Hiya Gavan,

On Sun, Jun 09, 2002 at 12:01:37AM +0100, Gavan Fantom wrote:
> In the fastboot file we currently have:
> 
> | Select the monitor defintion file and screenmode
> Set NetBSD$MDF ADFS::4.$.AKF85
> Set NetBSD$ScreenMode "X1024 Y768 C256"
> 
> and later on
> 
> loadmodefile <NetBSD$MDF>
> Set Alias$SetNetBSDMode Wimpmode <NetBSD$ScreenMode>
> SetNetBSDMode

OK ... i did this to split off the configuration part and the actual 
setting part to make it easier for ppl. to edit it since all the things one 
can adjust are in just in one section....

> I have a few questions on this:
> 
> * Why ADFS::4.$.AKF85 ?
> 
>   There is a standard location for monitor definition files, and it's not
>   the root directory of the primary hard disc. Also I don't think we tell
>   users to copy a file to there.

Iek... well thats ... legacy? also i cant really remember it to be 
adfs::4.$.AKF85 but rather something inside the !BtNetBSD

> * Why AKF85?
> 
>   Not every RiscPC has an Acorn 17" monitor on it, and I don't think we
>   should restrict the default install to this particular monitor.

Sure ... we better can use a more generic one ...

> * Why 1024x768?
> 
>   What are the requirements for the initial screen mode? I can't do this
>   resolution on my monitor, so I've changed this locally, but I would be
>   inclined to make the default something which is likely to work on all
>   monitors, and to mention in the documentation that increasing this is
>   recommended.

Also legacy?

> * Why even load a monitor definition file?
> 
>   For an application loaded by the user this makes no sense - if a mode
>   definition file is needed, it will have already been loaded. That's part
>   of setting up a RISC OS machine to use the monitor attached to it, and I
>   see no reason to force the user to configure this twice.

There is a good reason for loading a monitor definition file.... 
remember first that not all monitors are allways capable of displaying 
the standard modes properly for onw and secondly the code inside the kernel 
gets the current mode and tries to aproximate it as best as posible with 
the compiled in mode definitions.

Not loading this MDF can result in it choosing a very low or bad resolution 
for the monitor in use.

I created some extra space in the bootloader block passed to the kernel to 
accomodate for MDF's passed down from the bootloader to the kernel at 
booting time and dropping all compiled in MDF's for once and for all... 
this is all legacy of the old code but since this is a pretty big change i 
rather wanted to wait until the 1.6 release was done to reduce the chance 
on nasty bugs; maybe this was the wrong decision ... 

Its on top of my TODO list now though ... together with a streamlining of 
the current booting sceme with a NetBSD native compiled bootloader.

>   I'm not sure whether the monitor definition file is loaded by the time
>   NetBSD boots if the fastboot stuff has been installed in !Boot, but I
>   see no reason that it couldn't be delayed until after that point if not.

Its only loaded when !BtNetBSD is run AFAIK ! but then the !Boot stuff 
needs formalizing too and be easy dropable or rewritten.

> If there's no compelling reason to load a monitor definition file, I'd
> like to remove this functionality. I'd also like to change the default
> screen mode to "X640 Y480 C256".

Horrible mode IMHO but maybe better yes....

Cheers,
Reinoud