Display issue after new install...-Solved

[TopGun]

Hello everyone,

I just installed Linux Mint Debian on an old Dell Dimension 4700 that Parents-in-law are gifting to one of their grandkids.

The pre-install screen seemed to display correctly (from what I remember), but after install and reboot, the display seems to have shrunk to 2/3 of the screen size and the left edge seems to be off the edge of the screen where I can't see the menu button.

What other info do you need from me or what should I try to fix this issue? (Also, the bottom bezel of my monitor is messed up and the menu/adjust buttons can't be used.)

Thanks,
-TG

P.S.-1st time linux user and 1st post

[1.618]

Okay, i am quite a novice with linux still, but i would guess it's your graphics driver, have you looked in 'driver manager' to see if there are any other drivers avaliable?

have you run all your post install updates?

hopefully someone more knowledgable will be able to help you shortly.

[TopGun]

I did do whatever updates were available. I am currently doing a re-install, but this time the display was still off pre-install.

I will check to see if I can find the device/driver manager as soon as it's back up and running.

[gtsfer]

Are you installing the LMDE Mate or Cinnamon desktop version? Can you post back (copy/paste) the results of this from the "Terminal"?

Code: Select all

inxi -Fx

Fwiw... I dunno if "driver manager" even exists in LMDE at all, it doesn't exist in mine for sure (with Mate).

[TopGun]

I am installing Cinnamon. Just before reboot after re-install, display was as it should be (taking up whole screen). On reboot, screen "shrunk" again, but moved from left side of display to right. At least I can see my menu button now.

jimi@jimipc ~ $ inxi ­Fx

System: Host: jimipc Kernel: 3.11­2­486 i686 (32 bit, gcc: 4.8.1) Desktop: Cinnamon 2.0.14

Distro: LinuxMint 1 debian

Machine: System: Dell product: Dimension 4700

Mobo: Dell model: 0M3918 Bios: Dell version: A10 date: 01/04/2006

CPU: Single core Intel Pentium 4 CPU (­UP­) cache: 1024 KB flags: (pae sse sse2 sse3)

bmips: 5985.07 clocked at 2992.535 MHz

Graphics: Card: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] RV710 [Radeon HD 4350/4550] bus­ID:

01:00.0

X.Org: 1.14.3 drivers: ati,radeon (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) Resolution: 1680x1050@60.6hz

GLX Renderer: Gallium 0.4 on AMD RV710 GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 9.2.2 Direct

Rendering: Yes

Audio: Card­1: Intel 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) AC'97 Audio Controller

driver: snd_intel8x0 ports: ec00 e8c0 bus­ID: 00:1e.2

Card­2: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] RV710/730 HDMI Audio [Radeon HD 4000

series]

driver: snd_hda_intel bus­ID: 01:00.1

Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture ver: k3.11­2­486

Network: Card: Intel 82562ET/EZ/GT/GZ ­ PRO/100 VE (LOM) Ethernet Controller

driver: e100 ver: 3.5.24­k2­NAPI port: c8c0 bus­ID: 03:08.0

IF: eth0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: 00:11:11:e5:62:f1

Drives: HDD Total Size: 80.0GB (5.2% used) 1: id: /dev/sda model: Maxtor_6Y080M0 size:

80.0GB

Partition: ID: / size: 72G used: 3.9G (6%) fs: ext4 ID: swap­1 size: 2.15GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs:

swap

Sensors: System Temperatures: cpu: No active sensors found. Have you configured your sensors

yet? mobo: N/A gpu: 101.0

Info: Processes: 122 Uptime: 15 min Memory: 301.8/2023.5MB Runlevel: 2 Gcc sys: 4.8.2

Client: Shell (bash 4.2.45) inxi: 1.9.14

jimi@jimipc ~ $

[TopGun]

OK, so this is weird. I had left the PC running and when I glanced over just now the screen was back to normal.

[gtsfer]

That's really odd, unless just posting on the forums magically results in repair of the issue. Some sort of super tech support.

I can see nothing in your hardware list, nor the drivers. Even the 3rd line under graphics where it says "GLX Renderer..." which can indicate a problem (if the wrong driver is loaded) looks just fine. Are you sure it's not maybe a loose cable or connector? I know that sounds stupid, but so far I don't see anything wrong at all. I'll have to think on this one. Post back if it returns or doesn't, OK? Maybe someone else will jump in here and post too.

[TopGun]

I started the PC this morning and the issue returned on the 1st startup of the day and remains through multiple reboots. The display has shifted back to the left side of the screen. I have re-checked all the monitor connections. I'm going to log in and see if it just "fixes" itself again if I just leave it sitting for a bit.

Not sure if I should start a new thread for this or not, but on each start/reboot I have the following message...

Drive 1 not found: Serial ATA, SATA-2
Strike the F1 key to continue, F2 to run the setup utility

Is that normal to have to press F1 each time before GRUB loader will start?

[PatH57]

nope so I guess the cmos battery is dying or dead witch also would explain your strange video problems.

[TopGun]

It is keeping the date/time correctly though. I can try swapping that out to test it. I just need to head out to best buy in a bit.

[PatH57]

enter the bios and check the settings
The unit is pretty old...guess bios updates haven't been done?

[TopGun]

I updated the bios right before I installed linux for the 1st time. What did you want me to check in the bios?

[PatH57]

all the settings (just double check) but again if F1 comes up every time something is wrong that's a bios "issue"
The "latest" from Dell is Version A10, A10

[TopGun]

Mobo: Dell model: 0M3918 Bios: Dell version: A10 date: 01/04/2006


I don't know what all the bios settings should be, so it is kind of hard for me to check all the settings.

Is there any specific settings you want me to check?

[PatH57]

well first check that the drive is detected correctly and the boot order is ok.
I don't have this unit so I don't know the specifics but these are really standard settings.

[TopGun]

The drive seems to show up like it's recognized in bios under drive zero and boot order is from hdd first.

I did turn off drive 1 (which there was nothing recognized in bios) and this seemed to have resolved the having to press F1 issue. I am no longer getting that prompt.

The display issue is still unresolved. Could it possibly be a monitor (hardware) issue? Also, when in bios I have a whole screen showing. Issue only seems to happen after loading the OS.

Also, time did seem to be off in bios.

[PatH57]

well if the bios stays stable let's exclude it.
That said debian and cinnamon on a 2006 unit? not really the safest choice. Linux Mint deb is a rolling distro not a stable one and cinnamon takes a bit of resources to work "correctly".
On an older unit like this I would go for Mint 13 (xfce or mate) 32 bit just to be sure.... That's off course only my personal opinion.

[TopGun]

I chose debian specifically for the rolling upgrades. I wanted to set it and forget it for this person while allowing him to upgrade without having to do a new install.

The bios is from 2006...the PC is actually even older than that.

So are you saying I shouldn't bother replacing the CR2032 cmos battery?

What makes Mint 13 (xfce or mate) better for an older system over mint 17 debian? And do you have a link where I could find those iso?

[PatH57]

Hi,


rolling is not synonym of "supported" it's actually more of a testing environment (don't think that's what you were looking for?)

Mint 13 and Mint 17 (non debian) are supported version (meaning they will get updates on a regular basis)

Mint 13 Long term support release (LTS), supported until April 2017
Mint 17 Long term support release (LTS), supported until April 2019.

I use Mint 13 32 bit Mate for my older relatives as it is the best XP replacement I have found so far (didn't have to spend to much time explaining what it does once installed, they just got it right away)
http://www.linuxmint.com/release.php?id=18

[TopGun]

The updates for non-debian versions need to be manually installed after moving data to a storage device, doing a clean install, and then moving data back don't they? I wanted to avoid having to do that.

I found a different cmos battery from a different PC I had laying around and popped it in this machine. It seemed to resolve the issue until the 3rd reboot at which point it went back to the display being "shrunk" instead of full screen.

Does this provide any more clues, or should I just test using Mint 13 install? Also, this is for a 19 year old. Are there any particular versions that more closely resemble windows 7?

It does seem to keep adjusting itself back to full screen after letting it just sit there after a few minutes too. Weird...