Hi I'm having a problem with the display drivers (I think). Erm rather I think the kernel isn't loading the correct modules for display. I have a 13" screen - and only about 4X7 is usable... I'm not sure whats wrong here - Its a Sony Vaio Laptop PCG-FX120. Running Slackware 10. -- Any help apprecated!

Not sure if this will help ... try setting the vga parameter in your lilo or grub.conf

vga=788 for example

Hello nocord

Are you saying that the GUI is using just a small part of your display, or is it your terminal display?

I have a PCG-GRZ530 running Slackware 10 (2.4.26) without any problem like that. And that is from a normal installation without and configuration. To get a higher screen resolution, some config was required.

Yes, the actual viewing area in terminal or X is like 4"X8" out of 13" monitor size. I've tried setting the vga in lilo.conf to "vga = normal" with no effect - It was previously set to "vga = 788" - what config do you mean guzzi?

another suggestion ...
save the existing xorg.conf ... and try running the xorg config utilities

xorgcfg / xorgconfig

The config files that I modify to get a higher screen resolution are those in /etc/X11

Anything that has settings for my monitor I modify with the following:

Subsection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1600x1200" "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1600x1200" "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1600x1200" "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection

However, I think that ppuru may be on to something with that last post. Or, is it possiable that the horizontal or vertical settings are in error?

Opps... Thats the settings from a server here, I'll get the SONY laptop settings an post them.

the following is a whats' in my /etc/X11/xorg.conf


# **********************************************************************
# Monitor section
# **********************************************************************

# Any number of monitor sections may be present

Section "Monitor"

Identifier "My Monitor"

# HorizSync is in kHz unless units are specified.
# HorizSync may be a comma separated list of discrete values, or a
# comma separated list of ranges of values.
# NOTE: THE VALUES HERE ARE EXAMPLES ONLY. REFER TO YOUR MONITOR'S
# USER MANUAL FOR THE CORRECT NUMBERS.

HorizSync 31.5 - 50.0

# HorizSync 30-64 # multisync
# HorizSync 31.5, 35.2 # multiple fixed sync frequencies
# HorizSync 15-25, 30-50 # multiple ranges of sync frequencies

# VertRefresh is in Hz unless units are specified.
# VertRefresh may be a comma separated list of discrete values, or a
# comma separated list of ranges of values.
# NOTE: THE VALUES HERE ARE EXAMPLES ONLY. REFER TO YOUR MONITOR'S
# USER MANUAL FOR THE CORRECT NUMBERS.

VertRefresh 40-90

EndSection


# **********************************************************************
# Graphics device section
# **********************************************************************

# Any number of graphics device sections may be present

Section "Device"
Identifier "VESA Framebuffer"
Driver "vesa"
#VideoRam 4096
# Insert Clocks lines here if appropriate
EndSection

# **********************************************************************
# Screen sections
# **********************************************************************

# Any number of screen sections may be present. Each describes
# the configuration of a single screen. A single specific screen section
# may be specified from the X server command line with the "-screen"
# option.
Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen 1"
Device "VESA Framebuffer"
Monitor "My Monitor"

# If your card can handle it, a higher default color depth (like 24 or 32)
# is highly recommended.

# DefaultDepth 8
# DefaultDepth 16
DefaultDepth 24
# DefaultDepth 32

# "1024x768" is also a conservative usable default resolution. If you
# have a better monitor, feel free to try resolutions such as
# "1152x864", "1280x1024", "1600x1200", and "1800x1400" (or whatever your
# card/monitor can produce)

Subsection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 32
Modes "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubsection

EndSection

the /etc/X11/xorg.conf-vesa is the same. The /etc/X11/xorg.conf-fbdev has only one change from the above, and that is the line In Section "Device"

Driver "fbdev"

Hope this is will help for you.

Guuzi, can you

1. cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc//X11/xorg.conf.orig
2. run xorgcfg

and try to reconfigure the display.

ppuru

I just finished doing as you requested, and the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf that was created is similar to, but not identical to the inital file.

After running xorgcfg from /usr/X11/R6/bin, I started X and the display was at the resolution it had been, but the file needed tweeking. In the new xorg.conf I fixed the HorizSync from 31.5 - 92.0 to 30 - 110 Vert Refresh was OK at 48.0 - 170.0. And, I uncommented the Video Ram line which was correct.

My video card is a ATI 7000 AGP with 64M. I have the system see it as a generic ATI Radeon. The monitor is a Sony G420. I run this at 1600x1200 @ 85Hz

Have you any suggestions?

I'm having similar problems - I think its something to do with the Vesa drivers - perhaps need to tweak them - any ideas as to what to tweak to???

please excuse my stupidity.

when I ran xorconf, I did it on a system other than the one we all discussing. The above post of mine shows the results from running xorgconf on a SuperMicro desktop system. On the Sony laptop, I don't have the xorgconf available anywhere in the filesystem to run.

Again please accept my appoligies for not keeping on the right track.

Hey guys got it fixed:

Turns out my graphics device was: "vesa" - I changed the driver to i810 and set the depth to 16 and it works great. Thanks for the replys!