Hi guys,

I got a Savage/IX which doesn't want to go higher than 640x480 with my RedHat 9.0. It works fine with my MS-Windows 2000 up to 1024x768 in 16 bits... (only 800x600 in 24 bits)

I tried all sorts of options, but the result is always the same, when it works (no options), I get 640x480. This is certainly because it supposedly detects a TFT monitor when I actually have a CRT (it's a VX1120 from Gateway).

I tried the CRTOnly option (among others) but that just doesn't work: I get no video at all (a black screen).

I tried to reduce the vertical Hz of the monitor to 85 and even 80 (something suggested by someone in some other thread). That didn't help. I did the same with the horizontal Hz.

Note that I even tried CRTOnly + 640x480 as the resolution by default and also got a black screen!

I was wondering if this is a limit in the current S3 driver or if I'm doing something wrong. I have installed XFree86 drivers for 6 years now and I have never encountered such a problem!

For the expert, I put the log files on my personal web site here:

alexis.m2osw.com/Xlog.txt

(these are bigger than the forum accepts.)

Please, let me know if you have any suggestion or whether I should contact the maintainer.

Thank you,
Alexis Wilke




P.S.

1. MS-Windows "detects" both a CRT and a TFT and they both are selected;

2. I use a KVM by Rose Electronics which could explain why the detection doesn't work properly?

Note that the KVM supports 1280x1024x24 bpp at 100Hz no problem (I have another Linux box with an NVidia which works at that resolution).

Try this and repost if the problem is the same, also post the 'log' to your web site so we can see it.
Power down, Connect your workstation directly into the monitor and power up. Tell us if it works. If so, your KVM is the culpret, if not, I still want to see the 'log' file when directly connected to the monitor. Also, your log files are showing your vid chipset as a
(--) Chipset MobileSavage found
and
(--) SAVAGE(0): 640x480 TFT LCD panel detected and active

which thus forces the autodetection for LCD screen sizes. But, maybe, I'll just wait until you reboot with the monitor directly attached prior to 'speculating' about what 'might' be wrong.

Hey Faheyd,

Thanks for the suggestion. No difference. I thought it wouldn't
be any different, but just in case I tried what you suggested.
Also "just below" is the new log (on my web site).

alexis.m2osw.com/Xlog.txt

I actually even tried to recompile the World (make World, does
that tell you something) but a few things went awry. XFree86
is a big one to compile and I never got a chance to make it
work (yet). I was thinking to add some code to test directly
with the driver instead of trying a mega zillion possible
options. The detection code is very simple and I was thinking
that maybe it is necessary to go through it to "initialize"
the board before to use "any" resolution with my CRT...

Anyway, if you have another idea, let me know!

Thank you,
Alexis

Hi Alexis,
So strange the results. Can you try this, and I'm not just having you do things for the fun of it, please back up your /etc/X11/XF86Config and /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 files, and run any of the three XFree config utils (whichever one you are comfortable with) xf86config , xf86cfg , or XFree86 -configure.
While configuring, use the 16bit default color depth, and answer with the usual things like what freqs the monitor is, name of the monitor, vid card etc.

Then of course, post the results (xconfig file and xlog) on your web server (which I like, it's nice being able to see that info there). I would like to compare the 'configs' between what is auto-generated, vs what has been 'done' to the current config.
Thanks! Bob sends

The more I think about this one, the more it bugs me. Looking at your Xlog files, it sure does look like the video card is being detected and configured correctly. However, the monitor detection just doesn't look right. Is there any way to hook the computer up to a separate monitor and svga cable. That part in your log saying it's detecting a 'TFT monitor' just isn't right. I would think that it's the a. monitor itself b. the SVGA cable or c. the KVM switch and cable set . Hooking the computer up to a separate svga cable/monitor will eliminate 'alot' of guesses from this far away, if you get my drift!
I too have configured many a fixed frequency monitor and different X setups (all different, no doubt), so I feel your pain!!!

Sorry to get wordy, if the above doesn't work, you can try page/link which should fix all your problems.

http://www.probo.com/timr/savage40.html

Read it all, there is some good info there. See the latest 'savage' driver available, also, look at some of the hints there, 16bit depth, the s3switch binary (s3s.tgz) software download, latest driver 1.1.27t (xf43sav-27t.tgz) which you may/may not have.

Hey Bob (is this correct? 8-),

I tried X -configure (which does the same as XFree86 -configure).

It generates a bone configuration file which I copied below (on
my web page: alexis.m2osw.com/Xlog.txt).

The file looks exactly the same as the other one otherwise.
Note that the other one was generated by the RedHat tool which
also generates the XF86Config file. It certainly helped
cleaning up the default modes from the monitor definition!
(the RedHat tool has the advantage to be graphical also...)

Anyway, same result, the log looks exactly the same to me...
(well, only difference is that now that I'm directly connected
the monitor was automatically detected).

Now, I've been thinking that the default mode it is entering may
be in link with the TV-Out. That is, the sizes it gets (640x480)
may be the maximum resolution for the TV-Out feature to work
properly! I really don't need the TV-Out feature at this time
and under Windows it was greyed out (since I tried resolutions
of 800x600 minimum).

Alexis

P.S. I don't have an XF86Config-4 file, I've only used RH 9.0
on this newly installed system.

Hi Alexis,
Did you download and try out the CRT/LCD/TV Switch Utility from the reference web page below? Your problem (it looks like to me), is that your monitor is being detected for whatever reason as a TFT Panel. Forcing the detection to CRT might fix all your problems. PLease download and install that utility and then tell us what happens?
THanks,
Bob sends

It's a little late to reply I guess, but I came across this post when I had the exact same problem on my Savage IX card and CRT display(savage driver was detecting my CRT display as TFT).

I downloaded the s3switch utility on this page : http://www.probo.com/timr/savage40.html

Apparently the driver has to be switched from TFT mode to CRT mode
once I downloaded the utility I issued the command 's3switch CRT' and now I can use higher resolutions on my display.

Hope this helps anyone else who stumbles onto this topic.


-Tellarite

Thanks for confirming that I was on the right track.

I finally solved the "640x480" resolution problem by putting by using

Option "CRTOnly"

This is described by Tim Roberts in

http://www.probo.com/timr/savage40.html

Option "CRTOnly" On a laptop chip (/IX, /MX, Twister, SuperSavage), force the chip to display only to an attached CRT, not to the LCD panel.

Previously, I had also tried "s3swirtch CRT" and even switched fro redhat9.0 to Fedora to get the latest updates. I was also using a (Switchview) KVM switch.


Best regards,
Jeff E. Lewis
pre Newbie