nvidia-settings not recognizing optimal resolution

[Zeikcied]

I have an LCD monitor that prefers a 1280x1024 resolution, and an NVIDIA GeForce 7600GS. I installed the proprietary driver (as without it I could only get a max of 800x600), but nvidia-settings won't let me select a 1280x1024 resolution. It has up to 1024x768 and then two odd resolution settings I've never seen.

On Intrepid, the proprietary driver and nvidia-settings let me use 1280x1024. So I don't know what the problem is now.

Is there any way to force the 1280x1024 setting?

[dibl]

Re: nvidia-settings not recognizing optimal resolution

Which driver version did you install? Since something obviously went wrong somewhere along the way, you might consider trying it again -- I'm running the latest beta, 185.18.10 and it's running great -- it should run your 7600GS.

Here's link to my installation method -- should work for you if you follow it closely:

http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...4892#msg164892

[Zeikcied]

Re: nvidia-settings not recognizing optimal resolution

Which driver version did you install? Since something obviously went wrong somewhere along the way, you might consider trying it again -- I'm running the latest beta, 185.18.10 and it's running great -- it should run your 7600GS.

Here's link to my installation method -- should work for you if you follow it closely:

http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...4892#msg164892

I'm using version 180, which is "recommended" by the Hardware Drivers settings. I'm pretty sure that's what I had on Intrepid.

I did a fresh install, and I'm getting things set back up. It figures I probably should have saved my xorg.config file.

I don't know if reinstalling the version 180 driver will help or not. I guess I can give it a shot.

EDIT: No, it didn't help. Granted I removed it with the Hardware Drivers settings, so I don't know if I just need to completely remove it. But this is off of a fresh install...

[Zeikcied]

Re: nvidia-settings not recognizing optimal resolution

I tried editing my xorg.conf file, but it's not helping. I guess I could paste the contents of the file, just to make sure that everything is in order. I changed the "metamodes" line in the last Screen section, and added the "Modes" line in the Display subsection.

# nvidia-settings: X configuration file generated by nvidia-settings
# nvidia-settings: version 1.0 (buildd@palmer) Sun Feb 1 20:21:04 UTC 2009

# xorg.conf (X.Org X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# Note that some configuration settings that could be done previously
# in this file, now are automatically configured by the server and settings
# here are ignored.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
#  sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "ServerLayout"
  Identifier   "Default Layout"
  Screen   0 "Screen0" 0 0
  InputDevice  "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
  InputDevice  "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
EndSection

Section "Module"
  Load      "glx"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
  Option     "Xinerama" "0"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
  # generated from default
  Identifier   "Keyboard0"
  Driver     "kbd"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
  # generated from default
  Identifier   "Mouse0"
  Driver     "mouse"
  Option     "Protocol" "auto"
  Option     "Device" "/dev/psaux"
  Option     "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
  Option     "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
  Identifier   "Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
  Identifier   "Monitor0"
  VendorName   "Unknown"
  ModelName   "CRT-1"
  HorizSync    28.0 - 55.0
  VertRefresh   43.0 - 72.0
EndSection

Section "Device"
  Identifier   "Configured Video Device"
  Driver     "nvidia"
  Option     "NoLogo" "True"
EndSection

Section "Device"
  Identifier   "Device0"
  Driver     "nvidia"
  VendorName   "NVIDIA Corporation"
  BoardName   "GeForce 7600 GS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
  Identifier   "Default Screen"
  Device     "Configured Video Device"
  Monitor    "Configured Monitor"
  DefaultDepth  24
EndSection

Section "Screen"
  Identifier   "Screen0"
  Device     "Device0"
  Monitor    "Monitor0"
  DefaultDepth  24
  Option     "TwinView" "0"
  Option     "metamodes" "1280x1024_60 +0+0"
  SubSection   "Display"
    Depth    24
	Modes   "1280x1024"
  EndSubSection
EndSection

[dibl]

Re: nvidia-settings not recognizing optimal resolution

That /etc/X11/xorg.conf file is not real well formed -- multiple "Device", "Monitor", and "Screen" stanzas, although they are not in obvious conflict. You might get out of X -- Ctrl-Alt-F1 and shut down the X server with

sudo /etc/init.d/kdm stop

and then try

sudo nvidia-xconfig

to let it write a new xorg.conf file (the current one will be backed up).

Then restart X with

sudo /etc/init.d/kdm start

and see if it is any better. In particular try Alt-F2 "kdesudo nvidia-settings" again and see if you can set it to 1280x1024 and use the "Save to X Configuration File" button to save it.

I don't know what else to say, except that Hardware Drivers is not, apparently, doing the job correctly. That has been my experience with it, more often than not. I used to rely on Envy and later EnvyNG to do the dirty work of installing the proprietary driver, but development of EnvyNG has been discontinued since Mr. Milone joined Canonical. One would hope that future implementations of Hardware Drivers would reflect his expertise, but so far it remains unreliable. So, I have been installing from the downloaded driver since 9.04 was released, with good results, following the method in the post that I linked above.

[barbolani]

Re: nvidia-settings not recognizing optimal resolution

Is this an upgrade from 8.10? I had also this problem with an upgraded system (not with the same board as you) and had to issue sudo aptitude dist-upgrade for everything, including jockey the HW drivers manager to work properly.

[Zeikcied]

Re: nvidia-settings not recognizing optimal resolution

Well, I went through your tutorial. Twice even. And it hasn't helped. I guess I have a newer driver, but the KDE System Settings won't let me go above 1024x768 and nvidia-settings is giving me the same resolutions it was before.

[Zeikcied]

Re: nvidia-settings not recognizing optimal resolution

Ok, now I've had this happen twice. Once when I first started with the driver from the Hardware Drivers config, and once just now (after copying a backed up xorg.conf after failing at various experiments with dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg).

I get 1280x1024, and all my desktop effects, until I go into the Display section of the System Settings. Then it automatically shifts back to 1024x768 and halts all desktop effects. It's almost like it can communicate with the NVIDIA driver, even the automatically installed one, but there's some miscommunication or something.

[dibl]

Re: nvidia-settings not recognizing optimal resolution

until I go into the Display section of the System Settings.

Whoa! There's nothing in my guideline that says to open System Settings > Monitor & Display!

"Just say no" to KMenu>System Settings>Monitors&Displays! When running the proprietary nVidia driver, you DO NOT touch the KDE display utility -- ever! nvidia-settings is your only tool to adjust the resolution and frequency for your display.

[Zeikcied]

Re: nvidia-settings not recognizing optimal resolution

until I go into the Display section of the System Settings.

Whoa! There's nothing in my guideline that says to open System Settings > Monitor & Display!

"Just say no" to KMenu>System Settings>Monitors&Displays! When running the proprietary nVidia driver, you DO NOT touch the KDE display utility -- ever! nvidia-settings is your only tool to adjust the resolution and frequency for your display.

But the Display settings never did this before.

I've always been able to use it without any trouble. Now suddenly when I do this fresh install with Jaunty, it's causing all this trouble.

I don't get it.

EDIT: Also, nvidia-settings still isn't giving me 1280x1024. It gives me the standard resolution settings lower than and including 1024x768. But higher than that I get 1152x864 and 1360x768. Resolutions I've never seen before. Never mind the fact that it has my monitor listed as "CRT-1" when it's an LCD. (I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but the "Configuration:" thing is set to "Separate X screen.")

[dibl]

Re: nvidia-settings not recognizing optimal resolution

You can't mix nvidia-settings and the KDE Monitor & Display setting -- they both want to write to /etc/X11/xorg.conf. If you're running either the VESA or "nv" driver, then the KDE utility will work to adjust the resolution. But if you are running the proprietary driver, then AFAIK you must limit adjustments to nvidia-settings (after running nvidia-xconfig to write the initial xorg.conf file).

It sounds like your monitor has a part to play in your misery. Is it dpmi capable? When you do Alt-F2 "kdesudo nvidia-settings", can you click "detect displays"? What does it return, if anything? My Samsung CRT is able to report that it is a "Samsung SyncMaster" so that shows up in the xorg.conf file that nvidia-settings writes when I click "Save to X Configuration". But it looks like yours has not done that. I thought all recent models of CRTs and LCDs are dpmi capable, but maybe not.

Are you able to connect the monitor to the card using a DVI cable, or is it limited to the 15-pin VGA cable? I think you want to use the DVI connection, if possible.

[Zeikcied]

Re: nvidia-settings not recognizing optimal resolution

You can't mix nvidia-settings and the KDE Monitor & Display setting -- they both want to write to /etc/X11/xorg.conf. If you're running either the VESA or "nv" driver, then the KDE utility will work to adjust the resolution. But if you are running the proprietary driver, then AFAIK you must limit adjustments to nvidia-settings (after running nvidia-xconfig to write the initial xorg.conf file).

It sounds like your monitor has a part to play in your misery. Is it dpmi capable? When you do Alt-F2 "kdesudo nvidia-settings", can you click "detect displays"? What does it return, if anything? My Samsung CRT is able to report that it is a "Samsung SyncMaster" so that shows up in the xorg.conf file that nvidia-settings writes when I click "Save to X Configuration". But it looks like yours has not done that. I thought all recent models of CRTs and LCDs are dpmi capable, but maybe not.

Are you able to connect the monitor to the card using a DVI cable, or is it limited to the 15-pin VGA cable? I think you want to use the DVI connection, if possible.

When I click "Detect Displays," the screen flashes and nothing really changed. This LCD monitor is an LG Flatron from December 2007. I forget the exact model number, though.

The monitor came with the typical blue plug, so I'm guessing that's VGA. I don't think it came with any other connection cable.

Anyway, I tried deleting xorg.conf (or rather renaming it with the mv command) then letting nvidia-xconfig make a new file, and I don't think that worked properly. That was from a CLI with KDM stopped.

As it is now, I think my xorg.conf is more of a mess now than it was when I pasted its contents.

[dibl]

Re: nvidia-settings not recognizing optimal resolution

I'd keep the xorg.conf file generated by nvidia-xconfig. Bad as it may be, at least it will be the right structure for the driver to use.

One thing you might try is adding a modeline to whichever stanza they go in. You'll have to search on Ubuntu forums on "nvidia modeline" and you should find examples. You'll need to ID the model number of your Flatron, and then look up the horizontal and vertical frequency specs for it. Then you put the information into the modeline calculator here:

http://xtiming.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/xtiming.pl

[Zeikcied]

Re: nvidia-settings not recognizing optimal resolution

I'd keep the xorg.conf file generated by nvidia-xconfig. Bad as it may be, at least it will be the right structure for the driver to use.

One thing you might try is adding a modeline to whichever stanza they go in. You'll have to search on Ubuntu forums on "nvidia modeline" and you should find examples. You'll need to ID the model number of your Flatron, and then look up the horizontal and vertical frequency specs for it. Then you put the information into the modeline calculator here:

http://xtiming.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/xtiming.pl

That worked.

I ended up using Google with various things I knew about my monitor (LG Flatron 4ms 1400:1) until I found one that more or less fit (the right resolution and everything). Then I looked it up on Newegg (as they actually have the min and max refresh rates).

Text doesn't look quite right, but that could be just from spending the past 24 hours looking at 1024x768.

Thanks.

[dibl]

Re: nvidia-settings not recognizing optimal resolution

That worked.

Whew -- made that look easy, didn't we?