Date: Tue, 5 Feb 2002 01:12:34 +0100 (CET) From: Pascal Bourguignon <pjb@informatimago.com> To: cjclark@alum.mit.edu Cc: freebsd-mobile@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Using VGA Output on a Dell XPi Message-ID: <20020205001234.38FE38538F@thalassa.informatimago.com> In-Reply-To: <20020201151741.B956@gohan.cjclark.org> (cristjc@earthlink.net) References: <20020201112833.A197@gohan.cjclark.org> <20020201215209.9C97E85387@thalassa.informatimago.com> <20020201151741.B956@gohan.cjclark.org>
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The point here is that there are interferences between the X video driver and the BIOS. Switching between the framebuffer mode of the X virtual console, and the text mode of the 1st virtual console, has effects that are not directly driven by the video driver. The handling of CRT vs. LCD vs. CRT&LCD is "blackmagic" in the sense that it is managed by the BIOS and hardware of the DELL Latitude without the intervention of the driver. To improve the situation, I guess that we would need more documentation about the BIOS and the laptop hardware and to program special handling of this "video card" in the video drivers. > Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2002 15:17:41 -0800 > From: "Crist J. Clark" <cristjc@earthlink.net> > > On Fri, Feb 01, 2002 at 10:52:09PM +0100, Pascal Bourguignon wrote: > > > Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2002 11:28:33 -0800 > > > From: "Crist J. Clark" <cristjc@earthlink.net> > > > > > > I'm using an old Dell XPi notebook PC. It is nice to be able to hook > > > it up to a "real" monitor and keyboard. It has an "CRT/LCD" toggle > > > control that works perfectly when I'm just using syscons terminals. It > > > has three modes, LCD, CRT, and both at once. If it detects the VGA > > > plug is being used, it automatically goes to CRT only. > > > > > > The problem is how to set this up right with X. Right now, if I am > > > using the CRT and type 'startx,' the CRT loses its signal and a > > > pattern of black and white horizontal lines show up on the LCD. If I > > > Ctl-Alt-F1 back to the terminal, all is fine. On the other hand, if I > > > > THANKS YOU VERY VERY VERY MUCH ! I've been tidling XF86config for 8 > > years now on my DELL Latitude XPi 90ST to find the right setting that > > would synchronize correctly with the LCD and avoid that ugly > > stuff. The only way I found up to now was to avoid white and other > > very bright colors, and of course, no gray pattern. > > I'm not sure I understand, but glad to be of help? X has always worked > fine on my LCD. In more detail, what happens is that I sit at the CRT, > type 'startx,' the CRT loses signal, and the funky pattern shows up on > the LCD. Now, I hit Ctl-Alt-F1 on a keyboard (both the built-in and > one plugged into the PS/2 port work) and the console window that I had > typed 'startx' in appears again on the CRT and the LCD powers back > off. At this point I typically '^C' to kill X. > > As for toggling around by starting X in the LCD first, the problem is > that whenever X resets the screen, it goes back to the LCD. So, if I > go to LCD, 'startx', toggle to CRT, and then try to run something like > xvidtune(1), when I go to apply changes X resets the screen and we go > back to LCD, where the changes I made don't make sense. > > Oh, and here is another odd thing. The screen size is different when > the LCD and CRT are on at the same time. That is, when either is on by > itself, I can see the whole desktop on the LCD or CRT. But when both > are on at once, I get a horizontal zoom and part of the right side of > the desktop is clipped off on both (in the same place). > > I guess this is going to be a _lot_ of trial and error, or I may find > someone who has already figured this out? Please? Pretty please with > sugar on it? > -- > Crist J. Clark | cjclark@alum.mit.edu > | cjclark@jhu.edu > http://people.freebsd.org/~cjc/ | cjc@freebsd.org > -- __Pascal_Bourguignon__ (o_ Software patents are endangering () ASCII ribbon against html email //\ the computer industry all around /\ and Microsoft attachments. V_/ the world http://lpf.ai.mit.edu/ 1962:DO20I=1.100 2001:my($f)=`fortune`; http://petition.eurolinux.org/ -----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK----- Version: 3.1 GCS/IT d? s++:++(+++)>++ a C+++ UB+++L++++$S+X++++>$ P- L+++ E++ W++ N++ o-- K- w------ O- M++$ V PS+E++ Y++ PGP++ t+ 5? X+ R !tv b++(+) DI+++ D++ G++ e+++ h+(++) r? y---? UF++++ ------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------ To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-mobile" in the body of the message
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