New install, monitor goes all screwy

scottburton11 · 04-27-2007, 02:13 AM

This is what happens when X starts on a fresh install of openSUSE 10.2

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/403...monitorjn0.jpg

I'd post /etc/x11/xorg.conf, but I'm not familiar enough with SUSE to get sshd running on a vanilla box at this point.

Anyway the splash screen and bootloader seem to work OK on this monitor, it's only when X starts.

Every other Linux I've run on this hardware has Just Worked<tm>, so I don't even know how to diagnose this. What's going on here?

jschiwal · 04-27-2007, 03:05 AM

Most likely you need to select a closer monitor model in SaX2. You could start out trying to use the generic "vesa" driver to start out with. Then concentrate on the monitor settings. You can go back installing a video driver later. This way you can tackle one problem at a time.

Check the HorizSync and VertRefresh values in your /etc/X11/xorg.conf file.
[code]
Section "Monitor"
DisplaySize 376 301
HorizSync 29-81
Identifier "Monitor[0]"
ModelName "SAMSUNG SYNCMASTER"
Option "DPMS"
VendorName "SAM"
VertRefresh 43-75
UseModes "Modes[0]"
EndSection

Another thing to try is generating your own modeline with the gtf program. Start with a common resolution. I think that the most common is 1024x768. That is the resolution most websites and programs assume.
example:

Code:

> gtf 1024 768 60 -x

  # 1024x768 @ 60.00 Hz (GTF) hsync: 47.70 kHz; pclk: 64.11 MHz

I would recommend removing the ".00" part of the Modeline name:

Code:

  Modeline "1024x768_60"  64.11  1024 1080 1184 1344  768 769 772 795  -HSync +Vsync

If your /etc/X11/xorg.conf file has a Modelines section, then insert the modeline there. Otherwise you can insert it in the [Monitor] section:

Code:

Section "Modes"
  Identifier   "Modes[0]"
  Modeline      "1280x1024" 106.97 1280 1360 1496 1712 1024 1025 1028 1059
  Modeline      "1280x1024" 87.75 1280 1328 1360 1440 1024 1027 1034 1053 +HSync -Vsync
  Modeline      "1280x960" 107.32 1280 1360 1496 1712 960 961 964 995
  Modeline      "1280x960" 88.25 1280 1328 1360 1440 960 963 967 989 +HSync -Vsync
  Modeline "1024x768_60"  64.11  1024 1080 1184 1344  768 769 772 795  -HSync +Vsync
...

or here:
Section "Monitor"
  DisplaySize  376 301
  HorizSync    29-81
  Identifier   "Monitor[0]"
  ModelName    "SAMSUNG SYNCMASTER"
  Option       "DPMS"
  VendorName   "SAM"
  VertRefresh  43-75
  Modeline "1024x768_60"  64.11  1024 1080 1184 1344  768 769 772 795  -HSync +Vsync
EndSection

I had a similar problem when I upgraded to SuSE 10.2 on my desktop. The LCD monitor wasn't listed in SaX2, so I had to find a model that was close. It still wasn't perfect, but after adding the modeline it was.

Good Luck!

scottburton11 · 04-28-2007, 04:09 AM

Thanks so much for the help jschiwal.

Fiddling with xorg.conf for an hour or two, I was able to produce a number of other strange and wonderful Rorschach inkblots, but nothing that quite approached usable output.

Finally I decided to make xorg.conf look a bit like the one in an Ubuntu install I have running on a similar machine, similar hardware, same monitor. After a bit of trial and error, I got X to run reasonably (albeit without a mouse pointer...)

Once the GUI was up, I could use Sax2 to generate a fresh xorg.conf with my monitor correctly identified - it had been close enough that it looked right, just not enough to work - so I'm getting closer to a working GUI. So you were exactly correct, my monitor wasn't identified correctly. Downside is, now I don't get to become a famous randomly-generated computer artist.

Thanks again.