SaX2 and video setup and (yuck!) 60Hz
Dual-boot Dell laptop, a few years old. Win NT on one partition. SuSE 8.0 on the other. If I boot into Windows, I get 1280x1024, True Color (that's 24-bit?) at 85Hz. It's beautiful, smooth, rock-steady, flicker-free, just a pleasure to work with. In Linux, SaX2 scans the hardware (ATI Mobility M3 AGP 2X and 21-inch monitor) and timidly finds a maximum of 1152x768. And that drops to 1024x768 at 16 bits, as the maximum performance that SaX2 is willing to test. BUT, it's worse than that. SaX2 has made up it's mind to offer this puny maximum resolution -- far below what the aging Windows NT can do with the same hardware -- at 60Hz. In addition to the constant headache from the 60Hz flicker, I have to put up with comments from my cow-orkers: "Kevin! How can you live with that? Is that that stupid Linux stuff? Why do you use that?" QUESTION 1 Why can't SaX2 figure out what a 5 year old operating system figures out? QUESTION 2 How can I persuade Linux to give me decent video, that SaX2 won't override if I run it again? /kevin -- ** DIR-ty DEEDS, and they're DONE dirt cheap. (Sing it with me, now...)
Update, with additional info: Summary: SaX2 detects the correct hardware, but won't give me more than 1024x768 at a punishing 60Hz refresh rate. Windows on the same machine does far, far better, so I know it's not hardware limitations. In my /etc/X11/XF86Config file, I have many Modelines for 1152x864. In the "Section 'Monitor'", I have: (among other things) HorizSync 15-121 VertRefresh 30-160 In the "Section 'Screen'", I have: DefaultDepth 16 Subsection "Display" Depth 15 Modes "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" etc. EndSubSection Subsection "Display" Depth 16 Modes "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" etc. EndSubSection Subsection "Display" Depth 24 Modes "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" etc. EndSubSection In the "Section 'DRI'", I have: Group "video" Mode 0660 EndSection Of course, there are many more subsections, with variations for the other resolutions. And, of course, none of them say "etc.", I just truncated for readability. Does anybody have any suggestions as to what I can (or should) do to: a) get higher resolution (on the same laptop, connected to the same monitors, Windows has gone as high as 1600x1200, and there was no smoke or funny noise, but I prefer 1280x1024 at a higher refresh rate); b) get a refresh rate of at least 75Hz to nullify the flicker from the overhead fluorescents; c) or both... since bloody Windows from 1996 can do it without breaking a sweat. I haven't seen where SaX2 would let me modify its own very conservative offerings, so I'm willing to edit files directly if somebody can suggest what needs editing. Point to a good faq for the those with limited experience... and a big headache from staring at a 60Hz screen all day? Thanks for your time. /kevin
On Sat, 5 Oct 2002 01:29:49 +0100
Kevin McLauchlan
Does anybody have any suggestions as to what I can (or should) do to:
a) get higher resolution (on the same laptop, connected to the same monitors, Windows has gone as high as 1600x1200, and there was no smoke or funny noise, but I prefer 1280x1024 at a higher refresh rate);
b) get a refresh rate of at least 75Hz to nullify the flicker from the overhead fluorescents;
c) or both... since bloody Windows from 1996 can do it without breaking a sweat.
I haven't seen where SaX2 would let me modify its own very conservative offerings, so I'm willing to edit files directly if somebody can suggest what needs editing. Point to a good faq for the those with limited experience... and a big headache from staring at a 60Hz screen all day?
Well you can edit your XF86Config file in /etc/X11 but you will need to adjust the modelines if you want to change resolutions. That is hard. You will need to research what modelines are available for that resolution. A google search might help. If you just want to adjust your refresh rate youn can change the vertical refresh to a higher number without much problem. Change 50-60 to 50-75. You can also try to use Sax , not Sax2, or even the old xf86config, which is a text-mode setup for X11, and is the grandfather of them all. -- use Perl; #powerful programmable prestidigitation
On Saturday 05 October 2002 12:01, zentara wrote: [...]
Well you can edit your XF86Config file in /etc/X11 but you will need to adjust the modelines if you want to change resolutions. That is hard. You will need to research what modelines are available for that resolution. A google search might help.
Apparently, I'm STILL not understanding... As I mentioned, I *already* have modelines for 1152x864 (nine of them, actually), and the system seems to be ignoring all of them. So, I don't understand what good it would do for me to create additional modelines at higher resolution, for the system to ignore. Here are a couple of sample Modelines from my existing file: Modeline "1152x864" 77.55 1152 1168 1384 1568 864 864 871 902 Modeline "1152x864" 90.48 1152 1168 1384 1568 864 864 873 902 Modeline "1152x864" 103.40 1152 1168 1384 1568 864 864 874 902 (and six more for 1152x864) Modeline "1024x768" 61.19 1024 1040 1216 1400 768 768 775 802 Modeline "1024x768" 132.59 1024 1040 1216 1400 768 768 786 802 (and seven more for 1024x768) Given the results, all of the "1152x864" lines are ignored, yes? When I read the XF86Config man page, I seem to have missed the command that says: "Make the bastard pay attention to modeline such'n'such." Did I miss a switch or variable that I can tweak?
If you just want to adjust your refresh rate youn can change the vertical refresh to a higher number without much problem. Change 50-60 to 50-75.
Well, the only line that mentions "refresh" at all, is in Section "Monitor", and it says: VertRefresh 30-160 So, I think a vertical refresh rate of 75 or 85 is already well covered in that range, don't you? Or, is there some *other* line I should be looking for. Can I just add in lines, willy-nilly? Won't they conflict with the ones that are already in the XF86Config file that SaX2 generated, and that I've been quoting, here?
You can also try to use Sax , not Sax2, or even the old xf86config, which is a text-mode setup for X11, and is the grandfather of them all.
In more than one mailing list (and some FAQs also, I think...) people have said "Do NOT use old SaX on version 4 of X. SaX2 is for version 4. Old SaX is for version 3.x and will give you more grief than you can imagine if you try to use it to configure 4.x" ... or words to that effect. I tried it once, last year, when I was running SuSE 7.3, and I had to reload everything-X from CDs, using textmode YaST. If there are no other suggestions, then can somebody tell me if SaX2 has gotten any smarter with SuSE 8.1? /kevin
On Saturday 05 October 2002 15.27, Kevin McLauchlan wrote:
Apparently, I'm STILL not understanding... As I mentioned, I *already* have modelines for 1152x864 (nine of them, actually), and the system seems to be ignoring all of them. So, I don't understand what good it would do for me to create additional modelines at higher resolution, for the system to ignore.
They're ignored because they're wrong for your system. If you add correct ones they won't be ignored. Check the XFree log in /var/log and you'll find that they're ignored for valid reasons (clock frequency out of range etc) If you have the monitor driver disk you can use it in sax2 to create proper mode lines for your monitor.
In more than one mailing list (and some FAQs also, I think...) people have said "Do NOT use old SaX on version 4 of X. SaX2 is for version 4. Old SaX is for version 3.x and will give you more grief than you can imagine if you try to use it to configure 4.x" ... or words to that effect.
It won't give you grief, it simply won't work :) sax will, as you observe, configure X 3.x for you, and create the symlink /var/X11R6/bin/X->an_X3.x_server. It won't overwrite any config files, since X4 and X3 by default use different locations for the config files.
I tried it once, last year, when I was running SuSE 7.3, and I had to reload everything-X from CDs, using textmode YaST.
It should be enough to run SaX2 which will set the system back to using X 4. Or simply set the symlink /var/X11R6/bin/X->/usr/X11R6/bin/XFree86 //Anders -- 'Deserves [death]. I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.' --Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
participants (4)
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Kevin McLauchlan -
zentara