Re: Solution for 855GM video memory issue
Hi, since there was no 855patch related traffic on the list in the last weeks and my mailbox is already crammed by Sobig.F, I'm unsubscribing. So, from now on please CC any mails you want me to read to me. Christian http://www.chzsoft.com.ar/855patch.html ___ Devel mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://XFree86.Org/mailman/listinfo/devel
Re: Solution for 855GM video memory issue
Hi, I made a small webpage for 855patch that summarizes the important information: http://www.chzsoft.com.ar/855patch.html Christian ___ Devel mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://XFree86.Org/mailman/listinfo/devel
Re: Solution for 855GM video memory issue
Hi, Egbert Eich schrieb: > One could verify if the current value in this location really matches > the value reported by the BIOS. I wrote a new version of 855patch which does just that. So it should be safer to use than before. Everyone interested is invited to try it out: http://www.chzsoft.com.ar/855patch.tar.gz > I would like to know if the people from the desktop department from > Intel would be happy with such a solution. If so, I'd add the code. If you know whom to ask at Intel please do so. For me as an unknown, unimportant developer it'll probably be much harder to contact the right person. Christian -- Christian Zietz - CHZ-Soft - [EMAIL PROTECTED] WWW: http://chzsoft.com.ar/ - Fido: Christian [EMAIL PROTECTED]:2437/74.9 PGP-Key auf Anfrage oder ueber http://wwwkeys.de.pgp.net (Port 11371) ___ Devel mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://XFree86.Org/mailman/listinfo/devel
Re: Solution for 855GM video memory issue
Christian Zietz writes: > Hi, > > I'm subscribed to the list now, so need to CC anymore. > > Egbert Eich schrieb: > > This could easily be integrated in the driver (it would be much more > > easy to do than writing a separate program) but like you say in your > > disclaimer: we cannot guarantee that nothing bad happens. Therefore > > I don't think it is the way to go. > > Well, of course it has to be thoroughly tested but I don't think what my > program does is riskier than the stuff other drivers based on > reverse-engineering do. > A safer method might be to keep a list of known BIOSes and the location > to patch instead of calculating that location based on a string with a > fixed offset. One could verify if the current value in this location really matches the value reported by the BIOS. It would be the 'last fallback' which needs to be enabled by an option. I would like to know if the people from the desktop department from Intel would be happy with such a solution. If so, I'd add the code. > > > However what I find more interesting is that you updated the BIOS with > > one form the Intel web site. > > Sorry, perhaps my initial message was somewhat unclear in that point. I > didn't update the BIOS (that's really risky since the BIOS needs to be > configured for a the given hardware, one configuration bit set wrong and > your system might not be able to boot anymore). I just disassembled it > and found that the code responsible for the issue is the same and that > my method to calculate the address to patch works, too. > OK, that makes sense. Egbert. ___ Devel mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://XFree86.Org/mailman/listinfo/devel
Re: Solution for 855GM video memory issue
Hi, I'm subscribed to the list now, so need to CC anymore. Egbert Eich schrieb: > This could easily be integrated in the driver (it would be much more > easy to do than writing a separate program) but like you say in your > disclaimer: we cannot guarantee that nothing bad happens. Therefore > I don't think it is the way to go. Well, of course it has to be thoroughly tested but I don't think what my program does is riskier than the stuff other drivers based on reverse-engineering do. A safer method might be to keep a list of known BIOSes and the location to patch instead of calculating that location based on a string with a fixed offset. > However what I find more interesting is that you updated the BIOS with > one form the Intel web site. Sorry, perhaps my initial message was somewhat unclear in that point. I didn't update the BIOS (that's really risky since the BIOS needs to be configured for a the given hardware, one configuration bit set wrong and your system might not be able to boot anymore). I just disassembled it and found that the code responsible for the issue is the same and that my method to calculate the address to patch works, too. CU Christian -- Christian Zietz - CHZ-Soft - [EMAIL PROTECTED] WWW: http://chzsoft.com.ar/ - Fido: Christian [EMAIL PROTECTED]:2437/74.9 PGP-Key auf Anfrage oder ueber http://wwwkeys.de.pgp.net (Port 11371) ___ Devel mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://XFree86.Org/mailman/listinfo/devel
Re: Solution for 855GM video memory issue
This could easily be integrated in the driver (it would be much more easy to do than writing a separate program) but like you say in your disclaimer: we cannot guarantee that nothing bad happens. Therefore I don't think it is the way to go. However what I find more interesting is that you updated the BIOS with one form the Intel web site. Intel claims that this issue has been fixed with later versions of the BIOS, so that the driver can use a specific BIOS function to teach the BIOS of the changed size. Therefore - according to Intel - you should not need this program any more. Egbert. Christian Zietz writes: > Hi, > > PLEASE CC any answers to [EMAIL PROTECTED] as I'm not subscribed to the list. > > first, my problem as summarized by David H. Dawes: > It appears that some 855GM-based laptops only pre-allocate 1MB of video > memory, and don't provide any BIOS configuration options for increasing > this. Although the XFree86 driver will allocate more (if the correct > agpgart kernel support is present), the mechanism used to inform the > video BIOS of the additional allocation doesn't seem to be implemented > on these laptops. This results in the video BIOS refusing to program > video modes that require more than 1MB (actually 832KB). > > As far as I know there hasn't been any solution for this. So I spent my > day digging through Intel datasheets and disassembling the Video BIOS > and came up with a hack that works for me: > The Video BIOS stores the memory size it thinks it is allocated at a > certain location in RAM. This location is write-protected by default but > can me made writable by setting the appropiate chipset registers. That's > what I do and then I can set the memory size so XFree86 works with > higher resolutions and color depths. > > Since I don't have the XFree86 sources to patch, I implemented this hack > in a separate program called 855patch. It takes the desired video memory > size in KB as argument. Note that it only tells the BIOS what memory > size to expect but does NOT actually allocate the memory. So you'll have > to set the VideoRAM option in the XF86Config Device section to at least > the size you used when calling 855patch (more is fine) or your system > will probably crash. > > The hack works nicely on my Dell Inspiron 500m laptop (Intel Video BIOS > version 2945) and the mechanism I described is also implemented in > version 2973 I downloaded from Intel.com. So I suggest you try it, if > you have the problem described above. I'd be very glad if this snippet - > if it works on other systems - found it's way to XFree86 sources. > > Disclaimer: Obviously I can't guarantee that it'll work for you. So > don't blame me if something bad happens. > > Download: http://www.chzsoft.com.ar/855patch.c > > Christian Zietz, now able to run XFree86 in 1024x768x16bpp > > > ___ > Devel mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://XFree86.Org/mailman/listinfo/devel ___ Devel mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://XFree86.Org/mailman/listinfo/devel
Solution for 855GM video memory issue
Hi, PLEASE CC any answers to [EMAIL PROTECTED] as I'm not subscribed to the list. first, my problem as summarized by David H. Dawes: It appears that some 855GM-based laptops only pre-allocate 1MB of video memory, and don't provide any BIOS configuration options for increasing this. Although the XFree86 driver will allocate more (if the correct agpgart kernel support is present), the mechanism used to inform the video BIOS of the additional allocation doesn't seem to be implemented on these laptops. This results in the video BIOS refusing to program video modes that require more than 1MB (actually 832KB). As far as I know there hasn't been any solution for this. So I spent my day digging through Intel datasheets and disassembling the Video BIOS and came up with a hack that works for me: The Video BIOS stores the memory size it thinks it is allocated at a certain location in RAM. This location is write-protected by default but can me made writable by setting the appropiate chipset registers. That's what I do and then I can set the memory size so XFree86 works with higher resolutions and color depths. Since I don't have the XFree86 sources to patch, I implemented this hack in a separate program called 855patch. It takes the desired video memory size in KB as argument. Note that it only tells the BIOS what memory size to expect but does NOT actually allocate the memory. So you'll have to set the VideoRAM option in the XF86Config Device section to at least the size you used when calling 855patch (more is fine) or your system will probably crash. The hack works nicely on my Dell Inspiron 500m laptop (Intel Video BIOS version 2945) and the mechanism I described is also implemented in version 2973 I downloaded from Intel.com. So I suggest you try it, if you have the problem described above. I'd be very glad if this snippet - if it works on other systems - found it's way to XFree86 sources. Disclaimer: Obviously I can't guarantee that it'll work for you. So don't blame me if something bad happens. Download: http://www.chzsoft.com.ar/855patch.c Christian Zietz, now able to run XFree86 in 1024x768x16bpp ___ Devel mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://XFree86.Org/mailman/listinfo/devel
