Fwd: VGA - which one works?

[David Brownlee <abs%netbsd.org@localhost>]

On 27 June 2012 09:03, Dmitry the Zuryanovich <dreadbit%gmail.com@localhost> 
wrote:
> Hi,
>  I have 43p 240 and enjoying 5.1.2.
>
>  The only strange thing is VGA - no one works.
>
>  I have: ANOGXT800P Altera (original card from this RS/6000), OF works
> with it, NetBSD - does not.
>  S3s from PC, OF does not work with those (but NT/ppc does!) , netbsd
> says "pci0 dev 1 function 0 not configured" , same it says on strange
> CL-GD5430 based (probably from the other RS/6000, OF doesn't work with
> it) dual-head card called Intense 3D CSMT 3800B // MSMT 380B.
>
>  More, I tried ISA VGA and - ISA MDA (with kernel recompile; with this
> configuration I've got ISA IDE working at least, so the ISA bus is
> recognised ) - no way.
>
>  And yes, I keep keyboard plugged in and tried GENERIC and
> self-compiled kernels.
>
>  I want at least wscons (and X too, a bit later).
>  What card should I use of what to do with kernel?
>
>  As about 43p 240, NetBSD 5.1.2/prep runs very well with one processor
> plugged in and hangs most of the time on siop/esiop with both
> processors. As I said, I got IDE ISA controller and VIA VT6202 USB PCI
> card working as USB 1.1 (but not as 2.0) after kernel recompile.

I asked macallan@ (NetBSD's resident odd display hardware guru :)
about this, and his response (copied with permission) is below :)

> That's not a VGA, but genfb should work with minimal effort. No chance
> to get accelerated X though, IBM pretends they never made this beast so
> docs are impossible to get.
> We should be able to get anything that works in OF to work at least as
> a dumb framebuffer in NetBSD, the way macppc does. What's missing ( I
> think - I have zero experience with prep ) is a little bit of code that
> grabs OF properties for graphics devices and stuffs them into the
> relevant NetBSD driver's device properties. See for example sparc64's
> and powerpc/oea/autoconf.c device_register(). Prep probably doesn't do
> that since many ( most? ) prep boxes don't have OF.
> That said, does ofppc work on this machine? IIRC the prep port was
> specifically for dealing with braindead PReP firmware, ofppc might do
> the right thing regarding OF graphics hardware.
>
> have fun
> Michael