These codes control your "text/console" mode using the FrameBuffer modes of you Video cards. Not all modes are supported by all cards, so "Your Mileage May Vary".

Here is an example for a GRUB stanza, I grabbed out of my /boot/grub/menu.lst":

title           Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.18-4-k7
root            (hd0,0)
kernel          /vmlinuz-2.6.18-4-k7 root=/dev/hde2 ro vga=791 
initrd          /initrd.img-2.6.18-4-k7

You could also have it look like this:

title           Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.18-4-k7
root            (hd0,0)
kernel          /vmlinuz-2.6.18-4-k7 root=/dev/hde2 ro vga=0x317 
initrd          /initrd.img-2.6.18-4-k7

There are other methods for getting the framebuffer active, but that is far beyond the scope of this simple webpage.

One other thing I'd like to point out is that many of the newer modes for Video cards, especially in Laptops with 16:10 or similar resolutions will be very difficult to get good timings for.

Many of these require an append of something like: "video=flarfen:xres:1280,yres:960,depth:24,left:300,right:18,hslen:384,upper:16,lower:5,vslen:10"

*PLEASE NOTE:* The previous line *IS NOT* a proper or good framebuffer mode line. For more info on perhaps making a good line PLEASE GO HERE.

The available frame buffer modules (video=) are these, in the 2.6.20 kernel:

cirrusfb == Accelerated FBDev driver for Cirrus Logic chips
gxfb == Framebuffer driver for the AMD Geode GX
gx1fb == Framebuffer driver for the AMD Geode GX1
intelfb == Framebuffer driver for Intel(R) 830M/845G/852GM/855GM/865G/915G/915GM/945G/945GM chipsets
pm2fb == Framebuffer driver for Permedia2 devices
savagefb == Framebuffer driver for S3 Savage PCI/AGP Chips
nvidiafb == Framebuffer driver for nVidia graphics chipset
cyber2000fb == Framebuffer driver for CyberPro 2000, 2010 and 5000
hgafb == Framebuffer driver for Hercules Graphics Adaptor
i2c-matroxfb == Support module providing I2C buses present on Matrox videocards
kyrofb == Framebuffer driver for STMicroelectronics
vga16fb == Framebuffer driver for standard vga
radeonfb == Framebuffer driver for ATI Radeon chipset
aty128fb == Framebuffer driver for ATI Rage128 / Pro cards
atyfb == Framebuffer driver for ATI Mach64 cards
cyblafb == Framebuffer driver for Cyberblade/i1 graphics core
tdfxfb == Framebuffer driver for 3Dfx devices
sisfb == Framebuffer driver for SiS 300/540/630/730/315/55x/65x/661/74x/330/76x/34x, XGI V3XT/V5/V8/Z7
arcfb == Framebuffer driver for Arc monochrome LCD board
neofb == Framebuffer driver for NeoMagic PCI Chips
s1d13xxxfb == Framebuffer driver for S1D13xxx devices
vfb == Framebuffer driver for virtual fb
i810fb == Framebuffer device for the Intel 810/815 and compatible cards
sstfb == Framebuffer driver for 3dfx Voodoo Graphics and Voodoo2 based video boards
tridentfb == Framebuffer driver for Trident cards