Xorg.conf breaks GUI

[kuifje09]

After upgrading Ubuntu 10.04 to 11.10 I had a problem my display was not reconized.Then tried to instal the Nvidia proprietry driver, but it failed.
After a lot of try and error ( to much to tell ), removed all nvidia* and reinstalled Nouveau.
But still having problems.

When I create an xorg.conf, there are a lot of warnings about drivers missing,

(==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf"
(==) Using system config directory "/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d"
WARNING: Error inserting wmi (/lib/modules/3.0.0-31-generic/kernel/drivers/platform/x86/wmi.ko): No such device
WARNING: Error inserting mxm_wmi (/lib/modules/3.0.0-31-generic/kernel/drivers/platform/x86/mxm-wmi.ko): No such device
WARNING: Error inserting i2c_algo_bit (/lib/modules/3.0.0-31-generic/kernel/drivers/i2c/algos/i2c-algo-bit.ko): No such device
WARNING: Error inserting drm (/lib/modules/3.0.0-31-generic/kernel/drivers/gpu/drm/drm.ko): No such device
WARNING: Error inserting drm_kms_helper (/lib/modules/3.0.0-31-generic/kernel/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_kms_helper.ko): No such device
WARNING: Error inserting ttm (/lib/modules/3.0.0-31-generic/kernel/drivers/gpu/drm/ttm/ttm.ko): No such device
FATAL: Error inserting nouveau (/lib/modules/3.0.0-31-generic/kernel/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau.ko): No such device
(EE) [drm] failed to open device
(EE) No devices detected.

As soon I delete/move away the xorg.conf, I get the 1024/768 display back, which is too small and should be 1280/1024.

I read a lot about xrandr and cvt, but can't get it to work.

This is the xorg.conf that I use, but breaks the GUI.



# nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig
# nvidia-xconfig: version 280.13 (buildmeister@swio-display-x86-rhel47-05.nvidia.com) Wed Jul 27 17:18:55 PDT 2011

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

Section "Files"
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"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "Samsung"
ModelName "SyncMaster 910MP"
HorizSync 30.0 - 81.0
VertRefresh 43.0 - 75.0
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Device0"
Driver "nouveau"
VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Device0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection

It is an edited previously automatic generated xorg.conf.
I am even not shure if it is used or just interferes with somthing else.

Please , can someone point me to a solution.

[kuifje09]

Maby I should add this information.

I tried the legacy driver from nvidia.com.
The card I use is a "product: NV5M64 [RIVA TNT2 Model 64/Model 64 Pro]"

Question , Which ubuntu tested nvidia driver would support this video card. besides the nouveau driver.

[dino99]

since the 3 kernel family, X is now directly managed by the kernel: meaning xorg.conf is no more needed by default. And old xorg.conf often breaks the kernel video rules.

so either erase or rename xorg.conf

[kuifje09]

I wonder if thats realy true


since the 3 kernel family, X is now directly managed by the kernel: meaning xorg.conf is no more needed by default. And old xorg.conf often breaks the kernel video rules.

so either erase or rename xorg.conf

Because these messages in the xorg.*.log

"(==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf"
(==) Using system config directory "/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d"
"

Extra question, where gets xrandr it info about the max sizes of a screen?
xrandr: screen cannot be larger than 1024x768 (desired size 1280x1024)

[kuifje09]

I could not wait, searched a litle further and found maybe the wrong video driver is loaded. Thats why I cannot get above the 1024/~768 pixels.

This card needs the nouveau and rivafb driver ? right ?

That I did
lspci -k [ snipped ]
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation NV5M64 [RIVA TNT2 Model 64/Model 64 Pro] (rev 15)
Kernel modules: nouveau, rivafb

then
lsmod | grep riva
and
lsmod | grep nouv

Both the lsmod gave NOT the expected drivers. What is wrong ?

However: "lsmod | grep vesa" also gave no answer....

In the "system settings" I read for graphics : VESA: Riva TNT

loading ( as root ) the nouveau driver with modprobe gives me :


modprobe nouveau
WARNING: Error inserting wmi (/lib/modules/3.0.0-31-generic/kernel/drivers/platform/x86/wmi.ko): No such device
WARNING: Error inserting mxm_wmi (/lib/modules/3.0.0-31-generic/kernel/drivers/platform/x86/mxm-wmi.ko): No such device
WARNING: Error inserting i2c_algo_bit (/lib/modules/3.0.0-31-generic/kernel/drivers/i2c/algos/i2c-algo-bit.ko): No such device
WARNING: Error inserting drm (/lib/modules/3.0.0-31-generic/kernel/drivers/gpu/drm/drm.ko): No such device
WARNING: Error inserting drm_kms_helper (/lib/modules/3.0.0-31-generic/kernel/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_kms_helper.ko): No such device
WARNING: Error inserting ttm (/lib/modules/3.0.0-31-generic/kernel/drivers/gpu/drm/ttm/ttm.ko): No such device
FATAL: Error inserting nouveau (/lib/modules/3.0.0-31-generic/kernel/drivers/gpu/drm/nouveau/nouveau.ko): No such device
modprobe rivafb ; just flashes the screen, but nothing more than that

[kuifje09]

Okay, found something now.
After reinstall of Xorg, reboot to previous kernel and my screen went in 1280*1024 mode.
Systemsettings however shows wrong detail about card and monitor, but display setting
are almsot good. All usable modes can be choosen from.

So now I (re) installed the latest kernel, but that did not help. I think there is a problem in my system after the upgrade. But when I booy in the 2.6.38-16-generic kernel, all looks good now.

Question: How can I fix the system for the 3.0.0-31-generic kernel and modules ...

The install of the kernel 3.0.0-31-generic did not help, but I think its not a complete install.
Did it install also the /lib/modules/3.0.0-31-generic for example...

How could I remove all things related to 3.0.0-31-generic and then reinstall/upgrade to 3.0.0-31-generic.

Please any advise would help.

[dino99]

are you sure to have "dkms" installed ?

for the tnt2 card, you might need to install the nvidia-graphics-drivers-96; but "nouveau" should work well too.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BinaryDriverHowto/Nvidia

[kuifje09]

Thanks, I will have a look at dkms. But, it works in 2.6.38-16.
It did not until I reinstalled Xorg...

Xorg log shows trouble with some modules in 3.0.0-31, so I reinstalled 3.0.0-31
mv /lib/modules/3.0.0.. to 3.0.0...bad
apt-get install --force-reinstall true linux-image-3.0.0-31-generic

New kernel is installed modules are back and so on.... even grub is checked automatic.

But.... display is not known, and running in fallbackmode ( VESA ).

I think there is a problem with the kernel version 3.0.0-31-generic

As a last try, I can reinstall dkms.

Till later...

[kuifje09]

Even reinstall dkms did not help.

with kernel 2.6.38-16-generic all looks okay.
with kernel 3.0.0-31-generic display not detected/unknown and wrong resolution.

I am not shure why after the upgrade the display was not detected correctly, untill I reinstalled Xorg, in version 2.6.38-16-generic.
But thats the one I can/must work with now.....

I wonder if 12.04 would solve this ugly problem.

[dino99]

3.8 kernel is now out, and works way better than the earlier 3.0x one for sure.
Maybe its time to move at least to LTS (precise)

[kuifje09]

Maybe, but I would like to know for shure, this takes too much time.
And this is not the first time I run in such problems. Why roll-out a crippled version.
I know its for free, this does linux, ( ubuntu ) no good.

I encounterd also missing icons, solved by swithing to another desktop theme. ?

I hope someone can confirm the TNT RIVA card running "out of the box", else I will continue this kernel vmlinuz-2.6.38-16-generic. and wait for an update/new kernel
instead of upgrading to a newer distro with new problems.
I now have a working one an can do my job again....

You want believe, but already upgraded 3 other systems to 11.10 with no problem at all.... Just this one, the most serious system I use, get all the problems.

But I want leave ubuntu, there will be an answer soon, for shure.

Thanks anyway.

[kuifje09]

At last, I doubt to go on with ubuntu. Why?

Just stumled upon this thread:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1946145&page=1

Its getting more fancy instead of better, lots of things get broken.
Updates breaks things, Older hardware becomes obsolete.

Okay, I know you cannot expect an i386SX2 on 16Mhz will do the job, but I started to use linux because of it runs on almost all hardware ( the older more supported then the newer ) . And it would be open.
I just also found, my cheese program is out of order....

Hopefully thing will get better soon instead of bigger.
( Ever growing will make things stuck . Space is delimited :D )

[kuifje09]

Even after the resent updat to kernel vmlinuz-3.0.0-32-generic with all its drivers Riva-TNT still not working properly.
Running in VESA mode, which gives the wrong resolution and cannot be changed.
Is it possible to move some drivers from the version vmlinuz-2.6.38-16-generic to vmlinuz-3.0.0-32-generic, because there it worked perfect !

[dino99]

if you know an old kernel is working well with that hardware, then why not using it ? you can install all the kernels you need from:

http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline

select the kernel folder, then into an empty folder on your system, download the 2 required headers + the image
and install that kernel by running: sudo dpkg -i *

):P

[ManamiVixen]

Riva TNT is too old a card for newer versions of MESA, X.Org, and the Linux Kernel. You'll have to use the proprietary driver from the 270 series. But they only work on older versions of X.Org and older Kernels. I think it's time to buy a new PC if it has a TNT in it.

Edit: I meant 71 series driver. I don't know why I missed the typo.

[MAFoElffen]

For that card you have two choices- nouveau or nividia binary 71.86.xx:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/IO_32667.html

Just my opinion- Personal experience shows me that these old cards do seem to work better on the current nouveau driver. ...You may have to add a few modes to an Xorg.conf file pointing to nouveau to add certain modes on some old legacy cards. These old cards fell out of the support packaged nvidia support long ago. I have a few of these cards in my dev test boxes.

[kuifje09]

Tried some thing to get it working again, but no success.

Compiled the Prop.Driver legacy from Nvidia, but want work.
At last I put aside my Riva-Tnt and plugged my spare MX460 , which gave me a lot more errors and no X at all.
Errors about USB , ??8192?? ( network ), and something about double adresses.
But, do'nt put effort in this to solve......

Then I had a look at the Nvidia forum, about ubuntu 12.04 and Riva-tnt, some guy got it fixed. But I think it is trouble going on each time after an update or upgrade. So I am stuck to the old kernel.

Edit: deleted firefox issue, cannot reproduce.