Re: TP755/X/Linux

[<eranian@chorus.fr>]

> 
> I *finally* got X windows running on my TP755CX's LCD in 800x600 mode!  I 
> was beginning to think it wasn't possible...  Anyway, the magical missing 
> piece I needed was to run "PS2 MODE3X ON" under DOS (to apparently 
> install video mode 3 extensions), then boot into Linux using 
> LOADLIN.EXE.  Then my XF86config worked the first time (I posted the 
> modeline in a previous message).  Now, I'd like to run a pure Linux 
> machine without DOS, so I decided to write a C program for Linux to 
> perform the same function as "PS2 MODE3X ON".  I tried to disassemble the 
> PS2.EXE program under DOS using the latest version of Sourcer, but 
> Sourcer says that PS2.EXE is a "modified Windows NE executable format", 
> and refused to touch it.  Next, I fired up Turbo Debugger to try and step 
> through it, but Turbo Debugger complained that it was an "unsupported 
> executable format".  So my question is this:  Does anyone know how the 
> MODE3X function works internally?  Is it something that's a documented 
> part of the Western Digital chip? Or does the PS2 program simply enable a 
> different BIOS INT 10H handler? (OK, so it was three questions :-)  If 
> anyone can help me with this, I would greatly appreciate it.  I also 
> intend to release the completed program to the Linux/Thinkpad community 
> at large (assuming I don't have to sign an NDA with IBM to get the 
> information!)
> 
Hi John,

Concerning the need to go back to DOS to run the PS2.exe command, I have
had a similar experience trying to run X in 800x600 or 1024x768 on the
external display (with my TP360CSE). Notice that the same it also true if
you try to run Windows at these resolutions. 

I came to the same conclusion as you. It would be great if we could get an
equivalent of the PS2.exe command under Linux. Desperatly, I am not a expert
in assembly language and so I could not really help you there.  But I  hope
there is another way to get the information about this mysterious command so
as we can port it to another OS. Anyway, I actually do support your
initiative.


 --------------------------------------------------------------------
 St'ephane ERANIAN			| Email	eranian@chorus.fr
 Universit'e PARIS VII			|	eranian@litp.ibp.fr
 LITP - Laboratoire d'Informatique	|
 Th'eorique et Programmation		|
 2 place Jussieu			|
 75251 Paris cedex 05			|
 --------------------------------------------------------------------