Using certain graphics cards on non-x86 systems?

Using certain graphics cards on non-x86 systems?

[Timothy Miller]

I have a quick question.  There are certain devices, like graphics
cards, which require that their BIOS be run at POST in order to
initialize certain critical (and often undocumented) bits of their
hardware before they can be used by the OS.  What does Linux do about
that on non-x86 systems?  I remember old Alphas had like and 8088
emulator that allowed SOME PC graphics cards to be used as a console
even.  But on, say, a G5, are you out of luck?  Is there an x86
emulator that you use to run the BIOS?  At what stage is it run so that
you can have a console?  Many cards can't even do basic VGA without the
BIOS first being run.

Thanks.



	
		
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Re: Using certain graphics cards on non-x86 systems?

[Pavel Machek]

Hi!

> I have a quick question.  There are certain devices, like graphics
> cards, which require that their BIOS be run at POST in order to
> initialize certain critical (and often undocumented) bits of their
> hardware before they can be used by the OS.  What does Linux do about
> that on non-x86 systems?  I remember old Alphas had like and 8088
> emulator that allowed SOME PC graphics cards to be used as a console
> even.  But on, say, a G5, are you out of luck?  Is there an x86
> emulator that you use to run the BIOS?  At what stage is it run so that
> you can have a console?  Many cards can't even do basic VGA without the
> BIOS first being run.

Hmm, and when you know how to do this, you'll probably also know how to make
suspend-to-ram...


				Pavel
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