Can't locate module fb0

Forum: X and Fluxbox
Topic: Can't locate module fb0
started by: fermat

Posted by fermat on Nov. 28 2004,14:25

Hi all,

Before I start just wanted to say its great to see so much info here on the forums. Without them I would have been completely lost. Thanks all.

After much messing about I finally got DSL installed on my old laptop (100mhz, 16mb RAM, 500mb HD) and it was running except the colours were all stuffed up. So I cleared the HD again and followed the tip that I should use Xfbdev instead of Xvesa. I boot with the boot floppy and run DSL as a poorman's install. I used the fb800x600 command at boot but then get the error:
"You passed an undefined mode number"
I then tried to select mode numbers but that didn't work. I kept on getting the fb0 no found warning. I also tried "scan" but then my screen just went blank and nothing happened.

I'd really appreciate any help because I have spent so much time trying to get DSL installed and now X won't work.

Thanks!

Posted by roberts on Nov. 28 2004,17:09

If your computer has a cdrom, I would try different seeting from that first before your try to "install". Start by trying the vga=normal, at the first boot prompt

boot: dsl vga=normal

Using vga=normal should get rid of the "... passed invalid mode ..." error.

Then try different setting with the x-setup and see which one(s) might work best for your computer. Then do the install from that.

Posted by fermat on Nov. 28 2004,17:17

Thanks for the reply roberts.
Unfortunately my laptop doesnt have a cdrom, thats why it was so difficult to get DSL on there in the first place. (It was a good challenge however

)
If I use vga=normal doesnt that mean that I won't be able to access the Xfbdev later anyway?

Posted by fermat on Nov. 29 2004,10:02

I have tried the different settings and can't get it to work..

The device fb0 (/dev/fb0) is in fact only a symbolic link, i think, pointing to /KNOPPIX/dev/fb0. Does this matter?

Does anyone else know what could be causing this problem?

Posted by cbagger01 on Nov. 29 2004,18:37

You are correct in that if you boot with vga=normal then you will be unable to use the Xfbdev server.

So you could try this:

Boot with
dsl vga=normal xsetup

choose Xvesa server and get up and running with your wierd colors.

Press CTL-ALT-BACKSPACE

to get back to text mode and then type:

xvesa -listmodes

to get a list of the supported VESA video modes for your computer.

Otherwise,

you could try to boot into a valid framebuffer code (IE: vga=xxx) and then choose Xfbdev server.

See this post for details:

< http://damnsmalllinux.org/cgi-bin....;hl=771 >

Also, you can type in one of the codes during the "undefined mode number prompt", but you must use HEXadecimal numbers instead of decimal numbers.

In other words, for VGA mode decimal 771 you would type in hexadecimal 303 at the "undefined mode number" prompt.

Hope this helps.