[SOLVED] Stubborn resolution issues with a Samsung 920NW LCD

[Nish]

I have had this monitor for about two years and frankly has never been anything but a pain in the neck in both Linux AND Windows to get to run in native res 1440x900 and refresh 60.  In windows it involves much reloading and removing of nvidia drivers, cursing, sacrificing chickens   you know but I can finally get it working although I think I resorted to powerstrip on one install.  Originally purchased it to use with my Dell work laptop, strictly wintel and an ATI chip onboard, hopeless.  Gave up and it bums around from one of my spares to another.  It is LCD, but not DVI, just d-sub/analog whatever.

It needs to be put to use on a little bedroom HTPC.  A modest little setup.  When this monitor does cooperate it has a picture quality to rival the 26 inch Samsung HDTV I use for a monitor on main machine but it is not cooperating with PCLinuxOS 2010 at all.  I did have it working in the older version of PCLOS and like an idiot I didn't save the xorg.conf.  I know I had to enable twinview so I could use the nvidia config tool.  I do that now and although I get the option for 1440x900 and set it/save it as root but on reboot it not only reverts to 1024X768  but the option in nVidia tool for 1440x900 disappears even! (PCC is set for 1440x900 and totally ignored at all times).  If I use any nVidia drivers but the ones for 6100 blah blah I have no X and get dropped to shell.

I have tried several video card options - the one I want it to run on is a nVidia GeForce 9400 GT and it won't work.  I have actually had the monitor running proper on a board with an onboard radeon in PCLOS2010 as I was able to force the 1440x900 @60. Too bad the work laptop doesn't have any luck with it or I would take it to work.

Is this destined for the junkyard?  Was a good deal at the time because analog only was being phased out but I think I now have an oddball that just won't work with current video options or something.  As an HTPC, it has to be able to do its native res everything else looks awful.

Ideas appreciated.

[Nish]

Hate to reply to my own post but we do what we must    I got it to work before by putting a "metamode" line in the xorg.conf file
"1440x900_60 +0+0"  I don't know where I put it though, some guru please chime in 

anybody care to enlighten me where that sucker goes?  Seriously, this a nasty stubborn monitor.  Even in Windows it is a beach.  But tameable eventually.  Just having a little trouble here. 

I have set it in PCC, please believe me, it is ignored.  And if I push my luck using the nvidia config tool, everything reverts back to 1024X768.

Help 

[DeBaas]

As reference my /etc/X11/xorg.conf (edit as root)
See Screen and Monitor
______________________________________________________________________________

# nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig
# nvidia-xconfig:  version 256.35  (root@localhost.localdomain)  Wed Jul 28 12:48:50 CDT 2010

# File generated by XFdrake (rev )
# **********************************************************************
# Refer to the xorg.conf man page for details about the format of
# this file.
# **********************************************************************

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier     "layout1"
    Screen         "screen1" 0 0
    InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
    InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
EndSection

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

Section "ServerFlags"

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

Section "InputDevice"

    # generated from default
    Identifier     "Keyboard0"
    Driver         "keyboard"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

    # generated from default
    Identifier     "Mouse0"
    Driver         "mouse"
    Option         "Protocol" "auto"
    Option         "Device" "/dev/psaux"
    Option         "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
    Option         "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"

    # Monitor supported modeline (60.0 Hz vsync, 65.3 kHz hsync, ratio 16/10, 87 dpi)
    Identifier     "monitor1"
    VendorName     "Plug'n Play"
    ModelName      "W2242"
    HorizSync       30.0 - 83.0
    VertRefresh     56.0 - 75.0
    ModeLine       "1680x1050" 146.25 1680 1784 1960 2240 1050 1053 1059 1089 +hsync -vsync
    ModeLine       "1680x1050" 119 1680 1728 1760 1840 1050 1053 1059 1080 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "768x576" 50.00 768 832 846 1000 576 590 595 630
    ModeLine       "768x576" 63.07 768 800 960 1024 576 578 590 616
    ModeLine       "1920x1200_120" 412.34 1920 2080 2296 2672 1200 1201 1204 1286 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "1920x1200_100" 337.58 1920 2072 2288 2656 1200 1201 1204 1271 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "1920x1200_85" 282.74 1920 2072 2280 2640 1200 1201 1204 1260 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "1920x1200_75" 246.59 1920 2064 2272 2624 1200 1201 1204 1253 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "1920x1200_60" 193.16 1920 2048 2256 2592 1200 1201 1204 1242 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "1920x1200_50" 158.08 1920 2032 2240 2560 1200 1201 1204 1235 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "1680x1050_120" 313.20 1680 1816 2000 2320 1050 1051 1054 1125 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "1680x1050_100" 256.20 1680 1808 1992 2304 1050 1051 1054 1112 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "1680x1050_85" 214.51 1680 1800 1984 2288 1050 1051 1054 1103 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "1680x1050_75" 188.07 1680 1800 1984 2288 1050 1051 1054 1096 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "1680x1050_60" 147.14 1680 1784 1968 2256 1050 1051 1054 1087 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "1680x1050_50" 120.21 1680 1776 1952 2224 1050 1051 1054 1081 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "1600x1000_120" 284.04 1600 1728 1904 2208 1000 1001 1004 1072 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "1600x1000_100" 232.13 1600 1720 1896 2192 1000 1001 1004 1059 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "1600x1000_85" 194.21 1600 1712 1888 2176 1000 1001 1004 1050 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "1600x1000_75" 169.13 1600 1704 1880 2160 1000 1001 1004 1044 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "1600x1000_60" 133.14 1600 1704 1872 2144 1000 1001 1004 1035 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "1600x1000_50" 108.66 1600 1688 1856 2112 1000 1001 1004 1029 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "1440x900_120" 229.75 1440 1552 1712 1984 900 901 904 965 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "1440x900_100" 187.55 1440 1544 1704 1968 900 901 904 953 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "1440x900_85" 156.79 1440 1536 1696 1952 900 901 904 945 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "1440x900_75" 136.49 1440 1536 1688 1936 900 901 904 940 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "1440x900_60" 106.47 1440 1520 1672 1904 900 901 904 932 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "1440x900_50" 87.41 1440 1512 1664 1888 900 901 904 926 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "1280x800_120" 181.21 1280 1376 1520 1760 800 801 804 858 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "1280x800_100" 147.89 1280 1376 1512 1744 800 801 804 848 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "1280x800_85" 123.38 1280 1368 1504 1728 800 801 804 840 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "1280x800_75" 107.21 1280 1360 1496 1712 800 801 804 835 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "1280x800_60" 83.46 1280 1344 1480 1680 800 801 804 828 -hsync +vsync
    ModeLine       "1280x800_50" 68.56 1280 1336 1472 1664 800 801 804 824 -hsync +vsync
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "device1"
    Driver         "nvidia"
    VendorName     "nVidia Corporation"
    BoardName      "NVIDIA GeForce 6100 and later"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier     "screen1"
    Device         "device1"
    Monitor        "monitor1"
    DefaultDepth    24
    Option         "DPMS"
    Option         "DynamicTwinView" "true"
    Option         "AddARGBGLXVisuals"
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       8
        Modes      "1920x1200" "1680x1050" "1600x1000" "1440x900" "1280x800" "1024x768"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       15
        Modes      "1920x1200" "1680x1050" "1600x1000" "1440x900" "1280x800" "1024x768"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       16
        Modes      "1920x1200" "1680x1050" "1600x1000" "1440x900" "1280x800" "1024x768"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       24
        Modes      "1920x1200" "1680x1050" "1600x1000" "1440x900" "1280x800" "1024x768"
    EndSubSection
EndSection

[Nish]

Thank you for replying. I just got it going again, with that same magical metamode thing - it went to the Screen section...See bold underline. This is my magical wonderful working xorg.conf for some other poor soul that hits this googling (yes, I have googled till the thumbs went black)

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

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

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier "monitor1"
    VendorName "Generic"
    ModelName "Flat Panel 1440x900"
    HorizSync 31.5-56.0
    VertRefresh 56.0-65.0
    
    # 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 "nVidia Corporation"
    BoardName "NVIDIA GeForce 6100 and later"
    Driver "nvidia"
    Option "DPMS"
    Option "TwinViewOrientation" "Clone"
    Option "TwinView"
    Option "AddARGBGLXVisuals"

EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier "screen1"
    Device "device1"
    Monitor "monitor1"
    DefaultColorDepth 24
   Option         "metamodes" "1440x900_60_0 +0+0"
    
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth 8
        Modes "1440x900" "1280x800"
    EndSubsection
    
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth 15
        Modes "1440x900" "1280x800"
    EndSubsection
    
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth 16
        Modes "1440x900" "1280x800"
    EndSubsection
    
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth 24
        Modes "1440x900" "1280x800"
    EndSubsection
EndSection

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

It doesn't matter the distribution, or EVEN INDEED the OS this is an ugly monitor - what is that communication from  monitor to OS as to what it does ESD?  I bet this model is totally screwy there - I have an app in windows from long ago I should try it and see what the monitors reports.

And yeah, gorgeous pic but what you have to do to get there, in an OS is not worth it.  But is meets my needs right now!