Can't revert to correct resolution after plugin projector

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Gargalash

Can't revert to correct resolution after plugin projector

Post by Gargalash »

Hello everybody,
This is my first post here, I'm glad there is a place for help! This is my second try to switch to Linux, after testing Ubuntu 9 last year. I am happy so far for home tasking.

My computer running Helena x64: Dell Inspiron 1501

Here is my problem: last night we connected the projector to my laptop. I opened the display parameters and the projector showed up as "unknown device". I activated it and I couldn't set my screen to "1280x720", the native projector resolution, when using it as a clone of my laptop display. Without the projector plugged in, I was happy to see that Mint could handle a 720p output. I thought it would be fine with my projector.

I then tried to set it as a second display. I could then set the projector to a 16:9 resollution (1138 x something, sorry, can't remember), but then my screen would not use its native resolution (1280x800). I didn't care much, as I had achieved correct ratio on my projector. But my laptop was showing a weird wallpaper placement, and the projector background was not right either, but I could use Firefox in it correctly.

After doing what we wanted, I unplugged the projector and I couldn't set the screen back to it's native resolution. I am now stuck with those options:
1280x720
1152x768
1024x768
800x600
640x480

This leaves me with an annoying display. And the impossibility to use my projector correctly. I have read about xorg.conf in other resolution or screen problem, here it is in case it's usefull:

Code: Select all

Section "Screen"
	Identifier	"Configured Screen Device"
	Device	"Configured Video Device"
	SubSection "Display"
		Virtual	2640 768
	EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Device"
	Identifier	"Configured Video Device"
EndSection
I am quite a beginner, I have no clue what to look for to solve this. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
dawgdoc

Re: Can't revert to correct resolution after plugin projecto

Post by dawgdoc »

Is there more to your xorg file?

It looks like your laptop is set for two side by side displays.
SubSection "Display"
Virtual 2640 768
If you are using nVidia graphics this is called Twinview.

To see if this is the case, and if you can turn it off, go to:

Menu > Control Center > Hardware > Display

This should bring up your graphics driver's control panel. Navigate within it and reset your resolution. Usually if you have not saved the settings by opening the GUI as root/sudo in a terminal, the settings will not survive a reboot. They go back to the default settings on your next start.

Could you post the results of

Code: Select all

inxi -G
this will show your graphics adaptor, driver, etc.
Gargalash

Re: Can't revert to correct resolution after plugin projecto

Post by Gargalash »

dawgdoc,
Thanks for your help!

The xorg file appears as I pasted it, that's it. But, I have found another one named "xorg.conf.20100328211659" with the following content:

Code: Select all

Section "Screen"
	Identifier	"Configured Screen Device"
	Device	"Configured Video Device"
	SubSection "Display"
		Virtual	2432 864
	EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Device"
	Identifier	"Configured Video Device"
EndSection
It turns out I don't have nVidia graphics. Here is the results of inxi -G:

Code: Select all

Graphics:  Card ATI RS482 [Radeon Xpress 200M] X.Org 1.6.4 Res: 1280x720@59.9hz 
           GLX Renderer Mesa DRI R300 (RS400 5975) 20090101  NO-TCL GLX Version 1.5 Mesa 7.6
Thank you very much for your help, I will be looking for further instructions if anything can be done!
dawgdoc

Re: Can't revert to correct resolution after plugin projecto

Post by dawgdoc »

The second xorg file you found,
"xorg.conf.20100328211659"
is a backup. It appears to have been created, due to the very wide resolution, after your projector was connected, just as your current file:
Virtual 2432 864
When you navigated to the display controls, it should be reached the same for nVidia and ATI, what was the resolution indicated? Does the driver tool indicate a second or virtual monitor?
Menu > Control Center > Hardware > Display
This is probably the same path even if you happen to be using KDE x64 and not Gnome x64.

If the resolution is not indicated as what you want when you check the video driver GUI window, or to disable a second/virtual monitor, close the window and reopen as root to make changes which will stick. I believe the command to enter in a terminal if you are using Gnome is

Code: Select all

gksu aticonfig

or if in KDE use

Code: Select all

kdsu aticonfig
and save before exiting.

This post by remoulder describes how to reset your drivers back to have a clean start. And this post by Husse refers to recovering from a situation where he used two monitors of different resolutions as dual monitors and the xorg.conf was amiss. Husse refers to a useful Ubuntu forums post.
Gargalash

Re: Can't revert to correct resolution after plugin projecto

Post by Gargalash »

Hi,
Sorry for the late reply, quite busy recently!

So, thanks again for your reply!
When you navigated to the display controls, it should be reached the same for nVidia and ATI, what was the resolution indicated? Does the driver tool indicate a second or virtual monitor?
Well, the resolution says 1280x720, and it doesn't show a second monitor (at the moment the projector is not connected). I will try to get more details next time I use it. Concerning the driver, I don't have any thing listed except the wireless card one (that's Control Center - Hardware - Device Drivers or smoething similar? I use a french system).

gksu aticonfig did'nt do anything for me. I suspect I don't have the correct drivers at all. I tried to install them from ati's website, but didn't get anywhere. I have followed the instructions listed in the document here:
https://a248.e.akamai.net/f/674/9206/0/ ... 2-inst.pdf
but I got this in the terminal:

Code: Select all

Created directory fglrx-install.9R41YO
Verifying archive integrity... All good.
Uncompressing ATI Proprietary Linux Driver-8.593...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
==================================================
 ATI Technologies Linux Driver Installer/Packager 
==================================================

Error: ./default_policy.sh does not support version
default:v2:x86_64:lib32::none:2.6.31-14-generic; make sure that the version is being
correctly set by --iscurrentdistro

Removing temporary directory: fglrx-install.9R41YO
Of course I don't know the nature or the way to handle this problem, and maybe I don't even have to try this.

I have checked the link you gave me, mbut didn't quite understood. I will go back there and read again.

Thanks again for helping!

Edit: I tried this: sudo aticonfig --initial -f to reset the drivers and got: sudo: aticonfig: command not found

Edit: Here is my Display report from System Report:
Computer
Display
Display
Resolution 1280x720 pixels
Vendor The X.Org Foundation
Version 1.6.4
Monitors
Monitor 0 1280x720 pixels
Extensions
BIG-REQUESTS
Composite
DAMAGE
DOUBLE-BUFFER
DPMS
DRI2
GLX
Generic Event Extension
MIT-SCREEN-SAVER
MIT-SHM
RANDR
RECORD
RENDER
SECURITY
SGI-GLX
SHAPE
SYNC
X-Resource
XC-MISC
XFIXES
XFree86-DGA
XFree86-DRI
XFree86-VidModeExtension
XINERAMA
XInputExtension
XKEYBOARD
XTEST
XVideo
OpenGL
Vendor DRI R300 Project
Renderer Mesa DRI R300 (RS400 5975) 20090101 NO-TCL
Version 1.5 Mesa 7.6
Direct Rendering Yes
And here is a screen shot from my hardware report on the PCI device "VGA compatible adapter":
vga.png
dawgdoc

Re: Can't revert to correct resolution after plugin projecto

Post by dawgdoc »

Gargalash,

Give this thread in these forums a good review. It bears a lot of similarities you your situation.

Also, I found this today:
kcnewslackuser> Does anyone have a link to download a driver for a ati radeon xpress 200m graphics processor ?
answered by this:
reed9> ATI dropped support for their card with their newer proprietary drivers, and the old non-free drivers don't work with the newer xserver, so you're pretty much forced to use the open source driver.
In a post on Linuxforums.org, in reedy9's response he included a link to a driver package.

And I found this:
Linux driver - Proprietary
NOTE!
The latest version of the proprietary ATI driver to support this video chip is version 9.3
Later versions of the driver have dropped support for this particular chip. In addition this driver version only works up to kernel 2.6.28
at this page at thinkwiki. He was attempting a kernel downgrade, I would suggest you keep looking for other options at this time.
Gargalash

Re: Can't revert to correct resolution after plugin projecto

Post by Gargalash »

dawgdoc,
Thanks again for your support, and sorry for the late reply.
Well, I tried that open source package suggested in that other forum post you found. It is a .txz file. I have no clue where to go with that. I will go look for information. Meanwhile, if you have any other suggestions, don't hesitate to suggest! :)

I was thinking: is it possible to simply "reset" my current drivers setting? Everything was fine before the projector episode. Is there a way to reinstall whatever was installed by default with Helena?

Thanks
dawgdoc

Re: Can't revert to correct resolution after plugin projecto

Post by dawgdoc »

I don't know if you will find a solution, but:

This article entitled, Additional options for the radeon driver, begins
First of all, suppose you want to plug in your laptop into a projector occasionally,

Maybe it will give some useful advice or have a link which leads you somewhere useful.
Gargalash

Re: Can't revert to correct resolution after plugin projecto

Post by Gargalash »

dawgdog,
Thanks again for this other bit of help, I will go through this new link tomorrow. Hopefully it will lead somewhere, if not, too bad, I will probably reinstall Mint.
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