Desktop installer setting wrong resolution in Dapper RC

[Barry Shilliday]

When installing with the Desktop installer in Dapper RC, if the monitor resolutions are not successfully detected automatically, the installer sets the maximum resolution to 1024x768.

It is then not possible ever to get a higher resolution (without hacking /etc/X11/xorg.conf), which is a problem for monitors that have a higher native resolution (mine is 1280x1024, for example). While there is a workaround hack, this isn't really good enough for new users.

This isn't so much a problem with the text installer, as it requests the resolutions during installation, and higher ones can be set then.

[Matthew Lange (matthewlange)]

Confirmed, Doesn't allow for laptop widescreen display options in the desktop installer such as 1280x800.

[Matthew Lange (matthewlange)]

It also sets refresh rate at 61hz instead of 60 hz, which causes a strange flicker. Maybe if it autodetected, and displayed its results, and allowed the user to modify the available resolutions and refresh rates?

[Nicklas Svanteson (nicklas-teknister)]

I can confirm this. I have a i810 graphics card connected to a 19" LCD (HP1940) with a native resolution of 1280x1024.
I only get the resolution 1024x768 and have to manually edit xorg.conf in order to get the correct resolution. Not very intuitive for new users.

(Dapper RC)

[Matthew Lange (matthewlange)]

Set to confirmed, and major because it affects presumably all widescreen laptops, some desktops, and affects visual performance, and the only fix is by manually editing xorg.conf. I'll assign this to the ubuntu-live folks, since it is primarily a livecd problem, but does anyone know what the Desktop Installer package is called? Maybe it'd be more specific if the ubuntu-live folks forward it to them.

[Matthew Lange (matthewlange)]

Marked this one a duplicate of Bug #5801.

[Barry Shilliday (teppic74)]

I'm not certain this is a duplicate.

For my system, xresprobe nv returns:

# xresprobe nv
id:
res:
freq:
disptype:

And ddcprobe:

# ddcprobe
vbe: VESA 3.0 detected.
oem: NVIDIA
vendor: NVIDIA Corporation
product: nv43 Board - p216h1 Chip Rev
memory: 131072kb
mode: 640x400x256
mode: 640x480x256
mode: 800x600x16
mode: 800x600x256
mode: 1024x768x16
mode: 1024x768x256
mode: 1280x1024x16
mode: 1280x1024x256
mode: 320x200x64k
mode: 320x200x16m
mode: 640x480x64k
mode: 640x480x16m
mode: 800x600x64k
mode: 800x600x16m
mode: 1024x768x64k
mode: 1024x768x16m
mode: 1280x1024x64k
mode: 1280x1024x16m
edid:
edidfail

[Barry Shilliday (teppic74)]

This problem exists on the released version of Dapper.

On this graphics card (nvidia 6600GT), ddcprobe gives the correct resolutions, xresprobe returns nothing.

[Rodrigo Novo (rodarvus)]

Changing bug to xresprobe

[Rodrigo Novo (rodarvus)]

rejecting bug for ubuntu-meta (which has no connection to X.Org resolution probing)

[Timo Aaltonen (tjaalton)]

Barry: as you can see from the ddcprobe output, it fails to read the EDID of your monitor, and that's why you don't get a proper resolution.

Lowering the severity since there is not much we can do with the current method of getting the resolution.

[Barry Shilliday (teppic74)]

The problem doesn't occur in Fedora Core or Suse Linux though - the correct resolution is chosen.

(This problem still exists in Feisty)

[Barry Shilliday (teppic74)]

Also, the xorg log indicates the monitor is detected:

(II) NVIDIA(0): NVIDIA GPU GeForce 6600 GT at PCI:5:0:0 (GPU-0)
(--) NVIDIA(0): Memory: 131072 kBytes
(--) NVIDIA(0): VideoBIOS: 05.43.02.27.00
(II) NVIDIA(0): Detected PCI Express Link width: 16X
(--) NVIDIA(0): Interlaced video modes are supported on this GPU
(--) NVIDIA(0): Connected display device(s) on GeForce 6600 GT at PCI:5:0:0:
(--) NVIDIA(0): Samsung SyncMaster (DFP-0)
(--) NVIDIA(0): Samsung SyncMaster (DFP-0): 155.0 MHz maximum pixel clock
(--) NVIDIA(0): Samsung SyncMaster (DFP-0): Internal Single Link TMDS
(II) NVIDIA(0): Assigned Display Device: DFP-0
(II) NVIDIA(0): Validated modes:
(II) NVIDIA(0): "1280x1024"
(II) NVIDIA(0): "1024x768"
(II) NVIDIA(0): "800x600"
(II) NVIDIA(0): "640x480"
(II) NVIDIA(0): Virtual screen size determined to be 1280 x 1024
(--) NVIDIA(0): DPI set to (95, 96); computed from "UseEdidDpi" X config
(--) NVIDIA(0): option

[Timo Aaltonen (tjaalton)]

Yes, we should depend on the server doing the right thing. Not going to happen for feisty, though..

[Jens (jens.timmerman)]

I can change my resolustion using: sudo nvidia-settings
nvidia 6600gt