Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!ucsd!ucbvax!hplabs!hpda!hpcuhc!hpspcoi!darko
From: darko@hpspcoi.HP.COM (David Arko)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.xenix
Subject: Re: SCO 'setcolor' and 'vidi' gripes (was: Re: 80x43)
Message-ID: <300005@hpspcoi.HP.COM>
Date: 30 Nov 89 21:53:43 GMT
References: <11315@dasys1.UUCP>
Organization: HP PCG, Sunnyvale CA
Lines: 38



  This sounds related to a problem I have seen with IBM compatible
VGA cards with a _Monochrome_ display attached to it.  Is this your
case?

  The problem I believe, with this configuration is that SCO Unix
does not realize that the monochrome monitor can be placed in graphics
and gray scale mode.  I have found only 2 ways around this problem.
One way is to boot up with a _Color_ display connected and then once
the machine reaches the 'boot:' prompt the BIOS has set the equipment
byte in RAM indicating it has a color display.  At this point you can
unplug you color display and plug in the monchrome (without powering
off).  When Unix notices that there is supposed to be a Color monitor
connect it is able to use the graphics mode (and e80x43), however the 
grayscale doesn't quite work, it only has like 3 different color scales 
instead of all 16?.

  The other method is a little more involved.  With the VGA cards
HP sells, they package it will a DOS disk that contains a utility
called HPVGA.EXE.  This utility gives you the capability to 
"Switch to VGA color" mode.  This sets up the VGA card to work
in gray scale mode.  Once this is done then one must boot up Unix
without reseting the VGA card, this can't be done with Crtl-Alt-Del.
One must do something wierd like use a Dos debugger and do
      mov dl,80h
      int 19h
This will reboot without reseting stuff. 

  The way to be sure if this is even your case, is type:
  'vidi vm80x25' and if this _doesn't_ complain, then this is your
  problem.


Well, if this doesn't solve your problem maybe someone else will benifit.
Oh, so far 3.2.1 has the same problem with this setup also.

--David Arko  (darko@hpspcoi.hp.com)