Re: Independ multiple users on G550

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

> >>So I moved fbcon.ko where modprobe couldn't find it, and
> >>booted again.  The machine came up fine, obviously without a
> >>console.  I moved the module back to its proper place,
> >>and loaded it.  I immediately got two penguins (it's a dual processor
> >>machine) on the screen running accelerated X.  This screen
> >>has the keyboard connected to the ordinary ps2 keyboard plug
> >>(recognized by the bios too).
> > 
> > 
> > i don't get much this part :(
> > 
> > you booted with built in matroxfb, but no fbcon,
> > and then loaded fbcon without problems ?
> > 
> Yes.  I usually compile my kernels with everything built-in
> because I see no virtue in modules.  (They may be fine for
> distribution kernels, but mu kernel is compiled for my machine
> specifically.  I simply want to avoid all module setup & management,)
> 
> I made an exception here, by configuring fbcon as a module.  The
> framebuffer driver and everything else still was compiled-in.
> 
> The part about temporarily moving fbcon.ko where modprobe couldn't
> find it was just a hack to make the machine boot.  The module
> crashes the kernel if it is loaded "too early", but the module
> cannot be automatically loaded by the kernel if the
> kernel cannot find it because I moved the file away from
> its usual directory.
> 
> So it seems the framebuffer driver alone works under ruby,
> even when compiled in.  fbcon works too, _if_ it
> isn't loaded too early.  Bringing it up after
> logging in via xdm were ok.

hm, timing issues ?
fbcon trying to setup consoles before
matroxfb initialization is finished ?

may be we should experimenent to find the needed timeout,
but this is probably dependant on the system

or may be /* if it isn't already so */
fbcon should wait for a signal from the framebuffers
that they have finished initialization


> >>I believe this might work better if I ran the vt7 xfree on 
> >>the first display, but I have a good reason for not doing so:
> >>It is sometimes necessary to access the bios setup, or boot non-ruby
> >>versions of linux. In those cases the keyboard connected to the
> >>ordinary keyboard plug is the only keyboard, and X happens
> >>on the first screen. (/dev/fb0).  Moving keyboards or screens around the
> >>room isn't very interesting, so this is the layout I want.
> >>
> >>Life would be so much easier if ruby considered the ordinary
> >>pc keyboard as the first one, and one connected to the "mouse" port
> >>as the second one.  Or if the vt/keyboarddevice/console connections
> >>could be specified using kernel parameters. any hope of swapping the
> >>keyboards so the console/screen/keyboard/vt combination that works
> >>for plain linux simply becomes the "first" set of connected devices 
> >>using ruby?
> > 
> > 
> > just configure hotplug, install input.agent & input.rc 
> > /* debian's hotplug pkgs probably already include the input.* scripts
> >  * so you'll probably have to merge the ruby input.agent into the
> debians
> > one
> >  */
> > 
> > this way  you can configure VT- keyboard mapping 
> > & consistent evdev[n] mouse[n] devices
> > /* although udev is probably much better for the evdev & mice */
> > 
> I'll look at this someday.  Do I need modules for this to work?

good question

normally hotplug can be used only with modules after it#S available,
but the various *.rc scripts simulate a hotpluging event for drivers
which are built in or already loaded before hotplug was available

theoreticaly it should work, unless some needed functions are 
ifdef'ed MODULE
 
> > PS.
> > i haven't tried yet built in matroxfb/ fbcon
> I'll try your patches.  
> I like the built-in approach, it is nice to be able to
> boot with init=/bin/sh and still get a console.

well you can have a VGA console built in and load the fb stuff
manually or with script later
just built fb drivers & fbcon modular and don't load them too early

/* no fancy graphics at boot, but a workable VGA console */

> 
> The dream is to just boot and get login prompts on
> both screens with no further setup than running the 
> gettys from /etc/inittab, and perhaps some kernel boot parameters.
> 
> The big problems with setup scripts is that they run late in the
> boot process, early oopses or other trouble may prevent them
> >from running, I still want to read the text and be able to use sysrq.
> 
> I may go for modules and scripts for now, but hope the monolithic
> approach will work someday. :-)

use VGA console and load the framebuffers & fbcon before starting X

it would be really nice, but ....
i think it's not possible with G550, not sure about G400/450
but it should work with Matrox MMS series or with different cards

> > PS.2
> > i use this script to start multiple fbcon's 
> Thanks
> > 
> > PS.3
> > attachments
> > 
> > 260t9-20031115.txt  -- oopses with vanilla ruby-260t9-20031115
> > 
> > AA02-ruby-20031029_matroxfb_fix.patch - fixes the problem, 
> I'll try.
> 
> > the remaining issues 
> > /* most likely hardware limitations involved 
> >  * and XFree "bugs" too
> >  */
> > 
> > 1.)  X->VT->X on head1 (vt7)
> > X head1 is displayed on both heads, VT switch on head2 fixes it
> > 
> I believe this is an issue with the mga accelerated driver.
> I get similiar problems whenever games change resolution on
> the accelerated head.  I have my window manager set up with a key
> combination that runs matroxset.  It'd be nice not
> having to do this, but it'll probably be a long time.
> X simply do more than it should.

NOPE
same with XF driver fbdev for both heads
 
> > 2.) the mentioned XFree hack should be integrated smarter,
> > currently you need additional binary for each additional fbcon
> > 
> > 3.) probably unsolvable/ hardware
> > the need to run swapped from matroxset tarball to
> > separate the displays
> I don't see why this should be unsolvable.  All matroxset do is
> to run some ioctl's.  Surely the same code could be called from
> within the framebuffer driver at boot time?  
> 
> I believe this was done because single-monitor setups are
> common, and the kernel probably can't easily know where that
> monitor is attached.  (Well, it could use DDC...)
> 
> But people don't buy a G550 to run single-monitor, so
> having the kernel separate the displays and force the user
> to think about which connector to use is fine with me.

well may be,
it would be nice to have a CONFIG_MATROXFB_SEPARATE_DISPLAYS,
but i'm not sure it's doable, and i'm sure Petr is not working on it :(
i think that the graphic BIOS initialize them in that way and the fbdriver 
will have to work around these BIOS settings

> > 
> > 4.) related to 3
> > after swapped, both heads are blank until a VT switch, 
> > 
> > and on head1 there is a lot of garbage until login + logout
> > actually the garbage is on all vc's except the first one (head 1)
> > but on all vc's usable is only 4/6 of the hight of the screen
> > the top 1/6 is ocupied by the logo, the bottom 1/6 by nothing
> > on vc1 and by garbage on vc2-vc6. 
> I believe the garbage is stuff that vgacon left in graphichs memory before
> handing the console over to the framebuffer.  At least this was the 
> explanation when I complained about similiar garbage on a radeon
> with framebuffer.  compiling _without_ vgacon indeed made all
> the garbage go away, but the option to turn off vgacon recently
> disappeared from menuconfig. :-( 

i actually do have it :-)

it disapeared with the option to disable PS2 input && serio
you need "Generic Setup -> Remove kernel features (for embedded systems)" 
enabled to be able to change them
 
i might try disabling it 
/ * not sure when i'll find time for that :( */

svetljo

PS

how do you setup the fb mode?
i'm still using a single monitor with switch
@ 640x480, and fbset doesn't seem to work

-- 
Neu bei GMX: Preissenkung für MMS-Versand und FreeMMS!

Ideal für alle, die gerne MMS verschicken:
25 FreeMMS/Monat mit GMX TopMail.
http://www.gmx.net/de/cgi/produktemail

+++ GMX - die erste Adresse für Mail, Message, More! +++