12.04 Dual mode with tv gives low resolution (Nvidia)

**bbcom** · November 8th, 2012

I can't get my dual mode to work correctly.

My graphics card is a nVidia GeForce4 Ti 4200 with AGP8X (old, I know) with 2 VGA outputs, 1 S-video and 1 VA-output (cinch). When I connect one monitor with the VGA-out, the screen resulotion is 1024x768, which is fine. When I connect the scart-in of my tv with the VA-out of the pc the tv is working great but the resolution drops to 800x600 for both screens and the screen is the same on the monitor and the tv. In 'Display' there is just one monitor (with the label 'laptop' although I use a desktop), no second one.

I want to have dual mode with my monitor back to 1024x768 and the tv at 800x600 is actualy ok. How can I do this?

I'm using Ubuntu 12.04 and I think it's using nouveau as driver, not a nvidia driver. When I start Nvidia X server settings it says: "You do not appear to be using the NVIDIA X driver. Please edit your X configuration file (just run `nvidia-xconfig` as root), and restart the X server." At 'Additional Drivers' it says "NVIDIA accelerated graphics driver (post-release updates) (version current)" but it's indicated "Driver enabled, not in use". (There is also a "NVIDIA accelerated graphics driver (version current)" so without "post-release updates".)
After sudo nvidia-xconfig the resolution on the one monitor drops to 800x600 even without connecting my tv.

Here are some outputs:

apt-cache policy nvidia-current

Code:

nvidia-current:
  Geïnstalleerd: 304.64-0ubuntu1~precise~xup1
  Kandidaat:     304.64-0ubuntu1~precise~xup1
  Versietabel:
 *** 304.64-0ubuntu1~precise~xup1 0
        500 http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates/ubuntu/ precise/main i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     295.40-0ubuntu1.1 0
        500 http://ubuntu.mirrors.skynet.be/pub/ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-updates/restricted i386 Packages
        500 http://ubuntu.mirrors.skynet.be/pub/ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-security/restricted i386 Packages
     295.40-0ubuntu1 0
        500 http://ubuntu.mirrors.skynet.be/pub/ubuntu.com/ubuntu/  precise/restricted i386 Packages

lspci -nn | grep -i vga

Code:

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: NVIDIA Corporation NV28  [GeForce4 Ti 4200 AGP 8x] [10de:0281] (rev a1)

sudo hwinfo --gfxcard

Code:

24: PCI(AGP) 100.0: 0300 VGA compatible controller (VGA)        
  [Created at pci.318]
  UDI: /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/pci_10de_281
  Unique ID: VCu0.Nba+cYKbTQA
  Parent ID: vSkL.s4zPh4a_106
  SysFS ID: /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.0/0000:01:00.0
  SysFS BusID: 0000:01:00.0
  Hardware Class: graphics card
  Model: "nVidia GeForce4 Ti 4200 with AGP8X"
  Vendor: pci 0x10de "nVidia Corporation"
  Device: pci 0x0281 "GeForce4 Ti 4200 with AGP8X"
  SubVendor: pci 0x1462 "Micro-Star International Co., Ltd."
  SubDevice: pci 0x8890 
  Revision: 0xa1
  Memory Range: 0xe0000000-0xe0ffffff (rw,non-prefetchable)
  Memory Range: 0xd8000000-0xdfffffff (ro,non-prefetchable)
  Memory Range: 0xe1000000-0xe101ffff (ro,non-prefetchable,disabled)
  IRQ: 11 (no events)
  Module Alias: "pci:v000010DEd00000281sv00001462sd00008890bc03sc00i00"
  Driver Info #0:
    XFree86 v4 Server Module: nv
  Driver Info #1:
    XFree86 v4 Server Module: nvidia
    3D Support: yes
    Color Depths: 16
    Extensions: 
    Options: 
  Config Status: cfg=new, avail=yes, need=no, active=unknown
  Attached to: #11 (PCI bridge)

Primary display adapter: #24

sudo lshw -C display

Code:

  *-display UNCLAIMED     
       description: VGA compatible controller
       product: NV28 [GeForce4 Ti 4200 AGP 8x]
       vendor: NVIDIA Corporation
       physical id: 0
       bus info: pci@0000:01:00.0
       version: a1
       width: 32 bits
       clock: 66MHz
       capabilities: pm agp agp-3.0 vga_controller bus_master cap_list
       configuration: latency=32 maxlatency=1 mingnt=5
       resources: memory:e0000000-e0ffffff memory:d8000000-dfffffff  memory:e1000000-e101ffff

xrandr (with just one monitor connected)

Code:

xrandr: Failed to get size of gamma for output default
Screen 0: minimum 640 x 480, current 1024 x 768, maximum 1024 x 768
default connected 1024x768+0+0 0mm x 0mm
   1024x768        0.0* 
   800x600        61.0  
   640x480        60.0

xrandr (with monitor and tv connected)

Code:

xrandr: Failed to get size of gamma for output default
Screen 0: minimum 640 x 480, current 800 x 600, maximum 800 x 600
default connected 800x600+0+0 0mm x 0mm
   800x600        61.0* 
   640x480        60.0

xorg.conf (before sudo nvidia-xconfig)

Code:

Section "Device"
    Identifier    "Default Device"
    Option    "NoLogo"    "True"
EndSection

xorg.conf (after sudo nvidia-xconfig)

Code:

# nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig
# nvidia-xconfig:  version 304.43  (buildmeister@swio-display-x86-rhel47-02.nvidia.com)  Sun Aug 19 21:28:54 PDT 2012

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     "Unknown"
    ModelName      "Unknown"
    HorizSync       28.0 - 33.0
    VertRefresh     43.0 - 72.0
    Option         "DPMS"
EndSection

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

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

Any help on this?

**bbcom** · November 8th, 2012

Originally Posted by bogan

Have you visited the nvidia.com>drivers website?

For the GeForce4 Ti 4200 & Linux, it recommends the 100.14.11 driver, [under 'legacy' drivers] which I am sure will not work with any recent version of Ubuntu and its xserver.

The most likely to work would be the recent versions of the 173 driver, which if not listed in Additional Drivers, should be available in Synaptic, as 'nvidiia-173', v.173.14.35.

Will try that. Don't know how my old nVidia GeForce4 Ti 4200 with AGP8X will respond. Nvidia website says:

"The 96.43.xx driver supports the following set of GPUs:
Note: Support for the 96.43.xx series is discontinued. No further releases from this series are planned.
...
GeForce4 Ti 4200 with AGP8X"

At nvidia.com I found the latest nvidia legacy driver Linux Display Driver Version 96.43.23 (September 14, 2012) that supports GeForce4 Ti 4200 with AGP8X while Version173.14.36 doesn't support that graphics card.

Do you think it will work?
Read a lot about incompability between Ubuntu and nvidia legacy drivers...
Can't nouveau do the job?

Here you can search nvidia legacy drivers for linux for older graphics cards: http://www.nvidia.com/Download/Find.aspx?lang=en-us.

**gordintoronto** · November 8th, 2012

Your video card was first produced more than 10 years ago. My rule of thumb is that PC technology is good for seven years. Rather surprisingly, you can still buy an AGP video card on Newegg.

**dannyboy79** · November 8th, 2012

i'd install the 96.43.23 driver and then you'll be able to control each monitor correctly with nvidia-settings.

**bbcom** · November 9th, 2012

Originally Posted by gordintoronto

Your video card was first produced more than 10 years ago. My rule of thumb is that PC technology is good for seven years.

I'm using computers untill they are totally worn out

You'll be suprised how good this old pc works.
It's an Intel Pentium 4 CPU 2.66GHz with 1284MB RAM.
Updating to ubuntu 12.10 shows a warning though due to the absence of 3D-acceleration on my graphics card. I'm not quite sure but I think my GeForce4 has 3D acceleration. That's also why I want it to work properly.

About nouveau:
"The new Freedesktop.org supported 2D and 3D accelerated driver which was reverse engineered due to lack of documentation from nVidia. It provides incomplete 3D acceleration, however, it works just fine for most tasks such as a full Gnome 3 desktop and video playback. Advanced applications like OpenGL or DirectX gaming through Wine will need a more complete 3D experience since accelerated OpenGL is incomplete."

About nvidia:
"The ages old and most feature complete driver with fully supported 2D and 3D acceleration including OpenGL for gaming and applications. The only drawback to this driver is that it's closed source, so open source elitists best look elsewhere. This is strictly an X.Org driver. It does not include KMS, so an extra framebuffer such as VESA or uVESA is required. It cannot co-exist with the nvidia or riva framebuffers. Comes in two flavors: Legacy and current. There are three editions of the legacy driver which support older and older GPUs."
[source]

Anywway, if the machine is getting to old there is still Lubuntu

**bbcom** · November 9th, 2012

Originally Posted by dannyboy79

i'd install the 96.43.23 driver and then you'll be able to control each monitor correctly with nvidia-settings.

That's the plan. I'll do that and post the outcome here.
I hope I can get dual mode work.

guides to the official Nvidia graphics card drivers:
http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/Nvidia
http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/nvidia-guide.xml

**edit**
Whow, these are way to technical and complicated for me. I have to find another way...