HOWTO: Get proper video resolution with trident video card and Ubuntu 8.04

[mindviper]

Hi. I just installed Ubuntu 8.10 so I have been using Linux for at least 7 hours.
I have Toshiba Tecra 8200 laptop. I copypasted TheWogg's xorg.conf post to my empty xorg.conf after 2 hours of figuring out what sudo means.
After that I rebooted and the machine started asking me weird questions about some sort of reconfiguring. I clicked some buttons and rebooted again. Then I went to check what's up with the xorg.conf and there was some backupfile of it made ("failsafe") + the one I edited but it was changed into some sort of empty template of what it should be (lots of words like "default").
I also still have just 800x600 reso.
So is that TheWogg fix still supposed to be working for Ubuntu v8.10 or is it just for 8.04?

[sdavmor]

Hello sdavmor,

Good to hear from you again!

I did type in the xorg.conf exactly as you wrote in your post #34, but when I turn on the machine to load Ubuntu, I got the error messsage about parsing error in the config file. I don't know how to make Intrepid recognize the ati and trident video drivers that are in the laptop since my first Ubuntu - 6.06!

I am almost resigned to giving up on Ubuntu! Haven't got around to wiping out the Linux partition to re-install Hardy. I am also tempted to install OpenSUSE or Fedora.

If you're continuing to get a parsing error then something isn't in there right. Did you replace the "Monitor" section with what I last posted? Look closely at it. Maybe you can post your xorg.conf here and I can take a look at it?

SDM (Systems Theory internet music project)
http://systemstheory.net

[sdavmor]

Hi. I just installed Ubuntu 8.10 so I have been using Linux for at least 7 hours.
I have Toshiba Tecra 8200 laptop. I copypasted TheWogg's xorg.conf post to my empty xorg.conf after 2 hours of figuring out what sudo means.
After that I rebooted and the machine started asking me weird questions about some sort of reconfiguring. I clicked some buttons and rebooted again. Then I went to check what's up with the xorg.conf and there was some backupfile of it made ("failsafe") + the one I edited but it was changed into some sort of empty template of what it should be (lots of words like "default").
I also still have just 800x600 reso.
So is that TheWogg fix still supposed to be working for Ubuntu v8.10 or is it just for 8.04?

I don't know. I started with more instructions in my xorg.conf and had to delete things to get it working on 8.10. If your Tecra has a Cyberblade video start by using the xorg.conf I provided above. (I have a Satellite Pro 4600 but it's probably the same thing as a Tecra from a video standpoint). It should be all you need to get 1024x768 video resolution using the full screen on 8.10. All the other code is really just fluff. Try it and see.

SDM (Systems Theory internet music project)
http://systemstheory.net

[retrospective]

I have a Toshiba Satellite A20 Series System Unit laptop computer Model PSA20C
Video adapter=Trident Cyber Aladdin

Ubuntu is ALWAYS running in low graphics mode

My xorg file

Section "Device"
Identifier "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Monitor "Configured Monitor"
Device "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

I tried the xorg settings sdavmor wrote but it didn't work so I had to set it back to default or use the low graphics mode Any clues?

[retrospective]

Solved!

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Configured Monitor"
Option "DPMS" "true"
HorizSync 30.0-60.0
VertRefresh 50.0-70.0
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Monitor "Configured Monitor"
Device "Configured Video Device"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768" "800x600"
EndSubSection

EndSection

[iClouseau88]

Hello sdavmor,

Thanks for not giving up on me. Further to my last post, I went to the Debian User forum and based on what I saw there made some changes to my xorg.conf file. Basically adding device driver info and modeline's preferred resolution of 1024x768. When I restarted the laptop into Ubuntu Intrepid, I no longer see parsing error message (some progress!) but I still get the 800x600 resolution. Here's my latest xorg.conf file:


Section "Device"
Identifier "Trident Microsystems CyberBladeXP"
Driver "trident"
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Generic Monitor"
Option "DPMS"
Modeline "1024x768_60.00" 64.11 1024 1080 1184 1344 768 769 772 795 -HSync +Vsync
Option "PreferredMode" "1024x768_60.00"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Monitor "Generic Monitor"
Device "Trident Microsystems CyberBladeXP"
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768_60.00"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Could you have a look at it and let me know what you think?

Thanks a lot for your help.

[sdavmor]

Hello sdavmor,

Thanks for not giving up on me. Further to my last post, I went to the Debian User forum and based on what I saw there made some changes to my xorg.conf file. Basically adding device driver info and modeline's preferred resolution of 1024x768. When I restarted the laptop into Ubuntu Intrepid, I no longer see parsing error message (some progress!) but I still get the 800x600 resolution. Here's my latest xorg.conf file:


Section "Device"
Identifier "Trident Microsystems CyberBladeXP"
Driver "trident"
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Generic Monitor"
Option "DPMS"
Modeline "1024x768_60.00" 64.11 1024 1080 1184 1344 768 769 772 795 -HSync +Vsync
Option "PreferredMode" "1024x768_60.00"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Monitor "Generic Monitor"
Device "Trident Microsystems CyberBladeXP"
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768_60.00"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Could you have a look at it and let me know what you think?

Thanks a lot for your help.

Try changing your "Monitor" section to this. You can comment out what you have.

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Generic Monitor"
Option "DPMS"
HorizSync 28-51
VertRefresh 43-60
EndSection

Or alternatively put these two lines in before your "Modeline" entry (which should be unnecessary IMO for the Cyberblade XP video device).

HorizSync 28-51
VertRefresh 43-60

I'm off for a couple of hours. I'll check back in a bit.

SDM (Systems Theory internet music project)
http://systemstheory.net

[iClouseau88]

Good news, sdavmor!

Following your suggestions, I was able to get my 1024x768 resolution back! Perhaps what worked, including your tip, were the facts that:

1) Trident driver is included in Section "Device";

2) HorizSync 28-51 was added to Section "Monitor". Note that in some older xorg.conf file I used "28-31" so "31" could have been a mistake;

3) VertRefresh 43-60 was added as well;

4) I used gtf command to generate the "Modeline" entry;

5) DefaultDepth24 was added just above "SubSection "Display"" of Section "Screen"

Here's my currently up-to-date xorg.conf file:

Section "Device"
Identifier "Trident Microsystems CyberBladeXP"
Driver "trident"
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Generic Monitor"
Option "DPMS"
HorizSync 28-51
VertRefresh 43-60
Modeline "1024x768_60.00" 64.11 1024 1080 1184 1344 768 769 772 795 -HSync +Vsync
Option "PreferredMode" "1024x768_60.00"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Monitor "Generic Monitor"
Device "Trident Microsystems CyberBladeXP"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768_60.00" "800x600"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Now, how do I back up this xorg.conf file so that X doesn't get messed up the next time Ubuntu release a newer distribution and a new kernel? Secondly, where is the button to mark this thread as "SOLVED"?

Thanks a lot for your help. You have restored my faith in Ubuntu Intrepid and Ubuntu Forums users. It's been tough for the last 2 weeks that I had to endure a smaller (i.e. 800x600) screen.

Cheers!

[hjt61]

Hey guys,

thanks a lot to all of you sharing your experience... After fighting half a day to get my resolution right.

I just used the same version of xorg.conf as posted by iClouseau88 in post #48, and this works like a charme.

Configuration:
Toshiba Tecra M1
Ubuntu 8.10 Desktop

/Hermann

[antoniuk]

thank you so much! I have a Tecra M1 that would not stretch to the full screen and that xorg.conf worked perfect!