How do I get custom refresh rates in Linux (X11Config)?

[Bengt4]

I know I have to edit X11Config and add modelines in my monitor section. But I ca't figure out how to write a modeline for my monitor.

My distro is a just installed RedHat 9, with nVidia Linux drivers already installed and running OpenGL games such as Quake 3.

I have a LG Flatron 17"monitor, that does 120Hz in 800x600 and 100Hz in 1024x768 - 1280-1024. I have a GeForce 4 Ti4200 128Mb too.
In Windows XP, there's an utility that does it for me (custom refresh rates for every resolution suported).

I want to play Quake 3 in Linux with 120Hz in 800x600, while using the desktop in 1152x864 in 100Hz. All I get now is 85Hz in both resolutions, and I can't change it sucessfuly!

Can anyone give some light here?
Here is the specs of 800x600 @ 120Hz with my monitor+video card combitation:

h freq.: 77.2 kHz (-)
v freq. 120 Hz (+)
Pixel Clock: 84MHz

Thanks for any replies!

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Just go to vertrefresh and change the number. For example mine:

VertRefresh 85

 

[Bengt4]

what and where: "VertRefresh"?? =]

Is that a X11Config option, line? Or is it an aplication?

Thanks for the reply anyway!

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

It's in your X config file, should be /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 (might not have the -4)

 

[Bengt4]

with section on the X11Config (it's without the -4)

And how do i write, just like that VertRefresh 120? Where? Give me an exemple... I know I am abusing. =]

Bengt

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

with section on the X11Config (it's without the -4)

Hm?

It's exactly how I pasted - VertRefresh only appears in one place in there, should be under a monitor subsection.

 

[Bengt4]

Just booted RedHat 9. My X11Config in the monitor section is:

####################################
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "LG"
ModelName "Flatron 795FT"
HorizSync 30.0 - 96.0
VertRefresh 50.0 - 160.0
Option "dpms"

# 800x600 @120Hz Refresh Rate: 120.00 Hz, Horizontal Sync Frequency: 77.59 kHz
Modeline "800x600" 90.00 800 840 1008 1160 600 600 600 646

EndSection
####################################

If I chance VertRefresh to 120, X don even run. And if did, I'll get 120Hz in every resolution, and I want 120Hz in 800x600 only!

The modeline line above (I got it in a website) does no work with my system... Quake 3 loads at 75Hz! I think it's becouse of the 77.59kHz hSync in the modeline. My system should be at 77.2 (at least in Windows it is).

Anyone else can help me? Thanks!

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Dunno, I just use one resolution and one refresh rate, and I don't use modelines at all.

 

[Tiger]

Give this a try and be careful, you can smoke a monitor real easy.
Link

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Originally posted by: Tiger
Give this a try and be careful, you can smoke a monitor real easy.
Link

Most reasonably modern monitors will just refuse to run at a high refresh and X will die on you.

 

[cleverhandle]

X really isn't going to like what you're trying to do - it will boost refresh rates up a bit at lower resolutions, but not usually over 100 Hz in my experience. The link mentioned above is basically an abbreviated version of the Video Timings Howto at tldp.org. If it's possible to do what you're looking for, you'll need to wade through that - and from experience, I can tell you that's not pleasant and usually doesn't work at the end anyway.

 

[Bengt4]

well, so I just CAN'T have 120Hz in Linux?
...
That's the OS that some guys tell me that blows Windows away?
I use Linux every day now for some time now, and I can't truly see how Linux RedHat 9 (or Mandrake 8, other distro that I know well) is better than Windows 2000, ou XP - aside from UI look and fell options.
I don't remember a day that I used Linux without application crashes, program bugs, system strange behavior... I can't truly see how Linux is better!!! I can't even surf the web in Linux, becouse 30% of the websites I visit does not load OK, or does no load at all. And I have Flash, Java and other plugins installed, and they work sometimes only!

In Windows, refresh rate config it's just 3 - 4 clics away from desktop. In Linux you have to do 1000 things, 3, 4 hours of research and still nothing...

Linux is years away from Windows in just about every aspect. Even DHCP does not work here, I have to load manually the dhcp client from RH9. duh...

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Originally posted by: Bengt4
well, so I just CAN'T have 120Hz in Linux?

Sure you can, but if you want to be able to jump around between different resolutions and refresh rates, you may have some issues. I thought redhat 9 now had a control panel for this anyways (since it has x 4.3 and thus RandR)

That's the OS that some guys tell me that blows Windows away?

Doesn't take much!

I use Linux every day now for some time now, and I can't truly see how Linux RedHat 9 (or Mandrake 8, other distro that I know well) is better than Windows 2000, ou XP - aside from UI look and fell options.

Actually the GUI is probably the only place it doesn't excel. Linux is better than windows for reasons that you seem to have yet to experience. Gadgety gui's aren't it.

I don't remember a day that I used Linux without application crashes, program bugs, system strange behavior... I can't truly see how Linux is better!!!

That's what happens when you use crap like redhat and you don't know what you're doing. Despite what all of the trendy corporate linux promises say, linux is DIY. It's for nerds by nerds, and it's gonna be quite a while until people such as windows users can just pop in a linux cd and answer all of their problems.

In Windows, refresh rate config it's just 3 - 4 clics away from desktop. In Linux you have to do 1000 things, 3, 4 hours of research and still nothing...

I used to bitch about the same type of stuff, "oh its so easy in windows, this is so stupid, why is this so hard?" - it's because the people coding the stuff have already gotten past that stage and most don't care too much about making stuff act like windows.

Linux is years away from Windows in just about every aspect.

For a windows user with such windows-y needs, yeah, definitely. The problem here is not windows being good or bad or linux being good or bad. It is ignorance and misguided expectations based on that. Everything has it's use, everything has an intended audience. Windows blows just as much for me as much as linux does for you. The reason that I'm not complaining about windows blowing is that I know what it is, what it does, how it's designed to work and why, and I know to avoid it based on that.

Even DHCP does not work here, I have to load manually the dhcp client from RH9. duh...

Sounds like a lame redhat problem or a misunderstanding on your part.

 

[Bengt4]

The DHCP problem in RH is a boot script bug that is since RH8, and affects 3Com NICs and some Intel and SIS900 NIC chipsets.

But...
I finally got my 125Hz in 800x600!!! It was hard, but I remember that setting up a Windows 95 TCP/IP LAN for playing Descent 2 years ago was much harder.

Much much thanks to Tiger, that gave me the link that told me "HOW".

And thanks for BingBongWongFooey's help, especialy the last reply. I really over reacted a little bit, I was tired and frustraded. I think that a software that sets up the refresh rates in X11Config is not THAT hard to write, I don't know why there is NONE.

I will try to write one my self, in C++, as soon as I fully understand how X11Config modelines work, so my software won't blow users' monitors away. =]

Thanks!

Now I wish I know how to share an Internet connection with a XP Box from Linux RH9, and how to share files (Samba?).

Any help here? I'll create a post on that if I can't find any help somewere else in the Web.

Bye!

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Cool, glad I didn't totally piss you off with my reply

As far as sharing your connection, look into iptables, and for sharing files, yes, samba.