[Gutsy backport] Resolution detection fails because of bad video BIOS usage

[Checkmate]

Binary package hint: xorg

Resolution detection on a Tecra 8000 laptop fails due to bad video BIOS usage.
This conversation on the X.Org mailing list sums it up:

> Julien Cristau wrote:
>
>> On Thu, Sep 20, 2007 at 20:13:15 -0700, Nolan Check wrote:
>>
>>> I own a Toshiba Tecra 8000 laptop. The display device is a NeoMagic
>>> MagicGraph256AV, which uses the NM2200 chipset. The monitor goes up to
>>> 1024x768. When I install Xubuntu Gutsy Tribe 5 (with latest updates), it
>>> fails to detect the screen resolutions properly. It maxes out at 640x480
>>> until I adjust the HorizSync and VertSync parameters in
>>> /etc/X11/xorg.conf. The reason for this seems to be that X.Org fails to
>>> call the video BIOS function to get monitor data. (See attached
>>> /var/log/Xorg.0.log)
>>>
>>> During the VBE DDC transfer, it gets "01 ILLEGAL X86 EXTENDED OPCODE".
>>> That indicates the opcode "0F 01", correct? The INVPLG instruction.
>>>
>> Looks a bit like https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=11842 .
>> See also http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=404885#46
>>
>> Julien
>
> Wow, it's just a one-character change to the code! I'd really like to try
> that patch. I guess it's time for me to figure out how to compile X.Org.

Note: INVPLG is probably a red herring.
I first wrote about this in bug 3731.

[Checkmate (nolancheck)]

Bryce told me to assign this to him.

[Checkmate (nolancheck)]

Only 13 days till Ubuntu 7.10! I was hoping someone would apply the changes mentioned in the links and help me test a patched version of X.Org, but this bug's fallen silent. I'm posting a proposed patch. It's a git patch for the latest xorg/xserver tree, but I believe it will apply to any recent version of the int10 code. Now I need help testing the changes. I don't know how to compile X.Org for Ubuntu.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Sorry Checkmate, this appears to have gotten lost in the shuffle, and I've only re-noticed it now. It's too late for Gutsy-final but I'll work towards getting this out in an update.

[stoft (rasmus-larsson)]

This bug and potential workaround is referenced by bug 155312: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xorg-server/+bug/155312

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

stoft, thanks for pointing to that bug, but it doesn't appear related to Checkmate's issue; for one thing that bug relates to -i810, whereas Checkmate is using the neomagic driver.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

This is fixed in the xserver we ship for hardy.