Mansour Al Akeel posted on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 23:40:40 -0400 as excerpted:

> localhost ~ # X -config /root/xorg.conf.new X.Org X Server 1.6.5
> Release Date: 2009-10-11
> X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
> Build Operating System: Linux 2.6.31-gentoo-r6 x86_64
> Current Operating System: Linux localhost 2.6.31-gentoo-r6 #8 SMP
> Tue Feb 23 05:38:03 AST 2010 x86_64
> Build Date: 22 February 2010  07:09:57PM
> 
>         Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org to
>         make sure that you have the latest version.
> Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
>         (++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
>         (WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??)
>         unknown.
> (==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Tue Feb 23 07:26:39 2010
> (++) Using config file: "/root/xorg.conf.new" FATAL: Module fbcon not
> found.
> Setting master
> expected keysym, got XF86TouchpadToggle: line 122 of inet
> expected keysym, got XF86TouchpadToggle: line 122 of inet
[snip]

> The framebuffer console is built-in !
> Here are the relevant parts of my kernel .config:

> # Graphics support
> CONFIG_AGP_AMD64=y
> CONFIG_AGP_INTEL=y

Both AMD64 and Intel AGP?  You should be able to turn off the AMD64, since 
it's an Intel machine.  That'll save you a bit of kernel memory especially 
since it's built-in.

> CONFIG_DRM=y
> CONFIG_DRM_I915=m
> CONFIG_DRM_I915_KMS=y

OK, that enables KMS (kernel modesetting) by default.  That's what I'm 
running too.  But I'm running a much newer xorg-server-1.7.5, with
xf86-video-intel-2.9.1.  (I'm running ~arch, ~x86 on my netbook, ~amd64 on 
my main machine.)

BTW, looks like you're running a 2.6.31 kernel.  I'm still running  2.6.32 
on my Intel Atom netbook (ICH7  chipset, 945 graphics) here so you're a 
kernel version behind me.  FWIW, 2.6.33 gits on my main (AMD) machine.

> CONFIG_VGASTATE=y
> CONFIG_VIDEO_OUTPUT_CONTROL=m
> CONFIG_FB=y

Good, for KMS, you need framebuffer support enabled...

> # Frame buffer hardware drivers

> CONFIG_FB_ARC=m

[etc]

You might as well turn all these off, unless you want to keep 
CONFIG_FB_INTEL as module, if you decide for some reason to use the no-KMS 
boot option.  KMS doesn't use the framebuffer hardware drivers as it has 
its own, built-in.

BTW, I see CONFIG_FB_INTEL (along with the debug) listed twice in your 
posting.  That was as edited for posting, it's not that way in your actual 
config file, right?

> # Console display driver support
> #
> CONFIG_VGA_CONSOLE=y

Technically, with framebuffer (including KMS), you don't really need 
vgacon any more.  However, it's a useful fallback to keep enabled in case 
the framebuffer quits working for some reason.  On systems with
non-integrated video, it's especially recommended, so if you change 
graphics cards you at least get a vga console to work with, to reconfigure 
the kernel for the new card.  Of course, that's not likely to happen on a 
laptop or netbook with integrated video, so you may indeed wish to disable 
this.  Your choice.  FWIW, I kept it enabled here on my netbook, for the 
time being, but I may decide to disable it at some point as there's really 
no reason to keep it if I'm always running KMS and can't change the 
graphics.

> CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE=y

Good.  Needed with KMS.

....

FWIW, I've run AMD with Radeons (freedomware drivers) on my main machine 
for years, and only have the relatively recent experience with my netbook 
Intel, so am much less familiar with them.

However, I do follow kernel and xorg development, and have been paying 
more attention to the Intel graphics stuff there recently.  I'm also 
running KMS on my Radeon on my main machine, where it's relatively recent, 
so know a bit more about KMS in general than I would have a few months 
ago, before the mainline kernel got Radeon KMS support.

Based on that... while I haven't followed the rather drastic twists and 
turns on the Intel graphics driver in a /lot/ of detail, I do know that 
there has been quite the upset there as KMS was introduced, etc.  I 
suspect your xorg userspace and kernel may be out of sync for your 
specific hardware and KMS.  I'd suggest trying a 2.6.32 kernel and ~arch 
xorg-server, mesa and xf86-video-intel, probably along with the various 
other xorg components, some of which will be necessary for ~arch
xorg-server.

Also, on my netbook with xorg-server-1.7.5, I'm actually running with no 
xorg.conf file at all.  While xorg-server-1.6.5 should I think support 
that as well, the support there is likely to be less advanced and may give 
you a bit of trouble.  But I'd certainly try running without an xorg.conf 
at all, just to see if, and how well it works, regardless of whether you 
choose to upgrade to the newer xorg-server or not. 

(FWIW, while I don't have an xorg.conf for my netbook, I need one on the 
main machine in ordered to get the dual monitors to show up in my 
preferred config -- stacked.  Well, I do unless I want to run an X/KDE 
startup script to issue the appropriate xrandr commands to set it up each 
time I startx... So I have one there, tho it has significantly less 
sections in it than it used to, as more and more of what used to be there 
is handled automatically.  So there are still reasons you might want or 
need an xorg.conf around, but for the simple case of a single display and 
hotplugged evdev input, going xorg.conf-less could well work better than 
trying to do an xorg.conf, and getting it wrong.)

Alternatively, if you prefer not to try the whole ~arch xorg thing, you 
may well have better luck with the traditional non-kms userspace mode-
setting setup.  In that case, turn off kms, either in your kernel config 
or via kernel command line (in grub.conf), as kms (kernel mode setting) 
and userspace/xorg mode setting simply don't work together.  If you try 
that, you're better off to run with the traditional vgacon, no text mode 
framebuffer, until you get it running at least.  But personally, since KMS 
is where things are headed, I'd try to get it working, upgrading to ~arch 
xorg and the newest upstream release kernel, if necessary, in ordered to 
do so, as that'll save you having to reconfigure for KMS whenever you 
would otherwise upgrade to it anyway.

One more thing:  I'm not familiar with Arrandale (wikipedia says it's very 
new, January, 2010), but if it has anything to do with Intel's Poulsbo 
chipset, you DEFINITELY want the latest kernel, probably the latest 2.6.33-
rcs or wait and do 2.6.33 release (I don't think it's out yet, but it 
should be out relatively shortly), and the latest xorg, as support for it 
is very new and still changing, but it's there.  You may even wish to run 
the gentoo/xorg overlay and the live git version of at least the xorg 
video driver.  AFAIK poulsbo doesn't have 3D support, only unaccelerated 
2D framebuffer, too.  The other alternative for poulsbo is to run a plain 
VESA framebuffer driver, the only working solution on older kernels/xorg, 
until the new poulsbo support, such as it is, was added.  Wikipedia says 
the latest poulsbo support also needs a non-free firmware as well.  
Honestly, if it's poulsbo, I'd consider taking it back and getting 
something with proper freedomware driver support.  But wikipedia does say 
arrandale integrates i7, which at least was the 945 graphics which is well 
supported by the kernel and xorg, tho with the above caveats about the 
switch to kms, so you may want newer versions than what you're running.

The other alternative is to find someone else with an Arrandale machine to 
compare notes with, but as new as it is, there's probably not too many 
such folks around yet.

-- 
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman


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