Quantal - unable to set screen resolution

[Liam Proven]

On 19 November 2012 08:07, blind Pete <0123peter at gmail.com> wrote:
> Liam Proven wrote:
>
>> I installed 12.10 on my machine tonight - happily, in a separate
>> partition, replacing my old 11.10 install and leaving 12.04 in place.
>>
>> I say happily because it's not working very well.
>>
>> Firstly, the nVidia drivers wouldn't work. Trying to change or remove
>> them without a window manager was... /challenging/ but fortunately I
>> could open a terminal with Ctrl-Alt-t, even though I had no menu bar
>> or launcher.
>
> Isn't the reason that you spend so much time on the computer
> because you enjoy the challenge?  >:->

Er, yeah... Something like that... :¬/

>> Some digging around on the command line suggested that
>> gnome-control-center might be the "system settings" control panel.
>> (Why not call it "control centre" if that's its name?)
>>
>> Anyway, I ran that, went to Software Sources, tried all the 4 nVidia
>> drivers on offer - current, current-updates, 304 and 310 - none
>> worked. I went back to Nouveau but now that only gave me 640*480 and
>> no ability to change.
>
> Vesa should also be an option.

But probably not a very good one.

>> Using my Mac, I found this very useful page:
>> http://techhamlet.com/2012/11/install-nvidia-drivers-in-ubuntu-12-10/
>>
>> This enabled me to remove and reinstall them in a working manner.
>>
>> Now I have my main screen running at 1600*1200 again.
>>
>> The snag is, my second screen, the right-hand one, is stuck at 640*480.
>>
>> I can find no way to change this - nVidia-settings seems to think this
>> is all it can do.
>
> Probably, but check the logs and be certain.  Also type "xrandr".

OK, will do when home again later.

>
> Try adding these to 'Section "Monitor"' of /etc/X11/xorg.conf,
>
>     Option         "ModeDebug" "True"
>     Option         "ModeValidation" "AllowNonEdidModes"
>     Option         "UseEdid" "False"
>
> Make sure that the other values are sensible, ESPECIALLY the
> horz. and vert. frequencies.  Then reboot and read /var/log/Xorg.0.log,
> it is really boring, but informative.  Then you might want to
> run nvidia-bug-report.sh.
>
>> I think I know why; the right-hand screen is connected with BNC plugs,
>> the left hand one with a VGA-VGA cable. This means no EDID data is
>> getting back to the graphics card.
>
> Nvidia have recently got a bit cranky about only using modes listed
> in the EDID.  There is a flag in some versions of EDID that states
> whether or not the monitor can handle gtf modes in general or just
> the listed modes - and it is often wrong.

Oh really? I did not know this & have heard nothing about it.. Perhaps
I need to get a VGA-VGA cable as a priority.

>> However, that doesn't help me. It worked fine in 12.04 and 11.10!
>>
>> Anyone got any ideas how to fix this?
>
> Just guessing.

Useful looking info tho' - thanks!


-- 
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