correct ratio for widescreen bootsplash / wallpaper

[doktor5000]

Hello,

I have installed Mageia 3 in 64Bit from the Live KDE iso on /dev/sda8. My system has a 2048MB MSI R6950 Twin Frozr II/OC graphics card.

When I boot without the NOKMSBOOT option (grub itself is in text mode), the system immediately goes to the 1440x900x24 graphics mode, and displays the right background, that I had configured for the desktop. But then I get I message that I should add the NOKMSBOOT option, otherwise there might be problems, and indeed the screen goes black and the system is unusable.

So I set grub2 menuentry for Mageia 3 to

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menuentry "Mageia 3.8.8                      (on /dev/sda8)" --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
        insmod part_msdos
        insmod ext2
        set root='(hd0,msdos8)'
        search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root <UUID_here>
        linux /boot/vmlinuz-desktop root=/dev/sda8 nokmsboot ro quiet splash
        initrd /boot/initrd-3.8.13-desktop-1.mga3.img
}


but then the system remains in text mode, with a blue progress bar at the bottom of the screen, then the login screen quickly flashes by (but is not set to the right resolution/frequency) before the right graphical desktop is finally coming up.

I have toyed a bit with

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set gfxpayload=1440x900x24
gfxmode=1440x900


and also with vga=867 but to absolutely no avail so far.

Where is the problem here: grub, KDE 4.10, DKMS, xrandr...???

I would really like to be able to get into the right graphical screen mode early during boot, without hopping first through text modes and unwanted graphic mode.

Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

THN

[gohlip]

add vga=792 to the linux line.
But, and this is important, you will still need "nokmsboot": it has nothing to do with resolution.

If you need further instructions to do this,
https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Mageia_3_Errata

[thn]

Thank you, gohlip, this indeed provides me with a graphical screen early during boot as I had hoped.

Though, the screen goes to 1024×768 and only later on switches over to the desired 1440x900 I'd like to use for my desktop work.

I also tried vga=867 which should be the equivalent of 1440x900 according to Linux video mode numbers, but for some strange reasons this does then not activate any graphics mode at all like the vga=792 you were proposing.

I seem to miss a last little piece of information... do you have another idea?

Thank you and best regards,

THN

[gohlip]

I also tried vga=867 which should be the equivalent of 1440x900 according to Linux video mode numbers, but for some strange reasons this does then not activate any graphics mode at all like the vga=792 you were proposing.
THN

Yes, that's right. Reasons are that firstly, the graphics is developed (by Mageia dev's) for a specific resolution and will not render well for other resolution. Obviously they pick a resolution that can be used by most users. You can redo the resolution of the graphic file (they call it video) to yours.

Another thing you need to know is not only your monitor resolution capability but also the grub resolution; which I must stress differs from the booted up resolution. To check this. at grub prompt, type "vbeinfo" This will run very fast, to page it, type "pager=1" first to scroll. Choose one that both your monitor and grub resolution can handle.

Hope this helps, Cheers.

ps: If you were to ask me how to convert said file to your resolution, I actually don't know. I use my own grub and I dispense with menu graphics and boot up text, without splash or quiet.
But I can verify the OS grub (like in this case) by booting its core.img. or grub-legacy files. Hope you can find out on your own or others here can help you. Sorry. Good luck.

[thn]

Thanks again, gohlip.
I'll try vbeinfo once I get back from my abroad trip.

I should have said though that I have installed grub2 in my /dev/sda's MBR from my /dev/sda5 Kubuntu 12.04 partition, so it might behave slightly different than the grub2 version coming with Mageia.

I have also tried already to rescale one of the 16:10 Mageia desktop background images (can't tell you the path right now) to a size of 1440x900, and have the default link point to it, but it didn't change the behaviour. But I think I didn't use the vga= parameter at that moment, only the nokmsboot. So I will try that again.

Is there somebody who could point me to a kinda guide that would explain how to manipulate the desktop backgrounds (there seems to be one in *.png and another one in *.jpg format) in such a way that it would drive Mageia to immediately switch to a desired screen resolution?

Thank you and best regards,

THN

[thn]

The bad news is that my desired mode 1440x900 does not show up in the vbeinfo list. Most modes are 16:12 or 16:9, but I'd like mine to be 16:10.
Does it mean I'm out of luck here?

BTW, the path to the background images is

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/usr/share/mga/backgrounds

but w/o a (little) guidance I wouldn't know what to do there.

I'm happy that by using vga=792 I can get into a graphical mode early during boot. Maybe somebody has another hint to also get the video mode right.

Thank you for now,

THN

[gohlip]

No, /usr/share/mga/backgrounds is wrong place.
But as I said, I don't use this, haven't done it and haven't tried. (so if you follow my instructions, you take some risk )

Still.....
o (again, and formost) choose a resolution that both vbeinfo and your monitor can handle
o go to /etc/default/grub and modify...

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GRUB_GFXMODE=1024x768x32
GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=1024x786x32

instead of "text" etc...here, I use 1024x 768, use one that is appropriate for you.
[edit] - add corresponding vga=xxx here

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GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=" vga=xxx nokmsboot splash quiet

Save file.
Then

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# update-grub2

.
If you find that you need other instructions or correct mine above, please tell us so others wishing to do the same can follow it.

ps: note vga won't recognise hdmi resolution

[gohlip]

But as I said, I don't use this, haven't done it and haven't tried.

Phew..just tried it. it worked. Yah!
Now back to my own text menu, no graphics boot up simple 3 line setup grub.cfg.

[thn]

Stupid question:
Doesn't this activate a graphics mode already when booting into grub?
I would prefer keeping grub in text mode, and then switch over to graphics when I select a menuentry...
Thanks,
THN

[gohlip]

No sure what you mean, but you can try it out. I think you will find it okay.
If you want to, you can change back.
Cheers.

[thn]

Hi gohlib,

I have tried what you suggest, and it indeed changes the screen resolution which grub uses when displaying his menu. Unfortunately, when chosing to boot the Mageia partition, the behaviour is exactly as before.

It seems that not only grub, but also the "early" linux graphics modes (I mean early after boot, while not all modules are loaded yet) are limited to what vbeinfo reports. The vga=792 resolution (1024×768x24) exists and is supported, but the 1440x900 isn't. So I would always have to watch the Mageia bootsplash and the login screen go by in one of the available vbeinfo modes, before I have access to other modes for my "real" desktop.

Don't worry, even if I'm stuck here, the situation is good enough. Maybe at some point in time the developers find a way to allow the NOKMSBOOT option to disappear - I think this would probably allow to activate my desired video mode early during boot.

Best regards,

THN

[gohlip]

Okay, understood.
Cheeers! Take care.