Two video cards ... separate text and graphical usage

As an alternative to an issue I have that may be specific to the old video
card I am using (and hence, gets little or no testing between releases),
I am considering two other options:

1. Finding a NEW video card model that is well supported in Xorg and is
also well supported in text mode with SVGATextMode. Unfortunately,
SVGATextMode is no longer being maintained, so this option appears to
be very unlikely.

2. Use two video cards. The old card would be used for text mode and the
new card would be used for X.

Option number #2 seems most likely. I've seen several documents explaining
how to use 2 video cards, but they are either directed at how to disable an
on-the-main-board video chip in favor of a plugged in better video card, or
how to use 2 (probably identical) video cards to either run a double sized
desktop or two concurrent X displays. None of them explained how to use
one for text mode (not frame buffer) and the other for X in graphical mode.

I do see the complication that I'd have to switch video output between the
two cards, while keyboard and mouse are unswitched in hardware, but would
be switched in software. I'm wondering if maybe I could do this in the LCD
display monitor by using analog for the text mode and DVI for the graphical
mode (since all good cards have that these days). If the video gets turned
off on the card not in use, maybe the monitor will detect that and switch.

If anyone wants to suggest to use text under X instead of console text mode,
would you be prepared to assist in making text under X work exactly the same
under X as it does in console text mode? I'm not sure it is even possible.
But if it is, it might involve a lot of work, such as rewriting xterm to use
acceleration, and changing the mouse behaviour.

--
|---------------------------------------/----------------------------------|
| Phil Howard KA9WGN (ka9wgn.ham.org) / Do not send to the address below |
| first name lower case at ipal.net / spamtrap-2008-01-27-1328@xxxxxxxx |
|------------------------------------/-------------------------------------|
.

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