[1220] in linux-announce channel archive
SVGATextMode-1.0 is finally there...
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Lars Wirzenius)
Sun Oct 29 11:30:26 1995
Date: Tue, 24 Oct 1995 20:35:43 +0200
From: Lars Wirzenius <wirzeniu@cc.helsinki.fi>
To: linux-announce@vger.rutgers.edu
Reply-To: linux-announce-owner@vger.rutgers.edu
From: kmg@barco.be
Subject: SVGATextMode-1.0 is finally there...
Approved: linux-announce@news.ornl.gov (Lars Wirzenius)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.announce
Followup-to: comp.os.linux.development.system
Organization: ?
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Hello!
It's Friday 13th today! The ideal moment to release the new version of
SVGATextMode onto the unsuspecting Linux audience.
Begin3
Title: SVGA textmode manipulation/enhancement
Version: 1.0
Entered-date: 13OCT95
Description: Uses extra features found in 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, cursor size, etc. Enables
using the video card AND the monitor to their full potential in
textmode, as in XWindows.
Current support includes S3, ET4000, Cirrus Logic, Trident,
Western Digital, ATI (and MACH32) and Video7 (Headland) cards.
It can also use an external clock program and supports all S3
clock chips from XFREE 3.1.1. Features automatic font loading,
monitor definition (H/V frequency limits), on-the-fly screen
resizing.
Also includes: palette changer, pixelclock probe, text/graphics
mode grabber, VGA register hacking tool, and a multi-chipset/
clockchip ClockProg for X that supports ALL chipsets and
clockchips from SVGATextMode.
Binaries for Linux and DOS included for SVGATextMode and grabmode.
Keywords: SVGA VGA console screen monitor XFREE Xconfig XF86Config
Author: kmg@barco.be (Koen Gadeyne)
Maintained-by: kmg@barco.be (Koen Gadeyne)
Primary-site: sunsite.unc.edu pub/Linux/utils/console
412k SVGATextMode-1.0.tar.gz
Alternate-site: tsx-11.mit.edu pub/linux/sources/sbin
Original-site:
Platform: Linux machine (Intel or Alpha) with one of the supported VGA
cards, kernel 1.1.54 or newer.
Copying-policy: GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2
End
Again, there are no really new and awesome features. Just another final
cleanup of some bugs and documentation.
The biggest change is probably the version number change ;-)
Here's a short list of changes
- - the manual files have been reworked "in a major way", and now there's a
manual file for grabmode/clockprobe as well.
- - killed outw() argument order bug in Video7 clock setting code. Which means
V7 cards should work this time.
- - added "SyncDisks" option: does a sync() before going to the hardware.
IMPORTANT: This option is ON by default in the enclosed TextConfig file,
so until you remove it, SVGATextMode will start up REALLY slow! This
option was included to soothe those uneasy feeling people who are not very
confident (with reason) that their system will not hang when they try out
STM. Please read the manual files.
- - setpalette can now program a "standard" palette without external
parameters or input. This also uncovered a bug in the built-in standard
palette of set80 (data was interpreted as octal...Yuck!)
- - grabmode (in fact modedata.c) has some intelligence built-in to properly
display modes with 1024 lines (1280x1024 modes were shown wrong, because
they used chipset-specific registers).
It _should_ now properly detect ALL CGA-emulated modes (320x200, etc),
even packed pixel modes. Documentation updated/expanded.
In addition, it has better geometry detection of 16/24 bit modes.
- - The underline position is now also programmed. Some people complained
about missing underline, or strike-through instead of underlining when
using STM. They were right, of course. Also added "NoUnderline option",
because color text modes disable underlining by default. If you don't use
this option, all your text modes will suddenly have underlining.
- - Added "DoubleScan" attribute for text mode config lines. Anybody want a
64-pixel high font?
- - Video Blanking is better: 1 character before and one after the active
display. This is useful for those who want a nice colored border around
their screen using the overscan color register. If the blanking is not
programmed correctly (as in X), changing the overscan register makes ALL
screen colors change.
- - There is now a DOS version of STM, thanks to invaluable help from Stephen
Lee. (Well, in fact, he did all the work).
- - added ioctl(</dev/console>, KDSETMODE, KD_TEXT) to SVGATextMode. This
should get you better textmode restoration when in trouble.
- - SVGATextMode is now oficially under the GPL (I finally read the damn
thing)
Forget the creeping maggets under your seat. Ignore the aliens intruding
over the mains input of your computer... Forget the horrors of life and take
some time to enjoy some more Juicy Linux Power.
Koen Gadeyne.
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