Re: Linux on Capio II (Geode) ?

From: Edward Lee epl (me_at_linnix.com)
Date: 05/24/04 

Date: 24 May 2004 14:39:53 -0700

larwe@larwe.com (Lewin A.R.W. Edwards) wrote in message news:<608b6569.0405221412.393ad2fe@posting.google.com>...
> Quick response only, I'm not at home (home Internet is not working
> right).
>
> > I haven't tried the DOC, but found the terminal stuff in the Geode really
> > flakey. The processor would stop for significant periods (>1 millisecond,
>
> Actually it is not stopped, it's servicing a SMM interrupt. Every
> {time period} a nonmaskable SMM interrupt occurs. The Geode hardware
> doesn't support text modes natively. In text modes, the SMM ISR checks
> to see if the color or character memory has changed, and if so it
> updates the frame buffer memory. You can mitigate this evil behavior
> somewhat by disabling text-mode-related SMM traps. (BTW, this won't
> prevent the periodic interrupts, which also handle other things, but
> it will prevent text-mode RAM hits from triggering SMM traps).
>
> Ultimately the only way to get Geode tuned properly for an application
> with any kind of realtime needs is to get a customized BIOS with your
> particular fetish implemented in the VSA code.

We are using a Geode GX1 based Compaq Internet Appliance 2. We have
not experienced any of the problem you mentioned. The only strange
thing is that I can only run at 1024x768 and my friend can only run at
800x600. Any other video mode would get the monitor out of sync. I
am using Xfree 3.3.6 and my friend is using Xfree 4.2. Any idea why?