ACER ASPIRE 5920 Random Freezing

**Caged_Monkey** · 06-Oct-2010, 06:32

I have 11.3 installed with KDE 4.4.4 Release 3 and vesa driver. My computer freezes quite often but the mouse cursor remains responsive. From reading around the forum I believe I may be using the wrong driver. How do I change it?
I think I have a Intel GMA X3100 graphics card from a 965GM chipset so would like to try the intel driver first, then maybe the legacy driver.

**VampirD** · 06-Oct-2010, 09:49

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Install the intel legacy driver (xorg-x11-driver-video-intel-legacy) and
modify your /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/50-device.conf to

Code:

Section "Device"
Identifier "Default Device"
Driver "intellegacy"
#Driver "radeon"

## Required magic for radeon/radeonhd drivers; output name
## (here: "DVI-0") can be figured out via 'xrandr -q'
#Option "monitor-DVI-0" "Default Monitor"

EndSection

then restart the X server

- --
VampirD

Microsoft Windows is like air conditioning
Stops working when you open a window.
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**Caged_Monkey** · 07-Oct-2010, 07:57

Thanks, as you could probably guess I'm out my depth with Linux having just switched.

Finding the config file wont be a problem, I'm guessing I should open this up with root permissions?
How do I install the new driver, is it through Yast?
What is wrong with using the "Intel" driver as opposed the legacy one?

**oldcpu** · 07-Oct-2010, 08:15

Originally Posted by Caged_Monkey

Thanks, as you could probably guess I'm out my depth with Linux having just switched.

Finding the config file wont be a problem, I'm guessing I should open this up with root permissions?
How do I install the new driver, is it through Yast?
What is wrong with using the "Intel" driver as opposed the legacy one?

It appears the Intel driver is buggy for the X3100. The "intellegacy" driver (unique to openSUSE-11.3) purportedly works better. There are many thread on this on our forum (just do a search for X3100 on our forum).

The new 'intellegacy' driver comes with the rpm "xorg-x11-driver-video-intel-legacy " which you need installed.

I'm not certain, you may also have to specify 'nomodeset' as a boot code. ...

Some thread/URLs you could read:

Opensuse 11.3 doesn't like my intel GPU
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 - ThinkWiki - where they suggest the 'nomodeset' boot code

**oldcpu** · 07-Oct-2010, 08:20

Originally Posted by Caged_Monkey

Finding the config file wont be a problem, I'm guessing I should open this up with root permissions?

Yes, root permissions are needed.

If you have a GUI, you can open it up in:

KDE with: kdesu kwrite /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/50-device.conf
Gnome with: gnomesu gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/50-device.conf

and in both cases enter the root password when prompted for a password.

Be CAREFUL when editing that file. Else you will have no GUI if edited incorrectly.

You could also install "midnight commander" (known as 'mc') which provides a very nice text editor that can run in a text mode. You can install it (if not already installed) via the following (if PC connected to internet):

Code:

su -c 'zypper in mc'

and enter root password when prompted.

Then when in a full screen text mode, type "mc" (no quotes) and navigate / perform functions using the Function keys (its intuitively obvious what to use). You may need to type "su -" first (before typing "mc") to get root permissions.

**VampirD** · 07-Oct-2010, 09:37

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Yes, all the config files you want to edit, or packager you want to
install must be with root permissions, to install the driver you can use
the command: su - -c "zypper in xorg-x11-driver-video-intel-legacy" or
via YaST -> Software Management and searching for
xorg-x11-driver-video-intel-legacy, and why intellegacy instead of intel
driver was answerd for oldcpu

- --
VampirD

Microsoft Windows is like air conditioning
Stops working when you open a window.
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**Caged_Monkey** · 08-Oct-2010, 08:18

Originally Posted by oldcpu

It appears the Intel driver is buggy for the X3100. The "intellegacy" driver (unique to openSUSE-11.3) purportedly works better. There are many thread on this on our forum (just do a search for X3100 on our forum).

The new 'intellegacy' driver comes with the rpm "xorg-x11-driver-video-intel-legacy " which you need installed.

I'm not certain, you may also have to specify 'nomodeset' as a boot code. ...

Some thread/URLs you could read:

Opensuse 11.3 doesn't like my intel GPU
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 - ThinkWiki - where they suggest the 'nomodeset' boot code

I installed the legacy intel driver as recommended without doing the 'nomodeset'. Since then I let the wife loose over the net without any hangs, then left if for a couple of hours with the desktop showing the spinning cube animation. I will try some more but it is looking stable.

I did notice that within the konqueror computer info window the 2d Driver is now blank and the 3d driver is showing a version number (cant recall number as not at my personal laptop).

**VampirD** · 08-Oct-2010, 09:14

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I haven't add the nomodeset on my laptop and you'r right, sysinfo says
2D as " " and 3D as "Unknown classic (7.8.2)" but the system are
stable and the hung up stop, also I can play WoW now without problems

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VampirD

Microsoft Windows is like air conditioning
Stops working when you open a window.
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**Caged_Monkey** · 14-Oct-2010, 01:01

Can confirm I havent had a lockup/OS freeze since changing to intel legacy drivers. Had a dig around and it seems the nomodeset instruction uses failsafe driver settings which would degrade performance. I would advise anybody else that experiences problems with intel video chipsets to try legacy driver first, then if problems persist use nomodeset.
Thanks all!

**oldcpu** · 14-Oct-2010, 01:57

Originally Posted by Caged_Monkey

Can confirm I havent had a lockup/OS freeze since changing to intel legacy drivers. Had a dig around and it seems the nomodeset instruction uses failsafe driver settings which would degrade performance. I would advise anybody else that experiences problems with intel video chipsets to try legacy driver first, then if problems persist use nomodeset.

Thanks for the update! The graphics on Linux (and openSUSE) are so much in flux currently (with KMS in kernel, move from HAL to UDEV, and depreciation of xorg.conf with Xorg now purportedly configuring automatically). Updates such as this are useful in tracking this changing situation.