Samsung SynchMaster 943B

pinty · 06-25-2009, 02:52 AM

Hi, is there someone using this monitor with Linux? I'm considering purchasing it, but I'm not totally sure, because it lacks drivers for Linux. It would not be a problem by itself, if it did not have all those extra features, which I'm afraid would not be available w/o the driver.
So can anyone state either that those feature work or don't work under Linux?

berbae · 06-25-2009, 04:26 AM

I don't use exactly the model you intend to buy, but a Samsung SyncMaster T190. It works well under Linux, it is automatically recognized with the integrated Nvidia GeForce 7100 graphical chipset in my machine, without doing anything.
My xorg.conf is minimal (there's nothing concerning the monitor model in it) and here is what the Nvidia proprietary driver writes in the /var/log/Xorg.0.log file :

Quote:

(--) NVIDIA(0): Connected display device(s) on GeForce 7100 / nForce 630i at
(--) NVIDIA(0): PCI:0:16:0:
(--) NVIDIA(0): Samsung SyncMaster (DFP-0)
(--) NVIDIA(0): Samsung SyncMaster (DFP-0): 165.0 MHz maximum pixel clock
(--) NVIDIA(0): Samsung SyncMaster (DFP-0): Internal Single Link TMDS
(II) NVIDIA(0): Assigned Display Device: DFP-0
(==) NVIDIA(0):
(==) NVIDIA(0): No modes were requested; the default mode "nvidia-auto-select"
(==) NVIDIA(0): will be used as the requested mode.
(==) NVIDIA(0):
(II) NVIDIA(0): Validated modes:
(II) NVIDIA(0): "nvidia-auto-select"
(II) NVIDIA(0): Virtual screen size determined to be 1440 x 900
(--) NVIDIA(0): DPI set to (89, 87); computed from "UseEdidDpi" X config
(--) NVIDIA(0): option
(==) NVIDIA(0): Enabling 32-bit ARGB GLX visuals.

The right resolution is found and used.
And there are manual tunings possible directly with the monitor integrated menus (contrast, brigthness, colors, ...).
So I think there shouldn't have any problem with the model you linked to, though you didn't tell the Linux distribution you use and the graphical chipset in your computer. But I think that model should work correctly with most machines with recent xorg server and graphical drivers.
I hope you good graphical experiences in the Linux free desktop environment.

pinty · 06-29-2009, 05:03 AM

Hi, berbae, thanks for the information. I was not accurate enough: my card is NVidia Geforce 6600, and I am using ArchLinux distribution. The problem is that T190 does not have all those extra features (e.g. rotating the monitor) that 943B has. So after all I phoned the support service, and indeed they told me that these features are only available under Windows as they also need software support.

H_TeXMeX_H · 06-29-2009, 08:48 AM

A monitor does NOT need drivers, the video card does. The nvidia drivers support many features, so I don't think it will be a problem.

I'm not sure what extra features you're talking about, what is this about rotating the monitor ? Well either way whatever it is, it is provided by Window$-only software, however that does not mean that the same effect cannot be achieved under Linux in some way.