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GMA X4500


aldo77
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  • 2 weeks later...

I have a laptop with gma 4500 mhd --- perhaps with all the demand here we can pool together a bounty so someone will work on a driver? The developer of the x3500 has suggeseted that it may be , but is not absolutely impossible...

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I managed to get native resolution (1280x800) on X4500!

 

But it is not easy... And right now it needs a lot of tweaking. Basically you have to install grub2 bootloader with the integrated 915resolution patch, but first you have to modify this patch to recognize the X4500, After that you can patch the 1024x768 resolution to 1280x800 and boot your OSX vith grub2. (You have to use the boot loader to patch the video modes in order to have the right modes in the videobios when OSX starts). I used archlinux for this because it has a package for grub2-915resolution. I will try to create a bootable pendrive/cdimage which can boot into the 1280x800 resolution but I'm more like a hackar than a developer...

 

One more thing: you can use this method to use other widescreen resolutions, but it will remain the same old vesa, no CI,no QE!

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I managed to get native resolution (1280x800) on X4500!

 

But it is not easy... And right now it needs a lot of tweaking. Basically you have to install grub2 bootloader with the integrated 915resolution patch, but first you have to modify this patch to recognize the X4500, After that you can patch the 1024x768 resolution to 1280x800 and boot your OSX vith grub2. (You have to use the boot loader to patch the video modes in order to have the right modes in the videobios when OSX starts). I used archlinux for this because it has a package for grub2-915resolution. I will try to create a bootable pendrive/cdimage which can boot into the 1280x800 resolution but I'm more like a hackar than a developer...

 

One more thing: you can use this method to use other widescreen resolutions, but it will remain the same old vesa, no CI,no QE!

Any way you could translate this to a step by step guide cause thats confusing

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consono, when you say 'other widescreen resolutions', what do you mean? I thought VESA could not support anything higher than 1280x800.

 

To be true, VESA doesn't even support 1280x800... Thats where 915 resolution (more here) steps in. With this program on linux you can modify the vidoe bios of your integrated intel gma to have non standard vesa modes (basically it replaces the selected video mode with a new one you specified). I used it to achieve 1440x900 on linux, so I think it will support higher resolutions than 1280x800. (one more thing: 915resolution doesn't support x4500! I had to create a new entry for it in the program, but you basically just need your pci id and have to copy the 96GM codes)

 

My train of thougth was:If I can use 915resolution to have vesa modes for my lcdm than maybe OSX will use these vesa modes,too. But 915 resolution is a linux utility, how can I start this at boot time? Its' GRUB2 (here) time! Because grub2 has 915resolution module which patches the video bios at boot time! But you need a linux distribution with grub2-915resolutin, thats why I choose archlinux. I installed it on a separate partition (after the osx install), downloaded the package (from here:http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=22927), compilled, fiddled with the config file, installed, tried to boot OSX with it (info here:http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=150004&pid=1063106&mode=threaded&start=#entry1063106) and when it worked I modified the 915resolution modul, recompilled it,replaced the original with it and now I can set my 1280x800 from the bootloader and If I boot osx from here then I can see my resolution when I type in ?video at boot, and can use "Graphics Mode" = "1280x800x32"

 

Hope this helps, but if not I try to help.

 

Any way you could translate this to a step by step guide cause thats confusing

 

Read below, I tried to explain it.

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Hi consono,

 

I have followed your instructions, but could not get 1280*800. May be, I have done something wrong.

 

Can you please post your patched 915resolution.c file and your grub.cfg file.

 

Note: In grub bootloader, I could see that 915resolution module was there and its count is 1. In the chameleon bootloader, I don't see 1280*800 resolution when I type "?video".

 

Thank you so much

 

--

DP

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Hi Druga!

 

I attached the files! (Even the compilled 915resolution.mod, you just have to replace the original .) Do you patched mode 34?

 

Consono

 

915.zip

 

Hi Consono,

 

Thank you so so much for your help. Now, I am able to get 1280x800 resolution. Actually, I did not patch mode 34. After looking at your grub.cfg, I changed mine. Then, I found a bug in my 915resolution.c (I gave the wrong device id there). After I fixed that, everything worked great.

 

Once again, Thank you so much for your awesome idea.

 

 

-- For others, who are trying this, I have written a 'step-by-step' guide below

 

- Installed Ubuntu on a different partition (got problems while installing Arch-linux, so I have chosen Ubuntu).

- I modified /boot/grub/menu.lst to add Mac partition and found it is able to load even Mac. (may be this step is unnecessary)

- taken grub2+915resolution source code from http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=22927.

- compiled it on a different 32 bit linux machine on my network (because gcc installed on my ubuntu does not support 32-bit compilation. i.e. it does not support -m32). SCPed compiled files onto my ubuntu machine.

- opened package manager in ubuntu and removed the grub package that is already installed on my machine

- installed new grub using "./grub-install /dev/sda" command. NOTE: in grub2, grub.cfg is used for reading the configuration file. Write your own /boot/grub/grub.cfg. NOTE: For loading Mac, I did not follow the method used by consono. I did not create any extra partition. My Mac has /boot file. So, I am just loading that. Mac part in my grub.cfg looks like below

 

set root=(hd0,2)

multiboot (hd0,2)/boot

 

- We have to make sure that grub is able to load all operating systems installed on the machine. If it is able to load, we have completed 75% of the whole process. Make sure to take the backup of grub.cfg after this step.

- Next step is to patch grub source with 915resolution. Compile the grub and install the new grub. use the same grub.cfg that you have saved in the previous stage.

- We have to add G45 chipset support to 915 resolution. To know what to add, simply follow the code given by 'consono'. OR you could try your luck by directly copying 915resolution.mod given by consono. ( I think copying 915resolution.mod works in most of the cases )

- Once we have replaced our old 915resolution.mod with the new one, we need to add certain commands to grub.cfg. To know what commands (i.e. insmod, 915resolution etc.) to add to grub.cfg, take a look at grub.cfg given by consono.

- Reboot now and choose Mac in grub. If we type '?video' in Mac bootloader, we should be able to see "1280x800x32".

- Boot Mac with "Graphics Mode"="1280x800x32" and enjoy the widescreen :rolleyes:

 

Once again, many thanks to 'consono' for this great idea.

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Hi guys...I'm also the unlucky owner of a GMA 4500. Thanks to the 915resolution fix, I have got a decent resolution! :D

 

However, I'm thinking about writing a driver for this board... do you think it's doable porting the GNU/Linux X driver to Mac OS X looking at the Darwin source code and (hopefully) a video related kext code? Thanks!

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Hi guys...I'm also the unlucky owner of a GMA 4500. Thanks to the 915resolution fix, I have got a decent resolution! ;)

 

However, I'm thinking about writing a driver for this board... do you think it's doable porting the GNU/Linux X driver to Mac OS X looking at the Darwin source code and (hopefully) a video related kext code? Thanks!

 

This could help 16'' wide screen lcd panels getting the infamous 1366x768 resolution working, at least in vesa mode!!! Really nice idea!

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