[126] in linux-announce channel archive
First public release of SVGATextMode
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Lars Wirzenius)
Sat Jan 28 13:28:10 1995
Date: Sat, 28 Jan 1995 19:29:34 +0200
From: Lars Wirzenius <wirzeniu@cc.helsinki.fi>
To: linux-activists@niksula.hut.fi, linux-announce@vger.rutgers.edu
X-Mn-Key: announce
From: kmg@barco.be
Subject: First public release of SVGATextMode
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.announce
Keywords: SVGA console text screen monitor
Organization: ?
Approved: linux-announce@tc.cornell.edu (Lars Wirzenius)
Followup-to: comp.os.linux.misc
SVGATextMode
++++++++++++
This program is designed to greatly improve the normal (EGA-based) textmodes
on your Linux machine. It uses an Xconfig-like configuration file to set up
better looking textmodes. (=higher resolution, larger font size, higher
display refresh...).
It stems from the idea that it is a real waste of hardware to use EGA
textmodes on an SVGA-card, which was designed to do much better than that.
Even the cheapest state-of-the-art VGA cards are capable of running at well
over 60 MHz pixel clocks. But most of the time they are used in text-only
mode, and at 80x25 chars (that looks RIDICULOUS on a 20" screen!), using a
mere 25 MHz clock? At best, they use 132x43 textmode, which is still only a
40 MHz clock.
Even the cheapest SVGA monitors can take at least 38 kHz of line-frequency,
and if you go for a 15" or higher, 56 kHz and up are no longer the
exception. But most of the time they are used only at 32 kHz for either
80x25 or 132x43 modes. ALL VGA textmodes use just the standard VGA 32 kHz
horizontal refresh. If you are the owner of such a monitor, don't you think
it's a shame you only use one fifth of the available resolution in text
mode? Especially if you see what that monitor/SVGA-card combination can do
under Windows or X-Windows.
If you own a VGA card that is NOT detected properly by the kernel (e.g. a
Diamond card), you normally can use only 80x25, 80x28 and 80x50 modes. If
you want to use any other mode (which might or might not be available
through the BIOS) you had only one option: patch the kernel to force
detection of your card. And then you can still only use what your VGA BIOS
manufacturer put into the BIOS. Now you can use this program to get ANY text
mode, independently of BIOSses and detection by the kernel! Only limited by
what your SVGA-card and your monitor can take.
It also allows you to change text mode resolutions WITHOUT the need for
rebooting.
People doing lots of programming, and who don't want to sacrifice speed
(text modes scroll extremely fast) and memory (Xwindows is a real memory
hog) for a nice-looking display will really benefit from this: you get the
graphic detail and high refresh rates of X-windows, with the speed and
ease-of-use of normal text modes. It doesn't take up any more memory than
normal text modes, and it doesn't slow down your machine!
With this program, you could do the following things (providing your video
card is supported, and providing your monitor can handle it, and providing
your video card still works at the higher dot-clock rates):
50x15 text mode, for those with a visual impairment?
80x25 text mode with a 32-line character cell (VGA = 16 line)
80x25 at 100 Hz, or even 150 Hz instead of "just" 70 Hz (= VGA)
80x25 at 16 kHz interlaced, so you can show your text mode
on a TV monitor, or tape it on a VCR... (interlacing not supported
YET. If anyone needs it, let me know)
100x37 text mode. My favourite for 14" screens. Not available on
most VGA cards as a standard (some Cirrus Logic cards have it).
Now everybody can have it. Looks real neat!
132x43 improved over VGA default: 8x16 character cell instead of 8x8.
looks MUCH better, especially on 15" (and up) screens.
110x42 why not? everything is possible...
160x100 !!! We've tried this on an ET4000 and it's a screamer. On very
large screens (>17"), this is REAL cool.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Begin3
Title: SVGA textmode manipulation/enhancement
Version: 0.2
Entered-date: 23JAN95
Description: Uses extra features found in all SVGA video cards to enhance
Linux text modes independently of what the BIOS can do. It is
configured with an XF86Config-like file, and allows setting of
pixel clock, H/V timings, font size, etc. Now you can use your
video card AND your monitor to the MAX! In textmode, as you
used to do in XWindows. Current support includes S3, ET4000,
Cirrus Logic, Trident, Western Digital and ATI (experimental)
cards. It can also use an externel clock program.
Keywords: SVGA console text screen monitor
Author: kmg@barco.be (Koen Gadeyne)
Maintained-by: kmg@barco.be (Koen Gadeyne)
Primary-site: sunsite.unc.edu pub/Linux/system/Misc (?)
70k SVGATextMode-0.2.tar.gz
Alternate-site: tsx-11.mit.edu pub/linux/ALPHA (?)
Original-site:
Platform: A linux PC with one of the supported VGA cards
Copying-policy: Freely Redistributable
End
Enjoy!
Koen.
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