Problems with i845 Graphics on Laptop

English Install/Boot/Login
1

First of all I apologise if this in the wrong place, this is my first post.

I’ve just installed OpenSUSE 11.0 on my old 15 inch Laptop to breath some new life and get back in touch with my Linux side. Everything has worked fine so far, even the wireless.

Although I can’t get the desired resolution from my i845 onboard graphics. My laptop screen’s res is forced at 1024X768, but no matter how many times I tell SaX to use 1024, it’ll only give me 800X600, leaving me with huge black borders around my visible screen.

Any ideas?

I’ll include my X.org conf file to help anyone kind enough to help me.


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       "AIGLX" "on"
  Option       "AllowMouseOpenFail" "on"
  Option       "ZapWarning" "on"
EndSection

Section "Module"
  Load         "dbe"
  Load         "type1"
  Load         "freetype"
  Load         "extmod"
  Load         "glx"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
  Driver       "kbd"
  Identifier   "Keyboard[0]"
  Option       "Protocol" "Standard"
  Option       "XkbLayout" "gb"
  Option       "XkbModel" "microsoftpro"
  Option       "XkbRules" "xfree86"
EndSection


Section "InputDevice"
  Driver       "synaptics"
  Identifier   "Mouse[1]"
  Option       "Buttons" "5"
  Option       "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
  Option       "Emulate3Buttons" "on"
  Option       "HorizScrollDelta" "0"
  Option       "InputFashion" "Mouse"
  Option       "Name" "Synaptics;Touchpad"
  Option       "Protocol" "explorerps/2"
  Option       "SHMConfig" "on"
  Option       "Vendor" "Sysp"
  Option       "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
  Driver       "mouse"
  Identifier   "Mouse[3]"
  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"
  HorizSync    30-38
  Identifier   "Monitor[0]"
  ModelName    "800X600@60HZ"
  Option       "DPMS"
  Option       "PreferredMode" "800x600"
  VendorName   "--> LCD"
  VertRefresh  30-61
  UseModes     "Modes[0]"
EndSection


Section "Modes"
  Identifier   "Modes[0]"
  Modeline 	"800x600" 38.85 800 832 912 1024 600 601 604 622
  Modeline 	"800x600" 38.22 800 832 912 1024 600 601 604 622
  Modeline 	"800x600" 35.50 800 848 880 960 600 603 607 618 +HSync -Vsync
EndSection


Section "Screen"
  DefaultDepth 24
  SubSection "Display"
    Depth      15
    Modes      "800x600" 
  EndSubSection
  SubSection "Display"
    Depth      16
    Modes      "800x600" 
  EndSubSection
  SubSection "Display"
    Depth      24
    Modes      "800x600" 
  EndSubSection
  SubSection "Display"
    Depth      8
    Modes      "800x600" 
  EndSubSection
  Device       "Device[0]"
  Identifier   "Screen[0]"
  Monitor      "Monitor[0]"
EndSection


Section "Device"
  BoardName    "i845"
  BusID        "0:2:0"
  Driver       "intel"
  Identifier   "Device[0]"
  VendorName   "Intel"
EndSection



Section "ServerLayout"
  Identifier   "Layout[all]"
  InputDevice  "Keyboard[0]" "CoreKeyboard"
  InputDevice  "Mouse[1]" "CorePointer"
  InputDevice  "Mouse[3]" "SendCoreEvents"
  Option       "Clone" "off"
  Option       "Xinerama" "off"
  Screen       "Screen[0]"
EndSection


Section "DRI"
    Group      "video"
    Mode       0660
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
  Option       "Composite" "on"
EndSection[/QUOTE]

I've already tried changing it to 1024X768 but it doesn't ever do anything, and I've had to change back to the original backup just to get X back up. All the effects work on KDE4, but I'd like 1024X768 :\

Any help would be greatly appreciated, all thanks in advance.
2

Try adding a modeline to your modes section similar to:

Modeline “1024x768” 64.11 1024 1080 1184 1344 768 769 772 795 -HSync +Vsync

FYI, these can be generated from the gtf CLI:

gtf 1024 768 60

1024x768 @ 60.00 Hz (GTF) hsync: 47.70 kHz; pclk: 64.11 MHz

Modeline “1024x768_60.00” 64.11 1024 1080 1184 1344 768 769 772 795 -HSync +Vsync

Then edit the preferred mode option:

Option “PreferredMode” “1024x768”

See how that goes.

3

sometimes laptops have a stretch video option in the bios, others have a setting for video memory. There is also boot options to force resolutions. i use vga=0x317, which gives 1024x786. sudo sax2 -r to redo your xorg.conf without using stored values. Id help more, but I got troubles with my video (cant get anything but 1024x768 to work) and Im new to Redhat based distros, so I don know much yet. Good luck though.

4

The vga kernel boot argument only applies to the bootsplash which uses the vesa framebuffer. It is not used by the X server.

My guess is that the video bios (which IIRC is what sax2 queries) is not getting the correct resolution from the display EDID. As long as the device supports the higher resolution, the manual change to xorg.conf should work.