LinuxQuestions.org
Share your knowledge at the LQ Wiki.
Go Back   LinuxQuestions.org > Forums > Linux Forums > Linux - Hardware
User Name
Password
Linux - Hardware This forum is for Hardware issues.
Having trouble installing a piece of hardware? Want to know if that peripheral is compatible with Linux?

Notices


Reply
  Search this Thread
Old 11-12-2012, 10:57 AM   #1
ferrel
Member
 
Registered: Feb 2007
Location: Pasadena, Texas
Distribution: Slackware 14.0
Posts: 137

Rep: Reputation: 3
Monitor Display problem


I'm having a video display problem with my monitor. It's
an old Gateway VX700, purchased 11/1999. My graphics card
is an Nvidia GeForce 6100, purchased around 2006. Both
are aging. Until recently, my computer was a dual boot,
with Slackware64 13.1 and Windows XP.

For the first year of the dual boot system, there was no
problem. Then I think I botched up my system in someway,
trying to update, and had to reinstall software packages.
That's when the display problems started. I fiddled
around with it a month or so, to no avail. The problem
manifested while running xscreensaver; at some point, the
monitor would freeze up, displaying horizontal or diagonal
lines of different colors. I had to turn off the computer
to unfreeze it. I never had the display problem in XP,
although I rarely ever used it anyway.

I recently installed Slackware 14.0 as a single boot system.
The problem remains, although on two occasions, the monitor
freeze has occurred while on the internet.

The horiz/vert settings are exactly as specified in the
monitor's user guide. At this stage, I think it is either
the monitor or graphics card, with a weak possibility that
it's a software problem. I would like to narrow it down
to the exact problem, rather than start buying hardware to
rule out possibilities. Any help greatly appreciated!
 
Old 11-12-2012, 11:25 AM   #2
malekmustaq
Senior Member
 
Registered: Dec 2008
Location: root
Distribution: Slackware & BSD
Posts: 1,669

Rep: Reputation: 498Reputation: 498Reputation: 498Reputation: 498Reputation: 498
Usually a problem of this kind is gone if you turn off the 'Screensaver' daemon. Try turn it Off and observe if things improve.

If problem persists you may try solve it by overriding defaults by using /etc/X11/xorg.conf-vesa or creating your own by running xorgsetup. You can manipulate the case fixing the values on the xorg.conf.

Else you may need to control the kernel graphics driver by passing options at boot up. What boot loader are you using, Grub Legacy or Grub2? At Grub legacy you can enter the options along the "kernel" line, or under Grub2 edit the /etc/default/grub declarations. I solved a similar problem by using "NOMODESET" option, this way--

vi /etc/default/grub:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="NOMODESET"

Lilo, I don't know. Sorry. (Maybe I am the only Slacker who has no working knowledge of Lilo.)

Hope that helps.

Goodluck.
 
Old 11-12-2012, 12:20 PM   #3
ferrel
Member
 
Registered: Feb 2007
Location: Pasadena, Texas
Distribution: Slackware 14.0
Posts: 137

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 3
Thanks for your reply. I'll try it with the xscreensaver daemon off first,
and see what happens.

I use lilo, and I already pass the nomodeset option to get it to boot
up properly.

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...-a-4175434641/
 
Old 11-12-2012, 12:26 PM   #4
ferrel
Member
 
Registered: Feb 2007
Location: Pasadena, Texas
Distribution: Slackware 14.0
Posts: 137

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 3
Photos of my display when it freezes:
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	2012-11-12 12.08.17-1.jpg
Views:	22
Size:	7.0 KB
ID:	11215   Click image for larger version

Name:	2012-11-12 10.31.00-1.jpg
Views:	19
Size:	32.3 KB
ID:	11216   Click image for larger version

Name:	2012-11-12 05.01.38-1.jpg
Views:	21
Size:	23.6 KB
ID:	11217  

Last edited by ferrel; 11-12-2012 at 12:33 PM.
 
Old 11-13-2012, 08:47 AM   #5
ferrel
Member
 
Registered: Feb 2007
Location: Pasadena, Texas
Distribution: Slackware 14.0
Posts: 137

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 3
Ran without xscreensaver for about 10 hours; no freezes, but of course
the screen is not being saved. Tried the kde screensaver,
and it froze in the same manner.

I'm using xorg.conf-vesa at present, no options being passed. My
lilo.conf has append "linux nomodeset video=640x480".
 
Old 11-13-2012, 09:38 PM   #6
malekmustaq
Senior Member
 
Registered: Dec 2008
Location: root
Distribution: Slackware & BSD
Posts: 1,669

Rep: Reputation: 498Reputation: 498Reputation: 498Reputation: 498Reputation: 498
Quote:
Originally Posted by ferrel View Post
Ran without xscreensaver for about 10 hours; no freezes, but of course
the screen is not being saved. Tried the kde screensaver,
and it froze in the same manner.

I'm using xorg.conf-vesa at present, no options being passed. My
lilo.conf has append "linux nomodeset video=640x480".
Save lilo.conf first. The try set a better but conservative resolution --

video=1024x768

if it doesn't work you can go back to the saved configuration.
 
Old 11-14-2012, 12:38 AM   #7
cascade9
Senior Member
 
Registered: Mar 2011
Location: Brisneyland
Distribution: Debian, aptosid
Posts: 3,753

Rep: Reputation: 935Reputation: 935Reputation: 935Reputation: 935Reputation: 935Reputation: 935Reputation: 935Reputation: 935
Quote:
Originally Posted by ferrel View Post
Photos of my display when it freezes:
Thats typcial of a problem GPU. Either its overheating or the chip is damaged in some way.
 
Old 11-14-2012, 01:59 AM   #8
ferrel
Member
 
Registered: Feb 2007
Location: Pasadena, Texas
Distribution: Slackware 14.0
Posts: 137

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 3
Is the GPU on the motherboard, or on the video card?
 
Old 11-14-2012, 02:00 AM   #9
ferrel
Member
 
Registered: Feb 2007
Location: Pasadena, Texas
Distribution: Slackware 14.0
Posts: 137

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 3
Tried video=1024x768 in lilo.conf; still freezes.
 
Old 11-14-2012, 05:04 AM   #10
cascade9
Senior Member
 
Registered: Mar 2011
Location: Brisneyland
Distribution: Debian, aptosid
Posts: 3,753

Rep: Reputation: 935Reputation: 935Reputation: 935Reputation: 935Reputation: 935Reputation: 935Reputation: 935Reputation: 935
Quote:
Originally Posted by ferrel View Post
Is the GPU on the motherboard, or on the video card?
6100s were only ever onboard (GeForce 6100 + nForce 410/430 chipset)
 
Old 11-14-2012, 09:17 AM   #11
ferrel
Member
 
Registered: Feb 2007
Location: Pasadena, Texas
Distribution: Slackware 14.0
Posts: 137

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 3
Can the gpu be replaced, or would it be best to
purchase another video card?
 
Old 11-15-2012, 12:41 AM   #12
cascade9
Senior Member
 
Registered: Mar 2011
Location: Brisneyland
Distribution: Debian, aptosid
Posts: 3,753

Rep: Reputation: 935Reputation: 935Reputation: 935Reputation: 935Reputation: 935Reputation: 935Reputation: 935Reputation: 935
Onboard video cannot be repalced/repaired.

Getting a new card should fix the problem If I'm right
 
Old 11-15-2012, 05:09 AM   #13
ferrel
Member
 
Registered: Feb 2007
Location: Pasadena, Texas
Distribution: Slackware 14.0
Posts: 137

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 3
Thanks for your help; I'll look around for an inexpensive
replacement.
 
  


Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off



Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Samsung 17'' lcd monitor display problem in fc5 sougata123 Fedora 1 12-22-2006 05:24 AM
Problem with monitor display after Fedora install graeder Fedora 1 03-01-2004 02:21 PM
Suse Linux problem: monitor display crashes smilboy99 Linux - General 7 11-19-2003 09:57 PM
new monitor - display problem lnxusr01 Linux - Hardware 7 07-21-2003 10:46 PM
Display Problem - Monitor Flickering(?) knotmeg Linux - Newbie 3 10-31-2001 01:38 PM

LinuxQuestions.org > Forums > Linux Forums > Linux - Hardware

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:14 AM.

Main Menu
Advertisement
My LQ
Write for LQ
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute content, let us know.
Main Menu
Syndicate
RSS1  Latest Threads
RSS1  LQ News
Twitter: @linuxquestions
Open Source Consulting | Domain Registration