vesafb sets the refresh rate too high for some LCDs

[Bogdan Butnaru]

Binary package hint: linux-image-2.6-386

Hello!

I'm running Ubuntu Gutsy on a Dell Latitude D620 laptop with Intel integrated video. See ddcprobe below.

X runs very well with the intel driver, although I'm using 915resolution to get the native display resolution programmed into the video board (1280x1024).

I've been trying for a week to get the same results in the console (or at least more than VGA), with no success. I can't get intelfb to work (I suspect vesafb is disabling it somehow, but I can't check until I compile a new kernel, maybe later).

So I tried using the vesafb to get larger resolutions (1024x768), adding this line (or similar) to the kernel parameters:

"video=vesafb:mtrr,ywrap,maxvf=60,1024x768-16@60 vga=0x317 hsync=60"

I've tried any combinations of the parameters, different resolutions, bitdepths and refresh rates. It seems to work, according to the messages, but all I get is a blank, black screen. X comes up normally when the boot is over. I can switch back and forth between X and the consoles, but the consoles are always blank.

$ fbset

mode "1024x768-76"
    # D: 78.653 MHz, H: 59.949 kHz, V: 75.694 Hz
    geometry 1024 768 1024 768 16
    timings 12714 128 32 16 4 128 4
    rgba 5/11,6/5,5/0,0/0
endmode

According to fbset the refresh rate is always set at 76 Hz, and I'm sure the screen allows only 60 (or 70, maybe, but I don't think so). This is not a problem, since it's an LCD.

I know people have been asking for higher refresh rates at boot for a long time (for CRTs), so maybe this is what caused the change (it worked in Dapper or Feisty, not sure which). Is there any way to get a lower refresh rate (preferably without recompiling the kernel)? And is there any way to detect laptops with such problems and fix it automatically?

$ sudo ddcprobe
vbe: VESA 3.0 detected.
oem: Intel(r) 82945GM Chipset Family Graphics Chip Accelerated VGA BIOS
vendor: Intel Corporation
product: Intel(r) 82945GM Chipset Family Graphics Controller Hardware Version 0.0
memory: 12288kb
mode: 1280x1024x256
mode: 1280x1024x64k
mode: 1280x1024x16m
mode: 1024x768x256
mode: 1024x768x64k
mode: 1024x768x16m
mode: 640x480x16m
mode: 800x600x64k
mode: 800x600x16m
mode: 640x480x256
mode: 800x600x256
mode: 640x480x64k
edid:
edid: 1 3
id: 3157
eisa: SEC3157
serial: 00000000
manufacture: 0 2005
input: analog signal.
screensize: 30 19
gamma: 2.200000
dpms: RGB, no active off, no suspend, no standby
dtiming: 1280x800@59
monitorid: UD490

[Joshua Kwan (joshk)]

Same problem here on a IBM T42 with Radeon graphics.

$ ddcprobe
vbe: VESA 2.0 detected.
oem: ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9600
memory: 65472kb
mode: 320x200x32k
mode: 320x200x64k
mode: 320x200x16m
mode: 1600x1200x256
mode: 640x400x256
mode: 640x480x256
mode: 640x480x32k
mode: 640x480x64k
mode: 640x480x16m
mode: 1600x1200x32k
mode: 800x600x256
mode: 800x600x32k
mode: 800x600x64k
mode: 800x600x16m
mode: 1600x1200x64k
mode: 1024x768x256
mode: 1024x768x32k
mode: 1024x768x64k
mode: 1024x768x16m
mode: 1280x1024x256
mode: 1280x1024x32k
mode: 1280x1024x64k
mode: 1280x1024x16m
edid:
edidfail

$ lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 82855PM Processor to I/O Controller (rev 03)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82855PM Processor to AGP Controller (rev 03)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 01)
00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 01)
00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 01)
00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-M) USB2 EHCI Controller (rev 01)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev 81)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801DBM (ICH4-M) LPC Interface Bridge (rev 01)
00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801DBM (ICH4-M) IDE Controller (rev 01)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) SMBus Controller (rev 01)
00:1f.5 Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) AC'97 Audio Controller (rev 01)
00:1f.6 Modem: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) AC'97 Modem Controller (rev 01)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc RV350 [Mobility Radeon 9600 M10]
02:00.0 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments PCI4520 PC card Cardbus Controller (rev 01)
02:00.1 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments PCI4520 PC card Cardbus Controller (rev 01)
02:01.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82540EP Gigabit Ethernet Controller (Mobile) (rev 03)
02:02.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network Connection (rev 05)

$ fbset
mode "1400x1050-77"
    # D: 147.037 MHz, H: 83.166 kHz, V: 77.436 Hz
    geometry 1400 1050 1400 1050 16
    timings 6801 168 32 16 4 168 4
    rgba 5/11,6/5,5/0,0/0
endmode

I booted with vga=0x342 for 1400x1050 mode, but I get the same symptoms as the original poster.

Thanks!

[bob23450 (bzanetti-deactivatedaccount)]

Hi,
I'm trying to boot the Kubuntu Gutsy Tribe 5 live CD (AMD64), but X starts my nvidia GE-FORCE 7300LE at a refresh rate too high for my (old) analog CRT (max 60 Hz @ 1024x768), so the monitor can't sync.
I tried to change the boot options (VGA resolution, safe graphical mode) but nothing helped. Maybe there will
be a "vga=xxx" boot option that works, but I can't guess what.
In my opinion, when the display capabilities can't be detected, it would be better (and safer) to start X with more conservative settings because it would allow to change them later to fit the user's preferences. It's much more difficult to change back those settings when your display is out of synch!

Saluti.

[unggnu (unggnu)]

Btw if you use new Intel (-intel) driver 915resolution isn't needed anymore.

[Bogdan Butnaru (bogdanb)]

I'm not using 915res anymore, precisely because of the new intel driver.

But the initial bug report was about the console settings, and I'm still having that problem.

[sinewalker (sinewalker)]

Same here, a desktop with Radeon graphics driving a Philips 190B LCD (on the VGA cable, not DVI).

Interestingly, if I restart the PC and select an older kernel from before I upgraded to Gutsy (2.6.20-16-generic) then it's okay. I'm starting with the following kernel options in both cases:
vga=794 quiet splash

Here's the outputs I could get, I don't think I've installed fbset (it wasn't installed, and after aptitude install fbset, it still complains about a missing /dev/fb0 device file, so I've missed something there, sorry):

$ sudo ddcprobe
[sudo] password for mike:
vbe: VESA 2.0 detected.
oem: ATI RADEON 9200
memory: 131072kb
mode: 800x600x16
mode: 1024x768x16
mode: 320x200x32k
mode: 320x200x64k
mode: 320x200x16m
mode: 1600x1200x256
mode: 640x400x256
mode: 640x480x256
mode: 640x480x32k
mode: 640x480x64k
mode: 640x480x16m
mode: 1600x1200x32k
mode: 800x600x256
mode: 800x600x32k
mode: 800x600x64k
mode: 800x600x16m
mode: 1600x1200x64k
mode: 1024x768x256
mode: 1024x768x32k
mode: 1024x768x64k
mode: 1024x768x16m
mode: 1280x1024x256
mode: 1280x1024x32k
mode: 1280x1024x64k
mode: 1280x1024x16m
mode: 132x25 (text)
mode: 132x43 (text)
edid:
edid: 1 3
id: 0830
eisa: PHL0830
serial: 00035d4f
manufacture: 36 2005
input: separate sync, composite sync, sync on green, analog signal.
screensize: 38 30
gamma: 2.200000
dpms: RGB, active off, no suspend, no standby
timing: 720x400@70 Hz (VGA 640x400, IBM)
timing: 720x400@88 Hz (XGA2)
timing: 640x480@60 Hz (VGA)
timing: 640x480@67 Hz (Mac II, Apple)
timing: 640x480@72 Hz (VESA)
timing: 640x480@75 Hz (VESA)
timing: 800x600@60 Hz (VESA)
timing: 800x600@72 Hz (VESA)
timing: 800x600@75 Hz (VESA)
timing: 832x624@75 Hz (Mac II)
timing: 1024x768@87 Hz Interlaced (8514A)
timing: 1024x768@70 Hz (VESA)
timing: 1024x768@75 Hz (VESA)
timing: 1280x1024@75 (VESA)
ctiming: 1280x1024@60
dtiming: 1280x1024@70
monitorserial: BZ 220495
monitorname: Philips 190B
monitorrange: 30-83, 56-76
$ sudo lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8366/A/7 [Apollo KT266/A/333]
00:01.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8366/A/7 [Apollo KT266/A/333 AGP]
00:0a.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): VIA Technologies, Inc. IEEE 1394 Host Controller (rev 46)
00:0b.0 Ethernet controller: D-Link System Inc RTL8139 Ethernet (rev 10)
00:0c.0 Multimedia audio controller: Creative Labs SB Live! EMU10k1 (rev 08)
00:0c.1 Input device controller: Creative Labs SB Live! Game Port (rev 08)
00:11.0 ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8233A ISA Bridge
00:11.1 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C586A/B/VT82C686/A/B/VT823x/A/C PIPC Bus Master IDE (rev 06)
00:11.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 23)
00:11.3 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 23)
00:11.5 Multimedia audio controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8233/A/8235/8237 AC97 Audio Controller (rev 40)
00:14.0 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 50)
00:14.1 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 50)
00:14.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB 2.0 ...

[Leann Ogasawara (leannogasawara)]

The Hardy Heron kernel was recently uploaded for testing. We'd really appreciate it if you could try testing with this newer kernel and verify if this issue still exists. Unfortunately, the Hardy Heron Alpha1 LiveCD was released with the older 2.6.22 kernel. You'll have to manually install the newer Hardy Heron kernel in order to test. This should not be the case for Alpha2. However, here are the instructions to install (if you choose to do so):

1) edit the file /etc/apt/sources.list and add the following line:

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hardy main restricted

2) sudo apt-get update
3) sudo apt-get install linux-image-2.6.24-1-generic
4) reboot and select the new kernel from the grub menu

After you've tested, please feel free to revert back - ie boot into the old kernel, sudo apt-get remove linux-image-2.6.24-1-generic, and remove the line from /etc/apt/sources.list . Please update this report with your results. Thanks in advance!

[Leann Ogasawara (leannogasawara)]

Just a note that I opened a new task against the actively developed kernel. However, I'm closing this report against linux-source-2.6.22 this bug does not meet the criteria for a stable release. You can learn more about the stable release update process at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/StableReleaseUpdates . Thanks!

[sinewalker (sinewalker)]

No worries Leann, I'll do it tonight (in about 10 hours).

I think this issue is actually pretty much the same as 129910 (tagged Critical) anyway, since that is certainly the effect I see here. But then, I didn't raise either this bug or 129910, and I don't know if Bugdan or Joshua would agree with my assessment. I'm not disputing the Won't Fix, just something else I observed that seems to ring a bell here.

Where would be the best place to update with my test results? On this bug (127168), or the kernel task (number?), or elsewhere?

Also, a pair of work-arounds for anyone searching the bug database who comes accross this. There are two that have worked for me (ether one is sufficient, don't need both):

1) remove your vga=xxx option and put up with low-res 80x25 VTTY screens for now
2) hardware solution (if you can): use DVI cable to your LCD, to avoid refresh speed issue over VGA.

Neither is a solution, just a work-around. YMMV.

[sinewalker (sinewalker)]

Confirmed: bug is still present in Hardy kernel 2.6.24-1.

After installing the kernel and rebooting, the splash continues to appear (centred as usual), then the screen goes black with a blinking cursor in top-left. KDM/X doesn't start. Had to reboot in Recovery mode (no VGA=) to run X and also get a TTY at 80x25.

Other weirdness is that I cannot find a record in /var/log/syslog or /var/log/Xorg.log for when I booted with 2.6.24, which prevents me giving any useful information other than "it doesn't work". Sorry.

[Bogdan Butnaru (bogdanb)]

Marking 'invalid'. In the latest Hardy I was able to start vesafb, on the exact same machine, so the refresh issue seems to have went away. Not that vesafb works out of the box, you need to hack a bit with the initramfs or start it by hand...

(It shows 60Hz now, as it should.)