Nvidia-Settings skips needed resolution [SOLVED]

Thomas Bates · 2010-11-28 21:49:05

I've been messing with xorg.conf for a long time now, since my first days back on Ubuntu. It is something I hate, but something I've learned how to manipulate pretty well. For some reason, 1360x768 is completely skipped over in "modes" in the Nvidia X Server Settings. It is declared in the "mode" list in the xorg.conf, and as the virtual screen. Xorg.conf:

http://pastebin.com/rtVEyn69

I'm not entirely sure why it is being skipped. I am currently stuck at 1024x768. Emerald also doesn't work, but this is not something that concerns me, just an added detail.

Last edited by Thomas Bates (2010-12-01 05:01:39)

karol · 2010-11-28 22:44:31

Which driver are you using? Any errors in the logs?

Last edited by karol (2010-11-28 22:44:47)

Thomas Bates · 2010-11-28 23:53:37

NVIDIA GeForce 7100/ n630i
I'm using nvidia-173xx and nvidia-173xx-utils.
No visible errors in /var/log/Xorg.0.log.

Dogmeat · 2010-11-28 23:56:43

You should use nvidia 260.19.21-2 and nvidia-utils 260.19.21-1 with your card.

karol · 2010-11-28 23:57:01

Are you sure it's the correct driver? Try the nvidia one.

Thomas Bates · 2010-11-29 01:22:54

Dogmeat wrote:

You should use nvidia 260.19.21-2 and nvidia-utils 260.19.21-1 with your card.

Is that in PacMan, or would I need to actually go to the site and change it myself?
I was under the impressions that since it is called "nvidia" it /was/ nvidia.

Edit: Alright, I see, downloading now, will report back soon!

Last edited by Thomas Bates (2010-11-29 01:26:42)

anonymous_user · 2010-11-29 01:24:48

In your second post you said you have nvidia-173xx. To get the 260 version you have to install just "nvidia" (using pacman).

Thomas Bates · 2010-11-29 01:27:59

anonymous_user wrote:

In your second post you said you have nvidia-173xx. To get the 260 version you have to install just "nvidia" (using pacman).

Alright, I was downloading a .run file, I assume it would be the same driver. Going to pacman route now.

karol · 2010-11-29 01:30:25

There are 3 types of nvidia (proprietary) drivers, depending on how old your card is: nvidia, nvidia-173xx and nvidia-96xx. You also need the right -utils package.

Thomas Bates · 2010-11-29 02:38:53

I installed the nvidia one, however, upon starting xfce4 (startxfce4), it says it can't find a screen with a usable configuration, and says to ensure the kernel module was upgraded along with nvidia. I assume this has been done, as the kernel was in the list of downloads in pacman. Reverted back to 173xx.

karol · 2010-11-29 02:41:51

Install nvidia drivers and reboot after installing.

Thomas Bates · 2010-11-29 03:36:50

Alright...

I did so, and though it does load up, there is no difference. 1360x768 is missing from the Resolution choices.

karol · 2010-11-29 03:40:43

Thomas Bates wrote:

Alright...
I did so, and though it does load up, there is no difference. 1360x768 is missing from the Resolution choices.

What's the output of 'xrandr'?

Thomas Bates · 2010-11-29 04:42:26

[thomas@BatesHost ~]$ xrandr
xrandr: Failed to get size of gamma for output default
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 240, current 1024 x 768, maximum 1024 x 768
default connected 1024x768+0+0 0mm x 0mm
1024x768 50.0* 51.0 52.0
896x672 53.0
832x624 54.0
800x600 55.0 56.0 57.0 58.0 59.0 60.0
640x512 61.0 62.0
640x480 63.0 64.0 65.0 66.0
576x432 67.0
512x384 68.0 69.0 70.0
416x312 71.0
400x300 72.0 73.0 74.0 75.0
320x240 76.0 77.0 78.0
[thomas@BatesHost ~]$

It looks like it isn't getting 1360x768 from modes in xorg.conf? My monitor's max resolution is apparently 1360x768, though on the xbox it gets about 19xx by something, I'm using a TV as a monitor. It works just fine on Ubuntu.

Last edited by Thomas Bates (2010-11-29 07:49:08)

Thomas Bates · 2010-11-30 13:27:52

Bump.

Bregol · 2010-11-30 17:58:05

Can you give your xorg log? Even if you list the mode like you do in your xorg.conf, when X starts, it takes all those modes and weeds out ones it doesn't think the monitor can handle. So even if you told x you wanted that resolution, it is not adding it to the pool of possible modes for some reason. If we take a look at the xorg log, it should tell us why x is not letting you have that resolution. It wouldn't show up as an error in the log, since it isnt anything uncommon or fatal. it would just be a little bit of info telling you that "this mode is good... this one is good... this one isnt because ___..."

If i had to guess, i would think that the mode you want is being tossed out because of the horizontal or vertical refresh rates, which is a common thing to happen. But if you post your xorg log, i could tell you better what is going on.

Thomas Bates · 2010-11-30 22:36:49

Certainly!
Pastebin:

Xorg.0.log (/var/log/)
http://pastebin.com/07rCVfSX

xorg.conf:
http://pastebin.com/LJ0vRYvs

Bregol · 2010-12-01 01:51:59

Here's what I see in Xorg.0.log:
Line 131 says that nvidia is not reading the EDID of your monitor.
Line 148 sets the virtual screen size to 1024 x 768

So... the EDID is information in the monitor that says "Hi my name is Mr. Monitor and I like this list of resolutions and I have this refresh rate and I enjoy long walk on beaches." Either that monitor does not have EDID information or else the driver is having problems reading it for some reason. It really doesn't matter and isn't something all that uncommon especially if it is an older monitor. So then Nvidia says "If you aren't going to tell me anything, I'll just have to guess." And promptly proceeds to guess wrong. This is the part about the virtual screen size - you can't have a resolution bigger than the virtual screen size. So if it is guessing that the screen is 1024x768 and setting the virtual screen size at that, that is the highest you can do. No matter how much you beg and plead in your Screen Section of xorg.conf, saying "Come on and give me some lovin'. I want a bigger resolution, please. With sugar and a cherry on top."... no matter how much you plead, it will look at that virtual screen size and say, "Sorry. I don't know of anything that big, but I'll tell you what - I'll give you as big as I can think I can go, instead. My virtual size is 1024x768, so thats the best I can give you." And so, like an ever-faithful puppy, X gives you the best it has to offer. And unlike that puppy, X does not poop on the floor afterwards.

So that is how the story goes. The moral of the story is that we need to tell X and Nvidia that your screen can do better than Nvidia is guessing it can. And since your monitor does not have the EDID to tell it this, we must tell it this. This is done through the use of Modelines. Basically, you go online and find a Modeline calculator... such as http://www.arachnoid.com/modelines/ ...then you tell the calculator what resolution and refresh rate you want to add. If X is correctly guessing most of your resolutions, you don't need modelines for them; you just need the modelines for the resolutions you want to add in. Then you put the modeline that is generated into your Xorg.conf, under the Monitor section... you can see an example of this on that website down below where it goes into detail on what a modeline is.

Hopefully once the modeline is in place, when X starts up it will see the modeline and say "Here's a piece of info on my monitor... i think i will use it." It then will check that modeline against the horizontal and vertical refresh rates that you specified in your xorg.conf (HorizSync and VertRefresh) to make sure that you aren't trying to trick it into doing something the monitor is incapable of. If it passes the test, then that resolution is added to the pool of resolutions for the monitor, and then the virtual screen size is set to the largest resolution in that pool (which you made the modeline for) and everything is peachy.

TigTex · 2010-12-01 02:05:08

Well... that can also mean that you have a broken vga cable... If you have a DVI monitor, use a dvi cable or try another vga cable. Do not use adapters.

Thomas Bates · 2010-12-01 03:01:14

Bregol wrote:

Here's what I see in Xorg.0.log:
Line 131 says that nvidia is not reading the EDID of your monitor.
Line 148 sets the virtual screen size to 1024 x 768
So... the EDID is information in the monitor that says "Hi my name is Mr. Monitor and I like this list of resolutions and I have this refresh rate and I enjoy long walk on beaches." Either that monitor does not have EDID information or else the driver is having problems reading it for some reason. It really doesn't matter and isn't something all that uncommon especially if it is an older monitor. So then Nvidia says "If you aren't going to tell me anything, I'll just have to guess." And promptly proceeds to guess wrong. This is the part about the virtual screen size - you can't have a resolution bigger than the virtual screen size. So if it is guessing that the screen is 1024x768 and setting the virtual screen size at that, that is the highest you can do. No matter how much you beg and plead in your Screen Section of xorg.conf, saying "Come on and give me some lovin'. I want a bigger resolution, please. With sugar and a cherry on top."... no matter how much you plead, it will look at that virtual screen size and say, "Sorry. I don't know of anything that big, but I'll tell you what - I'll give you as big as I can think I can go, instead. My virtual size is 1024x768, so thats the best I can give you." And so, like an ever-faithful puppy, X gives you the best it has to offer. And unlike that puppy, X does not poop on the floor afterwards.
<SNIP FOR SPACE>

This is undoubtedly the best explanation I've seen, ever. This worked, and has solved my biggest problem with Arch so far.

1000 internets for you good sir! Turns out my TV apparently doesn't have EDID info.

Thanks!

stryder · 2010-12-01 08:10:25

Thomas Bates wrote:

Bregol wrote:
Here's what I see in Xorg.0.log:
Line 131 says that nvidia is not reading the EDID of your monitor.
Line 148 sets the virtual screen size to 1024 x 768
So... the EDID is information in the monitor that says "Hi my name is Mr. Monitor and I like this list of resolutions and I have this refresh rate and I enjoy long walk on beaches." Either that monitor does not have EDID information or else the driver is having problems reading it for some reason. It really doesn't matter and isn't something all that uncommon especially if it is an older monitor. So then Nvidia says "If you aren't going to tell me anything, I'll just have to guess." And promptly proceeds to guess wrong. This is the part about the virtual screen size - you can't have a resolution bigger than the virtual screen size. So if it is guessing that the screen is 1024x768 and setting the virtual screen size at that, that is the highest you can do. No matter how much you beg and plead in your Screen Section of xorg.conf, saying "Come on and give me some lovin'. I want a bigger resolution, please. With sugar and a cherry on top."... no matter how much you plead, it will look at that virtual screen size and say, "Sorry. I don't know of anything that big, but I'll tell you what - I'll give you as big as I can think I can go, instead. My virtual size is 1024x768, so thats the best I can give you." And so, like an ever-faithful puppy, X gives you the best it has to offer. And unlike that puppy, X does not poop on the floor afterwards.
<SNIP FOR SPACE>
This is undoubtedly the best explanation I've seen, ever.

+1. And the most fun. You probably have been explaining linux to your girlfriend/wife a lot...

Arch Linux

#1 2010-11-28 21:49:05

Nvidia-Settings skips needed resolution [SOLVED]

#2 2010-11-28 22:44:31

Re: Nvidia-Settings skips needed resolution [SOLVED]

#3 2010-11-28 23:53:37

Re: Nvidia-Settings skips needed resolution [SOLVED]

#4 2010-11-28 23:56:43

Re: Nvidia-Settings skips needed resolution [SOLVED]

#5 2010-11-28 23:57:01

Re: Nvidia-Settings skips needed resolution [SOLVED]

#6 2010-11-29 01:22:54

Re: Nvidia-Settings skips needed resolution [SOLVED]

#7 2010-11-29 01:24:48

Re: Nvidia-Settings skips needed resolution [SOLVED]

#8 2010-11-29 01:27:59

Re: Nvidia-Settings skips needed resolution [SOLVED]

#9 2010-11-29 01:30:25

Re: Nvidia-Settings skips needed resolution [SOLVED]

#10 2010-11-29 02:38:53

Re: Nvidia-Settings skips needed resolution [SOLVED]

#11 2010-11-29 02:41:51

Re: Nvidia-Settings skips needed resolution [SOLVED]

#12 2010-11-29 03:36:50

Re: Nvidia-Settings skips needed resolution [SOLVED]

#13 2010-11-29 03:40:43

Re: Nvidia-Settings skips needed resolution [SOLVED]

#14 2010-11-29 04:42:26

Re: Nvidia-Settings skips needed resolution [SOLVED]

#15 2010-11-30 13:27:52

Re: Nvidia-Settings skips needed resolution [SOLVED]

#16 2010-11-30 17:58:05

Re: Nvidia-Settings skips needed resolution [SOLVED]

#17 2010-11-30 22:36:49

Re: Nvidia-Settings skips needed resolution [SOLVED]

#18 2010-12-01 01:51:59

Re: Nvidia-Settings skips needed resolution [SOLVED]

#19 2010-12-01 02:05:08

Re: Nvidia-Settings skips needed resolution [SOLVED]

#20 2010-12-01 03:01:14

Re: Nvidia-Settings skips needed resolution [SOLVED]

#21 2010-12-01 08:10:25

Re: Nvidia-Settings skips needed resolution [SOLVED]

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