[SOLVED] Resolution too low in grub and first x-session

thephatmaster · 2021-08-29 23:25:11

Hi all,

SOLVED by:
- early KMS start and
- getting a different theme.

I'm up and running with my first install on my new (to me, and very modestly-specced) laptop, running Arch + i3-gaps for myself, and Arch + LXQt for the family.

I've successfully used the machine for video-editing on the go, including syncing files etc with my production machine (desktop) - so all good there. However, I need to iron out a few teething problems (resolution glitches, keyboard layout, and setting up picom for max-rice)

It's the first of those I seek help with here:

What the issues are:

The resolution being way too low in grub when using the breeze theme
The resolution being way to narrow, the first time I login, but fine if I exit i3 and re-login.

What I have tried so far:

for issue 1

Finding the resolution in grub

 vbeinfo

and

 videoinfo

preferred was 1366x768
adding

GRUB_GFXMODE=1366x768x32
GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD="keep"

to

/etc/default/grub

and re-building the config file

for issue 2
nothing yet, other than document the issue (see below) as I think it's related to issue 1, and is somewhat sporadic. Sometimes I get the proper resolution on login, other times not so much and I have to log in twice.

As

scrot

wouldn't help with how the resolution was too narrow for the monitor, I took a couple of potato photos with my phone

Last edited by thephatmaster (2021-09-03 15:43:33)

seth · 2021-08-30 06:37:02

You potato link is broken (invalid url "http://https:https://imgur.com/a/M3OenN5" ) => https://imgur.com/a/M3OenN5

The initial X11 issue is most likely resolved by https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Kernel … _KMS_start

thephatmaster · 2021-08-30 07:08:24

Thank, apologies for the link, i did a first draft of the post in emacs- my emacs fu is obvs weak.

I'll check out that link and see if an early kms start sorts things out

thephatmaster · 2021-08-31 15:14:23

Early KMS start made no difference:

 cat /etc/mkinitcpio.conf
# vim:set ft=sh
# MODULES
# The following modules are loaded before any boot hooks are
# run.  Advanced users may wish to specify all system modules
# in this array.  For instance:
#     MODULES=(piix ide_disk reiserfs)
MODULES=(intel_agp i915)

# BINARIES
...

Still need to restart x (login logout of i3) 9 times out of 10 to get proper width resolution

Also grub resolution issue remains.

seth · 2021-08-31 15:24:13

Did you recreate the initramfs or just edit the file (which by itself does absolutely nothing)?

thephatmaster · 2021-08-31 15:32:30

Didn't see that little note on the wiki! Eeeerm will go do that now!

thephatmaster · 2021-08-31 19:27:08

Thanks for your help, it's survived a few reboots now with no issues

Now to sort Grub. I suppose not being a ricer and turning off the theme is probably what I need to do. Its fine without.

seth · 2021-08-31 22:42:31

Please post your /boot/grub/grub.cfg.
Since you're on intel, may this be https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/GRUB/T … ution_hack ?

thephatmaster · 2021-09-01 08:30:07

Thanks, I'll take a look at that. Though from a quick skim, I'm not sure that's the issue, as the preferred resolution does report correctly in grub command line.

/etc/default/grub is:

 # Uncomment to enable booting from LUKS encrypted devices
#GRUB_ENABLE_CRYPTODISK=y

# Set to 'countdown' or 'hidden' to change timeout behavior,
# press ESC key to display menu.
GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=menu

# Uncomment to use basic console
GRUB_TERMINAL_INPUT=console

# Uncomment to disable graphical terminal
#GRUB_TERMINAL_OUTPUT=console

# The resolution used on graphical terminal
# note that you can use only modes which your graphic card suppo
# you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'
GRUB_GFXMODE=1366x768
GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD="keep"

# Uncomment to allow the kernel use the same resolution used by 
GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=keep

# Uncomment if you want GRUB to pass to the Linux kernel the old
# format "root=/dev/xxx" instead of "root=/dev/disk/by-uuid/xxx"
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID=true

# Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entries
GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY=true

# Uncomment and set to the desired menu colors.  Used by normal 
# modes only.  Entries specified as foreground/background.
#GRUB_COLOR_NORMAL="light-blue/black"
#GRUB_COLOR_HIGHLIGHT="light-cyan/blue"

# GRUB boot loader configuration

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
GRUB_TIMEOUT=5
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR="Arch"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="loglevel=3 quiet"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

# Preload both GPT and MBR modules so that they are not missed
GRUB_PRELOAD_MODULES="part_gpt part_msdos"

# Uncomment one of them for the gfx desired, a image background 
#GRUB_BACKGROUND="/path/to/wallpaper"
#GRUB_THEME="/path/to/gfxtheme"

# Uncomment to get a beep at GRUB start
GRUB_INIT_TUNE="480 440 1"

# Uncomment to make GRUB remember the last selection. This requi
# setting 'GRUB_DEFAULT=saved' above.
#GRUB_SAVEDEFAULT=true

# Uncomment to disable submenus in boot menu
#GRUB_DISABLE_SUBMENU=y

#allow OS prober
GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=false

# do themeing (breeze theme)
GRUB_THEME="/usr/share/grub/themes/breeze/theme.txt"

The config (text) file for the theme itself (/usr/share/grub/themes/breeze/theme.txt - which was downloaded from KDE store) is:

# Breeze GRUB theme
#
# 2018, Gustavo Castro < gustawho [at] gmail [dot] com >
#
# Some rights reserved. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License.
#

desktop-image: "background.png"

# colors are taken from the breeze default theme
title-text: "Select a boot option"
title-font: "Hack 18"
title-color: "#eff0f1"
message-font: "Hack 18"
message-color: "#eff0f1"
terminal-font: "Hack 18"
terminal-box: "terminal_*.png"

+ boot_menu {
  left = 20%
  width = 60%
  top = 30%
  height = 40%

  menu_pixmap_style = "boot_menu_*.png"

  item_font = "Hack 22"
  # breeze inactive text color
  item_color = "#7f8c8d"
  item_height = 48
  item_icon_space = 8
  item_spacing = 5
  item_padding = 5

  selected_item_font = "Hack 22"
  selected_item_color= "#eff0f1"
  selected_item_pixmap_style = "select_*.png"

  icon_height = 48
  icon_width = 48

  scrollbar = true
  scrollbar_width = 10
  scrollbar_thumb = "slider_*.png"
}

+ progress_bar {
  id = "__timeout__"
  text = "@TIMEOUT_NOTIFICATION_SHORT@"

  left = 95%
  width = 48
  top = 95%
  height = 48

  text_color = "#eff0f1"

  bar_style = "*"
  highlight_style = "*"
}

Last edited by thephatmaster (2021-09-01 08:30:46)

thephatmaster · 2021-09-03 14:13:36

Tried the 915resolution hack and:

From grub shell:

915resolution - command not found

From UXterm:

sh:grub> 915resolution -l
bash: sh:grub: command not found

(unsurprisingly), or:

 $ sudo 915resolution -l
Intel 800/900 Series VBIOS Hack : version 0.5.3

Intel chipset detected.  However, 915resolution was unable to determine the chipset type.
Chipset Id: 1048086
Please report this problem to stomljen@yahoo.com

I think I'll try a different theme for the sake of marking this as solved and saving everyone's time on a cosmetic issue

thephatmaster · 2021-09-03 15:42:10

Got different theme, resolution in grub now fine

Last edited by thephatmaster (2021-09-03 15:42:20)

Arch Linux

#1 2021-08-29 23:25:11