Bug 6194

Summary: [feature-request] X.org should be able to auto fallback to standard VGA
Product: xorg Reporter: alexey__ <al4321>
Component: Driver/VGAAssignee: Xorg Project Team <xorg-team>
Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE QA Contact:
Severity: enhancement    
Priority: high    
Version: unspecified   
Hardware: All   
OS: Linux (All)   
Whiteboard:
i915 platform: i915 features:

Description alexey__ 2006-03-09 23:51:36 UTC 
The current X.org has one problem, when compared to other systems, such as
Windows XP. More specifically: It does exactly as wrote in it's configuration
file(s).

The feature, I would like to request, is not of a value to you, X-experts, but
it's _very_ valueable to average Joe Sixpack.

I want to ask adding auto-fallback in case of X-Server failure. 
Today, X-Server might fail to start for many reasons, including:
 1. incorrect X configuration by user
 2. incorrect X configuration by OS (Linux distro)
 3. replacement of video card
 4. buggy drivers

In all those cases, Linux user will find the problem, and fix it, while Joe
Sixpack/Windows user will return to Windows, after unsuccessfully trying Linux.

I want to prevent this, by suggesting you to add a new feature to X: Automatic
Fallback to VGA.

In case X would fail to run from it's configuratiuon it _must_ automatically run
itself
in stable mode, using generic, non-accelerated drivers. (either fbdev, VESA or VGA)

This single feature will increase Linux (and other Free OSes) popularity among
Windows users dramatically.


I'm not an X-exprert, so I have a few question to you:

1) what do you recommend me as a most stable
way to run X ? 
I want a generic driver that will run on any video card, with at least 1MB of
VRAM & VGA standards.
Should I use VGA/vesa/fbdev or some other Generic X driver?

2) What's the difference between the generic drivers?

3) When Windows XP fails to run a driver, to what state it fails ?
Comment 1 alexey__ 2006-04-03 04:30:35 UTC 
Xorg should automatically revert to standard vga mode in case the correct video
driver is unstable or not found.  This functionality, like Windows will ensure
that X always loads no matter what thus making it much more user friendly.
Comment 2 Adam Jackson 2006-04-04 22:39:42 UTC 

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 2589 ***

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