How to get the right drivers and screen resolutions on my HP 8710w notebook?

**Daan** · 04-04-2008

Hello,

I'm trying to configure the X server on my HP Compaq 8710w mobile workstation (GC124EA) under Debian Etch. I have two problems:

1.) When I have "nvidia" in stead of "vesa" as driver in my xorg.conf, X will not start, complaining that there are no drivers.

2.) In Gnome, I do not have the option to set the screen resolution to 1920 x 1200, although I this resolution is in the xorg.conf.

How do I get the driver to work and how do I get the proper screen resolution?

I've installed the Nvidia drivers from the non-free section of the Debian repository (nvidia-kernel-2.6.18-6-686). I also have the free driver installed (xserver-xorg-video-nv).

Here's my xorg.conf. It's working, but not as I want it to. It was generated by the nvidia-xconfig tool. I've changed only the driver to "vesa" (was "nvidia").

Code:

# nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig
# nvidia-xconfig:  version 1.0  (randy@juliet2)  Fri Dec 30 21:53:37 PST 2005

# /etc/X11/xorg.conf (xorg X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the /etc/X11/xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man /etc/X11/xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
#   sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier     "Default Layout"
    Screen         "Default Screen" 0 0
    InputDevice    "Generic Keyboard"
    InputDevice    "Configured Mouse"
    InputDevice    "Synaptics Touchpad"
EndSection

Section "Files"

        # path to defoma fonts
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/X11/misc"
    FontPath        "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/X11/cyrillic"
    FontPath        "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi/:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi/:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/X11/Type1"
    FontPath        "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi"
    FontPath        "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi"
    FontPath        "/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi"
    FontPath        "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi"
    FontPath        "/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType"
EndSection

Section "Module"
    Load           "bitmap"
    Load           "ddc"
    Load           "extmod"
    Load           "freetype"
    Load           "glx"
    Load           "int10"
    Load           "vbe"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier     "Generic Keyboard"
    Driver         "kbd"
    Option         "CoreKeyboard"
    Option         "XkbRules" "xorg"
    Option         "XkbModel" "pc104"
    Option         "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier     "Configured Mouse"
    Driver         "mouse"
    Option         "CorePointer"
    Option         "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
    Option         "Protocol" "ImPS/2"
    Option         "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier     "Synaptics Touchpad"
    Driver         "synaptics"
    Option         "SendCoreEvents" "true"
    Option         "Device" "/dev/psaux"
    Option         "Protocol" "auto-dev"
    Option         "HorizScrollDelta" "0"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier     "Generic Monitor"
    HorizSync       30.0 - 70.0
    VertRefresh     50.0 - 160.0
    Option         "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"

#       Driver          "nv"
    Identifier     "nVidia Corporation NVIDIA Default Card"
#    Driver         "nvidia"
    Driver         "vesa"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier     "Default Screen"
    Device         "nVidia Corporation NVIDIA Default Card"
    Monitor        "Generic Monitor"
    DefaultDepth    24
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       1
        Modes      "1920x1200" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       4
        Modes      "1920x1200" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       8
        Modes      "1920x1200" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       15
        Modes      "1920x1200" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       16
        Modes      "1920x1200" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       24
        Modes      "1920x1200" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubSection
EndSection

My notebook has the NVIDIA Quadro FX 1600M. More specs at HP Compaq 8710w mobiel workstation (GC124EA) specificaties - HP Midden- en Kleinbedrijf producten

Any suggestions?

***daark.child*** · 04-04-2008

What is the output of running

Code:

#lspci | grep -i vga

**Daan** · 04-04-2008

Code:

# lspci | grep -i vga
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation Unknown device 040d (rev a1)

***daark.child*** · 04-04-2008

You card is definitely nvidia. Try running "dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg" or xorgconfig. Make sure you back up your xorg.conf before running those commands.

**i92guboj** · 04-04-2008

Originally Posted by daark.child

You card is definitely nvidia. Try running "dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg" or xorgconfig. Make sure you back up your xorg.conf before running those commands.

Let's start from the basics.

What happens if you "modprobe nvidia"? Do dmesg after that and see if it loaded correctly. See the output for "lsmod" to check if it's loaded.

Then, use startx from the command line using the nvidia driver in your xorg.conf. And check /var/log/Xorg.0.log for errors.

**Daan** · 04-06-2008

Hey guys/girls, thanks for helping out.

daark.child: i tried "dpkg-reconfigure xserver-org", but no good results. The xorg.conf I am using right now was generated by nvidia-xconfig. (There is no "xorgconfig".)

The nvidia driver seems to load upon modprobing, however, after a ctrl+alt+backspace and a "startx", the X server complains about it not being able to find the nvidia driver

Code:

nioolaptopdaang:/home/daan# modprobe nvidia
nioolaptopdaang:/home/daan# dmesg | tail -n20
eth1: no IPv6 routers present
irq 201: nobody cared (try booting with the "irqpoll" option)
 [<c014030b>] __report_bad_irq+0x2b/0x69
 [<c01404f8>] note_interrupt+0x1af/0x1e7
 [<c013faff>] handle_IRQ_event+0x23/0x49
 [<c013fbd8>] __do_IRQ+0xb3/0xe8
 [<c01050e5>] do_IRQ+0x43/0x52
 [<c01036b6>] common_interrupt+0x1a/0x20
 [<f88475ac>] acpi_processor_idle+0x1ec/0x380 [processor]
 [<c0101b52>] cpu_idle+0x9f/0xb9
 [<c03196fd>] start_kernel+0x379/0x380
handlers:
[<f8a4d407>] (yenta_interrupt+0x0/0xb3 [yenta_socket])
[<f8a5a8d4>] (sdhci_irq+0x0/0x539 [sdhci])
Disabling IRQ #201
Linux agpgart interface v0.101 (c) Dave Jones
nvidia: module license 'NVIDIA' taints kernel.
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:01:00.0[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 177
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:01:00.0 to 64
NVRM: loading NVIDIA Linux x86 Kernel Module  1.0-8776  Mon Oct 16 21:56:04 PDT 2006
nioolaptopdaang:/home/daan# lsmod | grep nvidia
nvidia               4549908  0
agpgart                29896  1 nvidia
i2c_core               19680  1 nvidia
nioolaptopdaang:/home/daan#

From the X log file:

Code:

(EE) Failed to load module "nvidia" (module does not exist, 0)
(EE) No drivers available.

Strange huh?

**i92guboj** · 04-06-2008

Maybe it's the xorg nvidia module what it can't find. Does this file exist?

/usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/nvidia_drv.so

If so, was it compiled against the same kernel version used to compile the kernel module that you are loading and with the same glibc and gcc versions?

**Daan** · 04-06-2008

Hi i92guboj,

That file does not exist.

Code:

# updatedb
# locate nvidia_drv.so
#

I think I forgot to to mention I'm using Debian Etch. I have only been installing things from Debian repositories, and I guess they make sure things are compatible.

**i92guboj** · 04-06-2008

Originally Posted by Daan

Hi i92guboj,

That file does not exist.

Code:

# updatedb
# locate nvidia_drv.so
#

I think I forgot to to mention I'm using Debian Etch. I have only been installing things from Debian repositories, and I guess they make sure things are compatible.

Well, then there must be some problem.

There is a slight chance that the kernel module and the xorg driver comes into separate packages. Gentoo used to do so in the past, though I really can't see a reason to do so. Both a useless without the other part.

Try searching for the "nvidia" keyword and see if there are more nvidia related stuff in the repos.

**Daan** · 04-10-2008

Originally Posted by i92guboj

Well, then there must be some problem.

Yes, you are right...

I had already looked for all nvidia stuff in the repos...

I've given up and installed Ubuntu instead of plain Debian. I knew it would work from the live CD. And it does. Also the wireless works, out of the box.

Thanks for your efforts anyway.

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