Refind - Problems setting resolution

FriedrichNietzsche · 2020-05-12 17:20:22

Hi guys

I want to boot my computer with Refind as a boot manager using the native resolution of my monitor (2560 x 1440).
I have set the resolution parameter in /boot/efi/EFI/refind/refind.conf like this:

resolution 2560 1440

In my UEFI the CSM mode is disabled and I can see the difference when I turning it on, as Refind complains about the above being a unsupported resolution and presenting me a menu where I can pick another one. When I turn CSM back off again, Refind will startup just fine the higher resolution in the settings and I also can see the improvement.

The problem is, that the image is quite blurry. Since Refind does not really provide any information, what it is doing right now at this point, I had a look in the information panel of the monitor menu. The monitor claims that apparently refind is setting a resolution of 2880 x 1660 (on one occation) or 2880 x 1620 (on several reboots). I trust the values displayed by the monitor, since the picture looks (down-)scaled and because it also shows the correct values in any other case.

So where the hell are those values of 2880 x 1660 or 1620 coming from? I definitely didn't set them in the configuration file

Lone_Wolf · 2020-05-13 11:57:00

Check https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/RE … resolution

It shows a method to find out which resolutions your motherboard efi firmware thinks your monitor supports.

d_fajardo · 2020-05-13 14:03:19

In my desktop, I have in the BIOS a switch where I can turn on Fast Boot. This switch somehow enables the graphics to kick-in early for the native resolution (which is 4K) to work with rEFInd. And if it's turned off, then rEFInd complains about not finding the resolution.
Not all firmware probably has this switch but you can have a check.

FriedrichNietzsche · 2020-05-14 15:23:08

Lone_Wolf wrote:

Check https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/RE … resolution
It shows a method to find out which resolutions your motherboard efi firmware thinks your monitor supports.

Thanks. I tried that out today. Any chance that you know how to execute it? I used the Arch install media to start the shellV2. Then I navigated to the folder where the modelist.efi file is located. When I try to call it by typing the name and hitting return it shows something like "command: not supported". I did not find anything else which looked like a command to execute it. The file is marked green when doing an ls. I guess that means, that it should be executable? But how?

FriedrichNietzsche · 2020-05-14 15:24:39

d_fajardo wrote:

In my desktop, I have in the BIOS a switch where I can turn on Fast Boot. This switch somehow enables the graphics to kick-in early for the native resolution (which is 4K) to work with rEFInd. And if it's turned off, then rEFInd complains about not finding the resolution.
Not all firmware probably has this switch but you can have a check.

My firmware also has the Fastboot option. It does not seem to have an effect for the resolution on my motherboard though. I can enable and disable it and the resolution looks the same.

d_fajardo · 2020-05-14 22:20:14

So where the hell are those values of 2880 x 1660 or 1620 coming from?

According to this, it is possible to set a valid resolution for your video card that's invalid for your monitor.
I believe what rEFInd presents to you as a menu are your optimal choices.
I had the same issue with my former (broken) ASUS motherboard as from the post here.

Lone_Wolf · 2020-05-15 11:20:46

executing modelist.efi

Many shells don't look in current directory when trying to execute something.
Did you try ./modelist.efi from that folder ?

Another possibility is that your system may not support efi shell v2 .
The arch iso has shell v1 in EFI/shellx64_v1.efi .

FriedrichNietzsche · 2020-05-16 08:29:34

d_fajardo wrote:

So where the hell are those values of 2880 x 1660 or 1620 coming from?
According to this, it is possible to set a valid resolution for your video card that's invalid for your monitor.
I believe what rEFInd presents to you as a menu are your optimal choices.
I had the same issue with my former (broken) ASUS motherboard as from the post here.

My problem is more like that Refind uses a different resolution than specified. I set 2560 x 1440 in the config and I get 2880 x 1660 or so pixels. Which is weird because its even higher. So I assume, a lower resolution than that should be supported.

FriedrichNietzsche · 2020-05-16 08:31:27

Lone_Wolf wrote:

executing modelist.efi
Many shells don't look in current directory when trying to execute something.
Did you try ./modelist.efi from that folder ?
Another possibility is that your system may not support efi shell v2 .
The arch iso has shell v1 in EFI/shellx64_v1.efi .

No luck here :-/
Tried both shells, same behavior. Also with executing it from the working directory. The only difference was that the v1 shell doesn't use the green font for modeinfo.efi

Just as an additional info: Remembering back I think I had the same problem with GRUB. When I finally found out back then what setting in the UEFI was limiting the resolution of the boot loader I also noticed that GRUB looked blurry as well. But back then I did not investigate any further. So this is most likely unrelated to Refind and/or GRUB

Last edited by FriedrichNietzsche (2020-05-16 08:35:22)

Lone_Wolf · 2020-05-16 11:34:38

That suggests a firmware issue.

What brand & model is your motherboard / system and are you running latest firmware version ?

FriedrichNietzsche · 2020-05-17 08:20:02

Lone_Wolf wrote:

That suggests a firmware issue.
What brand & model is your motherboard / system and are you running latest firmware version ?

It's a Asus Z97 Pro Gamer with BIOS version 2203 (which is the latest)

FriedrichNietzsche · 2020-05-18 15:13:53

Ok, I now did it the other way around. I have configured Refind to use a resolution definitely not supported. This prompts Refind to show the menu with supposedly supported resolutions. The list is:

Mode 0: 2880 x 1620
Mode 1: 640 x 480
Mode 2: 800 x 600
Mode 3: 1024 x 768
Mode 4: 1280 x 1024
Mode 5: 1400 x 1050
Mode 6: 1660 x 1200
Mode 7: 2560 x 1440
Mode 8: 1280 x 960

But no matter which mode I choose - I always seem to end up in mode 0.

Last edited by FriedrichNietzsche (2020-05-18 15:14:10)

Arch Linux

#1 2020-05-12 17:20:22

Refind - Problems setting resolution

#2 2020-05-13 11:57:00

Re: Refind - Problems setting resolution

#3 2020-05-13 14:03:19

Re: Refind - Problems setting resolution

#4 2020-05-14 15:23:08

Re: Refind - Problems setting resolution

#5 2020-05-14 15:24:39

Re: Refind - Problems setting resolution

#6 2020-05-14 22:20:14

Re: Refind - Problems setting resolution

#7 2020-05-15 11:20:46

Re: Refind - Problems setting resolution

#8 2020-05-16 08:29:34

Re: Refind - Problems setting resolution

#9 2020-05-16 08:31:27

Re: Refind - Problems setting resolution

#10 2020-05-16 11:34:38

Re: Refind - Problems setting resolution

#11 2020-05-17 08:20:02

Re: Refind - Problems setting resolution

#12 2020-05-18 15:13:53

Re: Refind - Problems setting resolution

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