can't get 2560x1600 (freebsd 7.0, nv, 8500gt, hp lp3065)

[rcgill]

I am unable to get X to display 2560x1600. The best I can get is 1280x800. I've constructed a xorg.conf file with the proper modelines (I think), but this doesn't help.

Here's the configuration:

Mainboard: Gigabyte GA-M51GM-S2G
Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ @ 2000 MHz
RAM: 4096 MB
Video Card: MSI NX8500GT-TD512EH
(http://www.msicomputer.com/product/p_spec.asp?model=NX8500GT-TD512EH&class=vga)
Monitor: HP LP3065
(http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF06a/382087-382087-64283-72270-444767-3297215.html)
OS: FreeBSD 7.0 amd64 (NOT i386)

Note that I am using the nv driver because the NVIDIA Proprietary Driver doesn't support amd64.

The OS had been freshly installed from the ISO images. I updated the nv driver from ports (xf86-video-nv). Both the driver distributed with the iso install and the updated driver exhibit the same behavior.

This card and monitor clearly should work OK since I have the exact same configuration (MB + CPU + RAM + video card + monitor) on another box running win xp perfectly.

I've appended the relevant files below (xorg.conf, the xorg log (attached), and output from xrandr -q after x is up).

Thanks so much for any help.

Best,
Rawld



Here is the xorg.conf file (note that I tried a couple of modelines in the monitor section).

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "X.org Configured"
Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0
InputDevice "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

Section "Files"
RgbPath "/usr/local/share/X11/rgb"
ModulePath "/usr/local/lib/xorg/modules"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/misc/"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/TTF/"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/OTF"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "GLcore"
Load "dbe"
Load "dri"
Load "extmod"
Load "glx"
Load "record"
Load "xtrap"
Load "freetype"
Load "type1"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Keyboard0"
Driver "kbd"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Mouse0"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "auto"
Option "Device" "/dev/sysmouse"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5 6 7"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "HP"
ModelName "LP3065"
DisplaySize 641 400
HorizSync 100.0
VertRefresh 60.0
#ModeLine "2560x1600" 268.0 2560 2608 2640 2720 1600 1603 1609 1646
Modeline "2560x1600" 268.00 2560 2608 2640 2720 1600 1603 1609 1646 +hsync -vsync EndSection

Section "Device"
### Available Driver options are:-
### Values: <i>: integer, <f>: float, <bool>: "True"/"False",
### <string>: "String", <freq>: "<f> Hz/kHz/MHz"
### [arg]: arg optional
#Option "SWcursor" # [<bool>]
#Option "HWcursor" # [<bool>]
#Option "NoAccel" # [<bool>]
#Option "ShadowFB" # [<bool>]
#Option "UseFBDev" # [<bool>]
#Option "Rotate" # [<str>]
#Option "VideoKey" # <i>
#Option "FlatPanel" # [<bool>]
#Option "FPDither" # [<bool>]
#Option "CrtcNumber" # <i>
#Option "FPScale" # [<bool>]
#Option "FPTweak" # <i>
#Option "DualHead" # [<bool>]
Identifier "Card0"
Driver "nv"
VendorName "nVidia Corporation"
BoardName "GeForce 8500 GT"
BusID "PCI:2:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Card0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
Subsection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Modes "2560x1600"
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection

[rnejdl]

I had problems getting the nvidia driver to work with 4GB of memory. As soon as I started X, the system would hard freeze. Are you actually able to get the system up with the nvidia driver but just with the wrong resolution? If not, then try going to 2GB of memory and see how that works. If you are able to get it working I am very curious to hear how that's working.

Rusty

[rcgill]

Hi Rusty,

Thanks for your help!

I am able to start X with 4G. startx gives the freebsd default TWM window manager in 1280x800. Here is the result of xrandr -q:

Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1280 x 800, maximum 1280 x 1280
VGA1 disconnected
DVI0 connected 1280x800+0+0 641mm x 400mm
1280x800 59.9*
1024x768 60.0
800x600 60.3
640x480 59.9
512x384 120.0
VGA2 disconnected

I'm also able to get kde up...but at the ugly 1280x800 mode.

As to how I got it working...it seems to work this far without any configuration whatsoever. That is, I can run startx with or without an xorg.conf file and I get this far. In fact the modelines in my xorg.conf file seem to be ignored. This is the problem (I think).

Best,
Rawld

[rnejdl]

But with 4GB are you are able to load an xorg.conf with Device "nvidia" ? This is what I'm running:
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "Unknown"
ModelName "Unknown"
HorizSync 30.0 - 110.0
VertRefresh 50.0 - 150.0
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Device0"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Device0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth 24
Option "AddARGBGLXVisuals" "true"
Option "DisableGLXRootClipping" "true"
Option "RenderAccel" "true"
Option "AllowGLXWithComposite" "true"
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection

With that setup and 2GB of memory, X starts itself at 1920 x 1200 correctly with nvidia acceleration.

Rusty

[rcgill]

> But with 4GB are you are able to load an xorg.conf with Device "nvidia" ?

No. Since I am running freebsd amd64, I can't use the nvidia proprietary driver ("nvidia") (it doesn't support amd64...and a lot of people are very unhappy about this!).

I am, and must use, driver="nv"

[rnejdl]

> But with 4GB are you are able to load an xorg.conf with Device "nvidia" ?

No. Since I am running freebsd amd64, I can't use the nvidia proprietary driver ("nvidia") (it doesn't support amd64...and a lot of people are very unhappy about this!).

I am, and must use, driver="nv"

Gotcha now. What happens when you hit CTRL SHIFT + or if you use KDE's resize and rotate utility?

Rusty

[rcgill]

CTRL SHIFT + doesn't work.

KDE does offer the other modes mentioned in the xrandr output, but not the 2650x1600 mode.

[rnejdl]

Does this other thread help?

http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=69639

The only way i found to pass this is to add the line Option "ModeValidation" "NoEdidModes" in the device section

Rusty

[rcgill]

>The only way i found to pass this is to add the line Option "ModeValidation" "NoEdidModes" in the device section

Tried that. No change. Also tried the modeline here:
http://forums11.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/bizsupport/questionanswer.do?threadId=1132895

No luck.

[rcgill]

Problem Solved!

Thanks to Aaron Plattner on the xorg list for pointing out that you need the 2.1.9 driver. For others out there...here's what I did:

The current FreeBSD port is at xf86-video-nv-2.1.8. You'll need xf86-video-nv-2.1.9 to get this to work. There are no patches to the port so its a simple matter of downloading it and compiling it. I changed the version numbers in the files in usr/ports/x11-drivers/xf86-video-nv, filled the work directory with the extracted source from http://xorg.freedesktop.org/releases/individual/driver/xf86-video-nv-2.1.9.tar.bz2, fiddled with some file modes to make appropriate files executable, and then did "make install". This gets you a nvidia driver that works with FreeBSD-amd64.

/etc/X11/xorg.conf can be constructed as per the FreeBSD handbook; here are the critical sections:

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "HP"
ModelName "LP3065"
DisplaySize 641 400
HorizSync 100.0
VertRefresh 60.0
ModeLine "2560x1600" 268.00 2560 2608 2640 2720 1600 1603 1609 1646 +hsync -vsync
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Option "AllowDualLinkModes" "True"
Identifier "Card0"
Driver "nv"
VendorName "nVidia Corporation"
BoardName "GeForce 8500 GT"
BusID "PCI:2:0:0"
EndSection

Once again, thanks Aaron!

Rawld