider it as a hack
not that much a solution
(while the above IMHO should become part of linux-2.7/2.8)
http://cambuca.ldhs.cetuc.puc-rio.br/multiuser/

you may also want to chack this url
http://www.c3sl.ufpr.br/fourhead/index-en.php

best,

svetljo

Re: Newbie seeks help

[Andreas S. <an...@sc...>]

* Svetoslav Slavtchev (sv...@gm...) [040720 07:17]:
> > I have a machine with multipul VGA cards, and USB, I would love to set
> > this up so that I can have several people use this in console mode, each
> > tty on a seperate monitor and usb Keyboard and mouse? 
> 
> http://startx.times.lv/
> http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/XFree-Local-multi-user-HOWTO/
> http://disjunkt.com/dualhead/
> 
> you may also want to chack this url
> http://www.c3sl.ufpr.br/fourhead/index-en.php

actually the console does not work here. i do remember that there
was some trick with loading framebuffer modules in a special
order. how did that work? nowerdays i have these graphics
adapters:

/bin/lspci | grep VGA
0000:00:08.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc RV280 [Radeon 9200 SE] (rev 01)
0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Matrox Graphics, Inc. MGA G400 AGP (rev 82)

Re: Newbie seeks help

[Aivils <ai...@un...>]

On Tuesday 20 July 2004 11:23, Andreas Schuldei wrote:
> * Svetoslav Slavtchev (sv...@gm...) [040720 07:17]:
> > > I have a machine with multipul VGA cards, and USB, I would love to set
> > > this up so that I can have several people use this in console mode, each
> > > tty on a seperate monitor and usb Keyboard and mouse? 
> > 
> > http://startx.times.lv/
> > http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/XFree-Local-multi-user-HOWTO/
> > http://disjunkt.com/dualhead/
> > 
> > you may also want to chack this url
> > http://www.c3sl.ufpr.br/fourhead/index-en.php
> 
> actually the console does not work here. i do remember that there
> was some trick with loading framebuffer modules in a special
> order. how did that work? 

No triks. fbcon seems contain bugs. My test adapters is too old and
maintainer-less (Voodoo 1, ATI 3D rage). tdfxfb will not work on 2 adapters.

Triks work for xf86 driver load sequence.

> nowerdays i have these graphics 
> adapters:
> 
> /bin/lspci | grep VGA
> 0000:00:08.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc RV280 [Radeon 9200 SE] (rev 01)
> 0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Matrox Graphics, Inc. MGA G400 AGP (rev 82)
Just try 4 sequences:
1)
modprobe matroxfb
modprobe radeonfb
modprobe fbcon
2)
modprobe radeonfb
modprobe matroxfb
modprobe fbcon
3)
modprobe radeonfb
modprobe fbcon
4)
modprobe matroxfb
modprobe fbcon
:)

Secondary xf86 may stop Your console output.
In may case i oft  do blindly login and type "consolechars -d", which
command restores VGA fonts. After "consolechars -d" VGA is usable until
any xf86 restart.

Aivils

Re: Newbie seeks help

[Svetoslav S. <sv...@gm...>]

> On Tuesday 20 July 2004 11:23, Andreas Schuldei wrote:
> > * Svetoslav Slavtchev (sv...@gm...) [040720 07:17]:
> > > > I have a machine with multipul VGA cards, and USB, I would love to
> set
> > > > this up so that I can have several people use this in console mode,
> each
> > > > tty on a seperate monitor and usb Keyboard and mouse? 
> > > 
> > > http://startx.times.lv/
> > > http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/XFree-Local-multi-user-HOWTO/
> > > http://disjunkt.com/dualhead/
> > > 
> > > you may also want to chack this url
> > > http://www.c3sl.ufpr.br/fourhead/index-en.php
> > 
> > actually the console does not work here. i do remember that there
> > was some trick with loading framebuffer modules in a special
> > order. how did that work? 
> 
> No triks. fbcon seems contain bugs. My test adapters is too old and
> maintainer-less (Voodoo 1, ATI 3D rage). tdfxfb will not work on 2
> adapters.
> 
> Triks work for xf86 driver load sequence.
> 
> > nowerdays i have these graphics 
> > adapters:
> > 
> > /bin/lspci | grep VGA
> > 0000:00:08.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc RV280
> [Radeon 9200 SE] (rev 01)
> > 0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Matrox Graphics, Inc. MGA G400
> AGP (rev 82)
> Just try 4 sequences:
> 1)
> modprobe matroxfb
> modprobe radeonfb
> modprobe fbcon
> 2)
> modprobe radeonfb
> modprobe matroxfb
> modprobe fbcon
> 3)
> modprobe radeonfb
> modprobe fbcon
> 4)
> modprobe matroxfb
> modprobe fbcon
> :)
> 
> Secondary xf86 may stop Your console output.
> In may case i oft  do blindly login and type "consolechars -d", which
> command restores VGA fonts. After "consolechars -d" VGA is usable until
> any xf86 restart.
> 
> Aivils
> 

let's see what i can remmember
/* i've some troubles with my G550DH headed box
 * for quite some time now :(
 */

IIRC i just needed matroxfb and fbcon compiled as modules
and a tiny script

smth like 
----------------------- script start
modprobe matroxfb_g450
modprobe matroxfb_crtc2

/* reverse the screens and separate the outputs*/
matrox_reverse 

modprobe fbcon

/* reconfigure input devices for newly added VC's */
/etc/hotplug/input.rc start 

/* run additional gettys for second head
init 4

------------------- script ends

and i had to patch XFree /* and use two binaries */
as XFree seems to use hardcoded vt numbers for VT-switching
/* with the standard -prefbusid Xserver, on the second head
 * i was unable to switch to console as it reported
 * some stupid error
 */

that was running really good with ruby-2.6.3 and 2.6.5,
but i couldn't find time to get ruby-2.6.7 on it :(
now that ruby has multiple cursors 

best,

svetljo

PS.
matrox_reverse is part of matroxset,
but might have a bit different name in the
tarball
and might not be needed anymore, as the 
matroxfb driver now should support
changing this settings via boot/modprobe.conf options

PPS.

i couldn't get neither rivafb, nor radeonfb
drivers from vanilla 2.6 to works with my hardware,
and for that reason ruby couldn't work with them too :(

PPPS.
secondary cards are very tricky,
some one needs to post them and initialise the bios
the DRI guys are working on a standalone utility
but i couldn't find any sources, and it wont work
with Nvidia cards

for now, probably only XFree -probeonly can do it

and of course there are no such troubles with a
single double headed Matrox card :-)

-- 
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Re: Newbie seeks help

[Aivils <ai...@un...>]

On Wednesday 21 July 2004 23:34, Svetoslav Slavtchev wrote:
> PPPS.
> secondary cards are very tricky,
> some one needs to post them and initialise the bios
> the DRI guys are working on a standalone utility
> but i couldn't find any sources, and it wont work
> with Nvidia cards
> 

Actualy You should not shearch, because vgahw module
in xf86 do real mode video BIOS initialisation.
And vhahw works with Nvidia cards :) , primary and 
secondary.

Aivils

Re: Newbie seeks help

[Svetoslav S. <sv...@gm...>]

> On Wednesday 21 July 2004 23:34, Svetoslav Slavtchev wrote:
> > PPPS.
> > secondary cards are very tricky,
> > some one needs to post them and initialise the bios
> > the DRI guys are working on a standalone utility
> > but i couldn't find any sources, and it wont work
> > with Nvidia cards
> > 
> 
> Actualy You should not shearch, because vgahw module
> in xf86 do real mode video BIOS initialisation.
> And vhahw works with Nvidia cards :) , primary and 
> secondary.

:-)

actually i should /* but no time right now :( */
do i really need to install/ run XFree in case 
i want just multi-user console ?

what if for some stupid reason, i want to setup
fb console very, very early from an initrd
do you sugest to place XFree in the initrd LOL LOL LOL :-)

speaking of stupid reasons,
have anyone tried to merge bootsplash in ruby ?
to make it modular ?
currently IMHO this is the single obstacle
to push my ruby kernel binaries in mandrake cooker

best,

svetljo

-- 
+++ GMX DSL-Tarife 3 Monate gratis* +++ Nur bis 25.7.2004 +++
Bis 24.000 MB oder 300 Freistunden inkl. http://www.gmx.net/de/go/dsl