Nvidia v.177, Ubuntu 8.10, xorg.conf settings not applied

[Mike Bailey]

In the past month I've been running Ubuntu 8.10 64-bit on a Thinkpad SL500, Nvidia GeForce 9300M GS, Intel Core 2 Duo 8600, 4 gig ram, dual boot with Windows XP. After a number of false starts and resolving numerous configuration problems - mostly self-induced -- I have a problem I can't find a resolution for, though I've searched the forums extensively.

I've installed the latest restricted Nvidia driver (177). The problem is that when I logout/logon, restart, or just do a cold boot, the Nvidia settngs do not take effect. The screen resolution, 1280x800 is correct, but the refresh frequency is at 50hz (should be 60hz, where I set it via Nvidia X Server, and a slight adjustment to the brightness and contrast).

AND the overall desktop is washed out until I bring up the Nvidia X Server, at which point the contrast/brightness settings take effect. But the synch is at 50hz. I can reset it to 60hz and apply it, then save it, and all is fine until I reboot. Then the settings revert and the X Server seems not to have run. Even if I set the vertical refresh to only 60hz in xorg.conf, the setting upon rebooting is 50hz.

In Sessions I load the configuration with "nvidia-settings -l"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Contents of the xorg.conf:

# nvidia-settings: X configuration file generated by nvidia-settings
# nvidia-settings: version 1.0 (buildd@crested) Mon Nov 3 08:46:04 UTC 2008


Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Layout0"
Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
InputDevice "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
EndSection

Section "Files"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "dbe"
Load "extmod"
Load "type1"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
Option "Xinerama" "0"
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 "InputDevice"

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

Section "Monitor"

# HorizSync source: edid, VertRefresh source: edid
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "Unknown"
ModelName "LEN"
HorizSync 40.8 - 49.0
VertRefresh 50.0 - 60.0
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Device0"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
BoardName "GeForce 9300M GS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Device0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth 24
Option "TwinView" "0"
Option "metamodes" "1280x800_60 +0+0; nvidia-auto-select +0+0; 1280x800 +0+0"
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

And the of the .nvidia-settings.rc:

#
# /root/.nvidia-settings-rc
#
# Configuration file for nvidia-settings - the NVIDIA X Server Settings utility
# Generated on Sat Jan 10 14:52:46 2009
#

# ConfigProperties:

RcFileLocale = C
ToolTips = Yes
DisplayStatusBar = Yes
SliderTextEntries = Yes
IncludeDisplayNameInConfigFile = Yes
ShowQuitDialog = No
Timer = Thermal_Monitor_(GPU_0),Yes,1000
Timer = PowerMizer_Monitor_(GPU_0),Yes,1000

# Attributes:

zor:0.0/DigitalVibrance[DFP-0]=0
zor:0.0/SyncToVBlank=0
zor:0.0/AllowFlipping=1
zor:0.0/LogAniso=0
zor:0.0/FSAA=0
zor:0.0/TextureSharpen=0
zor:0.0/CursorShadow=0
zor:0.0/CursorShadowXOffset=4
zor:0.0/CursorShadowYOffset=2
zor:0.0/CursorShadowAlpha=64
zor:0.0/CursorShadowRed=0
zor:0.0/CursorShadowGreen=0
zor:0.0/CursorShadowBlue=0
zor:0.0/FSAAAppControlled=1
zor:0.0/LogAnisoAppControlled=1
zor:0.0/GPUScaling[DFP-0]=131073
zor:0.0/FSAAAppEnhanced=0
zor:0.0/RedBrightness=-0.060000
zor:0.0/GreenBrightness=-0.060000
zor:0.0/BlueBrightness=-0.060000
zor:0.0/RedContrast=0.012195
zor:0.0/GreenContrast=0.012195
zor:0.0/BlueContrast=0.012195
zor:0.0/RedGamma=1.000000
zor:0.0/GreenGamma=1.000000
zor:0.0/BlueGamma=1.000000
zor:0.0/OpenGLImageSettings=1
zor:0.0/XVideoTextureBrightness=0
zor:0.0/XVideoTextureContrast=4096
zor:0.0/XVideoTextureHue=0
zor:0.0/XVideoTextureSaturation=4096
zor:0.0/XVideoTextureSyncToVBlank=1
zor:0.0/XVideoSyncToDisplay=65536

-----------------------------------------------------

This seems to be another configuration problem relating to Gnome and/or Nvidia X Server, but I'm at a loss to resolve it. Any ideas?

Mike

[Mike Bailey]

Help anyone?

I seem to have tracked the problem down further, but am still stuck. If I log on as root, the brightness and contrast settings specified in the configuration file are applied, while they are not when I log on as a user. So this appears to be a permissions problem that somehow got mangled so that when I log on normally as the default user that I installed Ubuntu under the Nvidia X server does not start correctly until I access it via the menu after I have logged on.

This still does not resolve the refresh rate always going back to 50 from 60 where it should be (as root and as user), but one thing at a time.

[xoorox]

I found this problem too... this worked for me
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=256637

[Yashiro]

Preview the nvidia settings file from the nvidia panel and copy>paste it into an open xorg.conf (which was opened with sudo)
Or
Give yourself write permissions on xorg.conf.
Or
Goto System-->Preferences--> Sessions-->Startup Programs. And add a new function
nvidia-settings --load-config-only

[GoodPanos]

Thank you Yashiro. Option 3) worked for me!
Goto System-->Preferences--> Sessions-->Startup Programs. And add a new function nvidia-settings --load-config-only I wanted to save my nVidia settings on every boot and could not figure out how to do it until this post.

:D