Re: [Bugme-new] [Bug 12300] New: The VGA console driver does not work with the Panasonic W7 (Intel 965 video)

[Andrew Morton <akpm@linux-foundation.org>]

(switched to email.  Please respond via emailed reply-to-all, not via the
bugzilla web interface).

On Thu, 25 Dec 2008 19:22:25 -0800 (PST) bugme-daemon@bugzilla.kernel.org wrote:

> http://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=12300
> 
>            Summary: The VGA console driver does not work with the Panasonic
>                     W7 (Intel 965 video)
>            Product: Drivers
>            Version: 2.5
>      KernelVersion: 2.6.24.4
>           Platform: All
>         OS/Version: Linux
>               Tree: Mainline
>             Status: NEW
>           Severity: blocking
>           Priority: P1
>          Component: Console/Framebuffers
>         AssignedTo: jsimmons@infradead.org
>         ReportedBy: unruh@physics.ubc.ca
> 
> 
> Latest working kernel version:Unknown
> Earliest failing kernel version: At least 2.6.17
> Distribution:Mandriva 2007.1-2008.1
> Hardware Environment:Panasonic toughbook W7
> Software Environment:Mandriva 2008.1 installation
> Problem Description:
> When I try to install Mandriva 2008.1 onto a Panasonic Toughbook W7 after
> intial splash sceen ( which displays presumably because it uses the bios) and
> the loading of the kernel, the screen goes blank. This seems to be because the
> kernel is unable to actually display any of the text in the VGA console mode
> onto the screen. If I make menu choices blindly, the DVD disk is read. 
> 
> When I used the MCNLinux Toronto ( based on the Mandriva 2007.1 with the 2.6.17
> kernel) after the kernel loads I see nothing until finally X is started and it
> displays fine. If I do alt-ctrl-F1 (or F2 or ..) ( which should open a console
> screen) I again see nothing. This makes me think strongly that the problem is
> taht somehow the console VGA driver within the kernel is not working, although
> the xorg video card works fine (since X displays without problem). Of course
> not having the VGA console output makes it impossible to actually install
> Mandriva or any Linux onto the system. 
> The Panasonic toughbook line has been wonderful with Linux, until the W7. 
> 
> Perhaps there are some kernel options I could try, to see where the problem
> lies, but have no idea what they might be (I tried to remove the vga=788 kernel
> option but that made no difference, nor did putting in vga=normal)
> 
> How in the world can bog standard VGA not work?
> 
> Steps to reproduce: See above.


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