Running Slackware Linux on Thinkpad T61

FrameBuffer Configuration in Slackware Linux for ThinkPad T61

Author: Cowyn Li

Make sure that framebuffer is enabled in kernel.

For 2.6.x kernel tree enable the following options:

  General setup  --->
    [*] Prompt for development and/or incomplete code/drivers
  Processor type and features  --->
    [*] MTRR (Memory Type Range Register) support
  Device Drivers  --->
    Block devices  --->
      <*> Loopback device support
      <*> RAM disk support
      (4096) Default RAM disk size
      [*] Initial RAM disk (initrd) support
    Graphics support  --->
      [*] Support for frame buffer devices
      [*] VESA VGA graphics support
      Console display driver support  --->
        [*] Video mode selection support
        <*> Framebuffer Console support
        Bootsplash configuration  --->
          [*] Bootup splash screen

          

Then configure the bootloader.

For lilo, add these lines:

  vga=872
  append="video=vesa:ywrap,mtrr:3"
          

For grub, append these to kernel:

  video=vesa:ywrap,mtrr:3 vga=872
          

Important note:

The vga=872 dosen't give me the 1680×1050 mode in the console. This value is the best one for me after tried many mode numbers.

AFAIK, vesafb doesn't support 1680×1050 mode currently, neither does intelfb. For more information about VESA, check <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VESA_BIOS>, or ask Google.

There's a vesa-tng uvesafb project, by which, someone said, can manage this mode and other ones. But I haven't tried yet.

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