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<td align="right" valign="center"><img src="logo32.png" align="right" width="64" height="32" border="0"></td></tr></table><h1 align=center>Enabling the Linux Framebuffer</h1>



<p> This is only a short guide.
See <a href="file:/usr/src/linux/README">/usr/src/linux/README</a> and
<a href="file:/usr/src/linux/Documentation/fb/">/usr/src/linux/Documentation/fb/</a> for detailed information.
There is also a detailed explanation at
<a href="http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/Framebuffer-HOWTO.html">http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/Framebuffer-HOWTO.html</a>.
<p> <ol type=1>
<li> Make sure that you have the Linux kernel source code in
<a href="file:/usr/src/linux/">/usr/src/linux/</a>.
<p> <li> Log in as root and <tt>cd</tt> <tt>/usr/src/linux</tt>
<p> <li> Configure the kernel:
<p> Run:
<pre>
    make menuconfig
</pre>
 
<p> Select "Code maturity level options" and set "Prompt for
development and/or incomplete code/drivers".
<p> Then select "Console drivers" and set "Support for frame buffer
devices" to built-in (even if it says EXPERIMENTAL). Then configure
the driver. Most modern graphics cards can use the "VESA VGA
graphics console"; use that or a driver that specifically matches
your video card. Finally, enable "Advanced low level driver options"
and make sure that 16 and 32 bpp packed pixel support are enabled. 
<p> When you are finished, chose exit and save.
<p> <li> Compile the kernel
<p> First do:
<pre>
    make dep
</pre>
 
then:
<pre>
    make bzImage
</pre>
 
<p> The new kernel should now be in arch/i386/boot/bzImage.
<p> <li> Copy the kernel to the boot directory:
<pre>
    cp arch/i386/boot/bzImage /boot/linux.vesafb
</pre>
 
<p> <li> Edit /etc/lilo.conf.
<p> <b>Warning:</b> Keep a backup of <a href="file:/etc/lilo.conf">/etc/lilo.conf</a>, and have a rescue disk
available. If you make a mistake, the machine may not boot.
<p> The file <a href="file:/etc/lilo.conf">/etc/lilo.conf</a> specifies how the system boots. The
precise contents of the file varies from system to system. Here is
an example:
<pre>
# LILO configuration file
boot = /dev/hda3
delay = 30 
image = /boot/vmlinuz
  root = /dev/hda3
  label = Linux
  read-only # Non-UMSDOS filesystems should be mounted read-only for checking
other=/dev/hda1
        label=nt
        table=/dev/hda
</pre>
 
<p> Make a new "image" section that is a copy of the first one, but with
<pre>
  image = /boot/linux.vesafb 
</pre>
 
and 
<pre>
  label = Linux-vesafb
</pre>
 
Place it just above the first image section.
<p> Add a line before the image section saying <tt>vga = 791</tt>. (Meaning
1024x768, 16 bpp.) 
<p> With the above example, lilo.conf would now be:
<pre>
# LILO configuration file
boot = /dev/hda3
delay = 30 
vga = 791
image = /boot/linux.vesafb
  root = /dev/hda3
  label = Linux-vesafb
  read-only # Non-UMSDOS filesystems should be mounted read-only for checking
image = /boot/vmlinuz
  root = /dev/hda3
  label = Linux
  read-only # Non-UMSDOS filesystems should be mounted read-only for checking
other=/dev/hda1
        label=nt
        table=/dev/hda
</pre>
 
<p> Do not change any existing lines in the file; just add new ones.
<p> <li> To make the new changes take effect, run the lilo program:
<pre>
    lilo
</pre>
 
<p> <li> Reboot the system. You should now see a penguin logo while the
system is booting.
(Or more than one on a multi-processor machine.)
<p> <li> If it does not boot properly with the new kernel, you can boot with
the old kernel by entering the label of the old image section at
the LILO prompt. (with the example lilo.conf file, the old label is
Linux.)
<p> If that does not work (probably because of an error in lilo.conf),
boot the machine using your rescue disk, restore <a href="file:/etc/lilo.conf">/etc/lilo.conf</a> from backup and re-run lilo.
<p> <li> Testing: Here's a short program that opens the frame buffer and draws a
gradient-filled red square.
<p> <pre>
#include &lt;unistd.h&gt;
#include &lt;stdio.h&gt;
#include &lt;fcntl.h&gt;
#include &lt;linux/fb.h&gt;
#include &lt;sys/mman.h&gt;

int main()
{
    int fbfd = 0;
    struct fb_var_screeninfo vinfo;
    struct fb_fix_screeninfo finfo;
    long int screensize = 0;
    char *fbp = 0;
    int x = 0, y = 0;
    long int location = 0;

    // Open the file for reading and writing
    fbfd = open("/dev/fb0", O_RDWR);
    if (!fbfd) {
        printf("Error: cannot open framebuffer device.\n");
        exit(1);
    }
    printf("The framebuffer device was opened successfully.\n");

    // Get fixed screen information
    if (ioctl(fbfd, FBIOGET_FSCREENINFO, &amp;finfo)) {
        printf("Error reading fixed information.\n");
        exit(2);
    }

    // Get variable screen information
    if (ioctl(fbfd, FBIOGET_VSCREENINFO, &amp;vinfo)) {
        printf("Error reading variable information.\n");
        exit(3);
    }

    printf("%dx%d, %dbpp\n", vinfo.xres, vinfo.yres, vinfo.bits_per_pixel );

    // Figure out the size of the screen in bytes
    screensize = vinfo.xres * vinfo.yres * vinfo.bits_per_pixel / 8;

    // Map the device to memory
    fbp = (char *)mmap(0, screensize, PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE, MAP_SHARED,
                       fbfd, 0);
    if ((int)fbp == -1) {
        printf("Error: failed to map framebuffer device to memory.\n");
        exit(4);
    }
    printf("The framebuffer device was mapped to memory successfully.\n");

    x = 100; y = 100;       // Where we are going to put the pixel

    // Figure out where in memory to put the pixel
    for ( y = 100; y &lt; 300; y++ )
        for ( x = 100; x &lt; 300; x++ ) {

            location = (x+vinfo.xoffset) * (vinfo.bits_per_pixel/8) +
                       (y+vinfo.yoffset) * finfo.line_length;

            if ( vinfo.bits_per_pixel == 32 ) {
                *(fbp + location) = 100;        // Some blue
                *(fbp + location + 1) = 15+(x-100)/2;     // A little green
                *(fbp + location + 2) = 200-(y-100)/5;    // A lot of red
                *(fbp + location + 3) = 0;      // No transparency
            } else  { //assume 16bpp
                int b = 10;
                int g = (x-100)/6;     // A little green
                int r = 31-(y-100)/16;    // A lot of red
                unsigned short int t = r&lt;&lt;11 | g &lt;&lt; 5 | b;
                *((unsigned short int*)(fbp + location)) = t;
            }

        }
    munmap(fbp, screensize);
    close(fbfd);
    return 0;
}
</pre>
 
</ol>
<p> 
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