VGA Display Card in a 386i, strange experience

[Paul Matz]

We are in the process of developing a hybrid Unix/DOS system that uses a
VGA display for the DOS application.  We've had some interesting and
strange results.  Here are some of them, and some questions for the
masses:

o	With a VGA card installed in an AT slot, and the appropriate lines in
	boards.pc and setup.pc un-commented (distribution version of boards.pc
	contains VGA definition that is commented out), it seems impossible
	to start a DOS task that uses the display connected to the VGA card,
	as its "primary" display device, without also openning a blank DOS
	window on the 386i monitor.  Using the "-w" option to start DOS from
	a sunview command window, the error message:

		can't un-track memory, permission denied.

	is received, and the sunview window where the command was issued hangs
	and finally coredumps.  It seems that there is conflict between the
	software emulated text-only (monochrome or CGA?) interface and the
	hardware on the VGA card that is also capable of doing that work.  Is 
	there a way to fool VP/ix into thinking the VGA card is just another 
	peripheral, eliminating this conflict, while still providing the VGA
	characteristics to a DOS application?

o	Is there a list of VGA cards that Sun has tried and are known to
	work well?

o	Does DOS on the 386i make a distinction between the "primary" and
	"secondary" display, as does DOS on a PC?

o	Will "DOS -w" ever work from a serial login or rlogin connection?
	"DOS -w" seems to work in a psterm window running under NeWS.  Am
	I being fooled?  Does sunview need to be running for DOS to work?

Please send any responses to:  ppgbms!paul in addition to posting
responses.

Thanks (wishful thinking)
Regards,    

        Paul Matz
            PPG Biomedical Systems 
                Pleasantville, NY. 
                    914-741-4685 
                        ppgbms!paul