[SOLVED] Pardus 2009 on X2300 based video controllers (HP/Compaq 6910p)

[NeoGraven]

Hey, everyone.. just started with Pardus  

I have installed Pardus on my laptop which is a HP/Compaq6910p. It has ATI x2300 video which is not supported by ATI anymore. It has been removed from support in their binary drivers as of several versions ago. You can google up which versions still work though BUT they can only be used up to certain versions of Xorg/Xfree86.

So, I use the supplied OpenSource drivers (which are adequate for my needs, even provides basic 3D acceleration) but I can't find anything like this in Pardus' repositories. ANyone know what I'm looking for and how to find it? It's the DRI driver I believe.

Now to my problem: As I kind of knew I would have video problems going in to this, I wasn't really upset when booting failed after installation (I kind of went through this with other distros). I did what I usually do, reboot in to safe video mode, attempt to locate the correct driver (in this case I simply want to use VESA), set X to it, and reboot so everything would be lovely and I get the warm fuzziess.. Alas, it don't happen.

Pardus will not save my video settings once I set the video to VESA for some reason. I will select the driver, reboot, verify the driver is set, them change to my desired resolution. When I reboot, I lose those settings and Pardus reboots into 800x600. I need to be in 1440x900 at 24bit.

In a side note, yet somewhat related... I REALLY like Pardus. I installed it as I was reviewing distros that did not have as much public attention on Distrowatch... basically, I start at the bottom of the list. After a dozen or so distros, I got to Pardus.  Guys, HOW has Pardus not gotten any bigger?? This distro, regardless the problems I am having, is simply amazing. The set up is absolutely the best one I have ever seen. Better than SuSE, Ubuntu, Fedora, or even Mandriva. It is professional, appealing, and easy to use. Only gripe I had about the setup was that I could not add custom mounts during the install.. but again, it's no big deal (Hey... I had to have SOMETHING to gripe about lol). It's just splendid, you guys have done an awesome job. But, this video issue is the same one I have had with other distros which just simply do not compare with Pardus. That kind of detracts from it somewhat. A suggestion about this video problem: during the install, the video settings the live CD comes up with is fine and works well. USE THIS VIDEO MODE, then allow people the option to detect video or not after the install, or even during it. I believe you are using VESA during the liveCD? I would use that driver as a default for after the installtion, then allow people to detect their video after the UI is up and stable. THis way, even udpates can be done without risk of getting mismatched kernel modules to updated kernels and therefore a useless desktop that has to be fixed at the console.

Back to the issue: How do I get my laptop to stay in VESA without having to reset my settings every time I boot? I had a video problem with my main machine as well (yea, I just went hog wild! I installed Pardus on my main machine and dual-booted with my good 'ol, faithful, stand-by OS.. OpenSuSE) but booting off the liveCD in failsafe video mode (Failsafe after pressing F4) allowed me to finish the install without a hitch and I was able to switch to my 9500GT Nvidia card after the desktop came up.  But, this kind of approach did not work with my laptop. I even set the video to use the RadeonHD driver (which works, just horribly slow), and made a copy of the Xorg.conf file to hack. I reboot, changed "RadeonHD" to "VESA" int he driver section, started X again, and it will work until reboot.

Any ideas folks?

[Andreas]

Hello and welcome NeoGraven,  

you must install following packages for ATI-Videocard:  

module-fglrx

xorg-video-fglrx

You find it in the Repo.

Or the other way:

System Settings > Display > Devices > Video Card > Configure > Select from list

Greetings
Andreas

[NeoGraven]

I had tried the fglrx driver but it just gave me a blank screen with a cursor in the upper left hand corner.. sorry didn't mention that.

I am on the laptop at the moment, but am on my Mandriva partition. I will reboot into Pardus and check back in 

[atolboo]

Maybe this is of any help.
First I want to say that I do not have an ATI card (only Nvidia) and therefore will be different for you.
After a new installation  I open System Settings > Display.
When I select the 'Device' item I automatically get this >Nvidia1.jpg< pop-up screen with instructions which driver to use.
After following those instructions I can select the driver at >Nvidia2.jpg< (don't forget the Apply button).
This means in System Settings > Display > Device there is a script running to detect the best video driver for the detected card.
Maybe you will get a similar advice for your ATI card
Or a mark at "Use the default driver for the detected card" will do the trick.

[NeoGraven]

Yup, did that but it loads the newer driver that doesn not support my x2300 (which is ATI's fault for removing the card). At least I am assuming that's the problem. Seems that improper setup with my monitor will prevent anything from displaying also so I will continue to play with that and see what happens.

For now  I have set the driver to VESA and selected a standard monitor type (LCD 1280x1024) for 1152x864. It's ok but I am losing a little real estate. I doubt I will be able to dual monitor my 1280x1024 at work though I may try that.

Be back in a bit

[waterfietser]

I also had a problem with the ATI card in my father's computer. I switched back to the default drivers in Pardus which is good enough for him. I don't know what the type it is, I would have to visit him and check it. I tried to set it up like I used to do with Pardus 2008 (actually what Andreas says), but 2009 doesn't seem to have the same drivers.

I suppose the older ATI cards aren't supported anymore in the current Pardus 2009 ATI drivers.

[atolboo]

You can find more info in System > KInfoCenter > OpenGL.

[NeoGraven]

Hmm.. Looking through my Mandriva install,it's using the radeon driver. This is (or should be) the driver from the DRI project. So, the ATI X2300 based video interface should use this driver. The newer driver from ATI WILL NOT SUPPORT THIS DEVICE. Thanks ATI....  

For me, I have Pardus set to auto login, and it locks up during the splash screen right after login. So, I turned off auto login but it still locks up during thesplash screen after the login. The drive icon shows up, and you can see the start of the other icons then then system locks hard. A point to note is that if you open another shell (CTRL+ALT+F2), BEFORE the lockup, you can hear the startup sound in X in the background.

Is there some setting Pardus defaults that I need to turn off? Why will this video work and then lock up? do I need to remove compositing?

[atolboo]

Try this :
At bootloader (Grub) select F4=Failsave and start Pardus 2009.
In System Settings > Display > Device > Video card > Configure...
Mark at "Select from the list:" and use the drop-down list to select "radeon".
Select the Apply button and restart your computer.
(and in the drop-down list there is also "ati" and "radeonhd")

[NeoGraven]

Yea, I've done that but with the radeon driver the login screen comes up, I log in, and then the splash screen comes up. But, right after it starts it's animation sequence the laptop locks hard. I have to power off.

I think I may try some kernel parameters as well, perhaps that will help.

[NeoGraven]

Playing with the kernel parameters didn't help either. I had to boot into Mandriva for a couple days for work, but I got back on Pardis today and brainstormed.

Turns out, the problem was in the xorg.conf file. It wasn't complete; that's all it was.

I actually copied my xorg.conf file generated for me in Mandriva over the one generated by Pardis. Worked like a charm; the driver is the DRI Radeon driver (ATI), I have 3D, and I have my full WXGA+ screen.. it's even ready for me to plug in my other monitor

The xorg files are pretty standard, I think as long as I don't have to change the video settings in the Pardus Display Settings applet it will be ok. Even then, I know what to look for now.

Only thing I may have to do is tell xrandr how I want my Xinerama set up when I get both monitors connected, but that's a cinch.

This was an old troubleshooting gimmick I used to use, I don't know why I didn't think of it before. But, for anyone with this laptop (HP/Compaq 6910p), try replacing the contents of your xorg.conf file with the following... back yours up first, of course.

CONTENTS (I removed remarks by Mandriva):

Section "ServerFlags"
    Option "DontZap" "False" # disable <Ctrl><Alt><BS> (server abort)
    AllowMouseOpenFail # allows the server to start up even if the mouse does not work
    #DontZoom # disable <Ctrl><Alt><KP_+>/<KP_-> (resolution switching)
EndSection

Section "Module"
    Load "dbe" # Double-Buffering Extension
    Load "v4l" # Video for Linux
    Load "extmod"
    Load "glx" # 3D layer
    Load "dri" # direct rendering
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier "monitor1"
    VendorName "Generic"
    ModelName "Flat Panel 1440x900"
    HorizSync 28.8-90
    VertRefresh 60
    
    # Monitor preferred modeline (60.0 Hz vsync, 54.7 kHz hsync, ratio 16/10, 120 dpi)
    ModeLine "1440x900" 107.8 1440 1504 1536 1970 900 903 906 912 -hsync -vsync
    
    # TV fullscreen mode or DVD fullscreen output.
    # 768x576 @ 79 Hz, 50 kHz hsync
    ModeLine "768x576"     50.00  768  832  846 1000   576  590  595  630
    
    # 768x576 @ 100 Hz, 61.6 kHz hsync
    ModeLine "768x576"     63.07  768  800  960 1024   576  578  590  616
    
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1440x900_120"  229.75  1440 1552 1712 1984  900 901 904 965  -HSync +Vsync
    
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1440x900_100"  187.55  1440 1544 1704 1968  900 901 904 953  -HSync +Vsync
    
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1440x900_85"  156.79  1440 1536 1696 1952  900 901 904 945  -HSync +Vsync
    
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1440x900_75"  136.49  1440 1536 1688 1936  900 901 904 940  -HSync +Vsync
    
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1440x900_60"  106.47  1440 1520 1672 1904  900 901 904 932  -HSync +Vsync
    
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1440x900_50"  87.41  1440 1512 1664 1888  900 901 904 926  -HSync +Vsync
    
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1280x800_120"  181.21  1280 1376 1520 1760  800 801 804 858  -HSync +Vsync
    
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1280x800_100"  147.89  1280 1376 1512 1744  800 801 804 848  -HSync +Vsync
    
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1280x800_85"  123.38  1280 1368 1504 1728  800 801 804 840  -HSync +Vsync
    
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1280x800_75"  107.21  1280 1360 1496 1712  800 801 804 835  -HSync +Vsync
    
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1280x800_60"  83.46  1280 1344 1480 1680  800 801 804 828  -HSync +Vsync
    
    # modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
    ModeLine "1280x800_50"  68.56  1280 1336 1472 1664  800 801 804 824  -HSync +Vsync
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier "device1"
    VendorName "ATI Technologies Inc"
    BoardName "ATI Radeon X1950 and earlier"
    Driver "ati"
    Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier "screen1"
    Device "device1"
    Monitor "monitor1"
    DefaultColorDepth 24
    
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth 8
        Modes "1440x900" "1280x800"
        Virtual 2880 1024
    EndSubsection
    
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth 15
        Modes "1440x900" "1280x800"
        Virtual 2880 1024
    EndSubsection
    
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth 16
        Modes "1440x900" "1280x800"
        Virtual 2880 1024
    EndSubsection
    
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth 24
        Modes "1440x900" "1280x800"
        Virtual 2880 1024
    EndSubsection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier "layout1"
    Screen "screen1"
EndSection

That's it

Thanks everyone for replying it really was a great learning experience. I REALLY like this distro and have already moved from OpenSuSE 11.2 KDE-4.3.4 on my main machine, and am converting everything over from Mandriva to Pardus on this, my work laptop.

Cheers!

[waterfietser]

I will try to check if your solution is also working for me, when I have the time for it. Maybe it would be useful to fill out a bugreport, so that the developers could take a look at it?

[NeoGraven]

You know, that might not be a bad idea if nothing else to put a bee in their bonnet, so to speak. Did this work for you as well? Something I should have put in this post earlier is that I have the 6910p version with WXGA+ (1440x900 resolution) not the WXGA (1280x800 resolution). The modelines are different and have to be generated separately and replaced. You can use CVT or GTF to create them.

A good source, which I used to set up my dual monitor setup, is:

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Config/Resolution

Cheers!