geode driver gives corrupt output

[Alan Pope 🍺🐧🐱 🦄]

Using the geode driver (forced into xorg.conf as due to bug 219630, it's not autodetected) on Hardy, when X starts the output is corrupt on the screen. The output looks like semi-random coloured pixels, but there is alternating patterns which I guess is the cursor flashing in GDM. Moving the mouse causes patterns to change, but nothing is readable or distinguishable.

[Martin-Éric Racine (q-funk)]

Can you try the xserver-xorg-core and xserver-xorg-video-geode from hardy-proposed and see if this helps?

[Alan Pope 🍺🐧🐱 🦄 (popey)]

Tried that (now have xserver-xorg-video-geode 2.9.0-1ubuntu2) and I get the same result.

[Martin-Éric Racine (q-funk)]

What if you try 2.9.0-3ubuntu2 from my PPA? Once you install -geode, please purge -amd to be sure. Does it help any?

An additional question: what is the hardware on which you get this bug? Manufacturer? Brand name? Model number?

[Alan Pope 🍺🐧🐱 🦄 (popey)]

Using 2.9.0-4ubuntu3 I get a working desktop at 1024x768 with my existing xorg.conf (driver changed from vesa to geode).

Removing xorg.conf and starting x to get the configuration thing:-

I have a Viewsonic 20" VA2012w (not listed as a display) - native res is 1680x1050.

I choose the geode

I choose Generic LCD Panel 1680x1050 (with 'widescreen monitor' NOT ticked), the resolutions options I get are 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x960, 1280x1024 and 1400x1050.

Using the "test" feature, I seem to be able to get 1400x1050 okay. However when I say "ok" I get GDM at 640x480, starting the XFCE the display properties only shows 640x480.

http://popey.com/~alan/viglen/auto1_xorg.conf is the xorg.conf that got created.

However if I tick 'widescreen monitor' i get 800x600, 1280x720, 1280x768, 1440x900, 1600x1024 and 1680x1050.

I then choose 1680x1050 and "test" i get a screen where the resolution is high, but I have a small viewport, so have to pan around to find the "15 seconds to accept" thing. Clicking "ok", this gets configured:-

http://popey.com/~alan/viglen/auto2_xorg.conf

Starting GDM and XFCE as before results in a 640x480 desktop.

Rebooting with that xorg.conf obviously results in a 640x480 desktop.

It's a Viglen MPC-L
http://www.viglen.co.uk/viglen/Products_Services/Product_Range/Product_file.aspx?eCode=XUBUMBCL&Type_Info=Description&Type=Desktops&GUID=

In fact it's an FTC device internally.
http://www.fic.com.tw/product/minipc.aspx

I have dumped everything I can into http://popey.com/~alan/viglen/

If you want more info about this, feel free to ask.

For any canonical people reading, I have also run the hwtest-gtk for this device which is assigned to the email address on my lp account.

Suggestions welcome.

[Martin-Éric Racine (q-funk)]

To retrace my steps and verify that this indeed solves the Geode issues, some people might find either of the two following methods suitable:

http://q-funk.blogspot.com/2008/06/howto-make-geode-thin-clients-work-on.html

http://q-funk.blogspot.com/2008/06/howto-build-clean-ltsp-boot-image-that.html

[Martin-Éric Racine (q-funk)]

Please note that all required package updates have now entered Hardy-updates and are already present in Intrepid. Can you please test them by following the above procedure and confirm whether this fixes the issue you reported?

[Martin-Éric Racine (q-funk)]

Alan, does the package that is in hardy-updates solve the issue for you? If not, can you try the slightly newer package in my PPA and see if it improves your results?

[Alan Pope 🍺🐧🐱 🦄 (popey)]

Will do within the next few days - on holiday at the moment.

[Tony Whitmore (tonywhitmore)]

I have the same device and noticed the same effect described by popey on a fresh Hardy install (Xubuntu, but at the gdm screen.) Switching to the console (Ctrl Alt F1) and back to X (Alt F7) solves the distortion, although X is only showing the upper left hand 640x480 of an 800x600 GDM screen.

[Tony Whitmore (tonywhitmore)]

The version in Martin's PPA seems to resolve the corruption for me. It still leaves me with ridiculously small fonts in GDM and X though....

[Martin-Éric Racine (q-funk)]

Could the people affected by this bug please upgrade to Hardy and try the GEODE package that is in hardy-proposed (2.9.0-1ubuntu2.5). Alternately, the bug should also be fixed on Intrepid.

[Martin-Éric Racine (q-funk)]

Alan, can you confirm whether the bug still exists?

[Martin-Éric Racine (q-funk)]

Marking this bug as Invalid, due to incomplete information. Feel free to mark this bug as New again if you can confirm that it wasn't fixed by 2.9.0-1ubuntu2.5 (hardy-proposed), 2.10.1-3build1 (intrepid) or 2.11.0-1 (jaunty).

[Martin-Éric Racine (q-funk)]

Please note that Geode 2.11.4.1 found in Karmic (and via my PPA for earlier releases) fixes this issue.