Bug#469607: xserver-xorg: Incorrect default configuration; desktop display unusable

[Frans Pop <elendil@planet.nl>]

On Saturday 12 July 2008, Julien Cristau wrote:
> > There seem to be two reasons:
> > 1) xorg was configured with too low sync values for my monitor
> > 2) the default resolution that was selected was the highest possible
> >    (1600x1200) instead of one better supported by the monitor (e.g.
> >    1280x1024).
>
> 1) is fixed in unstable, we don't put anything in the Monitor section
> anymore, so X can automatically detect this on startup.
> I'm not sure about 2), could you try starting X (from current lenny or
> sid) with no mode listed in xorg.conf?  If the wrong mode is chosen,
> please add Option "ModeDebug" to the Device section, and send the
> corresponding log to this bug (there should be a preferred mode in the
> EDID from the monitor, which X will choose, but if that's not the case
> we can add a quirk to the server for your particular monitor).

Hi Julien,

Thanks for getting back on this one.

I guess I can cover both your questions by just sending you my current 
xorg.conf file as that works correctly and has everything nicely commented 
out :-).

Hmmm. I could have display settings in KDE, so I guess I should try just 
starting an xterm or something.

[...]

OK. After running just xinit with the attached config, xrandr tells me I 
have 1280x1024@85, which is fine. Not sure if I should check other info 
too (I always forget the names of those funky X cmdline utils).

I will try a new install using D-I soon to verify. Please leave the BR 
open a bit longer and I'll report the results of that too.

Cheers,
FJP

P.S. Just for your info for now.
I've had two serious X-server crashes the last week. The first was while 
working: display dropped out and started mode switching a lot will all 
kinds of regular patterns on the display. The other was just now after 
ctrl+alt+backspace after running xinit with X completely unresponsive.
In both cases the system still responded to the power switch allowing a 
fairly graceful shutdown.
Before that the system had been rock solid for a long time.

# /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 "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"		"ExplorerPS/2"
	#Option		"Emulate3Buttons"	"true"
EndSection

Section "Device"
	Identifier	"Generic Video Card"
	Driver		"i810"
	#BusID		"PCI:0:2:0"
	#Driver		"fglrx"
	#BusID		"PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
	Identifier	"Generic Monitor"
	#Option		"DPMS"
	#HorizSync	30-95
	#VertRefresh	50-150
	#DisplaySize	360 270
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Identifier	"Default Screen"
	Device		"Generic Video Card"
	Monitor		"Generic Monitor"
	#DefaultDepth	24
	#SubSection "Display"
	#	Depth		1
	#	Modes		"1024x768" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
	#EndSubSection
	#SubSection "Display"
	#	Depth		4
	#	Modes		"1024x768" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
	#EndSubSection
	#SubSection "Display"
	#	Depth		8
	#	Modes		"1024x768" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
	#EndSubSection
	#SubSection "Display"
	#	Depth		15
	#	Modes		"1024x768" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
	#EndSubSection
	#SubSection "Display"
	#	Depth		16
	#	Modes		"1024x768" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
	#EndSubSection
	#SubSection "Display"
	#	Depth		24
	#	Modes		"1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
	#EndSubSection
EndSection

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