TV as monitor problems [SOLVED]

[cecilieaux]

I have recently attached an older computer I wasn't using as a dual-boot (Windows 7/Linux Mint 19.1 32-bit) machine with the idea of playing games and net surfing from my comfy chair in the living room.

In Linux I managed to get the right size text and icons by simply setting font scaling (System Settings > Font Selection) to 2.0.

There remain some problems with

-- windows leave much off-screen

-- websites in the browser(s) (Chromium and Firefox) are very wide and off-screen

I've been thinking of getting new prescription glasses, but I wonder whether someone knows one of those arcane Linux solutions to getting the right display on a large flat-screen TV. I'm not sure what information is needed for someone to diagnose the problem.

Thanks in advance,
Cecilieaux

[jp734]

I was able to do this in the past using only proprietary driver when I had amd catalyst control center installed. What card and driver are you using?

[decrepit]

Could it be you have the wrong screen resolution set?

Preferences > displays

[Hoser Rob]

I was able to do this in the past using only proprietary driver when I had amd catalyst control center installed. What card and driver are you using?

Catalyst is only for AMD cards, which the OP hasn't specified, and anyway catalyst not available on any currently supported Mint version.

The OP needs to post some useful info, copy/paste this to the terminal and copy/paste the text output here (no screenshots):

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inxi -Fxz

[cecilieaux]

I will reply from the "TV computer" as I now call it. There's another problem I just realized:

-- No audio

I used a DVI to HDMI cable without thinking of the audio.

[cecilieaux]

The OP needs to post some useful info, copy/paste this to the terminal and copy/paste the text output here (no screenshots):

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inxi -Fxz

OK, here it is:

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$ inxi -Fxz
System:
  Host: Precision-390-TV Kernel: 4.15.0-52-generic i686 bits: 32 
  compiler: gcc v: 7.3.0 Desktop: Cinnamon 4.0.10 
  Distro: Linux Mint 19.1 Tessa base: Ubuntu 18.04 bionic 
Machine:
  Type: Desktop System: Dell product: Precision WorkStation 390 v: N/A 
  serial: <filter> 
  Mobo: Dell model: 0DN075 serial: <filter> BIOS: Dell v: 2.6.0 
  date: 05/19/2008 
CPU:
  Topology: Dual Core model: Intel Core2 6700 bits: 64 type: MCP 
  arch: Core Merom rev: 6 L2 cache: 4096 KiB 
  flags: lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 10640 
  Speed: 1596 MHz min/max: N/A Core speeds (MHz): 1: 1596 2: 1596 
Graphics:
  Device-1: AMD RV530 GL [FireGL V3400] driver: radeon v: kernel 
  bus ID: 01:00.0 
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.19.6 driver: ati,radeon 
  unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,vesa tty: N/A 
  OpenGL: renderer: ATI RV530 v: 2.1 Mesa 18.2.8 direct render: Yes 
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel NM10/ICH7 Family High Definition Audio vendor: Dell 
  driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1b.0 
  Sound Server: ALSA v: k4.15.0-52-generic 
Network:
  Device-1: Broadcom and subsidiaries NetXtreme BCM5754 Gigabit Ethernet PCI 
  Express 
  vendor: Dell Precision 390 driver: tg3 v: 3.137 port: dc00 bus ID: 04:00.0 
  IF: enp4s0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter> 
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 614.77 GiB used: 20.16 GiB (3.3%) 
  ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Seagate model: ST3808110AS size: 74.51 GiB 
  ID-2: /dev/sdb vendor: Seagate model: ST3500630AS size: 465.76 GiB 
  ID-3: /dev/sdc vendor: Seagate model: ST3808110AS size: 74.51 GiB 
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 72.83 GiB used: 20.16 GiB (27.7%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sdc1 
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 57.0 C mobo: N/A 

[gm10]

I will reply from the "TV computer" as I now call it. There's another problem I just realized:

-- No audio

I used a DVI to HDMI cable without thinking of the audio.

Check your sound preferences whether there is a DVI output. Not all DVI graphics cards supported this, I don't know if yours does. Your DVI cable will also have to be fully connected (some cheap ones are missing some connectors).

[jp734]

I was able to do this in the past using only proprietary driver when I had amd catalyst control center installed. What card and driver are you using?

Catalyst is only for AMD cards, which the OP hasn't specified, and anyway catalyst not available on any currently supported Mint version.

The OP needs to post some useful info, copy/paste this to the terminal and copy/paste the text output here (no screenshots):

Code: Select all

inxi -Fxz

Yes, I undertand. fglrx, radeon, ati and amdgpu are ONLY for AMD gpus. I was just saying it only worked for me when I used their proprietary driver. That's why I asked what card and driver he's using.

[cecilieaux]

I set the resolution at 1680 x 1050 and it looks much, much better.

Still, don know what to do about sound.

[MrEen]

You might need to revert to the 4.15.0-50 kernel for sound over HDMI. Your inxi audio section shows no HDMI audio card which seems to be typical for Radeon users with the 4.15.0-51 kernel update.

If the 4.15.0-50 kernel works, please consider adding a bug report here: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/Bugs

Without users adding bug reports, the issue will never get fixed.

EDIT: Original issue: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour ... ug/1827967

[gm10]

You might need to revert to the 4.15.0-50 kernel for sound over HDMI. Your inxi audio section shows no HDMI audio card which seems to be typical for Radeon users with the 4.15.0-51 kernel update.

He's connected via a DVI port, only the TV is HDMI. Also not sure if relevant because I'm neither using a Radeon nor do I know how those are typically shown in inxi, but I have HDMI audio yet inxi is not displaying any separate device for that, I'd have to run aplay -l to list my playback devices (inxi is only showing the chip).

[MrEen]

He's connected via a DVI port, only the TV is HDMI. Also not sure if relevant because I'm neither using a Radeon nor do I know how those are typically shown in inxi, but I have HDMI audio yet inxi is not displaying any separate device for that, I'd have to run aplay -l to list my playback devices (inxi is only showing the chip).

Understood. And I may have been off base on this one.

If aplay -l gives you HDMI audio options when inxi didn't show anything, then the HDMI audio is using the same card number as the built-in audio I'd think, just a different device number. In at least one case of the three or four I've seen so far affected by that update, they did have a separate audio card for HDMI that disappeared with the update. And so far, all of them had the Radeon graphics driver running.

[gm10]

If aplay -l gives you HDMI audio options when inxi didn't show anything, then the HDMI audio is using the same card number as the built-in audio I'd think, just a different device number. In at least one case of the three or four I've seen so far affected by that update, they did have a separate audio card for HDMI that disappeared with the update.

Ah, so the Radeons have a discrete audio chip? Weird but interesting. And yes, I'm only using on-board audio these days.

[cecilieaux]

Not sure I follow the discussion but I entered the command suggested ...

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$ aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: STAC9200 Analog [STAC9200 Analog]
  Subdevices: 0/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

[MrEen]

Here's a good way to test what I was referring to. Run the Live image you used to install Mint and see if it works there.

[cecilieaux]

I think I need a cable between the audio out and the audio in.

Thank you all.

[cecilieaux]

It worked!

The solution was (1) to fiddle with the resolution and (2) to get a cable between the audio out and the audio in, in addition to the DVI to HDMI.

I declare this solved.