/etc/X11/xorg.conf and KDE display don't match

garyozzy · 01-01-2006, 01:14 PM

I edited xorg.conf to configure my widescreen monitor. it says the resolution should be 1200x800, but when I open the KDE Display settings, i get 1024x768 and 800x600 resolutions. I saved xorg.conf as root.

Anyone know what could be going on?

gilead · 01-01-2006, 01:37 PM

Does your monitor (and video card) support the colour depth / resolution combination you have in your xorg.conf file? My /etc/X11/xorg.conf file is:

Code:

-rw-r--r--  1 root root 3069 2005-12-21 21:04 /etc/X11/xorg.conf

and the sections relating to display contain:

Code:

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier     "Monitor0"
    VendorName     "SAM"
    ModelName      "SyncMaster"
    DisplaySize     363    272  # mm
    HorizSync       31.5 - 92.0
    VertRefresh     50.0 - 160.0
    Option         "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "Card0"
    Driver         "nvidia"
    VendorName     "nVidia Corporation"
    BoardName      "Unknown Board"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier     "Screen0"
    Device         "Card0"
    Monitor        "Monitor0"
    DefaultDepth    24
    SubSection     "Display"
        Viewport    0 0
        Depth       16
        Modes      "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Viewport    0 0
        Depth       24
        Modes      "1600x1200" "1400x1050" "1280x960" "1280x800" "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1152x768" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubSection
EndSection

garyozzy · 01-01-2006, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gilead

Does your monitor (and video card) support the colour depth / resolution combination you have in your xorg.conf file?

I'm in windows to post this right now, but I would think so, seeing that this is a laptop. If you need me to post my xorg.conf file, just let me know

gilead · 01-01-2006, 02:49 PM

If you've dual booted into Windows, can you right-click on your desktop, select Properties / Settings / Advanced / Monitor and see what screen refresh rate you're using. Also, on the Adapter tab can you please click the "List All Modes" button and confirm that the resolution / colour depth / frequency you want to display is in the list?

garyozzy · 01-01-2006, 03:03 PM

The refresh rate is 60Hz, but where does that go in xorg.conf?

The highlighted mode in 'List All Modes' is 1280x800, True Color (32bit), 60Hz.

garyozzy · 01-01-2006, 03:17 PM

OK, I'll post my xorg.conf file. Hopefully it will help.
[code]
Section "Monitor"

Identifier "My Monitor"

#lots of comments about HorizSync

HorizSync 31.5-50.0

#more comments

VertRefresh 40-90

Endsection

#Comments

Section "Screen
Identifier "Screen 1"
Device "VESA Framebuffer"
Monitor "My Monitor"
#Default Depths
DefaultDepth 24

Subsection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1280x800"
Endsubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1280x800"
Endsubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1280x800"
Endsubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 32
Modes "1280x800"
Endsubsection

EndSectoin

gilead · 01-01-2006, 03:39 PM

From memory the refresh rate has to be inside the HorizSync range, but I was hoping it wasn't the same value as the refresh rate displayed in the KDE Display Settings panel. That way a quick change of refresh rate might enable the higher resolution.

Do you mind running `/usr/X11R6/bin/xrandr` and checking the output? Without options it displays the resolutions that you should be able to select. At this stage, all I can think of is it's a mismatch between resolution settings or the wrong driver selected for your video card.

garyozzy · 01-01-2006, 04:00 PM

Code:

/usr/X11R6/bin/xrandr

displays

Code:

Can't open display (null)

garyozzy · 01-01-2006, 04:15 PM

oh my bad, I'm sorry. I did that in text-only mode.

Here's what it outputs while I'm running KDE:

Code:

 SZ:   Pixels       Physical      Refresh
*0    1024x768  { 302mm x 191 mm )   *61
 1    800x600   { 302mm x 191 mm )    73
 2    640x480   { 302mm x 191 mm )    86
Current rotation - normal
Current reflection - none
Rotations possible - normal
Reflections possible - none

gilead · 01-01-2006, 05:42 PM

OK, if those are the only resolutions returned even though you have the Modes correctly specified for each colour depth, it's most likely that either the wrong video driver was set up with whatever tool you generated your config or your video card doesn't have enough RAM to display the resolution that you want. Since it sounds like you're happy with your windows display it's more likely the video driver.

Try running lspci to see if the 'VGA compatible controller' line identifies the card.
From memory, if you run /usr/X11R6/bin/xorgsetup, you'll get a GUI to let you re-configure X where you can select the correct driver based on your card.

There's a similar thread to this at http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=344824 which may be helpful...

garyozzy · 01-01-2006, 06:33 PM

when running lspci, the line

Code:

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 915GM/GMS/910GML Express Graphics Controller (rev 03)

but the xorg setup command doesn't help.

i'll check that other thread

thanks

gilead · 01-02-2006, 12:54 AM

It looks as though someone at http://freshrpms.net/docs/x1/ was having problems with the same video hardware as yours. They used the i810 driver, but because it was a few months back they had to download the current stuff from CVS (you shouldn't need to). From that page:

Code:

As of writing, Fedora Core 4 installed fine, but only with the vesa driver at 800x600, though. It can also work at 1024x768 but you'll get a streched display. Recompiling xorg-x11 from CVS is required in order for the i810 driver to recognize the card and provide accelerated display. The other option is to replace the i810_drv.o file, but text consoles will break unless fb is used and you need to change HorizSync to 20-90, VertRefresh to 60-100 and add this line to the Monitor section of your xorg.conf :
ModeLine "1280x768" 111.69 1280 1336 1616 1728 768 770 782 808

For a 1024x768 framebuffer console, you can append this to your grub.conf kernel lines :

vga=0x317 video=i810fb:vram:2,xres:1024,yres=768,bpp:24,hsync1:30,hsync2:49,vsync1:40,vsync2:70,accel,mtrr

I haven't tested the VGA output yet, but hopefully it may work with the i810switch utility.

garyozzy · 01-02-2006, 08:20 AM

I change

Code:

Driver   "vesa"

to

Code:

Driver   "i810"

now, I get some errors.

Code:

(WW) i810: No matching Device section for instance (BusID PCI:0:2:1) found
(EE) No devices detected.

Fatal server error:
on screens found

lestoil · 01-02-2006, 11:28 AM

I think for that video card a newer xorg version may come with the driver u need. Check at the xorg web page and do search here/and google for that driver. Good luck.

gilead · 01-02-2006, 02:59 PM

My apologies - I thought that the updated i810 driver was in the released version of xorg. According to http://wiki.x.org/X11R6.8.2/doc/i810.4.html the 915G is supported and I assumed that your 915GM was included in that.

The only other thing I could suggest is to confirm that AGP support is compiled into the kernel (or that you have the agpgart.o module running) as per http://wiki.x.org/X11R6.8.2/doc/i8106.html#6 since the card driver supports up to 1600x1200 (http://wiki.x.org/X11R6.8.2/doc/i8103.html#3).