Weird screen resolution - using 915resolution?

[popol]

Hi

I've recently installed natty on my laptop with some difficulties (see my previous posts...) related to my graphic card: as it is an old intel card, I had to specify the boot option nomodeset.

lspci | grep VGA gives:
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 09)

Everything works fine now except the screen resolution: the only available is

xrandr:
xrandr: Failed to get size of gamma for output default
Screen 0: minimum 1024 x 768, current 1024 x 768, maximum 1024 x 768
default connected 1024x768+0+0 0mm x 0mm
1024x768 0.0*


I know the graphic card is capable of better resolution (my laptop was previously running maverick with "normal" resolution, but I don't remember which)

Now on, the resolution is OK for my declining eyes but still, squares look rectangle, circles look oval... this is somewhat weird.

A recent post in this thread suggests to use the 915resolution tool.
More searches however inform me that this tool is no more part of the official packages since karmic. I am very reluctant to use a non supported tool. Its web page hasn't been updated since 2007...

Can somebody answer me

-if this tool is reliable and won't cause any damage (my natty install was so painful that I really don't want to experience it again)
-is there some kind of support for it
-is there a location where I can download natty packages for it?


all the best and thanks in advance

[popol]

Re: Weird screen resolution - using 915resolution?

EDIT
I finally deciced to try 915resolution
Here is the result:

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: 2a408086
Please report this problem to stomljen@yahoo.com

[ardvark71]

Re: Weird screen resolution - using 915resolution?

Hi....

I'm not sure if this will help or not but I found this page. I've checked around on Google and I saw another page similar to it. Although I'm not sure if there is a specific driver for this chipset, the person who replied to the OP of the first link claimed the i915 driver worked well for him and showed the appropriate readout.

Just to get some further information on your system, please run both:

lspci

sudo lspci -v

and post the results, if you would.

Regards...

[popol]

Re: Weird screen resolution - using 915resolution?

Hi and thanks for your time

1) I've read the links you gave me (wow! rather technical). One of the posts suggests to paste the result to lspci -n to http://kmuto.jp/debian/hcl/index.cgi the resulting page suggests to use the i915 driver.
Honestly I don't know how to find which driver is currently in use, this is beyond my field of competence. I will have a look tomorrow. Isn't it what 915resolution is supposed to do?

2) I attach as txt files the results of the two commands you asked for

all the best

JPB

[ardvark71]

Re: Weird screen resolution - using 915resolution?

Honestly I don't know how to find which driver is currently in use, this is beyond my field of competence. I will have a look tomorrow. Isn't it what 915resolution is supposed to do?

Hi....

I've never had the opportunity to work with the i915resolution tool yet, so I have no idea. From the readout you gave on a previous post, it doesn't look like the program was able to do much. But what you have stated above seems to be the crux of the problem. If you take a look at the results of "lspci -v" of the second poster of the first link I gave you, you will notice this comment: "Kernel driver in use: i915." Looking at the readout you provided, under "00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 09) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])," you will notice that there is no entry for "Kernel driver." I'm guessing the standard VESA driver is being used but I'm not sure. You may not have this file but would you check your root/etc/X11 folder to see if you have a "xorg.conf" file. If you do, that should tell us what driver you're using. If you don't have one, you can try opening up a terminal and typing in...

sudo lshw -c display

and post the results.

Also, this may or may not work but I found this command...

sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg-video-intel

on this page. However, I offer fair warning: This may or may not make your situation even worse. In case it does, these instructions may help to reverse any problems that may result. You can try installing these drivers if you don't mind possibly having to reinstall your OS.

Regards...

[popol]

Re: Weird screen resolution - using 915resolution?

OK

here are the answers to your first questions

-I don't have a xorg.conf file. I have a /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d folder which contains

ls /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/
10-evdev.conf 11-evdev-quirks.conf 50-synaptics.conf 50-vmmouse.conf 50-wacom.conf 51-synaptics-quirks.conf

-Here are the results of sudo lshw -c display:

 *-display:0 UNCLAIMED  
    description: VGA compatible controller
    product: Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller
    vendor: Intel Corporation
    physical id: 2
    bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0
    version: 09
    width: 64 bits
    clock: 33MHz
    capabilities: msi pm vga_controller bus_master cap_list
    configuration: latency=0
    resources: memory:d0000000-d03fffff memory:c0000000-cfffffff ioport:50f0(size=8)
 *-display:1 UNCLAIMED
    description: Display controller
    product: Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller
    vendor: Intel Corporation
    physical id: 2.1
    bus info: pci@0000:00:02.1
    version: 09
    width: 64 bits
    clock: 33MHz
    capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list
    configuration: latency=0
    resources: memory:d3400000-d34fffff

Concerning the 2nd suggestion (installing xserver_xorg-video-intel). Mmmmm. I'll try. but I have to prepare for it: I've struggled a lot to install natty because of the video card: it was running out of the box with maverick but I've been fighting for 10 days again a "black screen" symptom. The workaround was to boot with option "nomodeset" or "i915.modeset=0" and make these changes permanent by configuring GRUB. So let me first save my data and then I'll go.

[popol]

Re: Weird screen resolution - using 915resolution?

EDIT

I finally decided to install xserver-xorg-video-intel
No error at install. After reboot, nothing changed.
The commands lspci, sudo lspci -v, sudo lshw -c display returns exactly the same results as previously (checked by redirecting their outputs and using diff).

I suspect this might be caused by the workaround I mention in my previous reply: booting with option nomodeset might disable something, but I don't know exactly what. I'm starting to search in that direction. But without this boot option, I get stucked with a black screen.

Strange enough, in November I installed maverick on this very laptop and everything went out of the box. Is there a list of changes between maverick and natty (not all changes of course, those related to intel graphic cards) that could give me a hint?

[ardvark71]

Re: Weird screen resolution - using 915resolution?

Hi...

I'm out of recommendations at this point because I don't understand why Natty can't deal with your particular chipset.

In all honesty, I would go back 10.10 if you didn't have any issues with it, even though others on this forum might disagree with me. My motto with Linux is: If it works, stick with it and forgo any updates and upgrades!

I'm sorry I couldn't help you more.

Regards...

[dibl]

Re: Weird screen resolution - using 915resolution?

Is the built-in laptop display being used, or an external monitor? If external, tell the make and model.

[popol]

Re: Weird screen resolution - using 915resolution?

to ardvark71 : many thanks anyway for your time. Currently I can work (maybe better with distorted glasses...). I guess your suggestion is sensible. Even getting back to 10.04 so I will get support till the laptop has to be changed anyway. That's the problem when you buy a cheap laptop not knowing exactly what is inside.

to dibl: this is the built-in laptop display. Worked fine under 10.10... but needs nomodeset kernel option with 11.04 hence the resolution problems. Any ideas welcome, I continue trying for a week or so and if I don't find I will get back to 10.04.

[dibl]

Re: Weird screen resolution - using 915resolution?

When you boot a Kubuntu 11.04 Live CD, does it provide a good display resolution? Is that the resolution you would wish for the installed system, or do you want some different resolution?

[popol]

Re: Weird screen resolution - using 915resolution?

Booting from live CD with option nomodeset (required to avoid black screen):
I am in the same situation, only one available resolution, the same, 1024x768.
I would enjoy a better resolution, at least one that doesn't extend everything horizontally!

thanks

JP