This article discusses a device driver for OPENSTEP versions 4.0 through 4.2.

NOTE: Apple Enterprise Software has suspended on-going development of new drivers for the NeXTSTEP and OPENSTEP product lines. Where possible, we will be updating current drivers for minor product revisions. These drivers will be made available in the TIL.

For a complete list of supported drivers for the OPENSTEP operating system, see the OPENSTEP Driver Compatibility Guide .

This driver is included with and requires OPENSTEP for Mach Patch 3 .

No updated versions of this driver are available

Driver Name / Installer .pkg: VBE20

Driver Type: Display

Driver Scope: Generic

Supported Components: N/A

General Overview notes:

The VBE Video Driver allows an OPENSTEP 4.2 system to use any VESA VBE 2.0 display adapter. Because of booter and kernel updates, use of the VBE driver requires installation of OPENSTEP for Mach Patch 2.

After this patch is installed, you can test your video card for compatibility with this driver by using the updated booter. At your system boot prompt, specify "VBE Check"=Yes. You will recieve either a list of supported VBE modes, or a message indicating that you cannot use the VBE driver. You can also create a boot floppy on patched system and use it to test for VESA compatibility before installing OPENSTEP on the system.

Display Driver Details

Display Modes:

The list of supported display modes will vary depending on the video hardware manufacturer's VESA VBE implementation.

Troubleshooting

Note: The boot graphics may hide error messages. If boot graphics are turned on and you are experiencing problems, reboot the system and specify "Boot Graphics"=No at the boot prompt. This may allow you to see additional error messages.

Problem : The system prints the following error, then boots using VGA:
VESA not available.
Diagnosis : This message indicates that the video card does not support VESA VBE 2.0. You will not be able to use the VBE driver with this card.

Problem : The system boots in VGA mode, and the VBE driver prints the following:
Skipping framebuffer initialization (card not in VBE mode).
Diagnosis : This message indicates that the booter did not leave the video card in a VBE mode. This message will only occur if you are booting from an alternate boot device, such as a floppy disk.
Suggestion : Specify Query=Yes at the boot prompt to verify that your boot device is using the updated booter. (The old booter will ignore this option, while the new booter will prompt before loading each driver.) Additionally, specify "Boot Graphics"=No to prevent the boot graphics from hiding booter error messages.

Problem : I've installed the VBE display driver, but there are no display modes listed in Configure.app.
Diagnosis : The list of display modes will be empty if the system has not been rebooted since OPENSTEP Patch 2 was installed, or if your video card does not provide the required VESA support.
Suggestion : Specify Query=Yes at the boot prompt to verify that your video card supports VESA.

Problem : The booter loads the drivers, the screen clears, and the system restarts.
Diagnosis : You may be trying to use a video mode which is incompatible with OpenStep. Known incompatible modes are detected and filtered out, but the VBE specification allows manufacturers to define their own video modes. It is possible that a mode for your particular card was not recognized as incompatible.
Suggestion: The "VBE Check"=Yes boot option will give you a list of supported video modes. Try using the "VBE Mode"=xxx boot option to boot with a different mode. (Remember to run Configure.app to permanently update the system's configuration.) If this fails you may not be able to use the VBE driver with this display card. Specify Query=Yes at the boot prompt and do not load the VBE display driver. The system will fall back to using VGA and you should be able to boot and restore the system to a usable configuration.

Problem : The modes list in Configure.app all show a 0Hz refresh.
Diagnosis : Under VBE 2.0 the refresh rate is determined by the video card manufacturer, and there is no VBE interface to allow the software to determine what value is being used. This is why the 0Hz value appears in Configure.app. This is not a problem. (Some manufacturers supply utilities for configuring VESA mode characteristics like refresh rate and interlace.)

Driver Version Notes

4.00 - First version; released in OPENSTEP 4.2 Patch 2.

* - Indicates information that is inclusive of the entire capability of this driver. Not all devices supported by this driver may include all features listed.