Mandriva Xorg.conf -> Ubuntu Xorg.conf

slylittlefox · 14 Oct 2010 at 16:21

Afternoon all,

I've got an old laptop that uses an obscure VIA chipset for its graphics, as such it's an absolute PITA to get working and I've never (ever) been able to get it working in Ubuntu.

However, I can get it to work perfectly in Mandriva. So I've got the xorg.conf from the Mandriva install, and I've ported it over to a fresh Ubuntu-Netbook 10.10 install - but it's not liking it (X loads fine, can login, but then all sort of weirdness cracks off). I've checked and the latest openchrome drivers are already installed, and also I had to install v4l as it wasn't already installed - but still no joy.

Can anyone spot anything from the xorg.conf below that Ubuntu wouldn't like?

Code:

# File generated by XFdrake (rev )


Section "Extensions"
    Option "Composite" "Disable"
EndSection
# File generated by XFdrake (rev )

# **********************************************************************
# Refer to the xorg.conf man page for details about the format of
# this file.
# **********************************************************************

Section "ServerFlags"
    Option "DontZap" "False" # disable <Ctrl><Alt><BS> (server abort)
    #DontZoom # disable <Ctrl><Alt><KP_+>/<KP_-> (resolution switching)
    AllowMouseOpenFail # allows the server to start up even if the mouse does not work
EndSection

Section "Module"
    Load "v4l" # Video for Linux
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier "monitor1"
    VendorName "Generic"
    ModelName "Flat Panel 1280x800"
    HorizSync 31.5-50.0
    VertRefresh 56.0-65.0
    
    # TV fullscreen mode or DVD fullscreen output.
    # 768x576 @ 79 Hz, 50 kHz hsync
    ModeLine "768x576"     50.00  768  832  846 1000   576  590  595  630
    
    # 768x576 @ 100 Hz, 61.6 kHz hsync
    ModeLine "768x576"     63.07  768  800  960 1024   576  578  590  616
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier "device1"
    BoardName "VESA driver (generic)"
    Driver "openchrome"
    Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier "screen1"
    Device "device1"
    Monitor "monitor1"
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier "layout1"
    Screen "screen1"
EndSection

One thing that springs to mind is the name of the devices. If I remember rightly in Ubuntu the LCD panel is called default, so I'm just about to try changing that and will report back.

Cheers.

slylittlefox · 18 Oct 2010 at 20:40

Cheers for the replies guys, I've been battling with this over the past couple of nights.

VESA does work, but only at 800x600 as you'd expect. If I use the OpenChrome driver, and run startx as root (after first booting into text mode) - X loads, and looks pixel perfect, but it's using 1600x1200 resolution.

If I let it boot normally, into the 'netbook' form of the GUI, all hell breaks loose - the resolution is still at 1600x1200, but with the added thing of the screen being garbled/graphical corruption etc. It's unusable in that state.

Here's the output from a fair few of the graphical commands:

Code:

root@eros:~# xrandr
xrandr: Failed to get size of gamma for output default
Screen 0: minimum 640 x 480, current 800 x 600, maximum 800 x 600
default connected 800x600+0+0 0mm x 0mm
   800x600        61.0* 
   720x576         0.0  
   720x540         0.0  
   720x480         0.0  
   640x480        60.0  

Section "Device"
        Identifier "Default Device"
        Driver "vesa"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier "Default Monitor"
        HorizSync 31.5-50.0
        VertRefresh 56.0-65.0
        Option "Preferred Mode" "1280x800_60.00"
        Modeline "1280x800_60.00"   83.50  1280 1352 1480 1680  800 803 809 831$
EndSection


root@eros:~# get-edid 
get-edid: get-edid version 2.0.0

	Performing real mode VBE call
	Interrupt 0x10 ax=0x4f00 bx=0x0 cx=0x0
	Function supported
	Call successful

	VBE version 300
	VBE string at 0xc698d "VIA P4N800 PRO
"

VBE/DDC service about to be called
	Report DDC capabilities

	Performing real mode VBE call
	Interrupt 0x10 ax=0x4f15 bx=0x0 cx=0x0
	Function supported
	Call successful

	Monitor and video card combination does not support DDC1 transfers
	Monitor and video card combination supports DDC2 transfers
	0 seconds per 128 byte EDID block transfer
	Screen is not blanked during DDC transfer

Reading next EDID block

VBE/DDC service about to be called
	Read EDID

	Performing real mode VBE call
	Interrupt 0x10 ax=0x4f15 bx=0x1 cx=0x0
	Function supported
	Call failed

The EDID data should not be trusted as the VBE call failed
Error: output block unchanged


root@eros:~# dmesg | grep agp
[   14.424555] Linux agpgart interface v0.103
[   14.649724] agpgart: Detected VIA VT3314 chipset
[   14.840468] agpgart-via 0000:00:00.0: AGP aperture is 256M @ 0xc0000000

I'm just about to attempt compiling the openchrome driver using the script here:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=485646

I'll report back shortly (or maybe a lot longer depending on how long it takes to compile

).

Any other tips/suggestions in the meantime please let me know

slylittlefox · 18 Oct 2010 at 20:43

Also, have they got rid of dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg? :confused:

slylittlefox · 18 Oct 2010 at 20:58

Hmm, sort of a development. At first glance that script didn't work, i.e. it's still using 1600x1200 (and it shouldn't do anyway, 10.10's openchrome should be using that branch I've checked out and compiled). Well anyway, I can now select resolutions which I wasn't able to do before - however, if I choose 1280x800 the screen just completely garbles, I can just about make out stuff on screen, but it's bad enough that I don't want to risk trying to click "Don't use this resolution"

Argh - it's retarded that it's this hard to get it working when it works fine in Mandriva.

slylittlefox · 21 Oct 2010 at 23:43

Cheers for the reply, and thanks very much for taking the time to look at the mandriva docs etc, it's appreciated

I've tried with compositing both enabled and disabled, using both the openchrome and vesa drivers, both with the same result as before. Vesa definitely only goes upto 800x600 in the GUI options -X also complains when I login about the 1280x800 resolution in the xorg.conf (i.e. that it can't do it with the vesa driver). I've also tried the vesa driver with the "Option" "DPMS" line removed, but didn't make any difference.

Argh this is so annoying - do you know if there is anyway I can copy the binaries/whatever is necessary from a Mandriva install?

I also gave installing the proprietary VIA drivers a go, but that just FUBAR'ed the lot