Iiyama monitor's native resolution does not display properly

[Anna S.]

Binary package hint: xorg

After upgrading to Karmic Koala (9.10), my iiyama ProLite E2407HDS monitor does not display properly at its native resolution of 1920x1080 (16:9). It is auto-detected correctly, but at native res, the screen is black besides the toolbars, and some apps display when run, but others do not - for instance Firefox is entirely blank. The display is only usable at the lower 16:9 resolution of 1280x720. (Background and apps all display properly in this lower res.)

When scrolling through all possible resolutions, the majority of the resolutions tested did not display properly. I also checked this page:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Troubleshooting/Resolution
and was unable to solve the problem. In particular, adding kernel parameter modeset=0 did not do anything, so I cannot say whether Karmic is missing a quirk for this monitor or not.

The display worked fine at its native res (1920x1080) in Jaunty Jackalope.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: amd64
CheckboxSubmission: 3f1404c1e7a16070779964e4cd978722
CheckboxSystem: edda5d4f616ca792bf437989cb597002
Date: Tue Nov 3 19:16:38 2009
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
Lsusb:
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
 Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
 Bus 001 Device 002: ID 0bda:0151 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. Mass Stroage Device
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
MachineType: ASUSTek Computer Inc. K8N-E
Package: xorg 1:7.4+3ubuntu7
ProcCmdLine: root=UUID=0f3ca1ef-146b-4fee-ac00-15d710e99dd4 ro quiet splash modeset=0
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-14.48-generic
RelatedPackageVersions:
 xserver-xorg 1:7.4+3ubuntu7
 libgl1-mesa-glx 7.6.0-1ubuntu4
 libdrm2 2.4.14-1ubuntu1
 xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.9.0-1ubuntu2
 xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.12.99+git20090929.7968e1fb-0ubuntu1
SourcePackage: xorg
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-14-generic x86_64
dmi.bios.date: 06/27/2005
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 1001.013
dmi.board.name: K8N-E
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
dmi.board.version: Rev 1.xx
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset-1234567890
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacture
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr1001.013:bd06/27/2005:svnASUSTekComputerInc.:pnK8N-E:pvrSystemVersion:rvnASUSTeKComputerINC.:rnK8N-E:rvrRev1.xx:cvnChassisManufacture:ct3:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.name: K8N-E
dmi.product.version: System Version
dmi.sys.vendor: ASUSTek Computer Inc.
fglrx: Not loaded
system:
 distro: Ubuntu
 architecture: x86_64kernel: 2.6.31-14-generic

[Alexandre (alexandre-bonhomme-gmail)]

Well, I'm running Karmic, and I have the same Iiyama monitor, and unfortunately the same problem. I have a Radeon HD5750, and the last catalyst beta driver, the 8.67.

[Alexandre (alexandre-bonhomme-gmail)]

Well, a precision, as i didn't read well the resume of your problem. With the fglrx driver, I can get a 1920x1080 resolution, but it doesn't fit well the whole screen. Before to install the beta catalyst driver, which supports my radeon 5750 graphic card, I used for some time the xorg-radeon driver, and yeah, I had the same issue, a maximum resolution of 1280x720. In 1920x1080 and in the others resolutions I can't use the auto-adjustment of the monitor. I use a HDMI connector, but with a DVI connector it's the same problem.

[Alexandre (alexandre-bonhomme-gmail)]

Well, I dont' know if you solved your problem with the xorg-radeon driver, but after working out the xorg.conf file, my monitor displays a perfect resolution.
Here is my xorg.conf, maybe it could help you if you haven't figured a solution yet.

Section "ServerLayout"
 Identifier "amdcccle Layout"
 Screen 0 "amdcccle-Screen[1]-0" 0 0
EndSection

Section "Files"
EndSection

Section "Module"
 Load "glx"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
 Identifier "PLE2407HDS"
        HorizSync 29-81
 VertRefresh 55-76
 Option "VendorName" "IVM"
 Option "ModelName" "PLE2407HDS"
 Option "DPMS" "true"
 Option "PreferredMode" "1920x1080"
 Option "TargetRefresh" "60"
 Option "Position" "0 0"
 Option "Rotate" "normal"
 Option "Disable" "false"
        Modeline "1920x1080" 148.50 1920 2008 2052 2200 1080 1084 1089 1125
EndSection

Section "Device"
 Identifier "Default Device"
 Driver "fglrx"
EndSection

Section "Device"
 Identifier "amdcccle-Device[1]-0"
 Driver "fglrx"
 Option "Monitor-DFP2" "PLE2407HDS"
        Option "NoDDC" "true"
        Option "IgnoreEDID" "true"
 BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
 Identifier "Default Screen"
 DefaultDepth 24
EndSection

Section "Screen"
 Identifier "amdcccle-Screen[1]-0"
 Device "amdcccle-Device[1]-0"
 DefaultDepth 24
 SubSection "Display"
  Viewport 0 0
  Depth 24
 EndSubSection
EndSection

[Anna S. (stevenson-anna)]

The xorg-radeon driver was still giving me problems. I tried installing the fglrx driver (which I hadn't installed before) and using your xorg.conf ; unfortunately that did not work at all for me. Ubuntu hung on bootup before reaching the splash screen, so I had to boot from a recovery kernel to revert to the original xorg.conf, then it booted fine.

With the original xorg.conf, and with the fglrx driver, a 1920x1080 display is now *partially* working for me. Almost everything displays correctly, but some applications have problems. (For instance, when closing one application's window, its outline will remain; another application will flash repeatedly, and so forth. I never had problems like this with these applications on Jaunty.)

[Alexandre (alexandre-bonhomme-gmail)]

Well c'est very bizarre....Especially your applications windows outlines issue....
Anyway, just read your lspci file (I should have read that in the first place!), and you have a radeon 9200, then I checked on the AMD site, so you have to know that those cards are supported by the catalyst /fglrx driver untill the 8.28 version, and working with X.org version 6.8, which is Really under the version used in Karmic, so I guess your outlines issue and your other littles problems deal with that. So forget about using the fglrx driver. Just use the xorg radeon open source driver. So desactivate fglrx with jockey-gtk, the peripherals drivers application in the administration, and then uninstall it in synaptic. Ok, so I worked out a xorg.conf for you, I hope it will work for you this time:

Section "DRI"
        Mode 0666
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
        Identifier "ForAnna"
        Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0
EndSection

Section "Module"
        Load "glx"
        Load "dri"
EndSection

Section "Device"
 Identifier "Radeon 9200"
        Driver "radeon"
        Option "AccelMethod" "XAA"
        # XAA/EXA
        Option "AccelDFS" "0"
        # 1/0 On for PCIE, off for AGP
        # Manpage: Use or don't use accelerated EXA DownloadFromScreen hook
        # when possible.
        Option "AGPMode" "8"
        # 1-8 Does not affect PCIE models.
        Option "AGPFastWrite" "1"
        # 1/0 Does not affect PCIE models. Not recommended.
        Option "GARTSize" "64"
        # 0-64 Megabytes of gart (system) memory used.
        # Wrongly defaults to 8MB sometimes, see your logfile.
        # Bigger seems better.
        Option "EnablePageFlip" "1"
        # 1/0 Increases 3D performance substantially
        # seemingly in XAA mode only
        Option "ColorTiling" "1"
        # 1/0 Increases 3D performance substantially
        # affected stability only positively on my system
        BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier "PLE2407HDS"
        HorizSync 29-81
        VertRefresh 55-76
        Option "VendorName" "IVM"
        Option "ModelName" "PLE2407HDS"
        Option "DPMS" "true"
        Option "PreferredMode" "1920x1080"
        Option "TargetRefresh" "60"
        Option "Position" "0 0"
        Option "Rotate" "normal"
        Option "Disable" "false"
        Modeline "1920x1080" 148.50 1920 2008 2052 2200 1080 1084 1089 1125 -hsync +vsync
EndSection

Section "Screen"
 Identifier "Screen0"
 Monitor "PLE2407HDS"
 Device "Radeon 9200"
        DefaultDepth 24
        SubSection "Display"
          Viewport 0 0
          Depth 24
        EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
        Option "Composite" "Enable"
EndSection

Make me know if it works.

[Anna S. (stevenson-anna)]

I tried that (deactivated and uninstalled fglrx, used that xorg.conf - merci beaucoup pour ça) and... again it hung on startup, just before the splash screen. I had to revert to the initial xorg.conf. The xorg radeon driver still does not work properly with this default xorg.conf at 1920x1080 in Karmic, so I reinstalled fglrx at least temporarily. (I don't know much about xorg.conf files, so I don't know what else to try.)

It's really quite strange since this monitor worked fine on Jaunty, I didn't have to install or configure anything manually.

Thanks for all your help Alexandre!

[Alexandre (alexandre-bonhomme-gmail)]

Well, you could try a simpler xorg.conf to see what happens. I'm surprised the last one I posted didn't work, because it's the xorg.conf I had used for years on Gentoo Linux with a Radeon 9500 (without the input devices sections which were removed because now input devices are handled by HAL instead of X.Org). Anyway, I'm pretty sure of the monitor section, so you could try of this xorg.conf with the open source radeon driver, the same as the original one, but with the monitor section updated:

Section "Device"
 Identifier "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier "PLE2407HDS"
        HorizSync 29-81
        VertRefresh 55-76
        Option "VendorName" "IVM"
        Option "ModelName" "PLE2407HDS"
        Option "DPMS" "true"
        Option "PreferredMode" "1920x1080"
        Option "TargetRefresh" "60"
        Option "Position" "0 0"
        Option "Rotate" "normal"
        Option "Disable" "false"
        Modeline "1920x1080" 148.50 1920 2008 2052 2200 1080 1084 1089 1125 -hsync +vsync
EndSection

Section "Screen"
 Identifier "Default Screen"
 Monitor "PLE2407HDS"
 Device "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

Anyway, if it doesn't work, if it's still hung on startup, then you reboot in a recovery kernel, and then you get the root prompt. After you use the command "startx", it will try to start X. If there is a problem, you will finish after some time to be back at the root prompt, but at least you'll get the X.org.0.log for the last X session in /var/log . Then save it somewhere and then post it to me.

[Anna S. (stevenson-anna)]

Okay, I tried that xorg.conf, but unfortunately, it didn't change anything for the display with the xorg radeon driver (Ubuntu did boot correctly with it, however).

I went ahead and re-tried with the previous xorg.conf you wrote for me, knowing it would crash. I tried startx in the recovery kernel, but no Xorg logfile was created for the crash... I checked all of the Xorg logs in /var/log/ and the only logs for crashes are for the very first xorg.conf you posted (with the fglrx driver). Strange.

I've gone ahead and posted the latest successful Xorg.0.log, who knows, maybe it can help. (I did install fglrx again, since it's the best temporary solution.)

[Alexandre (alexandre-bonhomme-gmail)]

Well the last Xorg log you gave me only deals about fglrx, so it won't help. Anyway, I think you should try this now, and tell me if that works.

Section "Device"
 Identifier "Configured Video Device"
 Driver "radeon"
 Option "UseEDID" "false"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier "PLE2407HDS"
        HorizSync 29-81
        VertRefresh 55-76
        Option "VendorName" "IVM"
        Option "ModelName" "PLE2407HDS"
        Option "DPMS" "true"
        Option "PreferredMode" "1920x1080"
        Option "TargetRefresh" "60"
        Option "Position" "0 0"
        Option "Rotate" "normal"
        Option "Disable" "false"
        Modeline "1920x1080" 148.50 1920 2008 2052 2200 1080 1084 1089 1125 -hsync +vsync
EndSection

Section "Screen"
 Identifier "Default Screen"
 Monitor "PLE2407HDS"
 Device "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

Ok, so in the section "Device" I added an option "UseEDID" "false", in fact that option has replaced the options "NoDDC" and "IgnoreEDID" which are now deprecated. That's maybe what forbids you to get all your resolutions with the open source radeon driver, since the EDID values are someway corrupted with the version of the xorg server on Karmic. Sorry, I just got it to know about this on the nvidia linux driver appendix. That's the problem with xorg, the options often change. Anyway, if this time it does work, after we'll be able to merge this tiny xorg.conf to a more complete one, and don't thank me, in fact, it justs pushed me to work the configuration of xorg again, a thing i didn't do for a long time since on ubuntu everything is easy, at least compared to gentoo.

[Anna S. (stevenson-anna)]

OK, as before, I removed fglrx entirely, modified xorg.conf and rebooted. Finally, some success! I can now use Firefox in the native resolution. (Otherwise still no background, no desktop icons, only the toolbars, and windows open/close/move very slowly.) I've attached the Xorg.0.log for this boot with that xorg.conf, if it can help.

[Alexandre (alexandre-bonhomme-gmail)]

Oh la la, finally! LOL! Anyway, about the no background & no icon stuff, it's surely nautilus which didn't start, so when it happens, you just make "Alt + F2" and you type nautilus in the "launch an application". I guess the repetitive crashs of the xorg server, changed some stuff in the session preferences, and so that's why nautilus didn't start.
Well, there is no error in your xorg.conf, only some little warnings which are not so important. Direct rendering is enabled, so it should be ok now. Ah yeah, just thinking about one thing for the slowness of the windows, just go in Système --> Préférences --> Apparence, check the visual effects and select Extra, then all your desktop and your windows will be handled directly by your graphic card by AIGLX, so it will be faster.
Voilà, have a good sunday Anna.
PS: sorry for the bad english in all of this, but well i'm french, and so it's not my native language.

[Anna S. (stevenson-anna)]

Good idea about Nautilus, but in fact it was running - I've attached a screenshot just to show it.

Your tip about the Appearance/Visual Effects preferences helped discover a new problem :o) So, here are the steps I went through:
Original state: xorg-radeon driver with Alexandre's latest xorg.conf, native res 1920x1080 in Karmic, display as shown in screenshot with Visual Effects prefs set at "Normal". Slow windows on open/close/move.
- Changed Visual Effects prefs to "Extra". The windows became a bit faster, but still slower than before (meaning that they're slower than on Jaunty, and slower than with the fglrx driver on Karmic).
- Changed Visual Effects back to "Normal" just to compare again, windows were indeed a bit slower than with "Extra".
- Changed Visual Effects to "None." My background and icons appeared! (A screenshot for reference, I can only add one attachment, so it's a link to my site: http://www.fraise.net/images/PLE2407HDS-radeon-bg.jpg )

The important step, because it caused a session crash and threw me to the login screen (the crash was replicable):
- Changed Visual Effects prefs from "None" to "Normal". Ubuntu displayed the message "Searching for drivers", then the session crashed.
- I logged in and tried that step again. Second session crash, this time without the "Searching for drivers" message.
- I logged in and, again, tried changing to "Normal" visual effects. This time no crash, but the background reverted to blank and a message asked me if I wanted to keep the changes ("no"... Visual Effects at "None" is more usable).

Voilà. (Also, Alexandre, pas de soucis pour l'anglais ! Moi c'est l'inverse, je suis américaine et j'habite en France... pas toujours évident, les langues étrangères :) )

[Alexandre (alexandre-bonhomme-gmail)]

Well, in fact, it would be interesting to see the xorg.log with the extra effects activated. In fact, it should work like in Jaunty. Anyway looking by the look of the screenshot you joined in launchpad, it's like there is a problem with the transpary somewhere, meaning that an option is missing to xorg.conf...just send me the xorg.conf
C'est vraiment une aventure la configuration de xorg.conf ces derniers temps!

A part ça, ben on continue en anglais, je crois ? LOL

[Emmanuel Touzery (emmanuel-touzery)]

Can you try to turn off desktop effects?
Does it make the problem go away?

If it does, this is probably a duplicate of bug #433173.

[Emmanuel Touzery (emmanuel-touzery)]

- Changed Visual Effects to "None." My background and icons appeared!

=> this means this is 99% a duplicate of bug #433173.

[Anna S. (stevenson-anna)]

Emmanuel - my case is more similar to <a href="https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/compiz/+bug/444139">bug #44139</a>. I am at work and have not yet had the chance to try any of the workarounds; I'll try to find the time this evening to check.

[Anna S. (stevenson-anna)]

Ahem, sorry: bug #444139

[Anna S. (stevenson-anna)]

OK, now home, tried workarounds, and can confirm that this does indeed seem to be a duplicate of bug #444139. I did the following:

First I enabled KMS as per comment #3 in bug #444139, which helped things noticeably, I was able to go to "Normal" visual effects without a crash, and still had my background, so that was definite progress. Window animations were still very slow, however.

Then I edited my xorg.conf as follows - the "Monitor" and "Screen" sections are from Alexandre, for my PLE2407HDS monitor, and the "Device" section is from bug #444139 comment #47 since I have a Radeon 9200 PRO. This sped things up noticeably (still not great, but much, much better):

Section "Device"
        Driver "ati"
        Identifier "Radeon 9200"
        Option "BusType" "PCI"
        Option "AccelMethod" "EXA"
        Option "MigrationHeuristic" "greedy"
        Option "AGPSize" "64"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier "PLE2407HDS"
        HorizSync 29-81
        VertRefresh 55-76
        Option "VendorName" "IVM"
        Option "ModelName" "PLE2407HDS"
        Option "DPMS" "true"
        Option "PreferredMode" "1920x1080"
        Option "TargetRefresh" "60"
        Option "Position" "0 0"
        Option "Rotate" "normal"
        Option "Disable" "false"
        Modeline "1920x1080" 148.50 1920 2008 2052 2200 1080 1084 1089 1125 -hsync +vsync
EndSection

Section "Screen"
 Identifier "Default Screen"
 Monitor "PLE2407HDS"
 Device "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

For info, lspci -vv gives the following:
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc RV280 [Radeon 9200 PRO] (rev 01)
 Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device 004c
 Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR+ FastB2B- DisINTx-
 Status: Cap+ 66MHz+ UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
 Latency: 64 (2000ns min), Cache Line Size: 32 bytes
 Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 19
 Region 0: Memory at e0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=128M]
 Region 1: I/O ports at a800 [size=256]
 Region 2: Memory at ff5f0000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
 Expansion ROM at ff5c0000 [disabled] [size=128K]
 Capabilities: <access denied>
 Kernel driver in use: radeon
 Kernel modules: radeon, radeonfb

01:00.1 Display controller: ATI Technologies Inc RV280 [Radeon 9200 PRO] (Secondary) (rev 01)
 Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device 004d
 Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
 Status: Cap+ 66MHz+ UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
 Latency: 64 (2000ns min), Cache Line Size: 32 bytes
 Region 0: Memory at d8000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=128M]
 Region 1: Memory at ff5e0000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
 Capabilities: <access denied>

[Emmanuel Touzery (emmanuel-touzery)]

Anna, I marked the bug as duplicate. I hope you don't mind.
I reported but #433173 and I think it's the same problem all over, and 3 bugs for only one thing is just too much.
I'll probably mark bug #433173 as duplicate of bug #444139 as well.