Boot parameter & hardware detection
Support knowledgebase (snwint_bootparameter)
Applies to
SuSE Linux: Versions since 7.0
This article describes special (kernel) boot parameter, which offer you the possibility to take influence on the hardware detection. Especially in relation to the choice of the x server.
- On some systems a reboot is necessary during the installation
(after the first CD). The framebuffer device is deactivated in
doing so. Instead the system tries to activate the "proper" server.
In this case it may happen that the VGA 16 server
will start.
- If you boot with the boot disk, always the VGA 16 server
will be started. The reason is that the boot disk skips the hardware
detection and the kernel doesn´t support the framebuffer device.
The boot disk is meant as "fallback" solution, that´s why this happens.
There are three parameters to take influence on the automatic hardware detection:
x11i
,x11
and hwprobe
.
-
x11i
This option takes effect on the x server during the installation
used by YaST2.
Either you specify the XFree86 version (3 or 4) or one specifies the name of the x server ( XFree86 3.x, without "XF86_"
) resp. of the module
(XFree86 4.x, without "_drv.o"
).
Examples:
- Use XFree86 3.x (if possible)
x11i=3
- Use
XF86_SVGA
server (XFree86 3.x)
x11i=SVGA
- Use
nv_drv.o
server module (XFree86 4.x)
x11i=nv
Hint:
For the framebuffer device you have to type FBDev
(XFree86 3.x) or
fbdev
(XFree86 4.x). For plain VGA make use of the options
VGA16
resp. vga
.
-
x11
Therewith you can specify which x server will be installed with YaST2.
You can make use of the same values as in case of x11i
.
-
hwprobe
By the use of this command you can take influence on the automatic
hardware detection.
For exmaple: the hardware detections hangs with the error message:
isapnp.1: read port
Then you can enter at the boot prompt:
hwprobe=-isapnp
to deactivate the isapnp probing.
hwprobe
can be used as environment variable
(e.g. reasonable to start YaST2 afterwards).
You can find further extensive documentation in
"/usr/share/doc/packages/hwinfo/README"
.
Hint:
Do not forget to type "linux"
at the boot prompt!
Keywords: X11, XFREE86, INSTALL, INSTALLATION, INSTALLATIONS DISK, LINUXRC, BOOT PROBLEMS, BOOTDISK, BOOT, HARDWARE, ISAPNP, HARDWARE DETECTION, HWPROBE
Categories:
Installation
SDB-snwint_bootparameter, Copyright SuSE Linux AG, Nürnberg, Germany
- Version: 10. Sep 2001
SuSE Linux AG - Last generated: 11. Sep 2001 by ast (sdb_gen 1.40.0)