Help setting display resolution please.

English Hardware
1

After a planned power outage of our area power supply I have been unable to restore the required display resolution on my workstation. Here is my system as now:-

alastair@ibmserv2:~> inxi -Fmxxz 
**System:**
  **Kernel:** 5.3.18-150300.59.90-default x86_64 **bits:** 64 **compiler:** gcc **v:** 7.5.0  
  **Desktop:** KDE Plasma 5.18.6 **tk:** Qt 5.12.7 **wm:** kwin_x11 **dm:** SDDM  
  **Distro:** openSUSE Leap 15.3  
**Machine:**
  **Type:** Server **System:** IBM **product:** IBM System x3400 M3 Server -[7379W03]- **v:** 09  
  **serial:** <filter>  
  **Mobo:** IBM **model:** 69Y4356 **v:** RF3 **serial:** <filter> **UEFI:** IBM **v:** -[Y4E160AUS-1.15]-  
  **date:** 07/31/2013  
**Memory:**
  **RAM:****total:** 62.88 GiB **used:** 2.48 GiB (3.9%)  
  **RAM Report:****permissions:** Unable to run dmidecode. Root privileges required.  
**CPU:**
  **Topology:** 2x 6-Core **model:** Intel Xeon X5675 **bits:** 64 **type:** MT MCP SMP  
  **arch:** Nehalem **rev:** 2 **L2 cache:** 24.0 MiB  
  **flags:** lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx **bogomips:** 147210  
  **Speed:** 1600 MHz **min/max:** 1596/3059 MHz **Core speeds (MHz):****1:** 1600 **2:** 1600 **3:** 1607  
  **4:** 1636 **5:** 1602 **6:** 1600 **7:** 1600 **8:** 1600 **9:** 1600 **10:** 1600 **11:** 1696 **12:** 1638  
  **13:** 1601 **14:** 1696 **15:** 1697 **16:** 1716 **17:** 1695 **18:** 1600 **19:** 1600 **20:** 1600 **21:** 1638  
  **22:** 1606 **23:** 1635 **24:** 1637  
**Graphics:**
  **Device-1:** AMD Caicos [Radeon HD 6450/7450/8450 / R5 230 OEM]  
  **vendor:** PC Partner Limited **driver:** radeon **v:** kernel **bus ID:** 15:00.0  
  **chip ID:** 1002:6779  
  **Display:** x11 **server:** X.org 1.20.3 **compositor:** kwin_x11 **driver:** ati,radeon  
  **unloaded:** fbdev,modesetting,vesa **resolution:** <xdpyinfo missing>  
  **OpenGL:**
  **renderer:** AMD CAICOS (DRM 2.50.0 / 5.3.18-150300.59.90-default LLVM 11.0.1)  
  **v:** 3.3 Mesa 20.2.4 **compat-v:** 3.1 **direct render:** Yes  
**Audio:**
  **Device-1:** HDA ATI HDMI **driver:** HDA-Intel **message:** bus/chip ids unavailable  
  **Sound Server:** ALSA **v:** k5.3.18-150300.59.90-default  
**Network:**
  **Device-1:** Broadcom and subsidiaries NetXtreme II BCM5716 Gigabit Ethernet  
  **vendor:** IBM **driver:** bnx2 **v:** 2.2.6 **port:** 30c0 **bus ID:** 0b:00.0 **chip ID:** 14e4:163b  
  **IF:** eth0 **state:** up **speed:** 1000 Mbps **duplex:** full **mac:** <filter>  
  **Device-2:** Broadcom and subsidiaries NetXtreme II BCM5716 Gigabit Ethernet  
  **vendor:** IBM **driver:** bnx2 **v:** 2.2.6 **port:** 30c0 **bus ID:** 0b:00.1 **chip ID:** 14e4:163b  
  **IF:** eth1 **state:** up **speed:** 1000 Mbps **duplex:** full **mac:** <filter>  
  **Device-3:** IBM RNDIS/CDC ETHER **type:** USB **driver:** cdc_ether **bus ID:** 2-2:2  
  **chip ID:** 04b3:4010  
  **IF:** usb0 **state:** down **mac:** <filter>  
  **IF-ID-1:** br0 **state:** up **speed:** 1000 Mbps **duplex:** unknown **mac:** <filter>  
**Drives:**
  **Local Storage:****total:** 7.27 TiB **used:** 5.40 TiB (74.2%)  
  **ID-1:** /dev/nvme0n1 **vendor:** Kingston **model:** SNVS2000G **size:** 1.82 TiB  
  **speed:** 31.6 Gb/s **lanes:** 4 **serial:** <filter>  
  **ID-2:** /dev/sda **model:** ServeRAID M5014 **size:** 5.45 TiB **speed:** 1.5 Gb/s **serial:** N/A  
**RAID:**
  **Hardware-1:** Broadcom / LSI MegaRAID SAS 2108 [Liberator] **driver:** megaraid_sas  
  **v:** 07.714.04.00-rc1 **bus ID:** 24:00.0 **chip ID:** 1000.0079  
**Partition:**
  **ID-1:** / **size:** 1.82 TiB **used:** 346.42 GiB (18.6%) **fs:** btrfs **dev:** /dev/nvme0n1p1  
  **ID-2:** /boot **size:** 1.91 GiB **used:** 106.7 MiB (5.5%) **fs:** ext4 **dev:** /dev/sda2  
  **ID-3:** /home **size:** 1.82 TiB **used:** 346.42 GiB (18.6%) **fs:** btrfs **dev:** /dev/nvme0n1p1  
  **ID-4:** /opt **size:** 1.82 TiB **used:** 346.42 GiB (18.6%) **fs:** btrfs **dev:** /dev/nvme0n1p1  
  **ID-5:** /tmp **size:** 1.82 TiB **used:** 346.42 GiB (18.6%) **fs:** btrfs **dev:** /dev/nvme0n1p1  
  **ID-6:** /var **size:** 1.82 TiB **used:** 346.42 GiB (18.6%) **fs:** btrfs **dev:** /dev/nvme0n1p1  
**Swap:**
  **Alert:** No Swap data was found.  
**Sensors:**
  **System Temperatures:****cpu:** 30.0 C **mobo:** N/A **gpu:** radeon **temp:** 47 C  
  **Fan Speeds (RPM):** N/A  
**Info:**
  **Processes:** 418 **Uptime:** N/A **Init:** systemd **v:** 246 **runlevel:** 5  
  **target:** graphical.target **Compilers:****gcc:** N/A **Shell:** bash **v:** 4.4.23  
  **running in:** konsole **inxi:** 3.1.00

Note the Display lines. The system is not getting the information from the display.

As I recall this is because the display is fed through a 4 port Adder-Link switch and the display information is discovered by the switch when the system boots.

How do I set the display resolution from the cli ignoring the info or lack of it from the switch please.
I am looking for 1920 x 1080. I hope I can either force the resolution either on cli or by forcing a reboot to interrogate the machine and not the switch.

Please could somebody help as I have serious problems working with present display.
Budge

2

I thought I had this sorted as I tried setting the resolution in Grub but no. Although the resolution option was available it failed on re-boot.

I have been trying to use xrandr but am not having any success as it seems the resolution options I have been trying are not available.

Still stuck and seeking help please.
Budge.

3

Which Desktop GUI?
Which Display Manager?
[HR][/HR]If SDDM and KDE Plasma and X.Org (X11) then:


 > inxi -xxx --admin --graphics
Graphics:  Device-1: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Richland [Radeon HD 8650G] vendor: Lenovo driver: radeon
           v: kernel bus-ID: 00:01.0 chip-ID: 1002:990b class-ID: 0300
           Device-2: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Sun PRO [Radeon HD 8570A/8570M] vendor: Lenovo driver: radeon
           v: kernel alternate: amdgpu bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 1002:6663 class-ID: 0380
           Device-3: Realtek Lenovo EasyCamera type: USB driver: uvcvideo bus-ID: 1-4:3 chip-ID: 0bda:5728
           class-ID: 0e02 serial: 200901010001
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.3 compositor: kwin_x11 driver: loaded: ati,radeon
           unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,vesa display-ID: :0 screens: 1
           Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1366x768 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 361x203mm (14.2x8.0") s-diag: 414mm (16.3")
           Monitor-1: eDP res: 1366x768 hz: 60 dpi: 101 size: 344x194mm (13.5x7.6") diag: 395mm (15.5")
           OpenGL: renderer: AMD ARUBA (DRM 2.50.0 / 5.14.21-150400.24.18-default LLVM 11.0.1) v: 4.3 Mesa 21.2.4
           compat-v: 3.1 direct render: Yes
 >

openSUSE standard settings for SDDM – please note the “HiDPI” setting –


 > cat /usr/lib/sddm/sddm.conf.d/00-general.conf
[XDisplay]
ServerPath=/usr/bin/X
SessionCommand=/etc/X11/xdm/Xsession
DisplayCommand=/etc/X11/xdm/Xsetup
MinimumVT=7
# boo#1089932
EnableHiDPI=true

[Users]
# boo#979775
ReuseSession=true
 >

There are some X.Org settings which can be set up in the ‘/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/’ files – ditto for the equivalent Wayland settings.
But, usually, the display resolution settings should be made within the Desktop GUI.

4

Hi dcurtifra,
Many thanks for the reply. I confess I was unaware of existence of SDDM but it is what I am using on a KDE Desktop.
Here are the results of the commands:-

alastair@ibmserv2:~> inxi -xxx --admin --graphics 
**Graphics:**
  **Device-1:** AMD Caicos [Radeon HD 6450/7450/8450 / R5 230 OEM]  
  **vendor:** PC Partner Limited **driver:** radeon **v:** kernel **bus ID:** 15:00.0  
  **chip ID:** 1002:6779  
  **Display:** x11 **server:** X.Org 1.20.3 **compositor:** kwin_x11 **driver:** ati,radeon  
  **unloaded:** fbdev,modesetting,vesa **display ID:** :0 **screens:** 1  
  **Screen-1:** 0 **s-res:** 1024x768 **s-dpi:** 96 **s-size:** 270x203mm (10.6x8.0")  
  **s-diag:** 338mm (13.3")  
  **Monitor-1:** VGA-0 **res:** 1024x768 **hz:** 60  
  **OpenGL:**
  **renderer:** AMD CAICOS (DRM 2.50.0 / 5.3.18-150300.59.90-default LLVM 11.0.1)  
  **v:** 3.3 Mesa 20.2.4 **compat-v:** 3.1 **direct render:** Yes  
alastair@ibmserv2:~>

and for SDDM:-

alastair@ibmserv2:~> cat /usr/lib/sddm/sddm.conf.d/00-general.conf 
[XDisplay] 
ServerPath=/usr/bin/X 
SessionCommand=/etc/X11/xdm/Xsession 
DisplayCommand=/etc/X11/xdm/Xsetup 
MinimumVT=7 
# boo#1089932 
EnableHiDPI=true 

[Users] 
# boo#979775 
ReuseSession=true 
alastair@ibmserv2:~>

The problem is the Adder switch between the display and the workstation. I cannot see anything but VGA and cannot set any other resolutions, lower or higher. The problem is that the connection to the Adder switch is an analogue VGA cable. I do not know what intelligence is built into the Adder device but windoze managed it somehow.

Using the System Settings>Display & Monitor all I can see is the VGA monitor with resolution set to the highest available shown which is 1024x768. Previously a much larger selection was offered.

I have tried to force the required resolution but not had any luck so far

Previously there was a windoze workstation also connected to this switch and this used to work and give me all the higher resolutions I need and somehow I was then able to get this working with Linux but not any more, hence my post.

5

Xorg display mode can be configured manually like this…
https://andrewmemory.wordpress.com/2010/03/25/a-minimal-xorg-conf-with-modeline/

6

Hi deano,
Thanks for the reply. Too cryptic for me. Trouble is I now no longer have the details of the resolution which worked for me on the IBM server. I am on a different machine to type this.

I did try setting a new mode as suggested in your post but this was rejected.

Worst case if no other ideas come up is to put the windoze machine back temporarily and get this running and make a note of what worked.

A pity that Linux won’t help me sort this out myself.

Regards
Budge.

7

You need to know which display resolutions are supported by your attached monitor. Use ‘cvt’ or some other modeline generator to create the necessary modeline.

I did try setting a new mode as suggested in your post but this was rejected.

Worst case if no other ideas come up is to put the windoze machine back temporarily and get this running and make a note of what worked.

That is one approach. You could also use xrandr (on the fly) to test and set new display modes. Take the time to read and research for yourself. It’s not rocket science…
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/xrandr#Adding_undetected_resolutions

A pity that Linux won’t help me sort this out myself.

Regards
Budge.

No, you need to make the effort here. That’s what it takes to be an administrator.

8

It worked before it might still work now.
Another approach sometimes that work is.
Power down for a while remove the electrical cable, remove the display cables from the system and retry after connecting.
Another one is remove the board battery for a minute or so and reconnect then start the computer.
If you still have a window partition in your machine you can try booting to windows, if it work try booting to linux.
Their is no harm in trying.

9

CVT & GTF can’t generate a modeline any better than Xorg. All three require correct information with which to calculate. For a common 1920x1080 LCD/LED display, a generic config file should do to correct for the passive switcher: /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/51-monitor.conf:

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier "onlyMonitor"
	HorizSync	29-81 # This and VertRefresh can be had from **hwinfo --monitor** output if not elsewhere
	VertRefresh	59-76
	Option	"PreferredMode"	"1920x1080" # put here the resolution the display should use
EndSection

Inxi has a man page you obviously haven’t looked at lately. -F is a kitchen sink reporter, something about nearly everything, enough about nothing, when graphics is the issue.

inxi -xxx --admin --graphics equates to inxi -Ga, both of which provide the maximum inxi can for graphics.

-xxx is subsumed by --admin, for which -a is short. -z filters out serial numbers, passwords and other sensitive data.

3.1.00 is 15.3’s broken antique inxi version. There is no such thing as an ati display driver. All the ati is for is choosing the most appropriate driver to load for old ATI GPUs (radeon or r128 or mach64), and an rpm name. Please use its -U switch and sudo to upgrade inxi directly from upstream, and install xdpyinfo, then provide inxi -Gaz output here.

# pinxi -GSaz --vs
pinxi 3.3.21-14 (2022-09-05)
System:
  Kernel: 5.3.18-150300.59.90-default arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc
    v: 7.5.0 parameters: root=/dev/sda17 noresume mitigations=auto
    consoleblank=0 net.ifnames=0 ipv6.disable=1
  Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 5.18.6 tk: Qt v: 5.12.7 wm: kwin_x11 vt: 7
    dm: LightDM v: 1.30.0 Distro: openSUSE Leap 15.3
Graphics:
  Device-1: **AMD Caicos [Radeon HD 6450/7450/8450 / R5 230 OEM]** vendor: Dell
    driver: radeon v: kernel arch: TeraScale-2 code: Evergreen
    process: TSMC 32-40nm built: 2009-15 pcie: gen: 2 speed: 5 GT/s lanes: 16
    ports: active: DP-1,DVI-I-1 empty: none bus-ID: 01:00.0
    **chip-ID: 1002:6779** class-ID: 0300 temp: 55.5 C
  **Display**: x11 **server: X.Org** v: 1.20.3 compositor: kwin_x11 **driver: X:
    loaded: modesetting** dri: r600 gpu: radeon display-ID: :0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 3600x1200 s-dpi: 120 s-size: 762x254mm (30.00x10.00")
    s-diag: 803mm (31.62")
  Monitor-1: DP-1 pos: primary,left model: NEC EA243WM serial: <filter>
    built: 2011 res: 1920x1200 hz: 60 dpi: 94 gamma: 1.2
    size: 519x324mm (20.43x12.76") diag: 612mm (24.1") ratio: 16:10 modes:
    max: 1920x1200 min: 640x480
  Monitor-2: DVI-I-1 pos: right model: Dell P2213 serial: <filter>
    built: 2012 res: 1680x1050 hz: 60 dpi: 90 gamma: 1.2
    size: 473x296mm (18.62x11.65") diag: 558mm (22") ratio: 16:10 modes:
    max: 1680x1050 min: 720x400
  OpenGL: renderer: AMD CAICOS (DRM 2.50.0 / 5.3.18-150300.59.90-default
    LLVM 11.0.1) v: 3.3 Mesa 20.2.4 compat-v: 3.1 direct render: Yes

My Caicos has no switch between it and display, nor analog output used, so needs no more than Xorg automagic to properly run two displays from its digital outputs.

10

That’s the point the OP is trying to make here - the Adderlink (KVM) switch apparently does not parse EDID to allow Xorg to determine the native display resolution. Hence the manual options (which I’ve done myself on occasion). :wink:

11

Hi mrmazda & deano,

I have a KVM switch and also a remote extender between computers and work desk and I suspect this is what is stopping me getting all the answers I need.
I have now found a manual for the KVM switch which is an Adderview Gem, long since obsolete and not Adder mainstream but from their venture into lower cost manufacture in Far East.
The KVM gets it’s power from the computer, as I recall the mouse port, and data from the first turn on. The order of which device is turned on first makes doing all this remotely more difficult given I had no physical access.
That said the device works well except that if I have only a linux machine plugged in and turn it on I only get VGA offered.
If I do this with a wiindoze 10 machine connected and all the other machines off and then boot the windoze machine I get 1920 x 1080.
With the windoze machine running and giving me the higher resolution I then can turn on the linux machines and get all the resolutions I want.
There is something in the initial communication between the windoze machine and the display which is different from the linux machine.
I am certain this can be overcome but not found an easy solution yet.
Meanwhile thanks for the detailed advice on inxi. Will update my machines and keep trying!
Regards,
Budge

12

Please forgive the post today and let me know if I should start a new thread but I have exactly the same problem discussed here and need some further help please.

Two questions:
First the version of inxi which is on my system. When I check using Yast I find my system shows:-
Version 3.3.07-bp154.1.19

When I run the command I get:
inxi 3.3.24-00 (2022-12-27)

What is going on here and which is my system using?

Second question concerns my loss of display resolution. I am having to work on windoze for this because it is very difficult working on my workstatio because of the poor resolution so having writen this I am going to post and then try and resume on Leap 15.4 system where I can post results from cli.

13

This is the rpm you installed.

IIUC, the latter is from /usr/local/bin/inxi, which you put there by using inxi’s -U switch. /usr/local/bin/ has $PATH priority over the location where inxi was placed by rpm, so provides the one run when called. Package management (zypper, rpm, yast) doesn’t put anything in /usr/local/ except via exceptionally expert usage.

# inxi -S
System:
  Host: p5bse Kernel: 5.14.21-150500.34-default arch: x86_64 bits: 64
    Console: pty pts/1 Distro: openSUSE Leap 15.5 Alpha
# inxi --vs
inxi 3.3.24-00 (2022-12-27)
# inxi -I
Info:
  Processes: 143 Uptime: 0h 14m Memory: 3.82 GiB used: 614.6 MiB (15.7%)
  Shell: Bash inxi: 3.3.24
# rpm -qa | grep inxi
#
14

@mrmazda the update overwrites the /usr/bin/inxi version installed via rpm, it doesn’t go to /usr/local/bin.

15

I should have remembered it that way, as I do remember that on those rare occasions that Leap’s version got an “upgrade”, it usually amounted to backleveling anything -U had done. :stuck_out_tongue:

16

Many thanks. Now I understand more and can always do as you suggested using the -U switch if necessary but I do not think the repo update version of inxi is a problem for me at present.
I still do not understand why I had a problem but now have the resolution I want. Why this only worked once I had set up another network connection using an USB adaptor is not yet understood.