fbset(8)                                            Linux frame buffer utils                                            fbset(8)



NAME
       fbset - show and modify frame buffer device settings

SYNOPSIS
       fbset [options] [mode]

DESCRIPTION
       This documentation is out of date!!

       fbset  is  a system utility to show or change the settings of the frame buffer device. The frame buffer device provides a
       simple and unique interface to access different kinds of graphic displays.

       Frame buffer devices are accessed via special device nodes located in the /dev directory. The  naming  scheme  for  these
       nodes is always fb<n>, where n is the number of the used frame buffer device.

       fbset uses an own video mode database located in /etc/fb.modes. An unlimited number of video modes can be defined in this
       database. For further information see fb.modes(5).

OPTIONS
       If no option is given, fbset will display the current frame buffer settings.

       General options:

              --help, -h
                     display an usage information

              --now, -n
                     change the video mode immediately. If no frame buffer device is given via -fb , then this option  is  acti-
                     vated by default

              --show, -s
                     display the video mode settings. This is default if no further option or only a frame buffer device via -fb
                     is given

              --info, -i
                     display all available frame buffer information

              --verbose, -v
                     display information what fbset is currently doing

              --version, -V
                     display the version information about fbset

              --xfree86, -x
                     display the timing information as it's needed by XFree86

       Frame buffer device nodes:

              -fb <device>
                     device gives the frame buffer device node. If no device via -fb is given, /dev/fb0 is used

       Video mode database:

              -db <file>
                     set an alternative video mode database file (default is /etc/fb.modes), see also fb.modes(5)

       Display geometry:

              -xres <value>
                     set visible horizontal resolution (in pixels)

              -yres <value>
                     set visible vertical resolution (in pixels)

              -vxres <value>
                     set virtual horizontal resolution (in pixels)

              -vyres <value>
                     set virtual vertical resolution (in pixels)

              -depth <value>
                     set display depth (in bits per pixel)

              --geometry, -g ...
                     set all geometry parameters at once in the order <xres> <yres> <vxres> <vyres> <depth>, e.g.   -g  640  400
                     640 400 4

              -match
                     make the physical resolution match the virtual resolution

       Display timings:

              -pixclock <value>
                     set the length of one pixel (in picoseconds). Note that the frame buffer device may only support some pixel
                     lengths

              -left <value>
                     set left margin (in pixels)

              -right <value>
                     set right margin (in pixels)

              -upper <value>
                     set upper margin (in pixel lines)

              -lower <value>
                     set lower margin (in pixel lines)

              -hslen <value>
                     set horizontal sync length (in pixels)

              -vslen <value>
                     set vertical sync length (in pixel lines)

              --timings, -t ...
                     set all timing parameters at once in the order <pixclock> <left> <right> <upper> <lower>  <hslen>  <vslen>,
                     e.g.  -g 35242 64 96 35 12 112 2

       Display flags:

              -hsync {low|high}
                     set the horizontal sync polarity

              -vsync {low|high}
                     set the vertical sync polarity

              -csync {low|high}
                     set the composite sync polarity

              -extsync {false|true}
                     enable or disable external resync. If enabled the sync timings are not generated by the frame buffer device
                     and must be provided externally instead. Note that this option may not be supported by every  frame  buffer
                     device

              -bcast {false|true}
                     enable  or  disable  broadcast  modes.  If enabled the frame buffer generates the exact timings for several
                     broadcast modes (e.g. PAL or NTSC). Note that this option may not be supported by every frame buffer device

              -laced {false|true}
                     enable or disable interlace. If enabled the display will be split in two frames, each frame  contains  only
                     even  and  odd lines respectively. These two frames will be displayed alternating, this way twice the lines
                     can be displayed and the vertical frequency for the monitor stays the same, but the visible  vertical  fre-
                     quency gets halved

              -double {false|true}
                     enable  or  disable  doublescan.  If enabled every line will be displayed twice and this way the horizontal
                     frequency can easily be doubled, so that the same resolution can be displayed on different  monitors,  even
                     if  the  horizontal  frequency  specification  differs. Note that this option may not be supported by every
                     frame buffer device

       Display positioning:

              -move {left|right|up|down}
                     move the visible part of the display in the specified direction

              -step <value>
                     set step size for display positioning (in pixels or pixel lines), if -step is not  given  display  will  be
                     moved 8 pixels horizontally or 2 pixel lines vertically

EXAMPLE
       To set the used video mode for X insert the following in rc.local:

              fbset -fb /dev/fb0 vga

       and make the used frame buffer device known to X:

              export FRAMEBUFFER=/dev/fb0

FILES
       /dev/fb*
       /etc/fb.modes

SEE ALSO
       fb.modes(5), fbdev(4)

AUTHORS
       Geert Uytterhoeven <Geert.UytterhoevenATcs.be>

       Roman Zippel <zippelATfh-brandenburg.de>
              man files



local                                                       July 1998                                                   fbset(8)