framebuffer console on old ATI

[Riccardo Mottola <riccardo.mottola%libero.it@localhost>]

Hi,

I notice that on 10.0 (but was the same on 9.x too) my old ThinkPad T30
runs in VGA text.
Is there a specific limitaiton for the embedded videocard? a choice? or
something I can try enabling?

dmesg reports it as:

[     1.005536] acpivga0 at acpi0 (VID): ACPI Display Adapter
[     1.005536] acpiout0 at acpivga0 (LCD0, 0x0110): ACPI Display Output
Device
[     1.005536] acpiout1 at acpivga0 (CRT0, 0x0100): ACPI Display Output
Device
[     1.005536] acpiout2 at acpivga0 (TV0, 0x0200): ACPI Display Output
Device
[     1.005536] acpiout3 at acpivga0 (DVI0, 0x0210): ACPI Display Output
Device
[     1.005536] acpivga0: connected output devices:
[     1.005536] acpivga0:   0x0110 (acpiout0): LCD Panel, head 0
[     1.005536] acpivga0:   0x0100 (acpiout1): Ext. Monitor, head 0
[     1.005536] acpivga0:   0x0200 (acpiout2): TV, head 0
[     1.005536] acpivga0:   0x0210 (acpiout3): Unknown Output Device, head 0
[     1.005536] vga0 at pci1 dev 0 function 0: ATI Technologies Radeon
Mobility M7 LW (rev. 0x00)
[     1.005536] wsdisplay0 at vga0 kbdmux 1: console (80x25, vt100
emulation), using wskbd0
[     1.005536] drm at vga0 not configured

I suppose the last line is .... the reason for FB console not working.

X11, which appears to run fine, reports it as:
[   646.096] (II) VESA(0): VESA VBE Total Mem: 16320 kB
[   646.096] (II) VESA(0): VESA VBE OEM: ATI MOBILITY RADEON 7500
[   646.096] (II) VESA(0): VESA VBE OEM Software Rev: 1.0
[   646.096] (II) VESA(0): VESA VBE OEM Vendor: ATI Technologies Inc.
[   646.096] (II) VESA(0): VESA VBE OEM Product: P7
[   646.096] (II) VESA(0): VESA VBE OEM Product Rev: 01.00


Linux has FB console on ever lower spec ATIs, but I have no direct
comparison with this specific one, I admit.

Riccardo