bugreport: nvidia-auto-select failure

shuthdar · 08-14-09, 08:37 AM

Hi all!

I'm not sure where to send bugreports, so for start I'll post it here.

I've got Acer Aspire 5739G laptop with Geforce GT 130M video on board and Linux Mint installed (upgraded from Ubuntu development repositories after installation). Standard resolution for this laptop's display is 1366x768 and default non-accelerated Xorg drivers (both vesa and nv) handle it well but nvidia drivers handle very weird showing six identical pictures in resolution of 640x480 (picture for proof: http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/4227/dsc00037xue.jpg).

With no modes specified in xorg.conf the output in Xorg log is:

Code:

(==) NVIDIA(0): No modes were requested; the default mode "nvidia-auto-select"
(==) NVIDIA(0):     will be used as the requested mode.
(==) NVIDIA(0): 
(II) NVIDIA(0): Validated modes:
(II) NVIDIA(0):     "nvidia-auto-select"
(II) NVIDIA(0): Virtual screen size determined to be 640 x 480

After running nvidia-xconfig --mode 1366x768 I can see there:

Code:

(WW) NVIDIA(0): No valid modes for "1366x768"; removing.
(WW) NVIDIA(0): 
(WW) NVIDIA(0): Unable to validate any modes; falling back to the default mode
(WW) NVIDIA(0):     "nvidia-auto-select".
(WW) NVIDIA(0): 
(II) NVIDIA(0): Validated modes:
(II) NVIDIA(0):     "nvidia-auto-select"
(II) NVIDIA(0): Virtual screen size determined to be 640 x 480

Tried with 185.18.31 stable driver version (both included in distribution and downloadable from nVidia site) and 190.18 beta - result is the same.

Is that nvidia-auto-select bug or some failure on my side? In both cases - how can it be corrected? As Xorg's non-accelerated drivers handle the resolution well, I don't believe it's hardware problem.

Attaching nvidia-bug-report, nvidia-installer.log and xorg.conf.

Thanks in advance for any useful information.

**AaronP** · 08-14-09, 11:55 AM

Your bug report is using the 'nv' driver instead of the 'nvidia' driver. Please generate a new bug report after starting X with the nvidia driver.

tuco penguin · 08-14-09, 04:51 PM

I am very interested in buying this same Acer laptop for use with Ubuntu Linux. I have read similar reports in several places of the 6-screen bug with this GPU (and specifically this laptop), and other GT 100M-series GPUs. I am really interested in seeing the issue resolved.

I don't know what impact it might have, but I noticed today that Acer released a BIOS revision for this laptop on 7/28/09. It is unlikely that any laptops shipped from resellers have had this BIOS installed yet. Any chance this could help matters?

Also, it seems to me that in Ubuntu there may be something strange going on when changing the screen resolution with the built-in control panel app. I read a report that someone needed to use the nVidia app. to update their screen resolution, and tried myself yesterday with both apps (in this case an old desktop PC with older nvidia driver (circa 170?) with a GeForce FX5200 GPU, and Ubuntu 9.04) and got very different results with the two different apps. It almost seems like using the Ubuntu app. forced my video card to a lower resolution (and/or a different driver?), and then the resolution setting locked up in that app and I couldn't recover using the Ubuntu app. But starting the nVidia app DID allow me to switch back to the proper (native) resolution.

In summary, I have a vested interest in figuring out what's going on, but not the equivalent hardware to help out. There is a BIOS update available for your Acer laptop, and possibly some strange behavior where Ubuntu steps on the video driver if you use the canned control panel app. to change resolution settings (a bit speculative on the latter point.)

Please post any news here. If you are able to test the change to the 'nvidia' driver suggested above, or test the BIOS update, please post the results, positive or negative.

shuthdar · 08-14-09, 06:40 PM

>Your bug report is using the 'nv' driver instead of the 'nvidia' driver. Please generate a new bug report after starting X with the nvidia driver

Updated file in attachment

tuco penguin · 08-14-09, 07:41 PM

I'm probably not qualified to analyze your bug report, but I can say that your second post lacks any attachment...

shuthdar · 08-15-09, 04:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tuco penguin

I'm probably not qualified to analyze your bug report, but I can say that your second post lacks any attachment...

It's updated in root post with all the attachments

**AaronP** · 08-15-09, 01:43 PM

Hmm, I was expecting to see a message about the EDID being invalid, but don't see that there. Could you please regenerate the bug report after running "nvidia-xconfig --mode-debug" to enable verbose mode logging? It will print out all of the modes being considered.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tuco penguin

I don't know what impact it might have, but I noticed today that Acer released a BIOS revision for this laptop on 7/28/09. It is unlikely that any laptops shipped from resellers have had this BIOS installed yet. Any chance this could help matters?

Yes, it's possible.

shuthdar · 08-15-09, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AaronP

Hmm, I was expecting to see a message about the EDID being invalid, but don't see that there. Could you please regenerate the bug report after running "nvidia-xconfig --mode-debug" to enable verbose mode logging? It will print out all of the modes being considered.

Attaching bugreport and Xorg log after doing this.

In Xorg log, there's now something that could matter:

Code:

(II) NVIDIA(0):   Validating Mode "1366x768":
(II) NVIDIA(0):     1366 x 768 @ 60 Hz
(II) NVIDIA(0):     For use as DFP backend.
(II) NVIDIA(0):     Mode Source: EDID
(II) NVIDIA(0):       Pixel Clock      : 69.50 MHz
(II) NVIDIA(0):       HRes, HSyncStart : 1366, 1414
(II) NVIDIA(0):       HSyncEnd, HTotal : 1446, 1437
(II) NVIDIA(0):       VRes, VSyncStart :  768,  771
(II) NVIDIA(0):       VSyncEnd, VTotal :  775,  806
(II) NVIDIA(0):       H/V Polarity     : -/-
(WW) NVIDIA(0):     Mode is rejected: This mode's horizontal sync end (1446)
(WW) NVIDIA(0):     exceeds the horizontal total size (1437).

So, there's really something wrong in EDID output. Is there a possibility to make driver to ignore this somehow? I'd like to leave idea of updating BIOS as last chance when no other solutions left.

**AaronP** · 08-15-09, 04:10 PM

Wow, yeah, that's not right. You have a couple of options: You could try adding a custom ModeLine for that resolution with valid values, or you could try setting Option "ModeValidation" "NoTotalSizeCheck". That's a pretty unusual error, though, so I don't know off the top of my head what the driver will do in that case.

shuthdar · 08-15-09, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AaronP

Option "ModeValidation" "NoTotalSizeCheck"

It worked! Thanks a lot for your help!

junglist · 09-22-09, 08:42 PM

I have this same laptop, and I'm trying Ubuntu out for the first time on it. I'm having the same issue, but I don't know enough about Ubuntu to follow what you did. Can you explain in a little more detail or point me to some instructions for modifying xorg.conf?

Thanks

kcartlidge · 01-17-10, 03:15 AM

In Mint 8 (which is based on Ubuntu and has the same 6-screen issue) to apply this fix to an Acer 5739G I did the following. Note that I'm using the vi editor which is not the easiest to use for those unfamiliar with it, but should be available on all systems. It's easy to adapt it to other editors.

From the Menu, open Terminal.
Type the command below and press enter:

sudo vi /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Enter your system/root/administrator password to open the file.
At the bottom is a section labelled "Device", which ends with a set of Option entries.
Arrow down to the last Option entry in that section, then press A (make sure it's a capital A) then enter.
Press TAB to move below the Option above and type (with quotes):
Option (press TAB) "ModeValidation" (press TAB) "NoTotalSizeCheck" (press Escape)
Type two capital Z's to save and exit, close Terminal and reboot from the menu.

Many thanks to AaronP for figuring it out.

08-14-09, 11:55 AM	#2
AaronP NVIDIA Corporation Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 2,487	Re: bugreport: nvidia-auto-select failure Your bug report is using the 'nv' driver instead of the 'nvidia' driver. Please generate a new bug report after starting X with the nvidia driver.

08-14-09, 04:51 PM	#3
tuco penguin Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 3	Re: bugreport: nvidia-auto-select failure I am very interested in buying this same Acer laptop for use with Ubuntu Linux. I have read similar reports in several places of the 6-screen bug with this GPU (and specifically this laptop), and other GT 100M-series GPUs. I am really interested in seeing the issue resolved. I don't know what impact it might have, but I noticed today that Acer released a BIOS revision for this laptop on 7/28/09. It is unlikely that any laptops shipped from resellers have had this BIOS installed yet. Any chance this could help matters? Also, it seems to me that in Ubuntu there may be something strange going on when changing the screen resolution with the built-in control panel app. I read a report that someone needed to use the nVidia app. to update their screen resolution, and tried myself yesterday with both apps (in this case an old desktop PC with older nvidia driver (circa 170?) with a GeForce FX5200 GPU, and Ubuntu 9.04) and got very different results with the two different apps. It almost seems like using the Ubuntu app. forced my video card to a lower resolution (and/or a different driver?), and then the resolution setting locked up in that app and I couldn't recover using the Ubuntu app. But starting the nVidia app DID allow me to switch back to the proper (native) resolution. In summary, I have a vested interest in figuring out what's going on, but not the equivalent hardware to help out. There is a BIOS update available for your Acer laptop, and possibly some strange behavior where Ubuntu steps on the video driver if you use the canned control panel app. to change resolution settings (a bit speculative on the latter point.) Please post any news here. If you are able to test the change to the 'nvidia' driver suggested above, or test the BIOS update, please post the results, positive or negative.

08-14-09, 06:40 PM	#4
shuthdar Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 5	Re: bugreport: nvidia-auto-select failure >Your bug report is using the 'nv' driver instead of the 'nvidia' driver. Please generate a new bug report after starting X with the nvidia driver Updated file in attachment

08-14-09, 07:41 PM	#5
tuco penguin Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 3	Re: bugreport: nvidia-auto-select failure I'm probably not qualified to analyze your bug report, but I can say that your second post lacks any attachment...

08-15-09, 04:10 PM	#9
AaronP NVIDIA Corporation Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 2,487	Re: bugreport: nvidia-auto-select failure Wow, yeah, that's not right. You have a couple of options: You could try adding a custom ModeLine for that resolution with valid values, or you could try setting Option "ModeValidation" "NoTotalSizeCheck". That's a pretty unusual error, though, so I don't know off the top of my head what the driver will do in that case.

09-22-09, 08:42 PM	#11
junglist Registered User Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1	Re: bugreport: nvidia-auto-select failure I have this same laptop, and I'm trying Ubuntu out for the first time on it. I'm having the same issue, but I don't know enough about Ubuntu to follow what you did. Can you explain in a little more detail or point me to some instructions for modifying xorg.conf? Thanks

01-17-10, 03:15 AM	#12
kcartlidge Registered User Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 1	Re: bugreport: nvidia-auto-select failure In Mint 8 (which is based on Ubuntu and has the same 6-screen issue) to apply this fix to an Acer 5739G I did the following. Note that I'm using the vi editor which is not the easiest to use for those unfamiliar with it, but should be available on all systems. It's easy to adapt it to other editors. From the Menu, open Terminal. Type the command below and press enter: sudo vi /etc/X11/xorg.conf Enter your system/root/administrator password to open the file. At the bottom is a section labelled "Device", which ends with a set of Option entries. Arrow down to the last Option entry in that section, then press A (make sure it's a capital A) then enter. Press TAB to move below the Option above and type (with quotes): Option (press TAB) "ModeValidation" (press TAB) "NoTotalSizeCheck" (press Escape) Type two capital Z's to save and exit, close Terminal and reboot from the menu. Many thanks to AaronP for figuring it out. Last edited by kcartlidge; 01-17-10 at 03:16 AM. Reason: Grammar.