Revision History

Revision	Date	Description
001	2008/10/31	The first version

Introduction

Ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid Ibex was released on Oct 30. It may use OpenChrome driver, Framebuffer driver, or VESA driver for VIA’s integrated graphic depending on the Intrepid CD image, VIA chipset, and installation procedure in use. Due to XAA/EXA issue and new chipsets are not properly recognized by old drivers, user may encounter a problem of no display hence cannot complete the installation. This guide and a companion VIA graphic beta driver provide support for CN700/CX700M/VX700/CN896/P4M900/VX800 platforms to work with the Intrepid. The initial beta only includes 2D and display functions while later versions will add support for 3D and Compiz desktop effect. To proceed, you will need

1. This document

2. latest VIA graphics beta driver for Ubuntu 8.10, available at http://linux.via.com.tw

3. appropriate Ubuntu 8.10 CD image which should be

a. ubuntu-8.10-desktop-i386.iso for CN700/CX700/VX700/CN896/P4M900

b. ubuntu-8.10-alternate-i386.iso for VX800

Install VIA graphic driver for Ubuntu 8.10

Please look up for the VIA chipset in your PC and skip to corresponding section in the following

(1) CN700/CX700/VX700 series

Since the OpenChrome driver that comes with Ubuntu 8.10 supports CN700/CX700/VX700, you should be able to install from the default ubuntu-8.10-desktop-i386.iso CD image without problem. But if you prefer to replace the OpenChrome driver with VIA’s, please follow the same procedure in (2) below.

(2) CN896/P4M900

2.1. Installing the OS with safe graphics mode

(a) Boot from the ubuntu-8.10-desktop-i386.iso image CD and choose your language option

(b) Select “Install Ubuntu” then hit <F6>. A boot options command line will appear

(c) Type “xforcevesa” (without the double quote) and continue with install. Intrepid has complete the installation normally

Select Install Ubuntu

Input xforcevesa option

Figure 1 Ubuntu 8.10 Desktop official release installation screen for CN896

2.2. Install VIA graphics beta driver

(d) Login into installed Intrepid and open a terminal window

(e) Download VIA driver on-line or plug in the portable drive it was put on

(f) Unpack VIA graphics driver – say 85a-43862-u810-2d-bin.tar.gz, by command

“tar xvzf 85a-43862-u810-2d-bin.tar.gz”

(g) “cd ./85a-43862-u810-2d-bin”

(h) Run v2DInstall file by the command of “sudo ./v2DInstall”

(i) Reboot the system which will restart X with the new driver

(3) VX800

The VESA driver in Ubuntu 8.10 has compatible issue with VIA VX800 chipset. So we need to install with the alternate version Intrepid.

3.1. Installing the OS

(a) Boot and install from the ubuntu-8.10-alternate-i386.iso CD image. There is no option to set

(b) After Intrepid installed in text mode by default, reboot and hit <ESC> right before OS boots. This brings up the Grub Menu for boot option. Note: some motherboards use <ESC> during BIOS post to enter menu to select boot device. In that case, reboot and wait till it has passed this stage before hitting <ESC>

(d) Login as root at prompt in text mode

3.2. Install VIA graphics beta driver

(e) Assume you have copied the VIA driver package - say 85a-43862-u810-2d-bin.tar.gz, to a portable device such as an USB key

(f) Connect the portable device to the VX800 platform. After a few seconds, a message reads like “[6056.931200] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] Assuming driver cache: write through” should appear

(g) The name in place of the “sdb” is the device name. It can be sdc or something else depending on the number of drives already on the system. Let’s keep “sdb” in our example

(h) “mkdir /media/pdrive” to make a mounting point

(i) “mount /dev/sdb1 /media/pdrive” to mount the portable device. Please note there is a “1” (number one) after the device name. Do a “ls /media/pdrive” to make sure it is mounted

(j) Unpack VIA graphics driver – say 85a-43862-u810-2d-bin.tar.gz, by command

“tar xvzf 85a-43862-u810-2d-bin.tar.gz”

(k) “cd ./85a-43862-u810-2d-bin”

(l) Run v2DInstall file by the command of “sudo ./v2DInstall”

(m) Reboot the system which will restart X with the new driver

Modify the xorg.conf

VIA’s package includes a simple xorg.conf for VIA’s driver, and will be copied to /etc/X11/xorg.conf automatically by the installation shell. Users can refer to the Readme.txt in the package for the setting of xorg.conf.

You are done! Enjoy your Intrepid system with VIA driver. Let’s us know if there is any problem.

		Application Notes

		VIA’s GFX driver for Ubuntu 8.10
		Revision 001 October 31, 2008 VIA Technologies, Inc