Firstly, I forgot to mention that I'm using the huge smp kernel from
the slackware/a directory.
Using this is a necessary intermediate step recommended by Patrick V.
on the way to using the smaller
supplied kernels (which require buidling an initrd because I have ext3
filesystems), but I was and am busy
enough that I have just stayed with the huge kernel so far.
I don't think it should behave any differently for this purpose than
the smaller smp kernel would,
but I don't know.

> shouldn't there be a libvga.conf file someplace that would have an effect, I
> seem to recall a text mode restoration value someplace.....should also be a
> copy in your home directory ~/.svgalibrc

Yes, it's in /etc/vga/
I've read what the manpage says about it, and it doesn't seem that it
has anything relevant to this problem;
svgalib already autodetects the video chipset correctly; I tried
explicitly specifying the chipset in libvga.conf,
but it didn't make any difference, so I commented it out again.

On 2008-06-02, jim <gana1nm@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Firstly, I forgot to mention that I'm using the huge smp kernel from
> the slackware/a directory.
> Using this is a necessary intermediate step recommended by Patrick V.
> on the way to using the smaller
> supplied kernels (which require buidling an initrd because I have ext3
> filesystems), but I was and am busy
> enough that I have just stayed with the huge kernel so far.
> I don't think it should behave any differently for this purpose than
> the smaller smp kernel would,
> but I don't know.
>
>> shouldn't there be a libvga.conf file someplace that would have an effect, I
>> seem to recall a text mode restoration value someplace.....should also be a
>> copy in your home directory ~/.svgalibrc
>
> Yes, it's in /etc/vga/
> I've read what the manpage says about it, and it doesn't seem that it
> has anything relevant to this problem;
> svgalib already autodetects the video chipset correctly; I tried
> explicitly specifying the chipset in libvga.conf,
> but it didn't make any difference, so I commented it out again.

Maybe man textmode might be of some help, it's part of the svgalib package.
also maybe restoretextmode....assuming I understand the problem.

You also might try and check out the files that were installed for this
package in /var/log/something or other...might provide some additional test
programs or other utilities that you may not know about.

Also, did you try checking out svgalib.org for info.

For some reason, I seem to recall I compiled and installed it myself for
some reason, several years ago, though I don't rememebr why and I can't find
the orginal set of program files refresh my memory.

ken