fglrx 8.16.20 made my native resolution go away

[Zelmo3]

I saw today that ATI released new Linux drivers (version 8.16.20) on the 16th, which include Debian support in their installer. I gave it a go and was happy that they compiled and installed quite easily. One reboot was needed to get the kernel module changed out (which I probably could have done manually and not needed to reboot, but I wanted to make sure everything was clean). The one problem is that the native resolution of 1600x1200 for my Dell 2001fp is not available.

ATI backed up my old XF86Config-4, which had been working perfectly with fglrx 8.14, so I backed up the newly created config and reinstated the old one. Here's the contents of that file (sorry, Attach Code isn't working for me):

----------
# XF86Config-4 (XFree86 X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the XF86Config-4 manual page.
# (Type "man XF86Config-4" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xfree86 package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xfree86
# package.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following commands as root:
#
# cp /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 /etc/X11/XF86Config-4.custom
# md5sum /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 >/var/lib/xfree86/XF86Config-4.md5sum
# dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86

Section "Files"
FontPath "unix/:7100" # local font server
# if the local font server has problems, we can fall back on these
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/misc"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Type1"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/CID"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "GLcore"
Load "bitmap"
Load "dbe"
Load "ddc"
Load "dri"
# Load "extmod"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx"
Load "int10"
Load "record"
Load "speedo"
Load "type1"
Load "vbe"
# Load "extmod" but omit DGA extension
SubSection "extmod"
Option "omit xfree86-dga"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "keyboard"
Option "CoreKeyboard"
Option "XkbRules" "xfree86"
Option "XkbModel" "pc104"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "CorePointer"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Protocol" "ImPS/2"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "SendCoreEvents" "true"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option "Protocol" "ImPS/2"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "ATI"
Driver "fglrx"

# If X refuses to use the screen resolution you asked for, uncomment this
#Option "NoDDC"

# === Video Overlay for the Xv extension ===
Option "VideoOverlay" "on"
# === OpenGL Overlay ===
# Note: When OpenGL Overlay is enabled,
# Video Overlay will be disabled automatically
Option "OpenGLOverlay" "off"
# === Use internal AGP GART support? ===
# If OpenGL acceleration doesn't work, try using "yes" here
# and disable the kernel agpgart driver.
Option "UseInternalAGPGART" "no"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "DELL 2001FP"
HorizSync 28-50
VertRefresh 43-75
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "ATI"
Monitor "DELL 2001FP"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 1
Modes "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 4
Modes "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1600x1200" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1600x1200" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1600x1200" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen "Default Screen"
InputDevice "Generic Keyboard"
InputDevice "Configured Mouse"
InputDevice "Generic Mouse"
EndSection

Section "DRI"
Mode 0666
EndSection
----------

So the 1600x1200 lines are there for the 16 and 24 bpp, but X starts up at 1024x768. I can cycle through the other resolutions I have listed, but 1600x1200 just isn't an option (the Gnome resolution selector also confirms this).

Next thing I looked at was the X log, and I saw that the EDID has 1280x1024 listed as the highest VESA resolution, as shown here:

----------
(II) fglrx(0): Display1 EDID data ---------------------------
(II) fglrx(0): Manufacturer: DEL Model: a008 Serial#: 825504588
(II) fglrx(0): Year: 2003 Week: 46
(II) fglrx(0): EDID Version: 1.3
(II) fglrx(0): Digital Display Input
(II) fglrx(0): Max H-Image Size [cm]: horiz.: 41 vert.: 31
(II) fglrx(0): Gamma: 2.20
(II) fglrx(0): DPMS capabilities: StandBy Suspend Off; RGB/Color Display
(II) fglrx(0): Default color space is primary color space
(II) fglrx(0): First detailed timing is preferred mode
(II) fglrx(0): redX: 0.638 redY: 0.342 greenX: 0.293 greenY: 0.608
(II) fglrx(0): blueX: 0.146 blueY: 0.067 whiteX: 0.312 whiteY: 0.328
(II) fglrx(0): Supported VESA Video Modes:
(II) fglrx(0): 720x400@70Hz
(II) fglrx(0): 640x480@60Hz
(II) fglrx(0): 640x480@75Hz
(II) fglrx(0): 800x600@60Hz
(II) fglrx(0): 800x600@75Hz
(II) fglrx(0): 1024x768@60Hz
(II) fglrx(0): 1024x768@75Hz
(II) fglrx(0): 1280x1024@75Hz
(II) fglrx(0): Manufacturer's mask: 0
(II) fglrx(0): Supported Future Video Modes:
(II) fglrx(0): #0: hsize: 1280 vsize 1024 refresh: 60 vid: 32897
(II) fglrx(0): #1: hsize: 1600 vsize 1200 refresh: 60 vid: 16553
(II) fglrx(0): #2: hsize: 1152 vsize 864 refresh: 75 vid: 20337
(II) fglrx(0): Supported additional Video Mode:
(II) fglrx(0): clock: 162.0 MHz Image Size: 367 x 275 mm
(II) fglrx(0): h_active: 1600 h_sync: 1664 h_sync_end 1856 h_blank_end 2160 h_border: 0
(II) fglrx(0): v_active: 1200 v_sync: 1201 v_sync_end 1204 v_blanking: 1250 v_border: 0
(II) fglrx(0): Serial No: C06463BF143L
(II) fglrx(0): Monitor name: DELL 2001FP
(II) fglrx(0): Ranges: V min: 56 V max: 76 Hz, H min: 31 H max: 80 kHz, PixClock max 160 MHz
(II) fglrx(0): End of Display1 EDID data --------------------
----------

From what I understand of EDID, it's stored on a chip in the monitor, so it wouldn't have changed when I updated my video driver. Either ATI just started using EDID info with this driver release or they handle it differently. I can see that the native resolution is in a section titled "Supported Future Video Modes." Is there perhaps a way to enable those in the driver? ATI's site has zero info on this sort of thing.

 

[bersl2]

Well, what does

(II) fglrx(0): Supported Future Video Modes:
(II) fglrx(0): #0: hsize: 1280 vsize 1024 refresh: 60 vid: 32897
(II) fglrx(0): #1: hsize: 1600 vsize 1200 refresh: 60 vid: 16553
(II) fglrx(0): #2: hsize: 1152 vsize 864 refresh: 75 vid: 20337

mean to you when you read it? As for why they didn't bother, even though it worked for you in the past, who knows? I mean, it's ATI.

 

[Zelmo3]

Yipes, I hope that's not the case, but I'm starting to worry.
I found three options to add to the Device section (one of which was already there, but commented out) that are supposed to help:
Option "IgnoreEdid" "true"
Option "UseEdidFreqs" "false"
Option "NoDDC"
But they've made no difference for me, in any combination.

Why would ATI break a mode that was apparently working fine for a long time?

 

[bersl2]

Originally posted by: Zelmo3
Yipes, I hope that's not the case, but I'm starting to worry.
I found three options to add to the Device section (one of which was already there, but commented out) that are supposed to help:
Option "IgnoreEdid" "true"
Option "UseEdidFreqs" "false"
Option "NoDDC"
But they've made no difference for me, in any combination.

Why would ATI break a mode that was apparently working fine for a long time?

Why?

I mean, it's ATI.

There's your reason. Downgrade to the previous version; it should restore the mode.

 

[Zelmo3]

Well, isn't this just peachy...
I tried downgrading, and was met with a compile error for the kernel module. Something in an include file has a bad array element. I don't get it. It's the same driver I was using yesterday, which installed without any trouble last month, but now it won't compile.
I thought I'd be stuck with a non-native resolution until I discovered that the video overlay on the new drivers is also messed up--any video gets squashed into the upper half of the display area, and the lower half is blank. Since I watch TV and movies on my computer, I can't have messed up video like that, so I've resorted to using XFree's radeon driver. Now I have my referred resolution and proper video, just no accelerated 3D.

ATI really fubar'd this latest driver.

 

[Zelmo3]

I'd like to thank the X.org FAQ for their tips on setting up the Monitor section of xorg.conf (which also applies to XF86Config) by verifying that the timings reported in EDID are what you're calling for in the config. It turns out the timings I'd been using until now were not exactly right, so I set them to what EDID reported in the X log, turned the VertRefresh upper value down to 60 (the highest supported for 1600x1200, higher gives corruption), and everything is happy now.

Guess I'll stick with this card for a bit longer.