[LinuxBIOS] booting without vga

[Rogelio Serrano]

Is there a way for linuxbios to initialize the graphics hardware
directly? besides making linux use the framebuffer directly on bootup.
and maybe making filo use the framebuffer too.

[Richard Smith]

On 8/25/06, Rogelio Serrano  wrote:
> Is there a way for linuxbios to initialize the graphics hardware
> directly? besides making linux use the framebuffer directly on bootup.
> and maybe making filo use the framebuffer too.

If the hardware was standard then yes but each graphics mfg does it
differently and its hidden by the VGA bios.  Think of each graphics
card as a graphics northbridge.  You have to eanble all the right
bits, turn on the video ram, etc.  On 99% of graphics cards the info
on how to do this is not known.  So you have to run the vga bios to do
it.

[Rogelio Serrano]

On 8/25/06, Richard Smith  wrote:
> On 8/25/06, Rogelio Serrano  wrote:
> > Is there a way for linuxbios to initialize the graphics hardware
> > directly? besides making linux use the framebuffer directly on bootup.
> > and maybe making filo use the framebuffer too.
>
> If the hardware was standard then yes but each graphics mfg does it
> differently and its hidden by the VGA bios.  Think of each graphics
> card as a graphics northbridge.  You have to eanble all the right
> bits, turn on the video ram, etc.  On 99% of graphics cards the info
> on how to do this is not known.  So you have to run the vga bios to do
> it.

ugh!!!

and the vga bios is running at 16 bit mode? and its slow with all its
timing loops and other stuff.

which graphic cards are in the other 1%?

hah! this is another argument for ogp. i have to start studying fpgas
now. i need an open graphics card that boots at a fraction of the
speed of current cards and boots straight into framebuffer mode.

[Ronald G Minnich]

Rogelio Serrano wrote:
> hah! this is another argument for ogp. i have to start studying fpgas
> now. i need an open graphics card that boots at a fraction of the
> speed of current cards and boots straight into framebuffer mode.

this is part of a bigger issue. I am thinking of starting a project 
called System Libre (a take on software libre) which would be open from 
the ground up. This is a response to many bad trends in our business, 
where the systems are gradually getting locked up (xbox, EFI, etc.) and 
we can't do much with them. So I like your idea.

ron

[Uwe Hermann]

Hi,

On Fri, Aug 25, 2006 at 08:54:39AM -0600, Ronald G Minnich wrote:
> this is part of a bigger issue. I am thinking of starting a project 
> called System Libre (a take on software libre) which would be open from 
> the ground up.

Count me in, I'll help where I can. This is one of the main reasons why
I got interested in LinuxBIOS - to have a 100% Free Software system,
from the ground up.

Uwe.

[Bryan E. Chafy]

For video, check out:
http://wiki.duskglow.com/tiki-index.php?page=Open-Graphics
I think It's been going on for a couple of years now.

As for FPGA's, a high end Virtex+ builtin Dual PPC cores gets you there pretty
fast.  Only problem is the price (for the chips and the software).
Not sure how well a spartan-level fpga would work out as SOC or chipset.
But the price is right (free software, relatively cheap chip).

Check out:
http://www.fpga4fun.com
> this is part of a bigger issue. I am thinking of starting a project 
> called System Libre (a take on software libre) which would be open from 
> the ground up. This is a response to many bad trends in our business, 
> where the systems are gradually getting locked up (xbox, EFI, etc.) and 
> we can't do much with them. So I like your idea.
>
> ron

[Rogelio Serrano]

On 8/25/06, Ronald G Minnich  wrote:
> Rogelio Serrano wrote:
> > hah! this is another argument for ogp. i have to start studying fpgas
> > now. i need an open graphics card that boots at a fraction of the
> > speed of current cards and boots straight into framebuffer mode.
>
> this is part of a bigger issue. I am thinking of starting a project
> called System Libre (a take on software libre) which would be open from
> the ground up. This is a response to many bad trends in our business,
> where the systems are gradually getting locked up (xbox, EFI, etc.) and
> we can't do much with them. So I like your idea.
>
> ron

I would like to help with that too.

The open graphics project is doing the same thing for graphics cards.