Date: Sat, 19 Aug 2006 01:58:19 -0400 From: "James Tanis" <jtanis@pycoder.org> To: "Patrick Reich" <dminor@houston.rr.com> Cc: freebsd-sparc64@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Monitor "Blinking" on and off during 6.1 install on Ultra 60 Message-ID: <65dcde740608182258p7fbac8beqbd7efcf334a1b924@mail.gmail.com> In-Reply-To: <65dcde740608182250g4a8d7106wcf1a2051ac9da789@mail.gmail.com> References: <1155960099.23123.26.camel@acheron.bluewinds.org> <65dcde740608182250g4a8d7106wcf1a2051ac9da789@mail.gmail.com>
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Thought I might add that you might want to try another video card if you have an extra old pci card lying around. Personally, I've found the creator3d card to be relatively average (even for its time period), I don't think you'll miss it. I've never tried a video card in particular, but I've found most pci cards to be supported and stable on the ultrasparc 60 with freebsd 6.1.. your mileage may very :). On 8/19/06, James Tanis <jtanis@pycoder.org> wrote: > On 8/19/06, Patrick Reich <dminor@houston.rr.com> wrote: > > Hi, > > > > I have an ultra 60 with dual 450Mhz UltraSparc processors > > and a creator3d video card. The video card has a 13w3 > > adapter connected to a gateway FPD1530 15" flat panel > > monitor. When I boot from the 6.1-RELEASE install CD, > > the monitor starts "blinking" on and off which makes > > the install impossible (I'm 40 years old and my eyes > > don't work that well anymore :) I also tried the most > > recent Sparc64 snapshot with the same result. > > > > It shouldn't be the freebsd, I honestly have the same exact setup with > no problems. The only difference between our two set ups that I see is > the monitors used. > > > This monitor is capable of 1024x768 at 75kHz and I have > > the output-device environment variable in OBP set to > > screen:r1024x768x75. I've tried a few different > > iterations of this setting but all I can do is > > slow the blinking down - it never completely stops. > > > > Are you sure these are valid values for the openprom? My knowledge is > honestly limited here but I believe Sun has typically in the past used > specific resolution/frequency settings with their monitors as opposed > to the typical "multsync" type monitors most of us use. I'm unaware as > to whether this limitation is enforced by the monitor, openprom, or > both. I've never used a Sun with a monitor that supports less than > 1152x768@75hz so I've never needed to bother forcing a particular > resolution, I let the prom choose it for me. > > > I tried connecting a Samsung SyncMaster 712N 17" flat > > panel capable of 1280x1024 at 75kHz. This monitor > > does NOT blink on and off during install but unfortunately > > this monitor belongs elsewhere. The blinking is also > > present when I boot the system off the hard disks > > with the 15" monitor reconnected again. > > This looks to be caused by either your monitor not supporting > 1024x768@75hz or perhaps malfunctioning. Other possibilities include > the openprom or creator3d card not supporting that mode, I'm pretty > sure it should.. I'm just not positive. If it works with *any* > monitor, it is far less likely to be caused by the system/os in my > experience. > > > > > Has anyone else experienced this issue? I checked mailing > > lists and bug reports but I'm not finding anything. Is > > there an argument I can pass in to OBP to remedy this? > > I'm fairly positive the monitor is not at fault; OpenBSD, > > NetBSD and Solaris behave fine but I'd prefer to run > > FreeBSD on this machine. > > While that is odd, process of elimination would seem to insinuate that > this is not an issue with freebsd at all and is either caused by your > monitor, your openprom, or an incompatibility between your settings > and their capabilities. Off the top of my head I can't remember, but > check if its possible to force 1024x768 without specifying a specific > refresh rate. This should eliminate the possibility of you attempting > to force a resolution/refresh combination that your openprom or > creator3d card does not support. > > Does it do the blinking even before the operating system is loaded? > More specifically, how about when at the openprom prompt after having > hit stop-a before the boot loader starts up the kernel? If not, > perhaps it is freebsd and the driver simply does not support this > mode? Also, are your positve that the other operating systems are > still running at the entered resolution/refresh rate when they are > booted up (with the 15").. perhaps those other OS's have taken some > sort of corrective action..? I have a Sun Ultra 60 with 2x450mhz > processors and creator3d card running FreeBSD 6.1.. I've never hard a > problem like this -- but I've only ever run at a few resolutions.. > 1152x768 & 1280x1024 being the most common. > > -- > James Tanis > jtanis@pycoder.org > http://pycoder.org > -- James Tanis jtanis@pycoder.org http://pycoder.org
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