Display Settings Are Odd

pwright2 · May 14, 2010, 2:58pm

I did a new installation of Opensuse 11.2 keeping my /home partition from my previous 11.1 install.

I added the nvidia repository and installed the recommended drivers for my kernel (default kernel). I have an older model of the Nvidia (I think the 4xxx series) graphics card, and when I login the desktop effects seem to be working. However, there are a couple things that are making the desktop quite unusable:

The “start” menu comes up and is mostly displayed off to the left of the screen. I cannot see any items. The only way to see all the items is if I move the menu to the bottom right corner. When I click it there, it takes up the entire screen to display.
When desktop effects are on. I cannot right click and open terminal. It displays an all white window. Also, the window manager (minimize, maximize, close, and window title) do not appear. I can disable desktop effects, but those are one of the more attractive features of linux os.

Any suggestions? It seems like the resolution is really low as well. I tried to run sax2 -r as root, but I am having difficulty even seeing the full screen of the configuration window that comes up and it won’t let me move or resize it. I suppose I can uninstall the nvidia drivers, but I then of course lose the desktop effects.

gropiuskalle · May 14, 2010, 3:15pm

Do you have a xorg.conf? If so, post it, please.

pwright2 · May 14, 2010, 10:19pm

Here is my xorg.conf file:

nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig

nvidia-xconfig: version 1.0 (buildmeister@builder63) Thu Jan 28 16:14:36 PST 2010

/…/

SaX generated X11 config file

Created on: 2010-05-13T22:21:59-0400.

Version: 8.1

Contact: Marcus Schaefer <sax@suse.de>, 2005

Contact: SaX-User list <https://lists.berlios.de/mailman/listinfo/sax-users>

Automatically generated by [ISaX] (8.1)

PLEASE DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE!

Section “ServerLayout”
Identifier “Layout[all]”
Screen “Screen[0]” 0 0
InputDevice “Keyboard[0]” “CoreKeyboard”
InputDevice “Mouse[1]” “CorePointer”
Option “Clone” “off”
Option “Xinerama” “off”
EndSection

Section “Files”
InputDevices “/dev/gpmdata”
InputDevices “/dev/input/mice”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/misc:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/local”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/75dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/100dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/Type1”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/URW”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/Speedo”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/PEX”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/cyrillic”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/latin2/misc:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/latin2/75dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/latin2/100dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/latin2/Type1”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/latin7/75dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/baekmuk:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/japanese:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/kwintv”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/truetype”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/uni:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/CID”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/ucs/misc:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/ucs/75dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/ucs/100dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/hellas/misc:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/hellas/75dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/hellas/100dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/hellas/Type1”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/misc/sgi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/xtest”
FontPath “/opt/kde3/share/fonts”
EndSection

Section “Module”
Load “dbe”
Load “extmod”
Load “glx”
EndSection

Section “ServerFlags”
Option “AllowMouseOpenFail” “on”
Option “ZapWarning” “on”
EndSection

Section “InputDevice”

Driver “kbd” will be disabled unless ‘Option “AutoAddDevices” “off”’

is set in “ServerFlags” section.

Identifier     "Keyboard[0]"
Driver         "kbd"
Option         "Protocol" "Standard"
Option         "XkbLayout" "us"
Option         "XkbModel" "microsoftpro"
Option         "XkbRules" "xfree86"

EndSection

Section “InputDevice”

Driver “mouse” will be disabled unless ‘Option “AutoAddDevices” “off”’

is set in “ServerFlags” section.

Identifier     "Mouse[1]"
Driver         "mouse"
Option         "Buttons" "5"
Option         "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option         "Name" "ImPS/2 Generic Wheel Mouse"
Option         "Protocol" "explorerps/2"
Option         "Vendor" "Sysp"
Option         "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"

EndSection

Section “Modes”
Identifier “Modes[0]”
EndSection

Section “Monitor”
Identifier “Monitor[0]”
VendorName “Unknown”
ModelName “Unknown”
UseModes “Modes[0]”
DisplaySize 305 230
HorizSync 30.0 - 40.0
VertRefresh 50.0 - 75.0
Option “CalcAlgorithm” “XServerPool”
Option “DPMS”
Option “PreferredMode” “640x480”
EndSection

Section “Device”
Identifier “Device[0]”
Driver “nvidia”
VendorName “NVIDIA”
BoardName “GeForce4 MX 440 with AGP8X”
EndSection

Section “Screen”
Identifier “Screen[0]”
Device “Device[0]”
Monitor “Monitor[0]”
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection “Display”
Depth 15
Modes “640x480”
EndSubSection
SubSection “Display”
Depth 16
Modes “640x480”
EndSubSection
SubSection “Display”
Depth 24
Modes “640x480”
EndSubSection
SubSection “Display”
Depth 8
Modes “640x480”
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section “Extensions”
Option “Composite” “on”
EndSection

pwright2 · May 15, 2010, 1:14am

I fixed problem number 1. I had to manually configure the monitor in sax2. Now I got the display off of 600x800 and now have 1024x768. The start menu is now accessible.

As for the second problem, I still can’t figure it out. I can’t have desktop effects and have the window manager. More frustrating, is that I can’t open a gnome terminal (its an all white screen). Anybody know what can cause this? My updated xorg.conf file is below. Please help.

/…/

SaX generated X11 config file

Created on: 2010-05-14T18:56:19-0400.

Version: 8.1

Contact: Marcus Schaefer <sax@suse.de>, 2005

Contact: SaX-User list <https://lists.berlios.de/mailman/listinfo/sax-users>

Automatically generated by [ISaX] (8.1)

PLEASE DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE!

Section “Files”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/misc:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/local”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/75dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/100dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/Type1”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/URW”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/Speedo”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/PEX”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/cyrillic”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/latin2/misc:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/latin2/75dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/latin2/100dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/latin2/Type1”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/latin7/75dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/baekmuk:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/japanese:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/kwintv”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/truetype”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/uni:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/CID”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/ucs/misc:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/ucs/75dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/ucs/100dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/hellas/misc:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/hellas/75dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/hellas/100dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/hellas/Type1”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/misc/sgi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/xtest”
FontPath “/opt/kde3/share/fonts”
InputDevices “/dev/gpmdata”
InputDevices “/dev/input/mice”
EndSection

Section “ServerFlags”
Option “AllowMouseOpenFail” “on”
Option “ZapWarning” “on”
EndSection

Section “Module”
Load “dri”
Load “dbe”
Load “extmod”
Load “glx”
EndSection

Section “InputDevice”

Driver “kbd” will be disabled unless ‘Option “AutoAddDevices” “off”’

is set in “ServerFlags” section.

Driver “kbd”
Identifier “Keyboard[0]”
Option “Protocol” “Standard”
Option “XkbLayout” “us”
Option “XkbModel” “microsoftpro”
Option “XkbRules” “xfree86”
EndSection

Section “InputDevice”

Driver “mouse” will be disabled unless ‘Option “AutoAddDevices” “off”’

is set in “ServerFlags” section.

Driver “mouse”
Identifier “Mouse[1]”
Option “Buttons” “5”
Option “Device” “/dev/input/mice”
Option “Name” “ImPS/2 Generic Wheel Mouse”
Option “Protocol” “explorerps/2”
Option “Vendor” “Sysp”
Option “ZAxisMapping” “4 5”
EndSection

Section “Monitor”
Option “CalcAlgorithm” “XServerPool”
DisplaySize 305 230
HorizSync 31-48
Identifier “Monitor[0]”
ModelName “1024X768@60HZ”
Option “PreferredMode” “1024x768”
VendorName “–> VESA”
VertRefresh 50-60
UseModes “Modes[0]”
EndSection

Section “Modes”
Identifier “Modes[0]”
EndSection

Section “Screen”
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection “Display”
Depth 15
Modes “1024x768” “1024x600” “800x600” “768x576” “640x480”
EndSubSection
SubSection “Display”
Depth 16
Modes “1024x768” “1024x600” “800x600” “768x576” “640x480”
EndSubSection
SubSection “Display”
Depth 24
Modes “1024x768” “1024x600” “800x600” “768x576” “640x480”
EndSubSection
SubSection “Display”
Depth 8
Modes “1024x768” “1024x600” “800x600” “768x576” “640x480”
EndSubSection
Device “Device[0]”
Identifier “Screen[0]”
Monitor “Monitor[0]”
EndSection

Section “Device”
BoardName “GeForce4 MX 440 with AGP8X”
Driver “nvidia”
Identifier “Device[0]”
VendorName “NVIDIA”
EndSection

Section “ServerLayout”
Identifier “Layout[all]”
InputDevice “Keyboard[0]” “CoreKeyboard”
InputDevice “Mouse[1]” “CorePointer”
Option “Clone” “off”
Option “Xinerama” “off”
Screen “Screen[0]”
EndSection

Section “DRI”
Group “video”
Mode 0660
EndSection

Section “Extensions”
Option “Composite” “on”
EndSection

gropiuskalle · May 17, 2010, 2:57pm

As root:

nvidia-xconfig --allow-glx-with-composite
nvidia-xconfig --render-accel
nvidia-xconfig --add-argb-glx-visuals
nvidia-xconfig --damage-events

…then restart the desktop. Might help.

knurpht · May 17, 2010, 3:23pm

removing xorg.conf usually gives a proper working config with NVIDIAs.

pwright2 · May 17, 2010, 3:36pm

As root:


nvidia-xconfig --allow-glx-with-composite
nvidia-xconfig --render-accel
nvidia-xconfig --add-argb-glx-visuals
nvidia-xconfig --damage-events

…then restart the desktop. Might help.

That worked for me. Now I can see the window decorations when desktop effects are enabled and the desktop is usable. Thanks a lot for your help.