LinuxQuestions.org

LinuxQuestions.org (/questions/)
-   Linux - General (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-general-1/)
-   -   Kernel Mode Setting sets wrong resolution on console/Intel GL40/several kernels (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-general-1/kernel-mode-setting-sets-wrong-resolution-on-console-intel-gl40-several-kernels-790524/)

Alex_Dc 02-21-2010 04:37 AM

Kernel Mode Setting sets wrong resolution on console/Intel GL40/several kernels
 
Ok, so this is one of the last three problems I have to solve before I can finally and completely ditch Windows.

Basically, what it says in the thread title. About 50% of the time, the system boots and sets the console resolution to something strange, and the console renders in a small box in the top-left hand corner of my screen. This causes problems not only with the display of the console, but with the display of X as well.

I have an Intel GL40 chipset on this laptop, with an integrated GMA4500 GPU. I am using the latest stable Intel video drivers (2.10.0-1), and have tried using the git drivers. In addition, the problem has been occuring since December, when I install Arch linux on this machine, I have just now had the time to address it. So basically, the issue has persisted with all driver versions since mid-December to the latest releases.

In addition, I have tried using several kernels, including:

2.6.32.8 vanilla
2.6.33 vanilla
2.6.32-Arch
2.6.31-sources (I think; the Gentoo kernel)
2.6.32.8 custom kernel
2.6.33 custom kernel

But the problem persists with each.

I wish I could give you relevant diagnostic information for this issue, but if I had any idea where to start...

I will gladly post any information necessary. I was going to post a copy of everything.log for a successful and unsuccesful boot, but unfortunately they put me over the posing limit by about 100,000 characters each. :D

edit: I guess, on second thought, that my Intel video driver really wouldn't have anything to do with my console, now would they?

:doh:

smoker 02-21-2010 08:53 AM

Have you tried disabling KMS ?

when booting, select to modify the kernel arguments and add
nomodeset=1
to the end of the arguments, then resume booting.
This will only affect the current session.

Alex_Dc 02-21-2010 09:32 AM

Does exactly what it is supposed to do. But getting rid of KMS isn't really my goal, I just want the correct display resolution. If there are no other options I will resort to downgrading to the previous Intel drivers and ditching KMS, but like I said, that's not exactly what I looking to do.

smoker 02-21-2010 10:04 AM

The point is that if you can prove that it's the KMS that's the issue, now you have a place to work from.
There are various KMS settings that can be applied in the same way as nomodeset.
For example the GMA4500 is described as a "cost reduced version" of the GMA4500X.
So it's not likely to have the same capabilities of the GMA4500X.

have you read this
http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=90914
or this in the same thread
http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.p...707689#p707689

Alex_Dc 02-21-2010 10:48 AM

Read through both already. From the filed bug report, the first link doesn't appear to be related to my issue, while the proposed solutions in the second haven't worked. I have also tried appending the line "video=1280x800" as per a suggestion from a mailing list I am unable to dig up at this point.

edit: Is there some kind of manaual on KMS somewhere, or some kind of list of the available options? I can't seem to find ANY information on this at all.

Alex_Dc 02-21-2010 11:07 AM

There have been some bug reports filed suggesting that this is a problem with the external display connector (TV out, as suggested in one of those links you posted). As I do not use an external display at all, I removed all support from the kernel, recompiled, then again appended the line video=1280x800. Four consecutive reboots have yielded success. If I do not encounter any problems by tomorrow, I will mark this thread as solved.

P.S. Either way, if you know where I can find the information requested in my last post, I would still be interested in it. I would like to actually know WHY this occured, and whether I should file a bug report or not.

smoker 02-21-2010 11:18 AM

glad to hear you've made progress. I would append your bug to the one you got your solution from, if the bug is still open.

I've been looking for KMS parameters for months and I can't find any either, apart from the odd post discussing one type of chip or driver.

I have nvidia on fedora and the nouveau driver doesn't work properly, so x crashes. So I've had to disable nouveau using rdblacklist=nouveau

But to get it to boot properly in the first place I used the nomodeset=0 option, just to get in to the system.

Alex_Dc 02-21-2010 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smoker (Post 3871572)
glad to hear you've made progress. I would append your bug to the one you got your solution from, if the bug is still open.

I've been looking for KMS parameters for months and I can't find any either, apart from the odd post discussing one type of chip or driver.

I have nvidia on fedora and the nouveau driver doesn't work properly, so x crashes. So I've had to disable nouveau using rdblacklist=nouveau

But to get it to boot properly in the first place I used the nomodeset=0 option, just to get in to the system.

Ooh, nasty. I've read the horror stories that come with nouveau. But at least you're not alone, we Intel users have whole mess of our own problems. :p

This Linux thing is great and all, but it can be a real nasty mess unless you build/buy a system specifically designed for *nix. Overall, though, I would say that it wouldn't be so bad if documentation didn't S U C K. (That is, when you can actually find it.)


Edit: I don't know if you're using the nouveau drivers for open-source reasons or whatever, but we have a pretty good wiki article on installing and configuring the proprietary drivers: http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Nvidia

smoker 02-21-2010 01:06 PM

No I'm not a zealot. I got the rpm from rpmfusion to import their repo and yum installed a livna nvidia rpm. Works perfectly.

Alex_Dc 02-21-2010 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smoker (Post 3871657)
No I'm not a zealot. I got the rpm from rpmfusion to import their repo and yum installed a livna nvidia rpm. Works perfectly.

Good to hear.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:32 AM.