First install, console size

[jimscafe]

I have just installed mu first gentoo using genkernel.

My console characters are larger than when I boot from the minimal live cd I downloaded. I thought using genkernel it would be the same in terms of detecting my system?

Browsing for a solution I hear about framebuffer, but I don''t know how to identify if that is loaded in the kernel or not - and if so how I go about getting 100+ columns and 40+ rows in my console window - which is what happens when I bit from the live CD. In fact on the live cd it drops into this mode as soon as it carries out an initrd command (I think that is what it is - disappears quickly.

Any suggestions for a new guy to gentoo?

[i92guboj]

I have just installed mu first gentoo using genkernel.

My console characters are larger than when I boot from the minimal live cd I downloaded. I thought using genkernel it would be the same in terms of detecting my system?

I am not a genkernel user, so I can't be sure. But I don't think genkernel detects anything at all, and that's not its work anyway. Genkernel is just a simplified interface to configure and compile your kernel.

You need to look into setting up framebuffer. The console resolution is configurable at boot time from the grub or lilo configuration, but only if you are using a framebuffer driver, and not a plain text console.

Gentoo Linux Documentation -- Configuring the Bootloader

If you haven't setup uvesafb or vesafb in your kernel you will need to do so and recompile. I don't know -nor am I interested in- how genkernel does that. I can guide you through a regular menuconfig process if no genkernel user appears to tell you the genkernel way, though.

[jimscafe]

I would very much appreciate you guiding me through the menuconfig process. I presume this is an initial step to building another kernel?
I shied away from that because I was so new to gentoo I just wanted something working quickly, now I have achieved that perhaps I could try to build a kernel other than genkernel.

[i92guboj]

I would very much appreciate you guiding me through the menuconfig process. I presume this is an initial step to building another kernel?
I shied away from that because I was so new to gentoo I just wanted something working quickly, now I have achieved that perhaps I could try to build a kernel other than genkernel.

I assume you are using a recent kernel version, and I also assume you are using gentoo-sources, and not any other sources (then you would have to patch the kernel yourself).

Use this to find the kernel version you are running:

uname -r

According to that info, cd to the correct subdirectory under /usr/src/ for your kernel version. Now, just do:

make menuconfig

Now, you can use these instructions:

spock's devsite > uvesafb

Again, this assumes you are using a recent kernel. If you are not, then I advise to upgrade and user gentoo-sources, otherwise, you will have to patch the kernel with uvesafb support.

The instructions there are ok, if you have any problem just ask here and I will be glad to help if I can.