*BSD News Article 19327


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From: burgess@hrd769.brooks.af.mil (Dave Burgess)
Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.questions
Subject: Using NetBSD/Freebsd on 'Universal replacement' video card.
Date: 9 Aug 1993 17:15:55 -0500
Organization: Armstrong Laboratory, Brooks AFB, TX
Lines: 32
Message-ID: <246ib9$428@hrd769.brooks.af.mil>
NNTP-Posting-Host: hrd769.brooks.af.mil

I recently purchased a 'universal replacement' video card for my newly
acquired 386.  I am trying to run NetBSD/FreeBSD on it.  The reason I
think the video card is giving me some fits is because, although the
card supports up to VGA, I currently have it connected to an EGA monitor
and hence am using the card as if it were an EGA card.

Rest of the symptoms:

I am using NetBSD-current.  I get the boot-loader messages and NetBSD
seems to load correctly.  Everything is looking good, and I can read/reply
to every prompt (boot device prompts, etc.).  Once the load is complete, 
the screen turns black, the cursor turns dark blue, and the screen scrolls 
by using about the right number of lines for probe detections, etc.  The
machine then proceeds to reboot.

Q1.  Is anyone using Freebsd/NetBSD on an EGA monitor?  I seem to remember
something from the original installation notes about either MGA or VGA,
but I can't recall anything specific.

Q2.  Would the fact that this card HAS VGA registers/hardware be enough
to convince FreeBSD/NetBSD that I have a VGA monitor?  If so, does
anyone want to try to help me get this to work with my lowly,
all-I-can-afford EGA monitor (at least in the short term)?

Surprisingly enough, I HAVE read the FAQ, and didn't find anything in
there about this.  The note about turning off the on-board cache allowed
me to get THIS far, so I am closer.
-- 
------
TSgt Dave Burgess
NCOIC AL/Management Information Systems Office
Brooks AFB, TX