Screen Resolution with nVidia proprietary drivers

English Hardware
1

I have an nVidia GeForce 7600GS with a dual monitor setup. A 19" Dell @ 1280x1024, and a 19" widescreen Acer @ 1440x900. The Dell is attached via DVI, and the resolution is detected properly, and set, but the Acer is connected via VGA, and so the native resolution is unkown to the nvidia control panel. It will only let me set the resolution up to 1024x768. I had it create the xorg.conf file, and i tried to edit it manually, changing its

Option    "metamodes" "CRT: 1024x768 +128+1024, DFP: 1280x1024 +0+0; CRT: NULL, DFP: 1280x1024 +0+0"

line to

Option    "metamodes" "CRT: 1440x900 +0+1024, DFP: 1280x1024 +208+0; CRT: 1440x900 +0+1024, DFP: 1280x1024 +208+0

Instead of having the effect i hoped it would, when I restarted the X server, the Acer monitor was off, and the display on the Dell was quite messed up. Thankfully i was able to easily fix it back with the nVidia control panel, but i really would like to get my Acer running at its native resolution.

Does anybody have any ideas on how i can fix this?

edit:
I checked the log at /var/log/Xorg.0.log and found a few things that raised some flags. One being

Validated modes:
     "CRT:1440x900+0+1024,DFP:1280x1028+208+0"
     "CRT:1440x900+0+1024,DFP:1280x1028+208+0"
Virtual screen size determied to be 1488 x 1024

Obviously that screen size is incorrect, and it should be 1440x1924. I do not know what i did wrong, but something is obviously set wrong to produce that virtual screen size.

2

I’m don’t have nvidia hardware, but maybe one of these threads will help?

opensuse 11.3 and nvidia metamode failure

http://forums.opensuse.org/english/get-help-here/hardware/442077-11-3-nvidia-dual-screen.html

This reference mentions using nvidia-settings to configure:

In 11.3 Sax2 has been dropped. To setup your graphics card use “nvidia-settings”. Some report they have to use “twinview” to get compositing to work on dual screen setups (also known as xinerama).

3

I already read both of them, but thanks for the links. They are not the issue. MetaModes are set fine, and its not even an issue of dual screens. Its simply a resolution issue. I tried setting it to use seperate X screens for each display, and it produced an error in the log stating that the resolution mode i used didn’t exist. Does the nVidia driver not let you specify any resolution you want? I know that quite often the nVidia drivers do lack suport for that resolution, so I am not that surprised. Is there a way to get around this?

4

Bman22 wrote:

>
> I already read both of them, but thanks for the links. They are not the
> issue. MetaModes are set fine, and its not even an issue of dual
> screens. Its simply a resolution issue. I tried setting it to use
> seperate X screens for each display, and it produced an error in the log
> stating that the resolution mode i used didn’t exist. Does the nVidia
> driver not let you specify any resolution you want? I know that quite
> often the nVidia drivers do lack suport for that resolution, so I am not
> that surprised. Is there a way to get around this?

If you have the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf (which nvidia-setup will build for
you) look for a section titled "Section “Modes”. It may be missing entirely
or missing any ModeLine spec. I’ve had to manually insert the needed
ModeLine ever since 11.1 because of a conflict in my hardware but this may
be a common problem. If the ModeLine for 1440x900 is missing, backup
xorg.conf and insert the following:

CODE

Section “Modes”
Identifier “Modes[0]”
ModeLine “1440x900” 126.98 1440 1536 1688 1936 900 901 904 937
EndSection

/CODE

You can also add the ModeLine in one of the other config files, but this
works for me and might solve your problem.

–
Will Honea

5

Its getting closer, as now although the second monitor still shows no image, it at least is still getting a signal. I think the best way to fix this issue would be to get EDID working. Is it my videocard that doesn’t support EDID on VGA? When i used to use a VGA -> DVI adapter, EDID would work even for the VGA monitor, so is it simply an issue of the card, or is it something else?

6

With your adjusted xorg.conf, what does ‘xrandr’ report now? Which desktop are you using?

In terminal (as root)* what does the following output?

hwinfo --monitor
  • On my system executing ‘/usr/sbin/hwinfo --monitor’ yielded no output.
7

hwinfo --monitor reported two monitors, with the following output:

29: None 00.0: 10002 LCD Monitor                                
  [Created at monitor.95]
  Unique ID: rdCR.fjdRny1rt2F
  Hardware Class: monitor
  Model: "DELL 1905FP"
  Vendor: DEL "DELL"
  Device: eisa 0x400d "DELL 1905FP"
  Serial ID: "T611654KAAXA"
  Resolution: 720x400@70Hz
  Resolution: 640x480@60Hz
  Resolution: 640x480@75Hz
  Resolution: 800x600@60Hz
  Resolution: 800x600@75Hz
  Resolution: 1024x768@60Hz
  Resolution: 1024x768@75Hz
  Resolution: 1280x1024@75Hz
  Resolution: 1152x864@75Hz
  Resolution: 1280x1024@60Hz
  Size: 376x301 mm
  Detailed Timings #0:
     Resolution: 1280x1024
     Horizontal: 1280 1328 1440 1688 (+48 +160 +408) +hsync
       Vertical: 1024 1025 1028 1066 (+1 +4 +42) +vsync
    Frequencies: 108.00 MHz, 63.98 kHz, 60.02 Hz
  Driver Info #0:
    Max. Resolution: 1280x1024
    Vert. Sync Range: 56-76 Hz
    Hor. Sync Range: 30-81 kHz
    Bandwidth: 108 MHz
  Config Status: cfg=new, avail=yes, need=no, active=unknown

30: None 00.2: 10000 Monitor
  [Created at monitor.95]
  Unique ID: aHB6.qkHmPDtDeCF
  Hardware Class: monitor
  Model: "AL1916W"
  Vendor: ACR 
  Device: eisa 0xad80 "AL1916W"
  Serial ID: "63508B3D4010"
  Resolution: 720x400@70Hz
  Resolution: 640x480@60Hz
  Resolution: 640x480@67Hz
  Resolution: 640x480@72Hz
  Resolution: 640x480@75Hz
  Resolution: 800x600@56Hz
  Resolution: 800x600@60Hz
  Resolution: 800x600@72Hz
  Resolution: 800x600@75Hz
  Resolution: 832x624@75Hz
  Resolution: 1024x768@60Hz
  Resolution: 1024x768@70Hz
  Resolution: 1024x768@75Hz
  Resolution: 1280x1024@75Hz
  Resolution: 1400x1050@75Hz
  Resolution: 1280x1024@60Hz
  Resolution: 1280x960@60Hz
  Resolution: 1440x900@60Hz
  Size: 410x257 mm
  Detailed Timings #0:
     Resolution: 1440x900
     Horizontal: 1440 1488 1520 1600 (+48 +80 +160) +hsync
       Vertical:  900  903  909  926 (+3 +9 +26) +vsync
    Frequencies: 89.00 MHz, 55.62 kHz, 60.07 Hz
  Driver Info #0:
    Max. Resolution: 1400x1050
    Vert. Sync Range: 56-76 Hz
    Hor. Sync Range: 31-84 kHz
    Bandwidth: 89 MHz
  Config Status: cfg=new, avail=yes, need=no, active=unknown

hwinfo recognizes the Acer monitor, AND its proper resolution. Why doesn’t the nVidia driver/Xorg?

8

Post your current xorg.conf here.

9 

# nvidia-settings: X configuration file generated by nvidia-settings
# nvidia-settings:  version 1.0  (buildmeister@builder75)  Wed Jun  2 00:21:51 PDT 2010


Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier     "Layout0"
    Screen      0  "Screen0" 0 0
    InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
    InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
    Option         "Xinerama" "0"
EndSection

Section "Files"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

    # generated from default
    Identifier     "Mouse0"
    Driver         "mouse"
    Option         "Protocol" "auto"
    Option         "Device" "/dev/psaux"
    Option         "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
    Option         "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

    # generated from default
    Identifier     "Keyboard0"
    Driver         "kbd"
EndSection

Section "Modes"
    Identifier         "Modes[0]"
    Modeline "1440x900@60" 108.84 1440 1472 1880 1912 900 918 927 946
EndSection

Section "Monitor"

    # HorizSync source: builtin, VertRefresh source: builtin
    Identifier     "Monitor0"
    VendorName     "Unknown"
    ModelName      "CRT-1"
    HorizSync       28.0 - 55.0
    VertRefresh     43.0 - 72.0
    Modeline "1440x900@60" 108.84 1440 1472 1880 1912 900 918 927 946
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier     "Monitor1"
    VendorName     "Unknown"
    ModelName      "DELL 1905FP"
    HorizSync       30.0 - 81.0
    VertRefresh     56.0 - 76.0
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "Device0"
    Driver         "nvidia"
    VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"
    BoardName      "GeForce 7600 GS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "Device1"
    Driver         "nvidia"
    VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"
    BoardName      "GeForce 7600 GS"
    BusID          "PCI:1:0:0"
    Screen          1
EndSection

Section "Screen"

# Removed Option "TwinView" "1"
# Removed Option "metamodes" "CRT: 1440x900 +0+1024, DFP: nvidia-auto-select +208+0"
# Removed Option "TwinView" "0"
# Removed Option "metamodes" "CRT: 1440x900_75 +0+0"
    Identifier     "Screen0"
    Device         "Device0"
    Monitor        "Monitor0"
    DefaultDepth    24
    Option         "TwinView" "1"
    Option         "TwinViewXineramaInfoOrder" "CRT-1"
    Option         "metamodes" "CRT: 1440 +0+1024, DFP: nvidia-auto-select +208+0"
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       24
    EndSubSection
EndSection

That is my xorg.conf file

10

i tried editing my xorg.conf to match the screen details output from hwinfo --monitor, with this being the new xorg.conf:


# nvidia-settings: X configuration file generated by nvidia-settings
# nvidia-settings:  version 1.0  (buildmeister@builder75)  Wed Jun  2 00:21:51 PDT 2010


Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier     "Layout0"
    Screen      0  "Screen0" 0 0
    InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
    InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
    Option         "Xinerama" "0"
EndSection

Section "Files"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

    # generated from default
    Identifier     "Mouse0"
    Driver         "mouse"
    Option         "Protocol" "auto"
    Option         "Device" "/dev/psaux"
    Option         "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
    Option         "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

    # generated from default
    Identifier     "Keyboard0"
    Driver         "kbd"
EndSection

Section "Modes"
    Identifier         "Modes[0]"
    Modeline "1440x900@60" 89 1440 1488 1520 1600 900 903 909 926
EndSection

Section "Monitor"

    # HorizSync source: builtin, VertRefresh source: builtin
    Identifier     "Monitor0"
    VendorName     "Unknown"
    ModelName      "CRT-1"
    #HorizSync       28.0 - 55.0
    #VertRefresh     43.0 - 72.0
    HorizSync       31.0 - 84.0
    VertRefresh     56.0 - 76.0
    Modeline "1440x900@60" 89 1440 1488 1520 1600 900 903 909 926
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier     "Monitor1"
    VendorName     "Unknown"
    ModelName      "DELL 1905FP"
    HorizSync       30.0 - 81.0
    VertRefresh     56.0 - 76.0
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "Device0"
    Driver         "nvidia"
    VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"
    BoardName      "GeForce 7600 GS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "Device1"
    Driver         "nvidia"
    VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"
    BoardName      "GeForce 7600 GS"
    BusID          "PCI:1:0:0"
    Screen          1
EndSection

Section "Screen"

# Removed Option "TwinView" "1"
# Removed Option "metamodes" "CRT: 1440x900 +0+1024, DFP: nvidia-auto-select +208+0"
# Removed Option "TwinView" "0"
# Removed Option "metamodes" "CRT: 1440x900_75 +0+0"
    Identifier     "Screen0"
    Device         "Device0"
    Monitor        "Monitor0"
    DefaultDepth    24
    Option         "TwinView" "1"
    Option         "TwinViewXineramaInfoOrder" "CRT-1"
    Option         "metamodes" "CRT: 1440x900 +0+1024, DFP: nvidia-auto-select +208+0"
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       24
    EndSubSection
EndSection

Still no change though.

11

I was browsing around online, and i found the display size. I set it to the dimensions of my screen, and started nvidia-settings (after an X restart) and 1440x900 as well as many other resolutions were there. I tried 1440x900, but it wouldn’t work, so remembering that hwinfo has said my monitor could do 1440x1050 (much to my surprise) i tried that, and it works. I removed the modeline in the Monitor section, and the 1440x900 disappeared, but it doesn’t matter, as its now working fine.

12

Good result. :slight_smile: