[SLE] Video problems -- new card, can't configure, Sax2 won't run (very long message, sorry)

From: Gil Weber (gil_at_gilweber.com)
Date: 01/27/05

  • Next message: Doug McGarrett: "Re: [SLE] Did Munich pull out of the Suse Linux deal?" 
    Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2005 19:36:36 -0500
To: suse-linux-e@suse.com

    Hi, everyone.

    I apologize in advance for this VERY lengthy e-mail. But I wanted to include as much info as possible in hopes that someone can help.

    Last October I posted a question to the list about a problem I was having configuring a GeForce 5500FX PCI (128) video card using SuSE 9.1. I could not access the configuration screens in YaST to set resolution, number of colors, enable/disable 3D, etc. And I could not get Sax2 to run.

    No matter what I tried, nothing worked. Several of you offered suggestions. Nothing worked. ;o(

    Coincidentally the fan on the card started making all sorts of noise, so I returned the card for exchange. It took 60 days but I finally got a replacement card last week.

    I decided it was a good time to upgrade to SuSE 9.2, so I inserted the card and did a clean install of 9.2.

    Sadly, the same problems are back as with the previous card used under 9.1.

    I installed the nVidia driver from SuSE during the 9.2 install.

    Last night I updated the driver just in case the original did not load or install
    properly. Has not made any difference.

    I notice that on the nVidia website they show the latest driver as: NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-6629-pkg1.run

    I assume (??) that's what I got when I did the 9.2 YaST update.

    I'm having lots of video display problems. Windows flicker when moved or resized. When
    scrolling up or down a page (e.g., in a word processor document, or on a web
    page) the screen contents jerk rather than move smoothly up and down. Using the
    scroll bars or the mouse wheel results in terribly jerky response on screen.

    When I grab and move a window up and release the window it repaints from the
    top down. When I move a window down and release, the window repaints from the
    bottom up.

    Moving a window left or right also results in a full repaint.

    Icons on the desktop are very large and look awful.

    I can't reconfigure anything having to do with the video. The graphics card and
    monitor configuration screens within the control center are not accessible.
    Clicking on desktop settings/graphical desktop environment/change only causes
    the screen to go blank and flash, then it comes back and nothing has changed.

    I can't get to the configuration screens to change resolution, screen colors,
    enable/disable 3D, etc.

    Sax2 will not run. When I enter "sax2" in a shell the screen flashes,
    eventually comes back to the shell, and after a bit I get a message that says:

    gil@phred:~> sax2
    SaX: root Password:
    SaX: initializing please wait...
    SaX: ups lost card during probing... abort
    gil@phred:~>

    If it will help I can send the contents of any files. I did look at these two (as suggested by the NVidia website) for possible clues:

    /var/log/Xorg.0 and
    /etc/X11/xorg.conf

    They're too long to post to the SuSE list (max 20000 bytes).

    The only things that jump out at me in the first file (newbie that I am) are
    these error and warning messages:

    (EE) FBDEV(0): FBIOPAN_DISPLAY: Invalid argument
    (EE) Failed to initialize GLX extension (NVIDIA X driver not found)
    (WW) Open APM failed (/dev/apm_bios) (No such device)

    I have no idea what FBIOPAN_DISPLAY is, but what ever it is is invalid! ;o)

    And in the second file I see repeated references to 640X480 resolution. It's as
    if the system does not recognize the monitor as a Viewsonic 20 and has simply
    assigned generic values (very low values).

    Anyway, if you need additional info please let me know. Thanks for any help you
    can provide. This is really frustrating. The horrible resolution is bad enough,
    but the jerky scrolling and flickering windows when moving/resizing makes using
    the pooter very, very difficult on the eyes.

    Thx! ;o)
    Gil Weber 

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