Slack-13 - AMD-800

On Mon, 07 Sep 2009 17:05:37 +0000, Dan C wrote:

> On Mon, 07 Sep 2009 01:33:29 -0500, ~kurt wrote:
>
>> Dan C <youmustbejoking DeleteThis @lan.invalid> wrote:
>>> On Sun, 06 Sep 2009 23:18:08 -0500, ~kurt wrote:
>>>
>>>> Dan C <youmustbejoking DeleteThis @lan.invalid> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> As I said, it is no longer *required*, but can be used for specific
>>>>> changes/additions.
>>>>
>>>> Are you sure that is not just for DVI connected monitors?
>>>
>>> Am I sure that *what* isn't just for DVI connected monitors?
>>>
>>> The "file is not required", or "can be used"?
>>
>> Is the file only optional if you have a DVI connection? I forgot how
>> it goes - not interested enough to look it up - but with a DVI
>> connection, information from the GX card is sent back to the computer.
>> There was a huge argument over if you needed a config file a couple
>> years ago. The Resident Moron was arguing there was no purpose to it,
>> while those of us who had the older style connectors had to disagree
>> since we needed to manually add specific modelines to make our monitors
>> work correctly. My personal experience is all of these issues
>> disappeared only when I switched to the DVI connection. I'm just
>> curious if it has changed since then (2 years or so).

Hardware capabilities changed a looong time ago. I'm not sure when drivers
started to support this fully.

>
> Hmmmmm... I guess I'm not sure. I'm only using Slack13 on this (high-
> end) laptop, and don't know if a lappy screen is connected via DVI or
> not. What you say makes some sense, and perhaps somebody using a
> regular VGA connected monitor can add something to this...

OK, let's try.
I removed my /etc/X11/xorg.conf. System is a nearly six years old P4
with a nVidia GeForce4 MX 440 graphics card and a Dell 1703 flat panel
display connected through an analog VGA cable.
I'm still running slackware 12.2 with X.Org X Server 1.4.2.

Some snippets of the /var/log/Xorg.0.log file generated with the
"startx" command (without a xorg.conf file):

[...]
Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
(++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Tue Sep 8 00:07:51 2009
(EE) Unable to locate/open config file

[...]

(--) PCI:*(1:0:0) nVidia Corporation NV18 [GeForce4 MX 440 AGP 8x] rev 162, Mem @ 0xfd000000/24, 0xf0000000/27, BIOS @ 0xfea00000/17
(--) PCI: (2:3:0) Brooktree Corporation Bt878 Video Capture rev 17, Mem @ 0xf8001000/12
New driver is "nv"
(==) Using default built-in configuration (55 lines)

[...]

(II) Loading sub module "i2c"
(II) LoadModule: "i2c"(II) Module "i2c" already built-in
(II) Loading sub module "ddc"
(II) LoadModule: "ddc"(II) Module "ddc" already built-in
(II) NV(0): I2C bus "DDC" initialized.
(II) NV(0): Probing for analog device on output A...
(--) NV(0): ...found one
(II) NV(0): Probing for analog device on output B...
(--) NV(0): ...found one
(II) NV(0): Probing for EDID on I2C bus A...
(II) NV(0): I2C device "DDC:ddc2" registered at address 0xA0.
(--) NV(0): DDC detected a CRT:
(II) NV(0): Manufacturer: DEL Model: 3010 Serial#: 1094267700
(II) NV(0): Year: 2003 Week: 46
(II) NV(0): EDID Version: 1.3
(II) NV(0): Analog Display Input, Input Voltage Level: 0.700/0.300 V
(II) NV(0): Sync: Separate Composite SyncOnGreen
(II) NV(0): Max H-Image Size [cm]: horiz.: 34 vert.: 27
(II) NV(0): Gamma: 2.20
(II) NV(0): DPMS capabilities: StandBy Suspend Off; RGB/Color Display
(II) NV(0): Default color space is primary color space
(II) NV(0): First detailed timing is preferred mode
(II) NV(0): redX: 0.634 redY: 0.354 greenX: 0.304 greenY: 0.581
(II) NV(0): blueX: 0.143 blueY: 0.102 whiteX: 0.310 whiteY: 0.330
(II) NV(0): Supported VESA Video Modes:
(II) NV(0): 720x400@70Hz
(II) NV(0): 640x480@60Hz
(II) NV(0): 640x480@75Hz
(II) NV(0): 800x600@60Hz
(II) NV(0): 800x600@75Hz
(II) NV(0): 1024x768@60Hz
(II) NV(0): 1024x768@75Hz
(II) NV(0): 1280x1024@75Hz
(II) NV(0): Manufacturer's mask: 0
(II) NV(0): Supported Future Video Modes:
(II) NV(0): #0: hsize: 1152 vsize 864 refresh: 75 vid: 20337
(II) NV(0): #1: hsize: 1280 vsize 1024 refresh: 60 vid: 32897
(II) NV(0): Supported additional Video Mode:
(II) NV(0): clock: 108.0 MHz Image Size: 338 x 270 mm
(II) NV(0): h_active: 1280 h_sync: 1328 h_sync_end 1440 h_blank_end 1688 h_border: 0
(II) NV(0): v_active: 1024 v_sync: 1025 v_sync_end 1028 v_blanking: 1066 v_border: 0
(II) NV(0): Serial No: 4Y2793BEA934
(II) NV(0): Monitor name: DELL 1703FP
(II) NV(0): Ranges: V min: 56 V max: 76 Hz, H min: 30 H max: 80 kHz, PixClock max 140 MHz

[...]


As you can see: all relevant information about the monitor can be
determined, even with plain six years old vga hardware. The vga
connection isn't as plain anymore as it used to be in the really
old times.


Regards,

Kees.

--
Kees Theunissen.