No Puppy for netbook with GMA500 chipset?

What features/apps/bugfixes needed in a future Puppy
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beluga
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat 01 Oct 2011, 12:57

No Puppy for netbook with GMA500 chipset?

#1 Post by beluga »

Dear Santa!
For Christmas this year I wish for peace on earth and a fix/driver so that I can install puppy on my netbook w the dreadful gma500 chipset

Sincerely Beluga

muggins
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Joined: Fri 20 Jan 2006, 10:44
Location: hobart

#2 Post by muggins »

If using a lupu-based puppy, have you seen this thread?

beluga
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat 01 Oct 2011, 12:57

#3 Post by beluga »

Yes I saw it, but I cant get it to work :(

muggins
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Joined: Fri 20 Jan 2006, 10:44
Location: hobart

#4 Post by muggins »

I have a sony vaio, with the dreaded gma500, but have never bothered about it as I don't do anything graphically intensive, just browse the web a bit, which lupu suits me fine. But, after your post, I followed Tempestuous's thread, and did the following:

1) Installed uvesafb-k2.6.33.2.pet & xorg-fbdev-Puppy5.pet

2) Ran:

Code: Select all

915resolution 38 1366 768
followed by:

Code: Select all

echo "915resolution 38 1366 768" > /etc/resolutionfix
(N.B. I already know my resolution is 1366x768, and ddcprobe didn't have any line with dtiming)

3)

Code: Select all

modprobe uvesafb mode_option=1366x768@70
,

4) menu>Shutdown>Exit to prompt, then ran xorgwizard, selected probe, then picked LCD at 1360x768

5) Ran xwin

6) Opened /etc/X11/xorg.conf, and confirmed that Driver "fbdev" #card0driver line was there, then altered instances of 1360 to 1366.

Installing Xorg_High-1.1-Lucid.pet, and running, in a console, glxgears, before and after above procedure, showed increase from about 110 frames to 650... definitely no good for high end stuff, but an improvement.

tempestuous
Posts: 5464
Joined: Fri 10 Jun 2005, 05:12
Location: Australia

#5 Post by tempestuous »

muggins wrote:definitely no good for high end stuff, but an improvement.
Yes, I reiterate that uvesafb/fbdev is non-accelerated. Its value is to get you a clean, workable display.
If the vesa Xorg driver is already working with your GMA500 display, there's usually no need (and no benefit) to install uvesafb/fbdev.

That muggins got an improved result from glxgears after installing Xorg-high is an unexpected win. So in this case, uvesafb/fbdev really IS a performance improvement over vesa.

lindberg1343
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu 29 Dec 2011, 08:28
Location: Barre, VT

Confused

#6 Post by lindberg1343 »

I am having a hell of a time getting this working. I could be just making a mistake (I am new to linux).

I have followed the directions as closely as I know how... any help would be appreciated but when I go to probe a.) my new option is not there b.) any other option just causes it not to be able to load xwin again. Sadly with vesa I get a horrible res of 800x576 when I should be able to get 1024x576.

Thanks again and I hope this is the right place to post this...

tempestuous
Posts: 5464
Joined: Fri 10 Jun 2005, 05:12
Location: Australia

#7 Post by tempestuous »

muggins wrote:4) menu>Shutdown>Exit to prompt, then ran xorgwizard, selected probe, then picked LCD at 1360x768
Once you have disabled the vesa driver, configured xorg.conf to use the fbdev driver, and exited the Xserver back to the command prompt,
all you should need to do is load the uvesafb kernel module with the correct parameters (your "mode_option=" values)
then just run "xwin" to relaunch X.
It should not be necessary to re-run the xorgwizard, and in fact, this may cause complications.

muggins wrote:6) Opened /etc/X11/xorg.conf,
...
then altered instances of 1360 to 1366.
I don't think the resolution settings in xorg.conf make any difference - the uvesafb kernel module (which is loaded prior to X being launched) should force Xorg to use the resolution specified by its "mode_option=" values.

lindberg1343, it's near-impossible for me to help you, but it sounds like you have missed some steps.
Just go back and follow my initial instructions carefully ... especially the part about loading the uvesafb module once you have exited X.

lindberg1343
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu 29 Dec 2011, 08:28
Location: Barre, VT

#8 Post by lindberg1343 »

I went through and it worked this time but then defaulted back to 800x576. Hopefully it will stay this time.

Thanks for the help...confidence...um writing the instructions :D

Edit: And it reverted back to 800x576 :( :x

muggins
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Joined: Fri 20 Jan 2006, 10:44
Location: hobart

#9 Post by muggins »

Edit: And it reverted back to 800x576
If this is happening after a reboot, have you added the modprobe uvesafb mode_option=XXXxYYY@ZZ line to /etc/rc.d/rc.local?

lindberg1343
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu 29 Dec 2011, 08:28
Location: Barre, VT

#10 Post by lindberg1343 »

I have. Unless I put it in there wrong. :(

I was so excited lol

muggins
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Location: hobart

#11 Post by muggins »

Could you post your rc.local file?

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jrb
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Location: Smithers, BC, Canada

#12 Post by jrb »

lindberg1343 wrote:I went through and it worked this time but then defaulted back to 800x576. Hopefully it will stay this time.

Thanks for the help...confidence...um writing the instructions :D

Edit: And it reverted back to 800x576 :( :x
Not entirely sure this is relevant but in xorg 1.7.6 once you have setup xorg the way you want it there will be an /etc/X11/xorg.conf file. Its just that it gets overwritten at each boot.

In Lupu you can get around this by placing a copy of your xorg.conf in the /etc/X11/Xsession.d folder. Xorg will default to this at bootup.

In Slacko you can get around this by placing a copy of your xorg.conf in the /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d folder.

Hope this works for you.

Cheers, J

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