1280x800 Resolution On Suse 9.1

Hi everyone,

I've recently installed SuSE 9.1 on an acer Aspire 1413WLMi. Everything seems to be working nicely, I even sorted the wLAN after a bit of fiddling. But for the life of me, I cannot set the display resolution to the desired 1280x800! SaX2 does not seem to offer this option by default, and even if I specify the resolution manually I still end up with 1024x768.

Please, can someone help me out, this is driving me crazy.

I'm not sure I can help, but could you post the "Monitor", "Modes", and "Screen" sections of /etc/X11/XF86Config?

http://www.linuxdownloads.org/howto/XFree8...ings-HOWTO.html

Read thru there, it will help you. Just dont fry your monitor
I think a LCD wont fry tho. of course I have been wrong..........

Thanks for the replies guys.

I still have not succeeded, but this is how far I got:
reading through the docs on bandit's link, I got a little confused to be honest. Ok, so I need my monitor specs, but I can't find these anywhere. All I know is that it can do 1280x800@60Hz. What about HSync and VSync? Do LCD displays even use these parameters?

Anyway, at an interesting point in the doc, I was urged to try the command:
#X -probeonly
and reading the output in the XFree86.0.log file I found these interesting lines:

(II) I810(0): Display Info: CRT: attached: FALSE, present: TRUE, size: (1024,768)
(II) I810(0): Display Info: TV: attached: FALSE, present: TRUE, size: (800,600)
(II) I810(0): Display Info: DFP (digital flat panel): attached: FALSE, present: FALSE, size: (0,2059)
(II) I810(0): Display Info: LFP (local flat panel): attached: TRUE, present: TRUE, size: (1280,800)
(II) I810(0): Display Info: TV2 (second TV): attached: FALSE, present: FALSE, size: (0,2059)
(II) I810(0): Display Info: DFP2 (second digital flat panel): attached: FALSE, present: FALSE, size: (0,2059)
(II) I810(0): Size of device LFP (local flat panel) is 1280 x 800
(II) I810(0): No active displays on Pipe A.
(II) I810(0): Currently active displays on Pipe B:
(II) I810(0):* LFP (local flat panel)
(II) I810(0): Lowest common panel size for pipe B is 1280 x 800
(II) Loading sub module "ddc"
(II) LoadModule: "ddc"
(II) Loading /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/libddc.a
(II) Module ddc: vendor="The XFree86 Project"
compiled for 4.3.99.902, module version = 1.0.0
ABI class: XFree86 Video Driver, version 0.7
(II) I810(0): VESA VBE DDC supported
(II) I810(0): VESA VBE DDC Level 2
(II) I810(0): VESA VBE DDC transfer in appr. 1 sec.
(II) I810(0): VESA VBE DDC read successfully
(II) I810(0): Manufacturer: QDS* Model: 14* Serial#: 0
(II) I810(0): Year: 2094* Week: 37
(II) I810(0): EDID Version: 1.3
(II) I810(0): Digital Display Input
(II) I810(0): Max H-Image Size [cm]: horiz.: 33* vert.: 21
(II) I810(0): Gamma: 2.20
(II) I810(0): No DPMS capabilities specified; RGB/Color Display
(II) I810(0): First detailed timing is preferred mode
(II) I810(0): redX: 0.575 redY: 0.359* greenX: 0.319 greenY: 0.532
(II) I810(0): blueX: 0.155 blueY: 0.129* whiteX: 0.312 whiteY: 0.328
(II) I810(0): Manufacturer's mask: 0
(II) I810(0): Supported additional Video Mode:
(II) I810(0): clock: 68.9 MHz* Image Size:* 331 x 207 mm
(II) I810(0): h_active: 1280* h_sync: 1301* h_sync_end 1333 h_blank_end 1408 h_border: 0
(II) I810(0): v_active: 800* v_sync: 804* v_sync_end 808 v_blanking: 816 v_border: 0

In particular, the last three lines inspired me to create my own modeline:

Modeline* "1280x800" 68.9 1280 1301 1333 1408 800 804 808 816 +hsync +vsync

Currently, the "Monitor" "Modes" and "Screen" sections of /etc/X11/XF86Config are as follows:

Section "Monitor"
* Option* * * "CalcAlgorithm" "CheckDesktopGeometry"
* DisplaySize* 331 207
* HorizSync* * 30-50
* Identifier* "Monitor[0]"
* ModelName* * "1280X800@60HZ"
* Option* * * "DPMS"
* VendorName* "--> LCD"
* VertRefresh* 40-60
* UseModes* * "Modes[0]"
EndSection


Section "Modes"
* Identifier* "Modes[0]"
* Modeline* "1280x800" 68.9 1280 1301 1333 1408 800 804 808 816 +hsync +vsync
EndSection


Section "Screen"
* DefaultDepth 24
* SubSection "Display"
* * Depth* * * 15
* * Modes* * * "1280x800"
* EndSubSection
* SubSection "Display"
* * Depth* * * 16
* * Modes* * * "1280x800"
* EndSubSection
* SubSection "Display"
* * Depth* * * 24
* * Modes* * * "1280x800"
* EndSubSection
* SubSection "Display"
* * Depth* * * 32
* * Modes* * * "1280x800"
* EndSubSection
* SubSection "Display"
* * Depth* * * 4
* * Modes* * * "1280x800"
* EndSubSection
* SubSection "Display"
* * Depth* * * 8
* * Modes* * * "1280x800"
* EndSubSection
* Device* * * "Device[0]"
* Identifier* "Screen[0]"
* Monitor* * * "Monitor[0]"
EndSection

I'm not sure about the VSync anc HSync values and about these options:

Option* * * "CalcAlgorithm" "CheckDesktopGeometry"
Option* * * "DPMS"

I've even tried commenting them out, but I always get the sam result when I start X. That is, the display resolution always somehow reverts to 1024x768.

I've noticed these error lines when launching X:

X Error: BadValue (integer parameter out of range for operation) 2
* Major opcode: 102
* Minor opcodde: 0
* Resource id: 0x0

Dunno what they mean.

That's about as far as I got.

Any ideas?

My first thought is that 1280x800 isn't supported in the horiz and vert ranges shown in your monitor section.

Have you ever had 1280x800? Maybe in another OS? The reason I ask, I went to the acer site to see if I could find the specs on your Aspire 1413WLMi. They don't list that exact model, buit they do have three 14xx models. None supported more than 1024x768.

If you know this machine will support more than 1024x768, find the horiz and vert specs for it.

Mostly just a guess. Wish I could be of more help.

Good luck!

Oh yes, 1280x800 is supported all right. I know because I just got it working. Woohoo!

I was on the right track, but what finally came to the rescue was this guide: http://www.abclinuxu.cz/hardware/show/68850 written in Czech (I think). I was a bit discouraged by the language, but "reading" through it I found the steps to be quite intuitive. Many thanks to the guy who wrote it.

Essentially, one needs to download this neat little tool called 855resolution: http://perso.wanadoo.fr/apoirier/ which allows you to change the available resolutions on the i855 graphics device. Thanks to a certain Alain Poirier (great work dude! Much appreciated)

After installing it, a first run of this software revealed the following information:

# 855resolution -l
* * * * Chipset: 855GM
VBIOS type: 1
* * * * BIOS Version: 3240

* * * * Mode 30 : 640x480, 8 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 32 : 800x600, 8 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 34 : 1024x768, 8 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 38 : 1280x1024, 8 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 3a : 1600x1200, 8 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 3c : 1920x1440, 8 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 41 : 640x480, 16 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 43 : 800x600, 16 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 45 : 1024x768, 16 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 49 : 1280x1024, 16 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 4b : 1600x1200, 16 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 4d : 1920x1440, 16 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 50 : 640x480, 32 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 52 : 800x600, 32 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 54 : 1024x768, 32 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 58 : 1280x1024, 32 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 5a : 1600x1200, 32 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 5c : 1920x1440, 32 bits/pixel

One can then choose to overwite one of these resolutions (for example the 1920x1440) with the desired resolution (1280x800 in my case):

# 855resolution 3c 1280 800

The available resolutions thus become:

# 855resolution -l
* * * * Chipset: 855GM
VBIOS type: 1
* * * * BIOS Version: 3240

* * * * Mode 30 : 640x480, 8 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 32 : 800x600, 8 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 34 : 1024x768, 8 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 38 : 1280x1024, 8 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 3a : 1600x1200, 8 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 3c : 1280x800, 8 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 41 : 640x480, 16 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 43 : 800x600, 16 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 45 : 1024x768, 16 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 49 : 1280x1024, 16 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 4b : 1600x1200, 16 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 4d : 1280x800, 16 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 50 : 640x480, 32 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 52 : 800x600, 32 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 54 : 1024x768, 32 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 58 : 1280x1024, 32 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 5a : 1600x1200, 32 bits/pixel
* * * * Mode 5c : 1280x800, 32 bits/pixel

This is all very well documented in th README.txt supplied with the software.

Next step was to find out the specs of my display, using read-edid: http://john.fremlin.de/programs/linux/read-edid/ I didn't actually do this, but just trusted the output that was supplied on the czech guide:

# get-edid | parse-edid
get-edid: get-edid version 1.4.1
* * * * [snip]
* * * * VBE string at 0x11110 "Intel®852GM/852GME/855GM/855GME
* * * * Graphics Chip Accelerated VGA BIOS"
* * * * [snip]
parse-edid: EDID checksum passed.

* * * * # EDID version 1 revision 3
Section "Monitor"
* * * * Identifier "QDS:1400"
* * * * VendorName "QDS"
* * * * ModelName "QDS:1400"
* * * * # DPMS capabilities: Active off:no* Suspend:no* Standby:no
* * * * Mode* * "1280x800"* * * # vfreq 59.969Hz, hfreq 48.935kHz
* * * * * * * * DotClock* * * * 68.900000
* * * * * * * * HTimings* * * * 1280 1301 1333 1408
* * * * * * * * VTimings* * * * 800 804 808 816
* * * * * * * * Flags* "-HSync" "-VSync"
* * * * EndMode
EndSection

This information enabled me to adjust the "Monitor" and "Modes" sections of my /etc/X11/XF86Config file as follows:

Section "Monitor"
* DisplaySize* 331 207
* HorizSync* * 48-49
* Identifier* "Monitor[0]"
* ModelName* * "QDS:1400"
* VendorName* "QDS"
* VertRefresh* 59-60
* UseModes* * "Modes[0]"
EndSection


Section "Modes"
* Identifier* "Modes[0]"
* Modeline* "1280x800" 68.90 1280 1301 1333 1408 800 804 808 816 +HSync +VSync
EndSection

And that's that. X now fires up with the beautiful 1280x800 resolution

I hope this short description will be able to help someone else.