[q45] Autodetection results in reduced resolutions available - i915

[Christina Boumpouka]

Binary package hint: xorg

I'm using a Dell optiplex 760 with an intel Q45 chipset.
The problem is that xorg *usually* doesn't recognize the screen so it uses a lower resolution 800x600. The only available resolutions are 640x480 and 800x600.
Sometimes however the screen is recognized and the resolution is just fine. I haven't been able to find out under what circumstances this happens...
My guess is that EDID information is sometimes detected incorrectly...

I've tried rebooting Karmic with the kernel parameter modeset=0 and creating an xorg.conf file through X -configure
but it doesn't seem to make any difference.

I've also noticed that (when the right resolution is selected) after a couple of hours the screen turns black for 1-2 secs. It does that blinking several times and finally the screen turns off. When I restarted the pc it did the same thing only much faster like 5 mins after booting.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: amd64
Date: Fri Jan 29 12:53:11 2010
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release amd64 (20091027)
MachineType: Dell Inc. OptiPlex 760
Package: xorg 1:7.4+3ubuntu10
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-17-generic root=UUID=1c12fe91-87fb-41bd-b39e-60866e6fdd73 ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-17.54-generic
RelatedPackageVersions:
 xserver-xorg 1:7.4+3ubuntu10
 libgl1-mesa-glx 7.6.0-1ubuntu4
 libdrm2 2.4.14-1ubuntu1
 xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.9.0-1ubuntu2.1
 xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.12.99+git20090929.7968e1fb-0ubuntu1
SourcePackage: xorg
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-17-generic x86_64
XorgConf: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/etc/X11/xorg.conf'
XsessionErrors:
 (gnome-settings-daemon:1699): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_propagate_error: assertion `src != NULL' failed
 (polkit-gnome-authentication-agent-1:1809): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_once_init_leave: assertion `initialization_value != 0' failed
 (nautilus:1800): Eel-CRITICAL **: eel_preferences_get_boolean: assertion `preferences_is_initialized ()' failed
 (firefox:1936): GLib-WARNING **: g_set_prgname() called multiple times
dmi.bios.date: 08/17/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A05
dmi.board.name: 0M858N
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A01
dmi.chassis.type: 6
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA05:bd08/17/2009:svnDellInc.:pnOptiPlex760:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn0M858N:rvrA01:cvnDellInc.:ct6:cvr:
dmi.product.name: OptiPlex 760
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.
fglrx: Not loaded
system:
 distro: Ubuntu
 architecture: x86_64kernel: 2.6.31-17-generic

[lspci]
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:2e12] (rev 03)
     Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:027f]

[VangelisAngelou (vagoskar)]

Hi, same problem here, the only way to make X get a "reasonable" resolution is by restarting the Xserver at the login GDM/KDM login screen, until it gives up and decides to probe the hardware for a change... Manual setting in xorg.conf also seems not working... I am attaching my xorg.conf for reference, in case someone has any suggestions. Thanks!

[Geir Ove Myhr (gomyhr)]

It seems you are right that the EDID is not always detected. In XorgLog.txt the information is there, but in XorgLogOld.txt it isn't. According to the logs you have an DELL E1909WDD connected via DisplayPort. Is that correct? Does the problem go away if you connect the monitor by other means (VGA, DVI, HDMI, etc.)? I think I have seen some updates to the EDID fetching code in the kernel lately. Could you try the 2.6.31-rc5 kernel from https://launchpad.net/~xorg-edgers/+archive/ppa (see also https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelTeam/MainlineBuilds) and see if the problem is still present there?

[Christina Boumpouka (hmpoumpouka)]

How can I connect the monitor by other means (VGA, DVI, HDMI, etc.)??
I will try the kernel you suggested on monday!!

Thank you for your time :)

[Geir Ove Myhr (gomyhr)]

> How can I connect the monitor by other means (VGA, DVI, HDMI, etc.)??

I looked up the DELL E1909WDD monitor at
http://www.dell.com/us/en/dfo/peripherals/monitor-dell-e1909wdd/pd.aspx?refid=monitor-dell-e1909wdd&s=dfo
and it seems it only supports DisplayPort (something I haven't seen before). So there are no other connections to test.

[Christina Boumpouka (hmpoumpouka)]

I installed and tried the 2.6.31-rc5 kernel following the instructions found in https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelTeam/MainlineBuilds, but it was a disaster...I got a message saying that ubuntu runs in low graphics, etc...so I removed the new kernel.
I changed the monitor to a DELL E177FP connected through VGA and I haven't experienced any of the problems above...yet...

[Geir Ove Myhr (gomyhr)]

This kind of bug is usually tied to a particular monitor model, so I'm not surprised that it is not a problem with a E177FP.

I'm sorry I mistyped the kernel version. It was supposed to be 2.6.33-rc5 (but now 2.6.33-rc6 is out so that is better). Another test which is slightly more work is to test the current Lucid version, either by installing upgrading, installing it on a separate partition, or testing it from a LiveCD/LiveUSB image. If it turns out that it is not a problem there, we don't need to do any more tests, otherwise, we need the result from the 2.6.33-rc6 kernel to find out if there is a fix upstream already.

[VangelisAngelou (vagoskar)]

Unfortunately, there is no improvement in kernel 2.6.33-rc6 (using amd64 deb from http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v2.6.33-rc6/) and what's more, the system won't even boot. Using kernel 2.6.31-19-generic the workaround is still working.

[Vikram Dhillon (dhillon-v10)]

This issue was reported against karmic, so can you confirm if this issue exists with the most recent Lucid Lynx 10.04 Alpha release? ISO CD images are available at http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/lucid/ . Thanks in advance.

[Christina Boumpouka (hmpoumpouka)]

I have been trying to test the monitor with the Lucid Lynx 10.04 Alpha release using an ISO CD, but I'm having all kinds of problems: the monitor doesn't turn on, or it does but it loads immediately the kmd and I don't have the chance to change the boot sequence and if I restart, I never see the BIOS screens...
I'll give it another try...but I'm not very optimistic about it...I don't know why it's so worse now...

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for xserver-xorg-video-intel (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]