new video card: "invalid mode" message on kvm monitor

[ponetguy2]

Hello. I installed a new X3668A PGX 32 Graphics Card w/ Video Adapter on a Sunfire V480. I also installed the necessary packages and patches on this box. However, when I power down the machine and connected the video cable from our kvm switch, I get a "INVALID MODE" signal. I can't even get pass the POST phase to get into OBP. Currently, the video card is on default settings (1152x900) and it works on a regular monitor. Pluse it boots successfully if I unplug the video cable from the KVM switch. Any ideas? Please help. Any type of help or suggestion will be appreciated :|

# uname -a
SunOS hostname 5.9 Generic_118558-25 sun4u sparc SUNW,Sun-Fire-480R

# pkginfo | grep TSI
system TSIpgx PGX32 (Raptor GFX) System Software/Device Driver v3.0
system TSIpgx.2 PGX32 (Raptor GFX) System Software/Device Driver v3.0
application TSIpgxw PGX32 (Raptor GFX) X Window System Support v3.0
system TSIpgxx PGX32 (Raptor GFX) System Software/Device Driver v3.0 (64-bit)
system TSIpgxx.2 PGX32 (Raptor GFX) System Software/Device Driver v3.0 (64-bit)

# patchadd -p | grep 112601
Patch: 112601-09 Obsoletes: Requires: Incompatibles: Packages: TSIpgx TSIpgx.2 TSIpgxw TSIpgxx TSIpgxx.2
Patch: 112601-10 Obsoletes: Requires: Incompatibles: Packages: TSIpgx TSIpgx.2 TSIpgxw TSIpgxx TSIpgxx.2

#cat /var/adm/messages | grep TSI
Mar 31 16:30:05 hostname pcisch: [ID 370704 kern.info] PCI-device: TSI,gfxp@5, gfxp1
Mar 31 16:30:05 hostname genunix: [ID 936769 kern.info] gfxp1 is /pci@8,700000/TSI,gfxp@5
Mar 31 16:30:05 hostname gfxp: [ID 722914 kern.notice] TSI: gfxp1 is GFX8P @ 1152x900

 

[kHz]

Your KVM switch may not be compatible with the Sun Fire V480. Check with the vendor to make sure it's supported with Sun equipment.

 

[ponetguy2]

than you for the reply khz. i checked and it is compatible. our other solaris boxes also have thesame video card and they work just fine.

i forced the video card config to 1024x768x60 from the ok prompt and i still get thesame result. i've google like crazy and i am still unable to find a solution.

 

[kHz]

Are your cables the same as the other servers?

 

[kHz]

Problem Statement: Top

PGX32 8-bit and 24-bit PCI-based Frame Buffer card error
after suninstall of or booting from cdrom dated prior to Solaris[TM] 7 5/99:

NOTICE: Can't find driver for console frame buffer


Resolution: Top

The PGX32 8-bit and 24-bit PCI-based Frame Buffer, which replaces the PGX 8-Bit
Frame Buffer, requires that supplemental drivers be added for complete
installation. The PGX32 can usually be identified by the TECH-SOURCE
RAPTOR-GFX logo displayed in the banner on power-up.

The following 2 packages need to be installed on any Solaris version
below Solaris 7 5/99:

TSIgfxOW (GFX OpenWindows DDX for Solaris 2 (v2.1))
and
TSIgfxdrv(GFX drivers for Solaris 2 (v2.1))

The packages are found on the "GFX OpenWIndows for Solaris 2" cdrom included
with the PGX32 option (X3668A).

Beginning with Solaris 7 Software 5/99 media, the PGX32 software has been
bundled in the following packages:

system TSIpgx.u PGX32 (Raptor GFX) System Software/Device Driver
system TSIpgxmn PGX32 (Raptor GFX) Man Pages
application TSIpgxw PGX32 (Raptor GFX) X Window System Support
system TSIpgxx.u PGX32 (Raptor GFX) SystemSoftware/DeviceDriver(64bit)

For initial Solaris installations prior to Solaris 7 5/99 with the PGX32 as the
only frame buffer, the customer may elect to graphically install Solaris
2.5.1 hardware:11/97 or 2.6 5/98 via procedures and media included with the
"Operating Environment Installation CD May 1999" part number 704-6657-11.
This CD will properly boot and install the patches and drivers for this device.

Without this software the customer will be limited to a character-based
installation only. When the system is booted from cdrom the following error
will be displayed between the Copyright and Configuring devices... messages:

NOTICE: Can't find driver for console frame buffer

The customer will also get this message on a subsequent reboot after the
Solaris install and will be left with command line login only. At this point
the customer needs to install the GFX packages via the cdrom to be able to run
a windows environment.

If using JumpStart[TM] installation, the customer can create a finish script
to perform the driver installation.

 

[kHz]

1. The minimum OS is 2.5.1 HW: 11/97, 2.6 HW: 3/98, and Solaris 7.
2. The U450/E450 OBP banner command fails with PGX32 <370-3753-03.
3. The E3000-6000 and E3500-E6500 require PGX32 >=370-3753-04.
4. Option 3668 includes HD15 to DB13W3 Adapter 530-2357 or 530-2917.
5. Mode 26, listed in 805-7770, is not in Solaris 8 GFXconfig.
6. Resolutions up to 1280 × 1024 default to 8/24-bit mode.
7. Resolutions over 1280 × 1024 default to 8-bit mode.
8. For more information about PGX32 patches, see SRDB 20238.

 

[kHz]

SRDB 20238:

Problem Statement Top

A system containing a PGX32 video card could have been configured with
either the Sun[TM]
distribution bundled GFX graphics drivers (preferred only
for convenience) or the third party GFX drivers from Techsource.

You need to know which drivers are present in order to know which PGX32/GFX32
graphics driver patch to install.



Resolution Top

To determine which PGX32/GFX32 patch to install, execute command..

# pkginfo | grep TSI

If you receive the following output, these are Sun distribution bundled
PGX drivers..

system TSIpgx PGX32 (Raptor GFX) System Software/Device Driver
system TSIpgxmn PGX32 (Raptor GFX) Man Pages
application TSIpgxw PGX32 (Raptor GFX) X Window System Support

..which requires one of the following patches, depending on OS release:

Patch-ID# 107714 (Use for Solaris[TM] 2.5.1)
BugId's fixed with this patch: 4215691 4225083 4228453 4230383 4230823 4231943
4236513 4237268 4238896 4241319 4255539 4274934 4276955 4298419 4313132 4329407
4340678 4344436 4347028 4352469 4357957 4372518 4373617 4377807 4383508 4396037
4398941 4417836 4417842 4417849 4420220 4431012 4467936 4470386 4500303 4500323
4502647

Patch-ID# 107715 (Use for Solaris 2.6)
BugId's fixed with this patch: 4225083 4228453 4230383 4231943 4237268 4238896
4241319 4274934 4276955 4298419 4313132 4329407 4340678 4344436 4347028 4352469
4357957 4372518 4373617 4377807 4383508 4396037 4398941 4417836 4417842 4417849
4420220 4431012 4467936 4470386 4500303 4500323 4502647

Patch-ID# 107716 (Use for Solaris 7)
BugId's fixed with this patch: 4225083 4228453 4230383 4230823 4231943 4236513
4237268 4238896 4241319 4247777 4274934 4276955 4298419 4313132 4329407 4340678
4344436 4347028 4352469 4357957 4372518 4373617 4377807 4383508 4396037 4398941
4417836 4417842 4417849 4420220 4431012 4467936 4470386 4500303 4500323 4502647

Patch-ID# 109154 (Use for Solaris 8)
BugId's fixed with this patch: 4313132 4329407 4340417 4340678 4344436 4347028
4352469 4357957 4372518 4373617 4377807 4383508 4396037 4398941 4417836 4417842
4417849 4420220 4431012 4467936 4470386 4500303 4500323 4502647


Or, if you receive the following output, these are the third party GFX drivers..

system TSIgfxOW GFX OpenWindows DDX for Solaris 2 (v2.1)
system TSIgfxdrv GFX drivers for Solaris 2 (v2.1)

..which requires the following patch:

Patch-ID# 107851 (Use for Solaris revisions 2.5.1/2.6/2.7)
BugId's fixed with this patch: 4215691 4225083 4228453 4230383 4230823 4231943
4236513 4237268 4238896 4241319 4243791 4255539 4274934 4276955 4298419 4313132
4329407 4340678 4344436 4347028 4352469 4357957 4372518 4373617 4377807 4383508
4393739 4396037 4398941 4409545 4417836 4417842 4417849 4420220 4431012 4467936
4470386 4500303 4500323 4502647

NOTE FOR SOLARIS 2.8+ USERS: The third party graphics drivers available at

http://www.techsource.com/

do not work on Solaris 2.8. The software for
the PGX cards on Solaris 2.8 is bundled with the Sun distribution and the
packages are included in your OS software.

IMPORTANT: A system should NOT contain both the Sun AND Techsource version
drivers. The proper way to fix this (if all 5 packages are installed) is to
boot up to singleuser mode, pkgrm all 5 packages, then pkgadd the appropriate
set of packages. Then reboot the machine.


For more info refer to:

http://www.sun.com/desktop/products/graphics/pgx64/

http://www.techsource.com/drivers.htm

 

[kHz]

PGX32 PCI Graphics Card Installation Guide, 805-7770.

The link:

http://sunsolve.sun.com/data/805/805-7770/pdf/

 

[ponetguy2]

thanx again kHz. The video card installed on the server is not compatible with our KVM switch. I grabbed another video card on an unused server and used in on the one i'm working on. now, everything is fine and dandy

thanx again.