Dell Monitor M782p trouble with SuSE 8.2

jiggywiggy · 10-22-2003, 07:09 PM

I need to get my monitor working with SuSE. I can't see a driver for it when I look through sax, so what do I need to do?

IES.RosaChacel · 01-20-2004, 05:34 AM

Monitor DELL M782p dont have driver for any version of linux, i tried it with suse, redhat, mandrake, etc... and any of this versions have support for my monitor! please give me a easy way to mend this problem. Tnx

NephilimNexus · 05-28-2008, 11:02 PM

1st, I'm a total Linux n00b with barely three days experience. However, I had the same problem. Eventually, via much random guessing, splicing, and experimenting, I found a solution.

2nd, there are no Linux based drivers for the Dell model M782P monitor. So even this solution is more of a workaround to compensate for the laziness of Dell's programmers. It did, however, work for me. I'm using Ubuntu 8.04, by the way.

3rd, I mention all this as both my disclaimer and claim that anyone can do this, even some n00b with only three days of experience.

Step One: Go to Applications -> System Tools -> Konsole

Fire up the console. It may take a second or two.

Step Two: You can cut and paste this code into the console to avoid typing (and the typos that come with it). This will bring up the text editor thing that lets you edit "xorg.conf" ... whatever that is.

Code:

sudo gedit xorg.conf

Step Three: Okay now you've got this new notepad looking window full of code. It's rather puzzling. Mine looks like this now that I've fixed it.

Code:

# xorg.conf (X.Org X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by failsafeDexconf, using
# values from the debconf database and some overrides to use vesa mode.
#
# You should use dexconf or another such tool for creating a "real" xorg.conf
# For example:
#   sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg
Section "InputDevice"
	Identifier	"Generic Keyboard"
	Driver		"kbd"
	Option		"XkbRules"	"xorg"
	Option		"XkbModel"	"pc105"
	Option		"XkbLayout"	"us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
	Identifier	"Configured Mouse"
	Driver		"mouse"
	Option		"Emulate3Buttons"	"true"
EndSection

Section "Device"
	Identifier	"Configured Video Device"
	Boardname	"ATI Radeon (fbdev)"
	Busid		"PCI:1:0:0"
	Driver		"fbdev"
	Screen	0
	Vendorname	"ATI"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
	Vendorname	"Dell"
	Modelname	"Dell M782p"
	Horizsync	30.0-85.0
	Vertrefresh	50.0-160.0
  modeline  "640x480@60" 25.2 640 656 752 800 480 490 492 525 -vsync -hsync
  modeline  "640x480@72" 31.5 640 664 704 832 480 489 491 520 -vsync -hsync
  modeline  "640x480@75" 31.5 640 656 720 840 480 481 484 500 -vsync -hsync
  modeline  "640x480@85" 36.0 640 696 752 832 480 481 484 509 -vsync -hsync
  modeline  "800x600@56" 36.0 800 824 896 1024 600 601 603 625 +hsync +vsync
  modeline  "800x600@72" 50.0 800 856 976 1040 600 637 643 666 +hsync +vsync
  modeline  "800x600@75" 49.5 800 816 896 1056 600 601 604 625 +hsync +vsync
  modeline  "800x600@85" 56.3 800 832 896 1048 600 601 604 631 +hsync +vsync
  modeline  "800x600@60" 40.0 800 840 968 1056 600 601 605 628 +hsync +vsync
  modeline  "832x624@75" 57.284 832 864 928 1152 624 625 628 667 -vsync -hsync
  modeline  "1024x768@85" 94.5 1024 1072 1168 1376 768 769 772 808 +hsync +vsync
  modeline  "1024x768@75" 78.8 1024 1040 1136 1312 768 769 772 800 +hsync +vsync
  modeline  "1024x768@70" 75.0 1024 1048 1184 1328 768 771 777 806 -vsync -hsync
  modeline  "1024x768@60" 65.0 1024 1048 1184 1344 768 771 777 806 -vsync -hsync
  modeline  "1024x768@43" 44.9 1024 1032 1208 1264 768 768 776 817 +hsync interlace +vsync
  modeline  "1152x864@75" 108.0 1152 1216 1344 1600 864 865 868 900 +hsync +vsync
  modeline  "1280x1024@75" 135.0 1280 1296 1440 1688 1024 1025 1028 1066 +hsync +vsync
  modeline  "1280x960@60" 102.1 1280 1360 1496 1712 960 961 964 994 -hsync +vsync
  modeline  "1280x1024@60" 108.0 1280 1328 1440 1688 1024 1025 1028 1066 +hsync +vsync
  modeline  "1280x960@75" 129.86 1280 1368 1504 1728 960 961 964 1002 -hsync +vsync
  modeline  "1400x1050@60" 122.61 1400 1488 1640 1880 1050 1051 1054 1087 -hsync +vsync
  modeline  "1400x1050@75" 155.85 1400 1496 1648 1896 1050 1051 1054 1096 -hsync +vsync
  modeline  "1600x1200@65" 175.5 1600 1664 1856 2160 1200 1201 1204 1250 +hsync +vsync
  modeline  "1600x1200@60" 162.0 1600 1664 1856 2160 1200 1201 1204 1250 +hsync +vsync
  modeline  "1792x1344@60" 204.8 1792 1920 2120 2448 1344 1345 1348 1394 -hsync +vsync
	Gamma	1.0
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Identifier	"Default Screen"
	Monitor		"Configured Monitor"
	Device		"Configured Video Device"
DefaultDepth 24
     Subsection "Display"
        Depth       24
        Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubsection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
	Identifier	"Default Layout"
  screen 0 "screen1" 0 0
EndSection
Section "Module"
	Load		"GLcore"
	Load		"glx"
	Load		"dbe"
	Load		"v4l"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
EndSection

Now keep in mind that you probably won't be cutting & pasting this verbatim into/over what you have on your end. I'm using an ATI graphics card, for instance, and you may not be. So skip that part. The important part is the monitor itself, which I will repeat here for clarity:

Code:

Section "Monitor"
	Vendorname	"Dell"
	Modelname	"Dell M782p"
	Horizsync	30.0-85.0
	Vertrefresh	50.0-160.0
  modeline  "640x480@60" 25.2 640 656 752 800 480 490 492 525 -vsync -hsync
  modeline  "640x480@72" 31.5 640 664 704 832 480 489 491 520 -vsync -hsync
  modeline  "640x480@75" 31.5 640 656 720 840 480 481 484 500 -vsync -hsync
  modeline  "640x480@85" 36.0 640 696 752 832 480 481 484 509 -vsync -hsync
  modeline  "800x600@56" 36.0 800 824 896 1024 600 601 603 625 +hsync +vsync
  modeline  "800x600@72" 50.0 800 856 976 1040 600 637 643 666 +hsync +vsync
  modeline  "800x600@75" 49.5 800 816 896 1056 600 601 604 625 +hsync +vsync
  modeline  "800x600@85" 56.3 800 832 896 1048 600 601 604 631 +hsync +vsync
  modeline  "800x600@60" 40.0 800 840 968 1056 600 601 605 628 +hsync +vsync
  modeline  "832x624@75" 57.284 832 864 928 1152 624 625 628 667 -vsync -hsync
  modeline  "1024x768@85" 94.5 1024 1072 1168 1376 768 769 772 808 +hsync +vsync
  modeline  "1024x768@75" 78.8 1024 1040 1136 1312 768 769 772 800 +hsync +vsync
  modeline  "1024x768@70" 75.0 1024 1048 1184 1328 768 771 777 806 -vsync -hsync
  modeline  "1024x768@60" 65.0 1024 1048 1184 1344 768 771 777 806 -vsync -hsync
  modeline  "1024x768@43" 44.9 1024 1032 1208 1264 768 768 776 817 +hsync interlace +vsync
  modeline  "1152x864@75" 108.0 1152 1216 1344 1600 864 865 868 900 +hsync +vsync
  modeline  "1280x1024@75" 135.0 1280 1296 1440 1688 1024 1025 1028 1066 +hsync +vsync
  modeline  "1280x960@60" 102.1 1280 1360 1496 1712 960 961 964 994 -hsync +vsync
  modeline  "1280x1024@60" 108.0 1280 1328 1440 1688 1024 1025 1028 1066 +hsync +vsync
  modeline  "1280x960@75" 129.86 1280 1368 1504 1728 960 961 964 1002 -hsync +vsync
  modeline  "1400x1050@60" 122.61 1400 1488 1640 1880 1050 1051 1054 1087 -hsync +vsync
  modeline  "1400x1050@75" 155.85 1400 1496 1648 1896 1050 1051 1054 1096 -hsync +vsync
  modeline  "1600x1200@65" 175.5 1600 1664 1856 2160 1200 1201 1204 1250 +hsync +vsync
  modeline  "1600x1200@60" 162.0 1600 1664 1856 2160 1200 1201 1204 1250 +hsync +vsync
  modeline  "1792x1344@60" 204.8 1792 1920 2120 2448 1344 1345 1348 1394 -hsync +vsync
	Gamma	1.0
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Identifier	"Default Screen"
	Monitor		"Configured Monitor"
	Device		"Configured Video Device"
DefaultDepth 24
     Subsection "Display"
        Depth       24
        Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubsection
EndSection

Whatever you have in your xorg.conf file in those "monitor" and "screen" columns should be replaced with this info. Just cut & paste this new section over it, then hit the Save button (top left, the icon looks like a disk). You may want to back it up first. I didn't, though, and I had no problems.

Step Four: You're done. Go pour yourself a shot of whisky and grab a cigar.

Nothing will change until you reboot your computer, of course, and I do mean reboot - merely logging off did not do it for me. When you come back on your splash screen may look the same but when you go to System -> Preferences -> Screen Resolution you will find that it now has more options. Specifically, it will have the options listed under "Display" in the above code. If you want more, well, you can add those too by going back to Step One and entering them manually (for instance, you could add 1280x960 to the Modes list). Personally, I had no use for them so I left them out of my version ... so far. Maybe I'll add them later if I actually feel the need.

Note that I suspect the problem arises from bad flagging by the splash screen "low graphics mode" fix. While you can enter your Dell m782p into the data field, it doesn't actually initialize it in xorg.conf. Instead it tacks it onto the end of the file with some "do not use" flags and keeps you stuck in the crappy default mode when it actually gets done booting. All I did in the above was to cut & paste the actual Dell m782p data over the crappy default values.

"If it's stupid and it works, it's not stupid."

If I've been long winded in explaining all this it's because I'm writing for those whom, like me, have hardly a clue what's going on yet.
If any real programmers would like to expand upon this, by all means do so!

Wim Sturkenboom · 05-29-2008, 01:26 AM

Thanks for the guide (although it's on a post of at least 4 years old

).

After changes to xorg.conf, you can use the key combination <ctrl><alt><backspace> to restart the xserver (while in X of course).

And for those who don't know: monitors don't need drivers. The 'only' thing that's on the so called 'driver' disk is a config file which resolutions and frequencies are supported (or maybe a program that writes that config).