X with Matrox G400Forum: X and Fluxbox Topic: X with Matrox G400 started by: kpneil Posted by kpneil on Sep. 20 2004,05:32
I've tried several versions of DSL over the last year or so and am now giving 0.8.1.1 a go.The box I'm trying it on has a Matrox G400 16MB card and try as I will I can't get any decent resolution set with xvesa. I want 1280x1024 at least and I have several Linuces installed on this box using up to 1600x1200 at 24 bit using this card. Try as I will it always comes out the same - I'm not sure what it's set at but when the browser opens it takes up the whole height of the screen, so I think it is not even 1024x768. Any ideas anyone? Neil Posted by cbagger01 on Sep. 20 2004,16:35
Try booting with "dsl xsetup"Then try some different Xvesa settings. Maybe you can get a mode to work that you can live with. Otherwise, you can try the "dsl xsetup vga=xxx" and choose the xfbdev driver. This should work when you fill in the "xxx" with the right frame buffer code: < http://www.desktop-linux.net/framebuffer.htm > Posted by kpneil on Sep. 20 2004,22:51
My point is that whatever I try to set I still get the same coarse resolution although the file .xserverrc contains the figures I have set. It's just that they do not work as they should. In vmware or on a couple of other boxes there is no problem. It seems to be a problem with the G400 and I was wondering if anyone else had come across it and maybe found a fix.Neil Posted by ke4nt1 on Sep. 20 2004,23:15
What does the "Xvesa -listmodes" command show you as possibilities for resolutions/colors with that card?73 ke4nt Posted by kpneil on Sep. 21 2004,13:15
Xvesa -listmodes shows a maximum of 800x600 24 bitAs the hd installations (Suse 9, Suse 9.1, Mandrake 10, Warty Warthog, Xandros, etc) happily go up to 1600x1200 24 bit this seems to point to a bug in Xvesa? DSL? There again fb1280x1024 did not work either??? Neil Posted by skaos on Sep. 21 2004,14:46
There's no bug - the Xvesa X-server is built to the vesa 2.0 specification. When 'Xvesa -listmodes' shows a maximum of 800x600x24 it means that Matrox decided that they didn't want to support vesa 2.0 resolutions above this. If you want higher resolutions you have to install a full X-server like X.org or XFree86.
Posted by ke4nt1 on Sep. 21 2004,14:50
Somebody step in here and correct me if I'm wrong on this...My understanding was that the options shown in Xvesa -listmodes were the possible vesa options available in your VIDEO BIOS . This is not a bug or fault in Xvesa or DSL, it is simply the limits imposed by the card manufacturer for VESA compatibility. Many card manufacturers have lots of possible vesa resolutions available.. Looks like the Matrox G400 is very limited .. Under another Xserver like XF86 or Xorg, you use a dedicated "matrox" server to communicate with X, which gives you the full capabilities of the card .. The Kdrive Xserver for DSL only uses your possible vesa options. I don't know if cbagger01's post about possible framebuffer resolutions, then using the xfbdev will increase your capabilities over the Xvesa server options available.. It's worth a try. cbagger01 is much more familiar with the framebuffer package than I am... I easily use 1280x1024 on my boxes, using an GForce 2 card.. ...in refreshing my post, I see that skaos has also responded similarily... 73 ke4nt Posted by kpneil on Sep. 22 2004,06:10
Thank you all very much for the suggestions. Looks as if neither Xvesa or fb will do what I want. Pity - the card works so well with normal Linux.Ah well! Neil |