Screen resolution

[Eggdog]

Hi, I installed Ubuntu 9.04 yesterday on my "work" computer. (True confession: I had an accident of some kind trying to install a more lightweight distribution on a spare partition; the lightweight distro wiped out my Grub, then the install routine stalled out at 3%, and I decided just to put 9.04 in and override my 8.04.3 installation.)Everything is working fine now, but my screen resolution maxes out at 1024 x 768. I was doing better with 8.04. The monitor is a 17" Acer, and the card is an Intel 82852-82855.Here's the output of lspci:

eddie@eddie-library:~$ lspci00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 82852/82855 GM/GME/PM/GMV Processor to I/O Controller (rev 02)00:00.1 System peripheral: Intel Corporation 82852/82855 GM/GME/PM/GMV Processor to I/O Controller (rev 02)00:00.3 System peripheral: Intel Corporation 82852/82855 GM/GME/PM/GMV Processor to I/O Controller (rev 02)00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 82852/855GM Integrated Graphics Device (rev 02)00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation 82852/855GM Integrated Graphics Device (rev 02)00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 03)00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-M) USB2 EHCI Controller (rev 03)00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev 83)00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801DBM (ICH4-M) LPC Interface Bridge (rev 03)00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801DBM (ICH4-M) IDE Controller (rev 03)00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) SMBus Controller (rev 03)02:08.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB PRO/100 VE (MOB) Ethernet Controller (rev 83)02:09.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 8255xER/82551IT Fast Ethernet Controller (rev 10)02:0a.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 8255xER/82551IT Fast Ethernet Controller (rev 10)eddie@eddie-library:~$

There isn't anything in there about screen resolutions, as far as I can tell.Here is my /etc/X11/xorg.conf:

Section "Device"	Identifier	"Configured Video Device"EndSectionSection "Monitor"	Identifier	"Configured Monitor"EndSectionSection "Screen"	Identifier	"Default Screen"	Monitor		"Configured Monitor"	Device		"Configured Video Device"EndSection

There isn't really anything there about anything, though if I understand it right Ubuntu is deprecating (or depreciating?) xorg.conf in video matters.Any suggestions?Thanks.

[lewmur]

Hi, I installed Ubuntu 9.04 yesterday on my "work" computer. (True confession: I had an accident of some kind trying to install a more lightweight distribution on a spare partition; the lightweight distro wiped out my Grub, then the install routine stalled out at 3%, and I decided just to put 9.04 in and override my 8.04.3 installation.)Everything is working fine now, but my screen resolution maxes out at 1024 x 768. I was doing better with 8.04. The monitor is a 17" Acer, and the card is an Intel 82852-82855.Here's the output of lspci:

eddie@eddie-library:~$ lspci00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 82852/82855 GM/GME/PM/GMV Processor to I/O Controller (rev 02)00:00.1 System peripheral: Intel Corporation 82852/82855 GM/GME/PM/GMV Processor to I/O Controller (rev 02)00:00.3 System peripheral: Intel Corporation 82852/82855 GM/GME/PM/GMV Processor to I/O Controller (rev 02)00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 82852/855GM Integrated Graphics Device (rev 02)00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation 82852/855GM Integrated Graphics Device (rev 02)00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 03)00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-M) USB2 EHCI Controller (rev 03)00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev 83)00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801DBM (ICH4-M) LPC Interface Bridge (rev 03)00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801DBM (ICH4-M) IDE Controller (rev 03)00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) SMBus Controller (rev 03)02:08.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB PRO/100 VE (MOB) Ethernet Controller (rev 83)02:09.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 8255xER/82551IT Fast Ethernet Controller (rev 10)02:0a.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 8255xER/82551IT Fast Ethernet Controller (rev 10)eddie@eddie-library:~$

There isn't anything in there about screen resolutions, as far as I can tell.Here is my /etc/X11/xorg.conf:

Section "Device"	Identifier	"Configured Video Device"EndSectionSection "Monitor"	Identifier	"Configured Monitor"EndSectionSection "Screen"	Identifier	"Default Screen"	Monitor		"Configured Monitor"	Device		"Configured Video Device"EndSection

There isn't really anything there about anything, though if I understand it right Ubuntu is deprecating (or depreciating?) xorg.conf in video matters.Any suggestions?Thanks.

There is no longer support for that Intel chipset in the kernel. So you have three choices. Live with the 1024 resolution, go back to the 8.04 Ununtu version, or compile your own kernel. There are instuctions for the last option in the Ubuntu forum. I can give you a link if that's what you decide.

[Urmas]

What's the exact model of that Acer monitor?

[Eggdog]

Urmas, the monitor is an AL1715wm.Lewmur, I'm mystified why they would remove support for a card; I guess they have to make certain choices if they wish to keep below 700 MB. I'll look into compiling the kernel when I feel a lot more courageous than usual. Until then, I'll learn to live with 1024 x 768, or I'll revert to 8.04.3, which on this computer might not be a bad idea.Thanks,Eddie

Edited August 8, 2009 by Eggdog

[Bruno]

Hi Eddie,I am afraid that Lew is right: there is a problem with the intel driver in the latest Ubuntu :(What you can try is change the driver to "vesa" and see if that gives you better resolutions.Because Ubuntu uses an ugly mutulated xorg.conf the changes are a bit tricky . . . but from what I can see in your posted xorg.conf above the changes would involve something like this:Please make a backup of your existing xorg.conf before making changes !!!

Section "Device" Identifier "device1" VendorName "Intel Corporation" BoardName "Intel 810 and later" Driver "vesa" Option "DPMS"EndSectionSection "Monitor" Identifier "Configured Monitor"EndSectionSection "Screen" Identifier "Default Screen" Monitor "Configured Monitor" Device "device1"EndSection

Please make a backup of your existing xorg.conf before making changes !!! Bruno

[Urmas]

Ahem... not so fast. I'd try first with adding the relevant HorizSync/VertRefresh info in xorg.conf.Also: interesting Intel info I read just today (thanks to arochester in the blog thread): http://www.insidesocal.com/click/2009/07/i...ntel-video.html

After finally figuring out how to make Xorg work in Debian Lenny (and presumably in Slackware 12.2 and ...), my new method didn't work in Ubuntu 9.04, and I was worried that my Intel 82830 CGC graphics chip would be left behind by Xorg (and by extension Linux and the BSDs and anything else that happens to use Xorg). Here's what I did to get X working again in Debian Lenny. I added this line to the Device section of /etc/X11/xorg.conf: Option "AccelMethod" "XAA" But that didn't work in Ubuntu 9.04. I tried various other suggestions, but nothing worked. Then I came across this LinuxQuestions.org page, which had this suggestion specifically for the Intel 82830 CGC:

add these to the device section of /etc/X11/xorg.conf:

Option "AccelMethod" "EXA"Option "MigrationHeuristic" "greedy"

It works!

But... I'd edit this bit first:"Before":

Section "Monitor"Identifier "Configured Monitor"EndSection

"After":

Section "Monitor"	  		 Identifier	 "Configured Monitor"  		 VendorName	 "LG"  		 ModelName	  "AL1715"  		 HorizSync	   30.0 - 83.0  		 VertRefresh	 55.0 - 75.0EndSection

[Bruno]

Option "AccelMethod" "EXA"Option "MigrationHeuristic" "greedy"

These look good and promising . . . . but Eddie has an Intel 82852-82855 and not the 82830 CGCAs another example, I have an Intel 945GME and it needs:

Option "AccelMethod" "UXA"Option "MonitorLayout" "NONE,CRT+LFP"Option "MigrationHeuristic" "greedy"

to iron out the bugs . . . . Again: Please make a backup of your existing xorg.conf before making changes !!! Bruno

[Urmas]

http://www.ubuntugeek.com/intel-graphics-p...unty-users.html

[Eggdog]

Section "Monitor"	  		 Identifier	 "Configured Monitor"  		 VendorName	 "LG"  		 ModelName	  "AL1715"  		 HorizSync	   30.0 - 83.0  		 VertRefresh	 55.0 - 75.0EndSection

Among the many traits that make me an undesirable guest at dinners and soirées, I'm a proofreader. So I just want to verify that Acer = LG.I can play around with these things, and if I break something I can always log in at the terminal and undo what I did. I'm assuming (and we all know what that means!) that if I make the wrong choice between, f'rinstance, EXA and UXA, the worst thing that can happen is that I won't be able to see anything for a while, and nothing will melt.

Please make a backup of your existing xorg.conf before making changes !!!

<shrugs> I don't know why on earth I'd want to do that, but if you say so.... Edited August 8, 2009 by Eggdog

[Urmas]

Among the many traits that make me an undesirable guest at dinners and soirées, I'm a proofreader. So I just want to verify that Acer = LG.

D'uh. Blond moment. Sorry. Actually, the VendorName and ModelName lines are "fluff"... "CrapVision" and "Super Disaster V8 Diesel" go fine, too... should you so choose...

[Cluttermagnet]

Hey, that's my video card- the "CrapVision 8000" Good thread, guys. Very informative, thanks!

[striker]

It should just plain work, it's a simple LCD screen for 1280 x 1024 at 60Hz native resolution.Download the user manual for the AL1715 from acer.com and look at the timing table at the last two pages.

[Eggdog]

Hi everybody.... I lived to tell the tale.First off, I copied xorg.conf to xorgconf.old before touching anything else. I then added Bruno's "device" options as elaborated in post #5 in this thread, making vesa the display driver. The only change I noticed was that when I got to the login screen and typed "eddie", the typeface was half the size I'm used to. Also, in the Gnome System | Display module, the monitor was identified as "unknown". It used to say "Acer 17"". 1024 x 768 was still the densest resolution offered.Then I added Urmas's horizontal sync and vertical refresh lines, as stated in post #6. (The editing was all done in Emacs at the console, and I rebooted from the prompt after every edit.) When I rebooted, I got half of my wallpaper and two Ubuntu logos before the name/password boxes showed up, but I was able to log in OK and when I was at my Gnome desktop everything seemed normal.I wondered if the values of the horizontal sync and vertical refresh should have "quotation marks" around them. I found out that they "shouldn't".I then proceeded to add Urmie's "AccelMethod" "EXA" and "MigrationHeuristic" "greedy" (I absolutely love the whole concept of a greedy migration heuristic; I have no idea what it means, but it sounds like a philosophy course at a demented seminary). This resulted in no change; I still got the funky wallpaper/logo montage before login, but once I was at the desktop, everything seemed OK. Again, as through all this, I couldn't get past 1024 x 768.There was a reference to "AccelMethod" "UXA" in Bruno's #7, but I decided not to pursue that. I deleted xorg.conf and copied the original back from xorgconf.old, rebooted, and got a very long beep that sounded something like a dying rabbit and got the rapt attention of Lily, my hound dog, who observed this whole process.But when I came back up, everything was as it was yesterday.So, no solutions yet, but I appreciate all the suggestions, and it was fun trying them out -- Linux exploring, if you will -- one by one.Thanks,Eddie

[Bruno]

Dunno, but this looks pretty hopeless to me . . . . . Does anybody know when the next Ubuntu release is due ?? Bruno

[Eggdog]

Does anybody know when the next Ubuntu release is due ??

There are a couple of more alphas, which I won't try, even as a live CD. Betas start on 1 October; 9.10 is due 29 October.Eddie

[striker]

It's a bug (which I'm afraid won't get resolved in this release):[i855GME] maximum resolution limited to 1024x768https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/x...tel/+bug/189694Last resort, but takes a fairly descent amount of experimenting and persistence:Custom Resolutions on Intel Graphics (details both Windows and Linux systems, lots of reading)http://software.intel.com/en-us/articles/c...intel-graphics/

[Urmas]

Sigh...You could try these:Reverting the Jaunty Xorg intel driver to 2.4: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ReinhardTartler/X/R...ntelDriverTo2.4Use preview of 2.8 driver (scroll all the way down the page): https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Troubleshooting/IntelPerformance

[V.T. Eric Layton]

Solution --> Just kidding... but I do enjoy posting this solution often, in case you haven't noticed.

[striker]

Dunno, but this looks pretty hopeless to me . . . . . Does anybody know when the next Ubuntu release is due ?? Bruno

late October

[Eggdog]

Last resort, but takes a fairly descent amount of experimenting and persistence:Custom Resolutions on Intel Graphics (details both Windows and Linux systems, lots of reading)

Interesting reading, at least the parts that weren't in hex , but I absolutely don't feel like I have the kind of ability and knowledge to follow that.

Reverting the Jaunty Xorg intel driver to 2.4: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ReinhardTartler/X/R...ntelDriverTo2.4Use preview of 2.8 driver (scroll all the way down the page): https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Troubleshooting/IntelPerformance

Urmas, If it was your computer, which one would you do? Spring ahead or fall back? (Either one sounds kind of dicey to me, kind of like installing Slackware on what's supposed to be my always-available daily working computer, Eric .) (Hey Eric, now that I got your attention, can I get a reasonable facsimile of a Slackware experience in VirtualBox?)More generally...is this a Ubuntu problem, or is it a problem with every distro, or many distros, that are utilizing the 2.6 version of xorg? That question remains a bit unclear to me.Thanks again,Eddie

[V.T. Eric Layton]

I'm sure that Slack will run in VB. I've never tried it, though. I don't do "virtual" Linux.

[Urmas]

Urmas, If it was your computer, which one would you do? Spring ahead or fall back?

If it was my computer? I'd ask myself if there were any GOOD reasons for the upgrade (Hardy --> Jaunty). I'm still using Hardy, by the way... simply because I've been too lazy to reinstall a system that works like a chimp.But... the deed is done, so: spring ahead or fall back? No hands-on experience, so all I can do is...Consider yourself duly warned. I did some additional Gooooogling, and I might give this a try: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/x...tel/+bug/407959In your case: first try how OP's "which worked; it's just not optimal" xorg edit works here:Configured Video Device - BEFORE:

Section "Device"			   Identifier	"Configured Video Device"EndSection

AFTER:

Section "Device"			   Identifier	"Configured Video Device"			   Driver		"intel"EndSection

Screen - BEFORE:

Section "Screen"			   Identifier	"Default Screen"			   Monitor	   "Configured Monitor"			   Device		"Configured Video Device"EndSection

AFTER:

Section "Screen"			  Identifier   "Default Screen"			  Monitor	 "Configured Monitor"			  Device	  "Configured Video Device"			  DefaultDepth 16			  SubSection "Display"				 Depth 16				 Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"			  EndSubSectionEndSection

Edit. Save. Reboot. See if/how it works. If not, we can try the "Upgrade to xserver-xorg-video-intel 2.7.1 from https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-x-swat/+archive/x-updates bit:Here are repos for updated drivers ( https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-x-swat/+archive/x-updates ):

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates/ubuntu jaunty main    deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates/ubuntu jaunty main

Open Synaptic. Click the Third Party Software tab.Click the Add button.Paste the first line and click the Add Source button.Click the Add button again. Paste the second line and click the Add Source button.When prompted, reload the software sources information. Don't worry if you see a warning about unverified software sources; we're going to fix that next:Open your terminal and enter:

sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys AF1CDFA9

sudo apt-get update

Now you have xserver-xorg-video-intel 2.7.1 in your repos... just do the update.

More generally...is this a Ubuntu problem, or is it a problem with every distro, or many distros, that are utilizing the 2.6 version of xorg? That question remains a bit unclear to me.

It's the xorg version, rotten drivers, bad hardware combo karma... when I Goooogled for this, I found one case where Ubuntu got the resolution wrong; wipe and install Xubuntu... it worked! Bottom line: this is being implemented too soon.

... can I get a reasonable facsimile of a Slackware experience in VirtualBox?

Sure you can.

[Eggdog]

If it was my computer? I'd ask myself if there were any GOOD reasons for the upgrade (Hardy --> Jaunty). I'm still using Hardy, by the way... simply because I've been too lazy to reinstall a system that works like a chimp.

Well, you know.... I liked Jaunty on my "fun" computer because the multimedia seemed more stable (I listen to Web radio a lot), and I liked Jaunty on my laptop because the Network Manager is about a million times better than in Hardy, so I can go to all sorts of libraries and use the WiFi. But for my boring old work computer, which I basically use about 5-6 hours a day while I'm looking after my wife, there really isn't a point to it.I think I will try the xorg.conf edits you suggested. I don't think I will attempt replacing the xorg version. There's no reason why I should not try them, and I might change my mind by the weekend. But there's something about that procedure that makes me feel like a, well, chimp typing Shakespeare. (That image was one of the more interesting I've seen on this esteemed forum. Oh, yes it was!) So I'll either downgrade or decide that I can live with this resolution until xorg or Ubuntu or somebody gets it together.

It's the xorg version, rotten drivers, bad hardware combo karma... when I Goooogled for this, I found one case where Ubuntu got the resolution wrong; wipe and install Xubuntu... it worked! Bottom line: this is being implemented too soon.

I tried Xubuntu, and found that transferring files back and forth between that self-same work computer and the server downstairs (Windows 2003) was more work than I was willing to put into it. The file manager they chose, Thunar, is incapable of recognizing Samba shares. Other than that, it seemed nice.Thanks,Eddie