Distorted graphics. Driver or application problem?

luker · posted: 2014-10-23 16:11

Hello forum,

I just installed Antix 13.2 full on this very Toshiba Tecra 8000, added Opera's repository and imported my e-mails into opera mail.
Problem is: it looks crappy when showing the mail panel (see attached screenshot).

Distorted opera mail window

The distortion vanishes instantly after hiding the mail panel (everything left of the forum smileys).

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# inxi -F
Graphics:  Card: Neomagic NM2200 [MagicGraph 256AV] 
           X.Org: 1.12.4 drivers: neomagic (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) Resolution: 1024x768@60.0hz 
           GLX Renderer: Gallium 0.4 on softpipe GLX Version: 2.1 Mesa 8.0.5

I'd like to try one of the unloaded video drivers. There's no /etc/X11/xorg.conf, so i let X create one:

Code: Select all

# sudo Xorg -configure

the resulting xorg.conf doesn't mention"neomagic" anywhere, so I don't know where to change that to vesa or fbdev.

1) Is that a driver or an application issue?
2) How can I change the video driver?

Dave · posted: 2014-10-23 19:20

1) Does it happen in any other application? Example: file manager, iceweasel, libreoffice. And does it happen with another window manager (icewm, fluxbox)?
2) can you post the generated xorg.conf ?
3) If you run live try the video"f" key and change it to safe or the other options.

rokytnji · posted: 2014-10-23 23:23

Usually when I wish to go with vesa. I do so going through smxi via the this boot option

"title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 3.7.10-antix.3-486-smp (init-3)"

at login I login. I sux to root. Then after logging into root. I type in"smxi" I choose not to upgrade and just keep heading straight to the graphics menu. I always take the scenic route rather than using"sgfxi" instead.

========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Smxi"
linktext was:"http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.php?title=Smxi"
====================================

luker · posted: 2014-10-24 13:54

1) Nothing alike has been seen in other applications. Other window managers behave just like jwm.
2)

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Section"ServerLayout"
    Identifier    "X.org Configured"
    Screen      0 "Screen0" 0 0
    Screen      1 "Screen1" RightOf"Screen0"
    InputDevice   "Mouse0""CorePointer"
    InputDevice   "Keyboard0""CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

Section"Files"
    ModulePath  "/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
    FontPath    "/usr/share/fonts/X11/misc"
    FontPath    "/usr/share/fonts/X11/cyrillic"
    FontPath    "/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi/:unscaled"
    FontPath    "/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi/:unscaled"
    FontPath    "/usr/share/fonts/X11/Type1"
    FontPath    "/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi"
    FontPath    "/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi"
    FontPath    "/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType"
    FontPath    "built-ins"
EndSection

Section"Module"
    Load "dri"
    Load "dri2"
    Load "record"
    Load "extmod"
    Load "glx"
    Load "dbe"
EndSection

Section"InputDevice"
    Identifier "Keyboard0"
    Driver     "kbd"
EndSection

Section"InputDevice"
    Identifier "Mouse0"
    Driver     "mouse"
    Option       "Protocol""auto"
    Option       "Device""/dev/input/mice"
    Option       "ZAxisMapping""4 5 6 7"
EndSection

Section"Monitor"
    Identifier  "Monitor0"
    VendorName  "Monitor Vendor"
    ModelName   "Monitor Model"
EndSection

Section"Monitor"
    Identifier  "Monitor1"
    VendorName  "Monitor Vendor"
    ModelName   "Monitor Model"
EndSection

Section"Device"
        ### Available Driver options are:-
        ### Values: <i>: integer, <f>: float, <bool>:"True"/"False",
        ### <string>:"String", <freq>:"<f> Hz/kHz/MHz",
        ### <percent>:"<f>%"
        ### [arg]: arg optional
        #Option    "ShadowFB"               # [<bool>]
        #Option    "Rotate"                 # <str>
        #Option    "fbdev"                  # <str>
        #Option    "debug"                  # [<bool>]
    Identifier "Card0"
    Driver     "fbdev"
    BusID      "PCI:0:4:0"
EndSection

Section"Device"
        ### Available Driver options are:-
        ### Values: <i>: integer, <f>: float, <bool>:"True"/"False",
        ### <string>:"String", <freq>:"<f> Hz/kHz/MHz",
        ### <percent>:"<f>%"
        ### [arg]: arg optional
        #Option    "ShadowFB"               # [<bool>]
        #Option    "DefaultRefresh"         # [<bool>]
        #Option    "ModeSetClearScreen"     # [<bool>]
    Identifier "Card1"
    Driver     "vesa"
    BusID      "PCI:0:4:0"
EndSection

Section"Screen"
    Identifier"Screen0"
    Device    "Card0"
    Monitor   "Monitor0"
    SubSection"Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     1
    EndSubSection
    SubSection"Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     4
    EndSubSection
    SubSection"Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     8
    EndSubSection
    SubSection"Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     15
    EndSubSection
    SubSection"Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     16
    EndSubSection
    SubSection"Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     24
    EndSubSection
EndSection

Section"Screen"
    Identifier"Screen1"
    Device    "Card1"
    Monitor   "Monitor1"
    SubSection"Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     1
    EndSubSection
    SubSection"Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     4
    EndSubSection
    SubSection"Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     8
    EndSubSection
    SubSection"Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     15
    EndSubSection
    SubSection"Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     16
    EndSubSection
    SubSection"Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     24
    EndSubSection
EndSection

3) It's not live. I already installed to hdd.

anticapitalista · posted: 2014-10-24 14:17

It is using the fbdev driver. Change it to vesa

Driver"fbdev"

fatmac · posted: 2014-10-24 18:36

I see you appear to have 2x"Monitor" & 2x"Device" Sections in your config, could this be something causing it(?).

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Section"Monitor"
   Identifier  "Monitor0"
   VendorName  "Monitor Vendor"
   ModelName   "Monitor Model"
EndSection

Section"Monitor"
   Identifier  "Monitor1"
   VendorName  "Monitor Vendor"
   ModelName   "Monitor Model"
EndSection

Section"Device"
        ### Available Driver options are:-
        ### Values: <i>: integer, <f>: float, <bool>:"True"/"False",
        ### <string>:"String", <freq>:"<f> Hz/kHz/MHz",
        ### <percent>:"<f>%"
        ### [arg]: arg optional
        #Option    "ShadowFB"              # [<bool>]
        #Option    "Rotate"                # <str>
        #Option    "fbdev"                 # <str>
        #Option    "debug"                 # [<bool>]
   Identifier "Card0"
   Driver     "fbdev"
   BusID      "PCI:0:4:0"
EndSection

Section"Device"
        ### Available Driver options are:-
        ### Values: <i>: integer, <f>: float, <bool>:"True"/"False",
        ### <string>:"String", <freq>:"<f> Hz/kHz/MHz",
        ### <percent>:"<f>%"
        ### [arg]: arg optional
        #Option    "ShadowFB"              # [<bool>]
        #Option    "DefaultRefresh"        # [<bool>]
        #Option    "ModeSetClearScreen"    # [<bool>]
   Identifier "Card1"
   Driver     "vesa"
   BusID      "PCI:0:4:0"
EndSection

luker · posted: 2014-10-25 00:35

@fatmac
It's a laptop. I suspect two devices/monitors stem from one integrated display plus one VGA plug at the back. I wonder how I would use the composite plug if I needed to.

@anticapitalista
"inxi" tells us that the neomagic driver is in use. Why doesn't"X -configure" put it in the xorg.config file?

fatmac · posted: 2014-10-25 08:19

I use laptops, mine only has the one section of each, even though I also have VGA &/or HDMI, so I thought it a little bit unusual.

luker · posted: 2014-10-25 20:59

So I'll give"there can be only one" a try and report back.

Dave · posted: 2014-10-25 23:25

luker wrote:@fatmac
It's a laptop. I suspect two devices/monitors stem from one integrated display plus one VGA plug at the back. I wonder how I would use the composite plug if I needed to.

@anticapitalista
"inxi" tells us that the neomagic driver is in use. Why doesn't"X -configure" put it in the xorg.config file?

Did you move the new xorg.conf from / root / xorg.conf.new to / etc / X11 / xorg.conf?
cp / root / xorg.conf.new / etc / X11 / xorg.conf
As root in terminal

Other than that I am not sure why X would ignore xorg.conf settings. Xorg.conf settings should override all other settings.

luker · posted: 2014-10-29 20:57

Hi again,

I moved the xorg.config to /etc/X11/ and edited it to only use one Screen, Device and Monitor.
With the"neomagic" driver, nothing changes. Opera is as distorted as it has been, everything else works.

Under"vesa", Opera is drawn correctly with mail panel and all.
But colours are rotated. The red shutdown button gets blue, the blue standard background image green instead.
Plus Ctrl+Alt+F1 fails to show a console. Just a black screen. Nothing on it.
Same for letting the system alone for a while and getting logged out. No mouse move or keyboard action will bring the desktop or login screen up.

"fbdev" causes X not to start at all:

(EE) open /dev/fb0: No such file or directory
(EE) Screen(s) found, but none have a usable configuration.
Fatal server error: no screens found