Problem with resolution in Live DVD

14 Antworten [Letzter Beitrag]
GNUser
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Beigetreten: 07/17/2013

Just tried Trisquel 7 live DVD.
Couldn't get the resolution to the usual 1366x738 that I always used (both in Debian and previous Trisquel instalations). Only gave me 4:3 options (I think it was 1024x something...).
I noticed the video driver was identified as:
VESA RS880M
STANDARD

Is there anything wrong? With linux 3.2 it all works well (no proprietary drivers/firmware loaded or installed). Could it be because it is a live DVD?

Any help greatly appreciated.

SuperTramp83

I am a translator!

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Beigetreten: 10/31/2014

That's becauase you have an ATI GPU, am I right?
ATI crapPU as of linux kernel 3.12 needs a proprietary firmware loaded in the kernel for you to have native screen resolution (the same required for video acceleration). Otherwise you will get the highest resolution supported by your BIOS, usually 1024*768 (the same I enjoyed kicking ass on Quake 3 in 2000 x_X).

A friend in the libre community made a radeon patch in order to solve the issue and the great jxself maintains a repo with libre 3.10 (unpatched, works fine but support just ended, no security upgrades are planned for the future), libre 4.1 and 4.2 (both patched. You get the native screen resolution).
On my setup the patched libre kernel randomly and totally freezes my computer and I need to hard reboot it. This can happen once every two days or 5 - 6 times in a day. For me, as it is, it is totally useless. Maybe you'll have more luck.
Here the link -> https://jxself.org/linux-libre/

EDIT: also, can you post the output of lspci | grep VGA ?
And maybe, if you decide to try the patched kernel would you be so kind as to report in a few days (give it 3 or 4 days) if it works for you?

GNUser
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Beigetreten: 07/17/2013

Thanks for the reply!
Here is the outpup you asked:

01:05.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI RS880M [Mobility Radeon HD 4200 Series]

However, and maybe I am being slow on this one, but... Why did the older kernel had the ability to work well without a proprietary firmware and the newer one doesn't?? I thought the newer kernel would have better support than the older.

You mean that the 3.10 libre kernel works fine at native resolutions (for example the one I mentioned 1366x738) even without the patch, right?

I suppose all the newer kernels will have the same issue, right? Without patch, no deal, right?
What is the latest kernel that will have support for a longer period of time that we could use without the patch? Seeing as the patch doesn't work all that well...

Could you please provide more info on who is the person who developed the patch? Website, forum, contact, anything..?

I don't like the idea of using a kernel that crashes on me (I want a stable and secure OS) but even less the idea of installing something from an unknown source.

Thanks!!

lembas
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Beigetreten: 05/13/2010

> Why did the older kernel had the ability to work well without a proprietary firmware and the newer one doesn't?? I thought the newer kernel would have better support than the older.

It's because the mainline bastards upstream decided to simplify the radeon driver. They love the blob so there's no problem in their universe...

If only Torvalds showed some balls and kicked the blobs out of the mainline. Linux is extremely well established by now, vendors would rush to make their blobs free software.

GNUser
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Beigetreten: 07/17/2013

Thanks for the explanation. I thought it could be something like that but wasn't sure.

I couldn't agree more.

So newer kernels mean better NVidia support, but worse AMD support right?

moxalt
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Beigetreten: 06/19/2015

> So newer kernels mean better NVidia support, but worse AMD support right?

In that case, things are getting better for me. I have a NVidia :)

You'd think that with the power and influence Torvalds and gang have these
days, due to the popularity of the Linux kernel, they could easily de-blob
mainline Linux and all the companies who have based their entire businesses on
the kernel would have to scramble to free their firmware, or at least help out.
A license change requires a lot less effort than completely switching away from
the Linux ecosystem.

SuperTramp83

I am a translator!

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Beigetreten: 10/31/2014

It's because the mainline bastards upstream decided to simplify the radeon driver. They love the blob so there's no problem in their universe...

If only Torvalds showed some balls and kicked the blobs out of the mainline. Linux is extremely well established by now, vendors would rush to make their blobs free software.

lembas, my friend!!! + 3435 !! :)

ADFENO
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Beigetreten: 12/31/2012

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
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Regarding the case of the newer kernel not working well without the
non-free firmware, this is something only the open source software
development model can be blamed for.

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rina),
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lei, de circulação dentro das fronteiras de cada nação, de participação
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Magic Banana

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I am a translator!

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Beigetreten: 07/24/2010

See https://trisquel.info/forum/screen-resolution-0 (you can apparently get the correct resolution with a 3.11 kernel).

SuperTramp83

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Beigetreten: 10/31/2014

>See https://trisquel.info/forum/screen-resolution-0 (you can apparently get the correct resolution with a 3.11 kernel).

Yeah, DON'T! It has ended support in 2013!!

GNUser
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Beigetreten: 07/17/2013

Is kernel 3.2 still supported?

SuperTramp83

I am a translator!

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Beigetreten: 10/31/2014

https://www.kernel.org/category/releases.html

I recommend you compile 3.4

GNUser
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Beigetreten: 07/17/2013

So, we have some options until 2016... after that we are gonna need the patch in a workable condition... damn...

jxself
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Beigetreten: 09/13/2010

If 3.4 solves the problem please let me know and I will add it to my public APT repository at https://jxself.org/linux-libre/

SuperTramp83

I am a translator!

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Beigetreten: 10/31/2014

You mean that the 3.10 libre kernel works fine at native resolutions (for example the one I mentioned 1366x738) even without the patch, right?

exactly so. All the ATI GPUs have always required the proprietary firmware for video acceleration but they displayed the native screen resolution until linux kernel 3.10. After that, as lembas pointed out, they simplified the driver so, all the kernels after the 3.10 need the blob for you to just have a decent screen resolution.