LinuxQuestions.org

LinuxQuestions.org (/questions/)
-   Debian (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/debian-26/)
-   -   Shaking screen (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/debian-26/shaking-screen-484022/)

Dutch Master 09-16-2006 05:32 AM
Shaking screen
 
I'm using XFree86 on Sarge. Last week I reinstalled my system as I wanted to undo some errors on partitioning (/ too small :(). That went fine, but for some reason I couldn't get the kernel-sources of the standard kernel (2.6.8) properly installed so I build my own 2.6.17.13 kernel from the kernel.org sources. I needed that to install the nVidia drivers for my FX5200 card, which installed fine, but now my screen is shaking! I noticed this was also the case when I first re-installed when XFree86 used the nv driver. After I switched to the vesa driver the screen was stable. I tried to reconfigure X, but that didn't help. I tried the xvidtune utility, invoked as root, but that gave some vague 'permission denied' message and didn't change anything. Using the vesa driver is really not a long-term solution, why would I install the nvidia driver in the first place, right? (I need the nvidia driver to properly run Google-Earth and such) Anyone any idea's?

Cyber_Paladin 09-16-2006 01:22 PM
I'm not an expert in xorg, but let see if the following helps ;)

For shaking screen, are you using LCD or CRT monitor?
I feel the shaking screen might be caused by refresh rate set too high. Can you compare the refresh rate from VESA driver and the NVidia one?

And for xvidtune not being able to run. Can you run xvidtune with the user who started the X session?

Dutch Master 09-17-2006 06:42 PM
For some reason the forum engine failed to pick up your reply as new :-\ Oh well, I hope you're still here ;)

First, it's not Xorg, it's XFree86 (the older version). I'm using a 15" LCD, which is actually properly recognized by the nvidia driver, for the first time! But you're right, I've noticed the vesa driver has a 71 Hz refresh rate, the nvidia driver has 75 Hz! Unfortunately, there's no way I can change this (or I don't know where to find it in the XFree86 config file :-\)

I tried xvidtune both as regular user and root, and both times I received the mentioned 'permission denied' notifications... Thx for pointing me in the right direction btw!

Cyber_Paladin 09-18-2006 09:41 AM
Well the config file looks pretty much the same in XFree86 and Xorg, at least I'm not touching the fancy stuff yet :p

Anyways, I forgot the exact filename for XFree86;) , if my memory still serves right it should be /etc/X11/XF86Config...
Look for the following lines:
Code:
Section "Monitor"
    Identifier  "Generic Monitor"
    Option      "DPMS"
    HorizSync  28-64
    VertRefresh 43-60
EndSection
You could probably change the VertRefresh line.
Hope this helps :)

Dutch Master 09-18-2006 05:48 PM
This is from the config file by the nvidia installer:
Code:
Section "Monitor"
    Identifier    "Generic Monitor"
    HorizSync      30.0 - 57.0
    VertRefresh    43.0 - 72.0
    Option        "DPMS"
EndSection
This is the backup the installer made, with the vesa driver:
Code:
Section "Monitor"
        Identifier        "Generic Monitor"
        HorizSync        30-57
        VertRefresh        43-72
        Option                "DPMS"
EndSection
Worth mentioning that I've modified XFree86 config files before, previous versions of the nVidia installer didn't work quite as good as this one ;) I've changed back to the vesa driver, just changing the "Driver" option from nvidia to vesa in the Device section, w/o touching anything else in that file. And the screen is stable again... :-\

Cyber_Paladin 09-19-2006 12:26 PM
:eek: Then there's something else!
Would you do a diff on the two files and see which line is the offender??

Dutch Master 09-19-2006 07:22 PM
The file generated by the nvidia installer
Code:
# nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig
# nvidia-xconfig:  version 1.0  (buildmeister@builder3)  Tue Aug  1 21:11:12 PDT 2006

# XF86Config-4 (XFree86 X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the XF86Config-4 manual page.
# (Type "man XF86Config-4" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xfree86 package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xfree86
# package.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following commands as root:
#
#  cp /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 /etc/X11/XF86Config-4.custom
#  md5sum /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 >/var/lib/xfree86/XF86Config-4.md5sum
#  dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier    "Default Layout"
    Screen        "Default Screen" 0 0
    InputDevice    "Generic Keyboard"
    InputDevice    "Configured Mouse"
EndSection

Section "Files"
                        # local font server
        # if the local font server has problems, we can fall back on these
    FontPath        "unix/:7100"
    FontPath        "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/misc"
    FontPath        "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
    FontPath        "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Type1"
    FontPath        "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/CID"
    FontPath        "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo"
    FontPath        "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi"
    FontPath        "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi"
EndSection

Section "Module"
    Load          "bitmap"
    Load          "dbe"
    Load          "ddc"
    Load          "extmod"
    Load          "freetype"
    Load          "glx"
    Load          "int10"
    Load          "record"
    Load          "speedo"
    Load          "type1"
    Load          "vbe"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier    "Generic Keyboard"
    Driver        "keyboard"
    Option        "CoreKeyboard"
    Option        "XkbRules" "xfree86"
    Option        "XkbModel" "pc104"
    Option        "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier    "Configured Mouse"
    Driver        "mouse"
    Option        "CorePointer"
    Option        "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
    Option        "Protocol" "ImPS/2"
    Option        "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
    Option        "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier    "Generic Monitor"
    HorizSync      30.0 - 57.0
    VertRefresh    43.0 - 72.0
    Option        "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier    "Generic Video Card"
    Driver        "vesa" <this was changed from nvidia so my screen is stable again>
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier    "Default Screen"
    Device        "Generic Video Card"
    Monitor        "Generic Monitor"
    DefaultDepth    24
    SubSection    "Display"
        Depth      1
        Modes      "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection    "Display"
        Depth      4
        Modes      "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection    "Display"
        Depth      8
        Modes      "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection    "Display"
        Depth      15
        Modes      "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection    "Display"
        Depth      16
        Modes      "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection    "Display"
        Depth      24
        Modes      "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubSection
EndSection
This is the backup:
Code:
# XF86Config-4 (XFree86 X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the XF86Config-4 manual page.
# (Type "man XF86Config-4" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xfree86 package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xfree86
# package.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following commands as root:
#
#  cp /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 /etc/X11/XF86Config-4.custom
#  md5sum /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 >/var/lib/xfree86/XF86Config-4.md5sum
#  dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86

Section "Files"
        FontPath        "unix/:7100"                        # local font server
        # if the local font server has problems, we can fall back on these
        FontPath        "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/misc"
        FontPath        "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
        FontPath        "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
        FontPath        "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
        FontPath        "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Type1"
        FontPath        "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/CID"
        FontPath        "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo"
        FontPath        "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi"
        FontPath        "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi"
EndSection

Section "Module"
        Load        "GLcore"
        Load        "bitmap"
        Load        "dbe"
        Load        "ddc"
        Load        "dri"
        Load        "extmod"
        Load        "freetype"
        Load        "glx"
        Load        "int10"
        Load        "record"
        Load        "speedo"
        Load        "type1"
        Load        "vbe"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier        "Generic Keyboard"
        Driver                "keyboard"
        Option                "CoreKeyboard"
        Option                "XkbRules"        "xfree86"
        Option                "XkbModel"        "pc104"
        Option                "XkbLayout"        "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier        "Configured Mouse"
        Driver                "mouse"
        Option                "CorePointer"
        Option                "Device"                "/dev/input/mice"
        Option                "Protocol"                "ImPS/2"
        Option                "Emulate3Buttons"        "true"
        Option                "ZAxisMapping"                "4 5"
EndSection

Section "Device"
        Identifier        "Generic Video Card"
        Driver                "vesa"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier        "Generic Monitor"
        HorizSync        30-57
        VertRefresh        43-72
        Option                "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
        Identifier        "Default Screen"
        Device                "Generic Video Card"
        Monitor                "Generic Monitor"
        DefaultDepth        24
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth                1
                Modes                "800x600" "640x480"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth                4
                Modes                "800x600" "640x480"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth                8
                Modes                "800x600" "640x480"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth                15
                Modes                "800x600" "640x480"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth                16
                Modes                "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth                24
                Modes                "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
        Identifier        "Default Layout"
        Screen                "Default Screen"
        InputDevice        "Generic Keyboard"
        InputDevice        "Configured Mouse"
EndSection

Section "DRI"
        Mode        0666
EndSection
<edit: I did a diff on both files, but their layout is so much different that it just was easier to post both files ;)>


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:13 AM.