[9fans] Non-VESA video card

[9fans] Non-VESA video card

[Lyndon Nerenberg]

Can anyone recommend a current-production PCI (not -express) video card
that will run in native (NOT VESA) mode? I'm not too fussy about VGA vs.
DVI, but it would be nice if the driver supported both.

Re: [9fans] Non-VESA video card

[Ethan Grammatikidis]

On 27 Oct 2010, at 6:12 pm, Lyndon Nerenberg wrote:

> Can anyone recommend a current-production PCI (not -express) video
> card
> that will run in native (NOT VESA) mode? I'm not too fussy about
> VGA vs.
> DVI, but it would be nice if the driver supported both.

Are there any in production at all? I tried to get one back in the
AGP era and found it almost impossible; I eventually got a 1MB card
second-hand which the shop staff had almost forgotten they had. I
heard the situation improved a little bit after that (but still in
the AGP era) because people wanted second cards, but PCI cards were
significantly more expensive than AGP.

With PCI-e allowing for at least 2 regular graphics cards in most
machines and PCI-e 1x graphics cards filling the niche PCI cards
filled in AGP machines, I'd be surprised if anyone's making PCI cards
at all. I'm really curious what machine this is for.

Re: [9fans] Non-VESA video card

[pmarin]

The some of the raedon X1xxx series still use the PCI slot. Plan9
drivers is another story.
http://www.visiontek.com/1000-series-cards/radeon-x1300/radeon-x1300-256mb-pci.html

On Sun, Oct 31, 2010 at 7:21 AM, Ethan Grammatikidis
<eekee57@fastmail.fm> wrote:
>
> On 27 Oct 2010, at 6:12 pm, Lyndon Nerenberg wrote:
>
>> Can anyone recommend a current-production PCI (not -express) video card
>> that will run in native (NOT VESA) mode? I'm not too fussy about VGA vs.
>> DVI, but it would be nice if the driver supported both.
>
> Are there any in production at all? I tried to get one back in the AGP era
> and found it almost impossible; I eventually got a 1MB card second-hand
> which the shop staff had almost forgotten they had. I heard the situation
> improved a little bit after that (but still in the AGP era) because people
> wanted second cards, but PCI cards were significantly more expensive than
> AGP.
>
> With PCI-e allowing for at least 2 regular graphics cards in most machines
> and PCI-e 1x graphics cards filling the niche PCI cards filled in AGP
> machines, I'd be surprised if anyone's making PCI cards at all. I'm really
> curious what machine this is for.
>
>

Re: [9fans] Non-VESA video card

[Lyndon Nerenberg]

On 10-10-30 11:21 PM, Ethan Grammatikidis wrote:
> I'm really curious what machine this is for.

A mini-ITX system running as a diskless terminal.

Re: [9fans] Non-VESA video card

[erik quanstrom]

On Sun Oct 31 16:37:47 EDT 2010, lyndon@orthanc.ca wrote:
> On 10-10-30 11:21 PM, Ethan Grammatikidis wrote:
> > I'm really curious what machine this is for.
>
> A mini-ITX system running as a diskless terminal.

if that's it, i don't understand the objections to vesa.
you can nearly buy a atom or via motherboard for the price
(in currency and power) of add-on graphics.

what's the restriction you're not telling us?

- erik

Re: [9fans] Non-VESA video card

[Lyndon Nerenberg]

On 10-10-31 5:13 PM, erik quanstrom wrote:
> what's the restriction you're not telling us?

Mouse turds in the VNC client when running VESA mode.

Re: [9fans] Non-VESA video card

[erik quanstrom]

On Sun Oct 31 20:24:23 EDT 2010, lyndon@orthanc.ca wrote:
> On 10-10-31 5:13 PM, erik quanstrom wrote:
> > what's the restriction you're not telling us?
>
> Mouse turds in the VNC client when running VESA mode.

but not other programs?  why do you think this is this
a vesa bug and not a vncv bug?

- erik

Re: [9fans] Non-VESA video card

[cinap_lenrek]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 345 bytes --]

"mouse turds" happend in equis when using vesa too.  it happens when
you loadimage() directly on the screen with the mouse over it.  it
seems the software cursor isnt hidden and restored on loadimage
correctly.  as a work arround, one can loadimage() in a temporary
offscreen image and then use draw() to put it on the screen.

--
cinap

[-- Attachment #2: Type: message/rfc822, Size: 2967 bytes --]

From: Lyndon Nerenberg <lyndon@orthanc.ca>
To: Fans of the OS Plan 9 from Bell Labs <9fans@9fans.net>
Subject: Re: [9fans] Non-VESA video card
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2010 17:22:19 -0700
Message-ID: <4CCE083B.2090708@orthanc.ca>

On 10-10-31 5:13 PM, erik quanstrom wrote:
> what's the restriction you're not telling us?

Mouse turds in the VNC client when running VESA mode.

Re: [9fans] Non-VESA video card

[cinap_lenrek]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 1176 bytes --]

this is how /sys/src/cmd/vnc/draw.c was changed to not "mouse turd" on
vesa.  have put the changed file in contrib at:
/n/sources/contrib/cinap_lenrek/draw.c

didnt made a patch because its just a work arround, not a real fix.

cpu% diff -c /n/dump/2009/0923/sys/src/cmd/vnc/draw.c draw.c
/n/dump/2009/0923/sys/src/cmd/vnc/draw.c:107,112 - draw.c:107,113
  updatescreen(Rectangle r)
  {
  	int b, bb;
+ 	Image *i;

  	lockdisplay(display);
  	if(r.max.x > Dx(screen->r) || r.max.y > Dy(screen->r)){
/n/dump/2009/0923/sys/src/cmd/vnc/draw.c:117,129 - draw.c:118,138
  		}
  	}

+ 	b = Dx(r) * pixb * Dy(r);
+
+ 	if(i = allocimage(display, r, screen->chan, 0, DNofill)){
+ 		loadimage(i, r, pixbuf, b);
+ 		draw(screen, rectaddpt(r, screen->r.min), i, nil, r.min);
+ 		freeimage(i);
+ 	}
+
  	/*
  	 * assume load image fails only because of resize
- 	 */
- 	b = Dx(r) * pixb * Dy(r);
  	bb = loadimage(screen, rectaddpt(r, screen->r.min), pixbuf, b);
  	if(bb != b && verbose)
  		fprint(2, "loadimage %d on %R for %R returned %d: %r\n", b, rectaddpt(r, screen->r.min), screen->r, bb);
+ 	 */
+
  	unlockdisplay(display);
  }

--
cinap

[-- Attachment #2: Type: message/rfc822, Size: 2967 bytes --]

From: Lyndon Nerenberg <lyndon@orthanc.ca>
To: Fans of the OS Plan 9 from Bell Labs <9fans@9fans.net>
Subject: Re: [9fans] Non-VESA video card
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2010 17:22:19 -0700
Message-ID: <4CCE083B.2090708@orthanc.ca>

On 10-10-31 5:13 PM, erik quanstrom wrote:
> what's the restriction you're not telling us?

Mouse turds in the VNC client when running VESA mode.

Re: [9fans] Non-VESA video card

[Lyndon Nerenberg (VE6BBM/VE7TFX)]

> /n/sources/contrib/cinap_lenrek/draw.c

Works great -- thanks.