[arch-general] Nvidia/vesafb/GRUB2

[Don deJuan]

On 06/26/2012 12:31 PM, Arno Gaboury wrote:
> dear list,
>
> After a few months of running Arch, I am now fine tuning everything (or
> at least trying).
>
> I discovered this error message in *kernel.log* file.
>
>    NVRM: Your system is not currently configured to drive a VGA console
>   NVRM: on the primary VGA device. The NVIDIA Linux graphics driver
>   NVRM: requires the use of a text-mode VGA console. Use of other console
>   NVRM: drivers including, but not limited to, vesafb, may result in
>   NVRM: corruption and stability problems, and is not supported.
>
> Googling let me to many forum posts about this issue with Nvidia card
> and driver, but I couldn't find any clear answer.
>
> I have tried all the cited tricks in my *grub* file:
> -add *vga=0*, or *vga=795* (1208x1024), or *video=visa:off vga=normal*
> -*GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=console*, *GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=text*,
> *GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=keep*
>
>
> and whatever else I couldn't remember, but nothing changed about this
> message.
>
> As far as I understand, Nvidia does NOT support vesa framebuffer, but
> only vga. Fine. My system is NOT using VGA console. Fine.
>
> But how do I need ton configure my *grub* file ?
>
> Here are the concerned line from my file :
>
>
> *GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""
> GRUB_TERMINAL_INPUT=console
> GRUB_TERMINAL_OUTPUT=console
> GRUB_GFXMODE=1280x1024
> GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=1280x1024*
>
> Please help as keeping running X like this is not recommanded.
>
> TY.

Putting GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=text in my default grub, then running a 
new grub.cfg. Reboot and the message went away, though in the console 
the text is huge. I have seen no actual "fix" for this and have read 
that Nvidia is not even sure how or why it broke.

The only other difference is I have GRUB_GFXMODE=1280x1024x32 in mine, 
but with running text this setting is not used, at least that is my 
understanding.