Bug 117726 - x11/xorg - xorg7.3/mga ignores modeline definitions in /etc/X11/xorg.conf + other weird things.
Summary: x11/xorg - xorg7.3/mga ignores modeline definitions in /etc/X11/xorg.conf + o...
Status: Closed FIXED
Alias: None
Product: Ports & Packages
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Individual Port(s) (show other bugs)
Version: Latest
Hardware: Any Any
: Normal Affects Only Me
Assignee: Stanislav Sedov
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2007-10-31 19:40 UTC by Bernd Strauß
Modified: 2008-01-22 05:20 UTC (History)
0 users

See Also:


Attachments
mga.diff (6.07 KB, patch)
2007-11-03 17:35 UTC, Stanislav Sedov
no flags Details | Diff

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Description Bernd Strauß 2007-10-31 19:40:01 UTC
Up until X.org 7.2 the screen resolution could be set with a
"ModeLine" definition in the "Monitor" section in xorg.conf.
With 7.3 the ModeLine is ignored. X starts in a lower resolution
and flickers badly.

Fix: 

Workaraound: Create a subdirectory /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.d
and put a (executable) text file in it containing something
like this:

xrandr --newmode "1200x960@83" 131.00 1200 1204 1324 1588 960 961 964 992
xrandr --addmode VGA "1200x960@83"
xrandr --output VGA --mode "1200x960@83"

However, I'm experiencing several issues when using RANDR
to set the resolutions:
 - It only works on the session, i.e. after you log in with
   xdm / gdm. Xdm itself is still displayed in the wrong
   resolution and flickers badly.
 - In the session, mplayer no longer works with XV video
   output. Instead you get a blue window now. X11 output 
   still works, but sucks.
 - In QEMU, when starting Windows, the mouse pointer
   disappears when you click on the desktop which makes
   it unusable.
How-To-Repeat: Put something like this in the "Monitor" section of xorg.conf:

ModeLine     "1200x960@83" 131.00 1200 1204 1324 1588 960 961 964 992
Option       "PreferredMode" "1200x960@83"

And repeat the identifier "1200x960@83" as Modes in the "Screen" 
section, "Display" subsections. Start X and see it come up
in 1152x768 at 55Hz or something.
Comment 1 Edwin Groothuis freebsd_committer freebsd_triage 2007-10-31 20:53:45 UTC
Responsible Changed
From-To: freebsd-ports-bugs->freebsd-x11

Over to maintainer (via the GNATS Auto Assign Tool)
Comment 2 Stanislav Sedov freebsd_committer freebsd_triage 2007-11-03 11:39:27 UTC
Responsible Changed
From-To: freebsd-x11->stas

I'll take it.
Comment 3 Stanislav Sedov freebsd_committer freebsd_triage 2007-11-03 17:35:58 UTC
It seems that the port has been updated to the wrong snapshot (from the
incorrect branch). Can you try the following patch?

-- 
Stanislav Sedov
ST4096-RIPE
Comment 4 Florent Thoumie 2007-11-12 14:44:31 UTC
What's the additional patch for exactly?

-- 
Florent Thoumie
flz@FreeBSD.org
FreeBSD Committer
Comment 5 dfilter service freebsd_committer freebsd_triage 2008-01-02 13:23:58 UTC
flz         2008-01-02 13:23:52 UTC

  FreeBSD ports repository

  Modified files:
    x11-drivers/xf86-video-mga Makefile distinfo 
  Added files:
    x11-drivers/xf86-video-mga/files patch-1.4.7-master-20080102 
  Log:
  Rollback to xf86-video-mga 1.4.7 (and patches from master as of today).
  Dual-head doesn't work properly with this version but at least most
  single-head setups will work correctly.
  
  PR:             ports/117726
  Submitted by:   Bernd Strauß
  Discussed on:   x11@
  
  Revision  Changes    Path
  1.4       +2 -1      ports/x11-drivers/xf86-video-mga/Makefile
  1.4       +3 -3      ports/x11-drivers/xf86-video-mga/distinfo
  1.1       +151 -0    ports/x11-drivers/xf86-video-mga/files/patch-1.4.7-master-20080102 (new)
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Comment 6 Florent Thoumie freebsd_committer freebsd_triage 2008-01-02 13:25:51 UTC
State Changed
From-To: open->closed

Committed. Thanks!
Comment 7 Peter Much 2008-01-22 04:11:14 UTC
Hi folks,

  problem analyzed. This seems to be more or less a "works as designed" 
issue. 

There seems to be a new style of video drivers, and they work a
little different, and also the configuration (and some of the 
concepts of the configuration) is different.
Also, this code seems rather new, and maybe it will still take some 
time to mature out.

What we can notice: the video drivers get smaller: there is less
things each video driver does on its own, and more things are done 
in a standardized way within the main Xserver. And that is the reason
why with unchanged Xserver the mga-1.4.7 behaves as we are used to
it, while the 1.9.100 behaves a bit different.

Now for the differences in the new driver:

1. 
We are used to declare a couple of screen resolutions in the
"Display" SubSection of the "Screen" Section, labelled "Modes",
like this:

> Section "Screen"
>     ...
>     SubSection "Display"
>         Modes        "2032x1480" "1800x1300" "1600x1200" "1480x1024"
>     EndSubsection
> EndSection

With the new driver, this line seems to be completely ignored and can
be left away.
The only usefulness it ever had seems to be that one could change
resolution inflight by means of CtrlAlt+-, and I understand if we
want to do this we are now supposed to learn to use xrandr(1).

2. 
There was a thing called "Virtual". This represented the actual size
of the "canvas" - the total number of known pixels in the graphics card,
even if the display would only show part of it - then the display would 
move when the cursor would reach its border.
This "Virtual" would be automatically set to the biggest resolution
given in the beforementioned Modes list - but one could also set it
explicitely, like here:

> Section "Screen"
>     ...
>     SubSection "Display"
>         Virtual      2048 1536
>         Modes        "2032x1480" "1800x1300" "1600x1200" "1480x1024"
>     EndSubsection
> EndSection

This function seems no longer to exist. Instead, the "Virtual"
now simply defines the upper limit of possible modelines. A modeline
with a bigger (X- or Y-) resolution than the "Virtual" will not be used.

3.
If You take a look at the logfile that the Xserver creates (usually 
in /var/log/Xorg.*.log), then You may recognize that the Xserver does
already automatically define for You the "Virtual" and the "Mode":

> (II) MGA(0): Output VGA using initial mode 1152x768
> (--) MGA(0): Virtual size is 1600x1024 (pitch 0)

I have not bothered finding out how the Virtual is decided upon,
but the "initial mode" is made up in a way that should give best
viewing results considering the measurements of Your monitor.
So, You have not configured the size of Your monitor? Well, then
thats possibly the problem...
Now, the bad thing is: there is no way to configure that data.
Actually there is an option "DisplaySize", but this seemingly does
something different - that does not work.

4.
Now concerning the "Virtual" the matter is easy: it can (and
possibly should) be changed; by entering it into the "Display"
SubSection of the "Screen" section, like shown above.
It need to be at least as big as the resolution of the modeline
you want to use!

5. 
The Mode can also be changed, but this is now done in the Monitor
section where the Modelines are defined. 
There You can enter an Option "PreferredMode", and this is the mode
with which the Xserver will start up:

> Section "Monitor"
>     Identifier "SilGraph"
>     ...
>     HorizSync   30-109 # Monitor erkennt limit selbst!
>     VertRefresh         48-160
>     Option "PreferredMode" "1480x1024"
> EndSection

You do not necessarily need to provide a "Modeline" at all. There is
a whole bunch of predefined "Default modes". (You can see them in the
Xserver log.) If You like one of these, it is enough to give that
name.
Of course You can still craft Your own Modeline, give it a name, and 
call that name the "PreferredMode".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now there are two caveats, or, so to say, bugs in the game (or at
least these two I have found):

6. 
There are a couple of duplicate "Default modes" - modes with the
same resolution (and therefore the same name) but different timings.
Like these here:

> (**) MGA(0):  Default mode "1400x1050": 155.8 MHz, 81.5 kHz, 74.8 Hz
> (II) MGA(0): Modeline "1400x1050"x74.8 155.80 1400 1464 1784 1912 1050 1052 1064 1090 +hsync +vsync (81.5 kHz)
> (**) MGA(0):  Default mode "1400x1050": 122.0 MHz, 64.9 kHz, 60.0 Hz
> (II) MGA(0): Modeline "1400x1050"x60.0 122.00 1400 1488 1640 1880 1050 1052 1064 1082 +hsync +vsync (64.9 kHz)

If You call one of those, the Xserver may not know which one to
choose, and therefore goes into an endless loop brooding. This is
unfunny, as You only get it out there with "kill -9", and that likely
renders Your display unuseable.

Solution: copy the modeline into Your monitor section, give it a
really unique name, and then call that:

> Section "Monitor"
>     ...
>     Modeline "myfavourite" 155.80 1400 1464 1784 1912 1050 1052 1064 1090 +hsync +vsync
>     Option "PreferredMode" "myfavourite"
> EndSection

7.
Some crafted modelines, which used to work, show now alignment
errors. This is the case with one of my favourites:

> ModeLine "1800x1300" 256 1800 1864 2056 2360 1300 1301 1304 1350 +hsync +vsync

This one will work fine on first server start, but after logging out
and in again it gives a profound alignment error.


Over all, I am not sure which of these things are to be considered as
"works as designed" or are to be considered bugs. And it seems none of 
them  are FreeBSD problems.

HTH
rgds,
PMc