Syslinux - Mar 2021 - Equivalent to GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=keep with vesamenu?

On Thursday, March 18, 2021 12:58:46 AM EDT Gregory Bartholomew
wrote:
> On Wed, Mar 17, 2021 at 10:35 PM nerdopolis via Syslinux <
> syslinux at syslinux.org> wrote:
> 
> > ...
> > OK, I am realizing that in syslinux there IS a special case for
> > vga=current / vga> >
> >
https://repo.or.cz/syslinux.git/blob/346d2278e23f1b9f02903506753263ad7226de58:/com32/lib/syslinux/load_linux.c#l497
> >
> > Trying that option I do see much different behavior. It doesn't
flush the
> > display, as if though going into text mode (which is a good start),
but it
> > appears The kernel never creates the /dev/fb0 device like it does with
grub
> > starting it.
> > ...
> >
> 
> From
> https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/master/Documentation/fb/vesafb.rst:
> 
> " ... You should compile in both vgacon (for text mode) and vesafb
(for
> graphics mode). Which of them takes over the console depends on whenever
> the specified mode is text or graphics. ..."
> 
> I wonder if the kernel is falling back to text mode because it doesn't
> recognize "vga=current" as a graphics mode? Maybe you can force
it with
> "video=vesafb:on" (or maybe "video=efifb:on" if you are
using syslinux.efi).
> 
I tried the VGA option as hex, and as =current, so it might not be the kernel 
not recognizing it, but I wonder if I am missing something in the dmesg 
output...

I tried video=vesafb:on and that doesn't seem to work
BTW: I am using isolinux.bin

Thanks

On Thu, Mar 18, 2021 at 8:02 AM nerdopolis via Syslinux <
syslinux at syslinux.org> wrote:
> On Thursday, March 18, 2021 12:58:46 AM EDT Gregory Bartholomew wrote:
> > On Wed, Mar 17, 2021 at 10:35 PM nerdopolis via Syslinux <
> > syslinux at syslinux.org> wrote:
> >
> > > ...
> > > OK, I am realizing that in syslinux there IS a special case for
> > > vga=current / vga> > >
> > >
>
https://repo.or.cz/syslinux.git/blob/346d2278e23f1b9f02903506753263ad7226de58:/com32/lib/syslinux/load_linux.c#l497
> > >
> > > Trying that option I do see much different behavior. It
doesn't flush
> the
> > > display, as if though going into text mode (which is a good
start),
> but it
> > > appears The kernel never creates the /dev/fb0 device like it does
with
> grub
> > > starting it.
> > > ...
> > >
> >
> > From
> >
> https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/master/Documentation/fb/vesafb.rst:
> >
> > " ... You should compile in both vgacon (for text mode) and
vesafb (for
> > graphics mode). Which of them takes over the console depends on
whenever
> > the specified mode is text or graphics. ..."
> >
> > I wonder if the kernel is falling back to text mode because it
doesn't
> > recognize "vga=current" as a graphics mode? Maybe you can
force it with
> > "video=vesafb:on" (or maybe "video=efifb:on" if
you are using
> syslinux.efi).
> >
> I tried the VGA option as hex, and as =current, so it might not be the
> kernel
> not recognizing it, but I wonder if I am missing something in the dmesg
> output...
>
> I tried video=vesafb:on and that doesn't seem to work
> BTW: I am using isolinux.bin
>
> ...

Sorry, I'm down to just random things to try at this point, but maybe try
substituting "uvesafb" for "vesafb". Or maybe try
"rd.driver.pre=uvesafb"
instead of "video=...". I'm really out of ideas at this point.
Sorry. I
think you just need to get the right kernel module to load to get the
/dev/fb0 device to show up. Let us know if you figure it out.