ArcadeVGA w/ Linux Framebuffer

[Captain Rotundo]

Has anyone gotten Linux to boot with a splash screen  using the ArcadeVGA card on an arcade monitor?

I can switch to decent resolutions post-boot, but cannot seem to figure out how to get it to boot into a working setup. (it is either garbled, rolling, not displaying, &c)

[seibu]

Hmm. Do you have to use the framebuffer? My Linux machine boots into the command prompt perfectly using an ArcadeVGA / Hantarex MTC, but I guess that's because I don't use the framebuffer to display a splash screen or anything fancy like that.

If the splash screen you are displaying is generated from GRUB, I think you'll have some difficulty finding a way to tell it to run in 15Hz, but I guess it may be possible.

[Captain Rotundo]

well I have an ArcadeVGA, and the grub splash screen works fine.
its the bootsplash I want (www.bootsplash.org for info). I realize its window dressing, but I an also having other framebuffer issues, so for now I am trying to get XFree86 to display everything nicely and its comeing along (tonight I will really check it out having given up on the framebuffer for now)

I have it connected to a 19" monitor that is labelled a Wells-Gardner 19K7591, I also have a W-G 19K7611 which for some reason doesn't display anything with the computer (although both work great with the Contra board I have) I will investigate this once I get the first cab working

If you could give me any details on your setup X/SVGALib/&c, settings I would greatly appreciate it.

[seibu]

Yeah, that bootsplash looks kind of nice. It might force the ArcadeVGA to display 31khz by programming it's registers directly, though (like AdvanceCD).

I use Gentoo Linux, with AdvanceMAME installed via the "emerge" process. AdvanceMAME installed X without asking when I "emerged" it, but it doesn't actually seem to use to to display. It seems to be using SVGAlib. To be honest, I found it a pretty trouble-free process to get it running. I would recommend SVGAlib, but without knowing the details of your distro / setup and the problems you're having, I'm not sure what to suggest!

[Captain Rotundo]

well I think maybe I will try gentoo.  I have used gentoo in the past, but am a idehard Debian zealot... so basically I grew bored with gentoo and went back to Debian (been using it exclusively as my OS for about 8 years now) of course I am not as proficient in GNU/Linux as that time frame might suggest and I learn new things every day

I actually considered gentoo figuring the small speed boost from a processor specific system would be worth it for an emulator only system....

We'll see.

[Captain Rotundo]

I case someone else finds themself in this situation.  I solved the problem by using kernel 2.4 instead of 2.6 - it seems there is a difference in the radeonfb in the newer kernel, and I was unable to get it to work (YMMV)