[Debian-eeepc-devel] console framebuffer and energy consumption

[Ben Armstrong]

On Thu, 14 Jan 2010 08:55:30 +0100
giggzounet <giggzounet at gmail.com> wrote:
> I would like to use the console framebuffer on my eeepc.

Always re-state the model# for each new thread, as people tend to
forget :)  1201N, right?  I'm not too familiar with nVidia framebuffer,
but from what I can tell, nvidiafb is not compatible with the
proprietary nvidia Xorg driver (supports 3D), nor with Nouveau, the new
open source Xorg driver supporting 3D though it may work with Xorg's own
(2D-only) nv driver.  I also saw mention made of vesafb + Xorg (sorry,
I forget which driver, but possibly the non-free nvidia driver) as
something that may work. I did no more than a casual skim through
google for the issue, and much of the material I encountered looked
dated, so take this advice just as a starting point for your own
search.  I didn't find what looked like an authoritative document for a
recent kernel.

> Also boot with
> vga=blabla.

If you're using framebuffer, I think you want video=blabla instead.

> Does it use more or less energy as the standard console ? is
> the difference minimal ?

I don't know.  I would imagine no, it would make no significant
difference, and that probably brightness makes more of a difference.
You might want to go take a look over at forums.eeepc.net where people
have discussed power management issues and reported their findings from
measurements they have taken.  However, it is likely most, if not all of
those measurements are on models older than yours/with different
chipsets, so if you want accurate figures, measure it yourself.

Ben
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