[Qemu-devel] Re: Windows98 under SUSE 9.2: Only 640*480 in 16 colors (SOLVED)

[CP]

Hetz Ben Hamo <hetzbh <at> gmail.com> writes:

> 
> I  still don't understand - whats wrong with the built in Cirrus Logic driver?
> 

Good question... it doesn't work OK, nor does any of the Cirrus Logic drivers
lying around in the Internet, for that matter. Any attempt to put the system in
a resolution other than 640x480x4bpp (plain old VGA) would trigger the following
events:

1) Win98 will try to restart - and become locked up in the process (just before
restarting Windows... the display mode switch does not seem to need a reboot,
just falling to DOS and going back into Win98).
2) Once qemu is manually restarted, Win98 would fail with some obscure
protection error (BSOD) and become completely locked up with funny colors in the
topmost part of the screen. OR, the Win98 loading logo would flash for a brief
moment at the top of the screen with all messed up colors/size (probably
switching video types w/o deleting the video memory), then a message (MSDOS
screen) would tell that a general protection failure had happened,  asking the
user to reboot.
3) Once rebooted, W98 starts in Failsafe mode. The user has to go to the Screen
properties in the Control Panel and click Accept in the Config tab to force the
configuration on next reboot to be 640x480x4bpp. Failure to do so results in
another lockup.
4) Back to square one. 640x480x4bpp, only a little more frustrated...

For the record, I don't think the problem is strictly in qemu, because the SDD
driver, although using VESA, is using the Cirrus Logic card (at least I haven't
switched to bochs'). It might be a problem with the Spanish Win98SE edition, or
 some obscure incompatibility in newer kernels (Suse9.2 is rather new IIRC, as
is FC2). Judging from the (minimal) number of reports, this doesn't seem to be a
widespread problem, however.

Cheers - CP
ps: please CC to my mail if you reply, because I'm not likely to check the list
very often.