Not Solved, gave up...Monitor refresh rate

[chappy01]

Hi, I am not new to Linux, but it has been several years since i used it. I have run into a problem after installing kubuntu 9.10 on my AMD64 desktop. Installation went OK, but when I boot into Kubuntu, it stops and my monitor gives a message "92k/58Hz Freq out of range".

I remember a similar problem with a Redhat installation many years ago, but cannot remember how to fix it.

I have searched the forum but cannot find anything related.
Can someone advise how to fix this?

Thanks

[Rog131]

Re: Monitor refresh rate

Maybe with the xorg.conf > X Configuration:

Today's X rarely requires manual configuration. X now automatically configures itself with reasonable defaults. Both GNOME and KDE provide GUI utilities for customizing settings beyond these defaults if you like.

However, sometimes you need to muck with the configuration manually, beyond what these tools allow. These pages are written for you...

Older > HOWTO: change resolution/refresh rate in Xorg

[chappy01]

Re: Monitor refresh rate

Thanks, I will try that tonight when I can get to the PC.

[chappy01]

Re: Monitor refresh rate

I have tried working through both of these examples, plus tried resetting refresh rate with xrandr, each time the response is the same, "can't open display"

Is there something else I can try?

Even tried editing .xprofile, and get the same response...

[toad]

Re: Monitor refresh rate

Perhaps xrandr?

The short howto:

1. boot into runlevel 3 (append the number three - 3 - to the kernel line in grub during boot time)
2. xrandr -q should tell you about your monitor's capabilities
3. xrandr --fb 1600x1200 -r 60 should set it to 1600x1200 with a 60 refresh rate - adjust to output of 2. above
4. change to runlevel 5 (sudo init 5)
5. hope for the best

HTH

[chappy01]

Re: Monitor refresh rate

Toad, Thanks for the input, still comes up with the message "can't open display"
Terminals work fine but as soon as I go to the GUI, my monitor just displays the frequency out of range message.
Not sure where to go from here, If I reinstall, it will just pick up the same info from the monitor right? It is an older CRT but still works fine, do not really want to replace it yet.

[toad]

Re: Monitor refresh rate

Hi chappy,

so where did it go wrong? Step 4? What was the output of 2 and what did you put in 3?

Could you also let us know your video card please (output of: lspci|grep VGA). This could be down to a myriad of problems and it is just a question of finding the right answer

[chappy01]

Re: Monitor refresh rate

I got no response from xrandr except "can't open display", does not seem to respond at all, always the same output. Also when I am in the GUI screen (even though it will not load, the monitor controls are locked, when I am in a terminal session they are not.
Video card is a Nvidia 7300gt AGP, monitor is a Philips 109S CRT.

[toad]

Re: Monitor refresh rate

I am as yet uncertain how many of the steps you followed. Did you manage to boot into runlevel 3?

To do so, wait for grub to come up. I think you need to press ESC in Kubuntu to get to the menu. It will show the menu and the default stanza is highlighted. Press E for edit and move to the line beginning with the word "kernel". Press E for edit, go to the end of that line and append a 3. Press enter to accept your changes and press B for boot.

You should now boot into runlevel three, i.e. without a gui. Now try steps 2 - 5 of my earlier post.

[chappy01]

Re: Monitor refresh rate

Edited grub, amended 3 to end of kernal line with a space, no different, with a -, it still tried to load the GUI. Then I have to Crtl+Alt+F1 to get to a terminal.

Step 2, got the same response, "can't open display"

Tried stopping kdm, no joy.

[toad]

Re: Monitor refresh rate

Thanks for that.

Edited grub, amended 3 to end of kernal line with a space, no different, with a -, it still tried to load the GUI.

You running grub2?

Whatever, if xrandr doesn't recognise your display then I don't know what to do. Time to google whatever error message you get. Keep us up to date on whatever you find.

[chappy01]

Re: Monitor refresh rate

Just googled the problem, only idea that came up that you had not suggested was to startx. Tried that and got the response "Resource temporarily unavailable (errno 11) unable to connect to x server"

Does this mean anything to you?

[toad]

Re: Monitor refresh rate

Clutching at straws here, but read that

mv ~/.ICEauthority ~/.ICEauthority~

is supposed to help. Also, is there anything useful in /var/log/Xorg.0.log?

Do you have a file /etc/X11/xorg.conf? If so, move it to xorg.conf~ and restart the x server.

Still don't know your grub version...

[chappy01]

Re: Monitor refresh rate

Sorry, meant to tell you yesterday, grub version 2
Also using amd64 alternate version of Kubuntu 9.10, is this the right cd image or should I have used the desktop version?

Edit: I have spent some time looking around with nano, in /var/log/Xorg.0.log, I found the following:
Video card details look correct.
It appears not to be able to get any data from my monitor
Using default monitor, most modes appear correct, however the horizontal range selected is 31.5 to 1259.2, vertical refresh rate is in the range of only 56hz to 60hz.
System selected 98khz - 58.5hz.
The vertical is outside the monitors capabilities...60hz to 85hz
I appear not to have a xorg.conf, cannot find .xprofile.

Whatever the outcome I would like to thank you for the help you have given, I have not given up, just taking a deep breath...

I have a spare monitor, may give that a try when I get home from work.

[chappy01]

Not solved, gave up...Re: Monitor refresh rate

Have had an interesting couple of days, tried another monitor, same problem. So I downloaded the desktop version of Kubuntu 9.10. Went to reinstall, booted from the CD, when it got to the graphical install, my monitor did the same thing. The installer selected exactly the same refresh rate. Now I have no idea what to do.
Any ideas?