Anybody else with weird KMS modes on ATI?

[panda84]

Hi everybody!

I would like to ask if I am the only one experiencing wrong resolution / refresh detection by ATI KMS:
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=509740#c4

Maybe this is a bit more difficult because I am using a CRT monitor...

So, anyone in the same boat? :)

[panda84]

Ok, now KMS seems to work much better! :)
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=509740#c6

BTW, I'm now wondering how to set resolution when KMS is enabled. "vga=value" doesn't seem to apply to KMS too, so even after googling I'm left in the dark.

If there is no way to do so it's really a pain: KMS sets my monitor to it's maximum capability 1920x1440@60Hz, which is not good (nor readable, it's a 19" CRT!), instead of the reccomended 1280x1024@100Hz (@85Hz would be fine too).
I know I can change the XServer resolution, but I also want to use VTs.

Does anybody know of a way to do so?

[nanonyme]

BTW, I'm now wondering how to set resolution when KMS is enabled. "vga=value" doesn't seem to apply to KMS too, so even after googling I'm left in the dark.vga starts vesafb. Iirc video is the right param.

[panda84]

vga starts vesafb. Iirc video is the right param.

Thank you nanonyme, this seems to be a good starting. Thanks to your hint I've found:
http://www.mjmwired.net/kernel/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt#2513
http://www.mjmwired.net/kernel/Documentation/fb/modedb.txt

KMS drivers seem to be still undocumented (that is about 2.6.30, so Intel driver should already be there). I'll try to search more up-to-date documentation or try blind guesses! :D

I'll let you know! ;)

[panda84]

I found this folder in the kernel tree, but nothing seems to explain KMS drivers. :(
http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=tree;f=Documentation/fb;h=0bad76634bf033dd36824ea55622d20cecab8629;hb=m aster

[panda84]

Even more confused now.
Here I found that radeonfb should be disabled:
http://www.x.org/wiki/radeonBuildHowTo#head-6c8a52410a5bf5f5de31505920156363a0d543bc
Here they suggest to pass video=radeonfb:blahblah
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/394263/comments/14

I'll give it a try...

[panda84]

For those interested, the answer to my question is: not yet.
From today's IRC:
[17:02] <panda84> sorry if I ask again: is there a way to set default KMS resolution? 1920x1440 is a too high default for my monitor
[17:03] <AStorm> hmm, maybe video=radeondrmfb:<mode> line?
[17:03] <agd5f> panda84: not for the console yet

[suokko]

Even more confused now.
Here I found that radeonfb should be disabled:
http://www.x.org/wiki/radeonBuildHowTo#head-6c8a52410a5bf5f5de31505920156363a0d543bc
Here they suggest to pass video=radeonfb:blahblah
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/394263/comments/14

I'll give it a try...

radeonfb doesn't work with KMS so you have to disable kms if you want to use radeonfb.

[panda84]

radeonfb doesn't work with KMS so you have to disable kms if you want to use radeonfb.

Right, that's why the string suggested in Ubuntu Launchpad sounded strange to me:
radeon.modeset=1 video=radeonfb:1280x1024-24@60
Infact it doesn't work.

It should be (I think) either:
radeon.modeset=0 video=radeonfb:1280x1024-24@60
or:
radeon.modeset=1
which in Fedora is the same as no additional kernel option (KMS enabled by default).

[agd5f]

There's not currently a way to force an console fb mode with kms. The problem is the kernel fb interface doesn't really have the concept of multiple monitors, so if you want to force a mode, which monitor do you force it on, etc.

[duby229]

There's not currently a way to force an console fb mode with kms. The problem is the kernel fb interface doesn't really have the concept of multiple monitors, so if you want to force a mode, which monitor do you force it on, etc.

That is a great point. Speaking of KMS multimonitor support, How is that progress coming? Is anybody working on that yet? Also if you have a VT on monitor 1 and a different VT on monitor 2 how will the system know which terminal to bind the keyboard and mouse to? Will some sort of kernel input handler have to be written too?