Hi, i use Ubuntu Maverick on Efika MX Smarttop.
I need to use lower sync rate on 32" monitor TV.
I open System -> Preferences -> Monitors , but there is only one resolution mode "1366x768 60Hz" but monitor info is: 1366x768 62Hz! (monitor is out of range)

so i try to add a new resolution-rate using following command:

cvt 1280 720 60
command: xrandr --newmode "1280x720_60" 74.50 1280 1344 1472 1664
720 723 728 748 -hsync +vsync
return: xrandr: Failed to get size of gamma for output default
command: xrandr --addmode default" 1280x720_60"
return: xrandr: Failed to get size of gamma for output default
command: xrandr --output default --mode "1280x720_60"
return: xrandr: Configure crtc 0 failed

i try with another resolution but obtaining same result.
Help me!

xrandr doesn't currently work as far as changing resolutions. I think martin is working on an update to the imxng xorg driver that does work with changing resolutions though.

I will see if there is a workaround for this problem and get back to you.

Ok, so until there is support for changing the X display resolution via xrandr. it looks like the following is a way to change the display resolution of both the fb console and X. (but you have to stop X before the switch and then restart it)

1. switch to the text console with control + alt + f1

2. log in as your regular user account either the user you set up yourself with first time setup, or efika password efika for the cairodock image.

3. sudo su

4. sudo service gdm stop


5. cat /sys/class/graphics/fb0/modes to get a list of modes you can set.

6. echo modnamehere >/sys/class/graphics/fb0/mode

7. service gdm start

the following is an example from my smart top. I think the D: modes are ones supported directly by the detected display. Since you are using maverick you will want to use gdm instead of gdm3 like I did in the paste.


I hope this helps it's not perfect but until the xorg driver is updated (no idea on when exactly) this will have to do. I think there are also certain kernel command line options that help with auto-detecting modes on different monitors.

This method is probably a lot nicer than messing around with boot.scr though.

ok , using this workaround I can change resolution mode, but setting a resolution D:1366x768p-59 efika output is 1366x768 H:49.4KHz V:62Hz so my Philips 191v (pc monitor) show output but Monitor TV Philips 32" show black screen and alert 'out of range' (monitor is native 1366x768 and max V frequency is 60Hz!).
Other solutions?
Thanks,
Michele

The modes are pulled from EDID so you can't just set it to that mode and hope it works somewhere else (1366x768p-59 or 1366x768p-60 is misleading, these are modes with that resolution and refresh, but the timings are not included in the name so in actual fact if you see those strings on ANY other monitor they are probably NOT going to work!)

Later, unreleased (since we introduced a smattering of bugs which we are still fixing) kernels do have a siihdmi.vic=N argument which allows you to pick a CEA video mode for true HDMI displays (so if there are some vast number of normal TV modes to choose from you can force the issue. =1 is 640x480, =4 is 720p60, blah blah, you can look it up online pretty easily what the VIC code is for most modes, but it MUST be present in the EDID for the monitor for it to work).

What's missing truly, truly is XRandR support, but it's really difficult to actually get working since XRandR relies on the EDID being processed in the Xorg driver too, which means porting all the filtering to userspace and matching it when we find bugs. You may have a boot mode that works but XRandR lets you pick a subtle different mode that doesn't and you get a dead screen, that is not fun and not what we want users to experience.

I am afraid to say you probably won't see XRandR support to go with the 2.6.31 kernel just because of that. However work is progressing on a 3.4 kernel release which, although we are not really supporting MX51 anymore, should solve a lot of problems in this regard (since it's a DRM display driver) and increase performance.

_________________
Matt Sealey