Re: OldWorld ROM Macintoshes

On 9/19/25 10:17 AM, Stan Johnson wrote:
> On 9/18/25 9:13 PM, Cedar Maxwell wrote:
>> On 9/15/25 10:25 AM, Stan Johnson wrote:
>>> Cedar,
>>>
>>> Are you able to confirm that installing xserver-xorg-video-mach64 allows
>>> X11 to work on your Wallstreet (passing the correct "video=atyfb..."
>>> argument and unchecking "No video driver" in BootX)?
>> I already had xserver-xorg-video-mach64 installed, but Adrian's
>> suggestion of using "video=atyfb:off" from that old thread I linked
>> previously seems to have done the trick.
> You appear to be running kernel 6.1.0-9-powerpc #1 Debian 6.1.27-1
> (2023-05-08) ppc. That may fall in the range of kernels that had an
> earlier issue on Wallstreet systems. In my tests, stock kernel 6.2-rc1
> worked, using either "video=atyfb ..." or "video=ofonly".
When you say "worked" do you mean the mach64 driver functioned? Looking 
at my Xorg log with atyfb=off, it appears to be using the mach64 
driver.  Please help me understand what I would gain from being able to 
pass in video=atyfb:vmode:14,cmode:32, etc. instead AND have the mach64 
driver function.
>> "No video driver" was unchecked.
> So the kernel would have received "video=ofonly" from BootX.
The opposite is true in my experience.  My Xorg log on the previous 
email shows video=ofonly was NOT received, instead video=atyfb:off was.  
Did the attachments make it through?
>
>> I am experiencing graphical errors, but mach64 appears to be
>> working according to my Xorg.0.log.  Attached are screenshots and logs.
>>
>>> I still think there's a kernel regression that is preventing
>>> "video=ofonly" from working. I plan to follow up later this week if I
>>> still haven't heard back from a developer.
>> Video=atyfb, fbdev, etc., nothing works either for me.
> ...
>
> Using which kernel?
The latest 6.16.x from Debian.  I'm just referring to the black screen 
which started this whole thread.
>
> You should find that 6.2-rc1 works for video=ofonly but 6.2-rc8 does
> not. The latest stock kernel should reach a text login using
> video=atyfb, but the screen freezes using video=ofonly (same as
> 6.2-rc8). Even though the screen freezes at the BootX screen, the system
> hasn't hung; it continues to boot and is eventually be accessible over
> the network (assuming you have a network configured in your rootfs). I
> don't think the relevant kernel developer(s) will care that atyfb
> (Mach64) isn't working (probably an Xorg issue), but I identified the
> kernel commit that seems to have caused video=ofonly to stop working on
> the Wallstreet. I'm still waiting for a response; I'll escalate further
> early next week if I don't hear anything back by then.
How long can I expect kernel 6.1 or any of these similarly older 
versions to still be "supported" by Debian?  I understand that in a 
rolling release like this typically only the latest few kernels are 
accounted for.