Video card + resolution frustrations

April 14th, 2008, 11:35 pm

I've been trying to install several linux distros on my main pc which has a 22" flat screen (viewsonic VG2230wm) with geforce 7800 gt. When I try to install ubuntu, the installation goes thru ok, but when I try to boot for the first time it freezes and has kind of a patchy static thing going on with some discoloration. I've tried installing Foresight (I know same thing) and it first got me in ok with 1280x1024 resolution...but when I went into change the hardware setting from generic to nvidia to get a better resolution, I restarted, it started booting with the 1680x1050 (what I wanted, so I was excited that it was working), but when it was booting to the desktop, I got that discolored static in random places and a frozen desktop (mouse worked though).

I know this is vague But I was at least wanting to know if anyone has encountered this or if it's a known bug. Now that I've bugged everyone, I'm gonna go search google

[Daemonguy]

April 15th, 2008, 1:04 pm

Post your xorg.conf.

April 16th, 2008, 3:12 pm

Will do once I get home and get a chance to plug in my linux drive. Hopefully tonight. I have a feeling I'll have more questions after that since I'm wanting to try out compiz fusion too sorry in advance lol. I'm piling up the resources and how to's though to keep those questions to a minimum.

April 16th, 2008, 7:18 pm

OK here's the deal...

Tried fresh install of Ubuntu.When it got to the point where it's "seletcing and installing software" at about 6% the screen goes red and says can't complete install.

So...I tried installing plain ol' Debian. Install went fine...and I get to the login screen. After logging in and the debian splash screen comes up it locks up and goes distorted right there (mouse still works). I got another monitor, this time 17", and it does the same thing, so I think I can exclude the monitor from the problem.

Then I tried changing session to terminal before login...guess what...when I click "session" to change it....locks up and distorts the session window and I can't click anything.

Is it possible the hard drive has a problem? Taking into consideration that red screen I mentioned?

edit: found an extra hard drive...going to try that now!
edit2: was able to install ubuntu on the extra drive...got to the login screen....logged in fine...panels loaded...then the wallpaper became distorted and everything locked up except for mouse movement. UGH. I don't think my hardware likes linux.
edit3: installed ubuntu on another pc I had....works fine....so something must be up with the hardware in my main pc that I'll have to figure out

April 17th, 2008, 7:24 am

Maybe if you can take the video card out of the machine that it goes snafu on and put it in the machine that works and see what happens. If it goes all distorted then you can guess it is either a POS driver or a junk video card or something with your motherboard chipset that won't work or something.

April 17th, 2008, 12:28 pm

I can't because one pc is pci-x and the one that works is agp. I'm just gonna stop messing with it for now. It works fine in windows xp.

But I went ahead and installed ubuntu on my machine at work...and I've been wondering this for a while. I want to be able to use 1152x864 @75 hz - it currently doesn't have that option...not even 1152x864 @any hz

What would I change or add in the conf? Here's current:
FYI monitor is viewsonic E70f if that helps

Line number On/Off

Code: Select all

1. # xorg.conf (xorg X Window System server configuration file)
2. #
3. # This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
4. # values from the debconf database.
5. #
6. # Edit this file with caution, and see the xorg.conf manual page.
7. # (Type "man xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
8. #
9. # This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
10. # if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
11. # package.
12. #
13. # If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
14. # again, run the following command:
15. #   sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg
16.  
17. Section "Files"
18. EndSection
19.  
20. Section "InputDevice"
21.     Identifier  "Generic Keyboard"
22.     Driver      "kbd"
23.     Option      "CoreKeyboard"
24.     Option      "XkbRules"  "xorg"
25.     Option      "XkbModel"  "pc105"
26.     Option      "XkbLayout" "us"
27. EndSection
28.  
29. Section "InputDevice"
30.     Identifier  "Configured Mouse"
31.     Driver      "mouse"
32.     Option      "CorePointer"
33.     Option      "Device"    "/dev/input/mice"
34.     Option      "Protocol"  "ImPS/2"
35.     Option      "ZAxisMapping"  "4 5"
36.     Option      "Emulate3Buttons"   "true"
37. EndSection
38.  
39. Section "InputDevice"
40.     Driver      "wacom"
41.     Identifier  "stylus"
42.     Option      "Device"    "/dev/input/wacom"
43.     Option      "Type"  "stylus"
44.     Option      "ForceDevice"   "ISDV4"# Tablet PC ONLY
45. EndSection
46.  
47. Section "InputDevice"
48.     Driver      "wacom"
49.     Identifier  "eraser"
50.     Option      "Device"    "/dev/input/wacom"
51.     Option      "Type"  "eraser"
52.     Option      "ForceDevice"   "ISDV4"# Tablet PC ONLY
53. EndSection
54.  
55. Section "InputDevice"
56.     Driver      "wacom"
57.     Identifier  "cursor"
58.     Option      "Device"    "/dev/input/wacom"
59.     Option      "Type"  "cursor"
60.     Option      "ForceDevice"   "ISDV4"# Tablet PC ONLY
61. EndSection
62.  
63. Section "Device"
64.     Identifier  "nVidia Corporation GeForce 7100 GS"
65.     Driver      "nvidia"
66.     Busid       "PCI:3:0:0"
67.     Option      "AddARGBVisuals"    "True"
68.     Option      "AddARGBGLXVisuals" "True"
69.     Option      "NoLogo"    "True"
70.     Option      "AddARGBGLXVisuals" "True"
71. EndSection
72.  
73. Section "Monitor"
74.     Identifier  "Generic Monitor"
75.     Option      "DPMS"
76.     Horizsync   28-64
77.     Vertrefresh 43-60
78. EndSection
79.  
80. Section "Screen"
81.     Identifier  "Default Screen"
82.     Device      "nVidia Corporation GeForce 7100 GS"
83.     Monitor     "Generic Monitor"
84.     Defaultdepth    24
85.     SubSection "Display"
86.         Modes       "1280x1024" "1152x864"  "1024x768"  "800x600"   "640x480"
87.     EndSubSection
88. EndSection
89.  
90. Section "ServerLayout"
91.     Identifier  "Default Layout"
92.   screen "Default Screen"
93.     Inputdevice "Generic Keyboard"
94.     Inputdevice "Configured Mouse"
95.    
96.     # Uncomment if you have a wacom tablet
97.     #   InputDevice     "stylus"    "SendCoreEvents"
98.     #   InputDevice     "cursor"    "SendCoreEvents"
99.     #   InputDevice     "eraser"    "SendCoreEvents"
100. EndSection
101. Section "Module"
102.     Load        "glx"
103. EndSection
104.  

[Daemonguy]

April 18th, 2008, 11:46 am

OK; some things to try.

Add the following under the device section.
Option "NvAGP" "0"
Option "RenderAccel" "Off"
Option "IgnoreDisplayDevices" "DFP,TV"
Option "NoRenderExtension" "Off"
Option "AllowGLXWithComposite" “Off”

Failing that, you can try to use a compiled driver. Try this link:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Binar ... wto/Nvidia

I am still trying to find a ref I discovered the other day for xorg configs.

April 18th, 2008, 4:22 pm

Neither worked...adding the options cut my resolution choices to 800x600 and 640x480...and I already have the driver installed. :shrug:

April 22nd, 2008, 1:41 pm

Solution if anyone else needs an answer:

http://www.linuxcompatible.org/Screen_r ... 33565.html