x server crashing - sometimes

[Stephen]

Ray Parrish wrote:
> Stephen wrote:
>>>> Ray Parrish wrote:
>>>>       
>>>>> Stephen wrote:
>>>>>         
>>>>>> Stephen wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>           
>>>>>>> Dear All
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Kubuntu 8.10
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I want to reduce the resolution as a way of improving the graphics and
>>>>>>> text size as these are to small.  I have seen these setting in two places:
>>>>>>> 1) K > System > System Settings > Display
>>>>>>> 2) K > System > KR and RTray Screen Resize & Rotate
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> When I chose either of these, the server exits to a login screen and I
>>>>>>> have to login again.  Odd, as I have used these before.
>>>>>>> The most recent change I have made was in K > System > System Settings >
>>>>>>> Desktop -All Effects tab, where I unticked most of the 3D options and
>>>>>>> improved performance.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I would also like to reduce colour depth.  When I last looked at the
>>>>>>> settings for changing the resolution I did not see anything about
>>>>>>> reducing the colour depth.  I have looked around System Settings.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Any help appreciated
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Stephen
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>             
>>>>>> Dear All
>>>>>>
>>>>>> This issue has proved problematic to resolve.  I have tried some
>>>>>> suggestions about editing /etc/X11/Xorg.conf, but what doesn't crash X
>>>>>> at start up makes no difference to the display.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I still have the problems of
>>>>>> 1) most of the time I cannot access Display or KR and RTray Screen
>>>>>> Resize & Rotate.
>>>>>> 2) When I maximise a window it is too wide for the screen and goes off
>>>>>> the right edge so losing the X out icon and other bits
>>>>>> 3) Windows render slowly
>>>>>> 4) I cannot control the resolution enough to have text on screen of a
>>>>>> size that I can read - it is all too small
>>>>>> 5) When I had a 17inch screen I used a res on 1024 X 768, now I have a
>>>>>> wide screen 17inch (16/9 ratio), I think I want a res of 1280 X 768.
>>>>>> But I cannot access the display options to change it.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I have looked in the BIOS and up to 8MB of memory is allocated to the
>>>>>> onboard graphics.  The pc has 1GB of RAM.  If I installed a PCI graphics
>>>>>> card I would not have to make a change in the BIOS as it is already
>>>>>> configured to select a user installed graphics card if one is installed.
>>>>>> One of the editions of Linux Format had an article that mentioned
>>>>>> onboard/Intel graphics are problematic.  Now I am fed up with the problem.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I want to explore installing a graphics card.  Has any one any
>>>>>> recommendations that will allow me to overcome these problems and not
>>>>>> have to be fiddled with.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I appear to have two PCI slots and a very short slot above that - not
>>>>>> sure what it is.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Any recommendations welcomed.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Stephen
>>>>>>
>>>>>>           
>>>>> Hello,
>>>>>
>>>>> Since you have 1 GB RAM, you have plenty to spare that can be assigned
>>>>> to your on board video card's use. You state that the BIOS shows 8 MB's
>>>>> currently assigned to the video card.  This is way too low, and you
>>>>> should be able to change that setting  right there where it's displayed
>>>>> in the BIOS. On my motherboard I have selections that start at 8 MB's,
>>>>> and go all the way up to 256 MB's.
>>>>>
>>>>> Currently I have this set to 64 MB's out of my 512 MB's of available
>>>>> system RAM. This setting allows running in the highest graphics mode
>>>>> with 3D acceleration, all of the eye candy features of Compiz enabled,
>>>>> all with no problems whatsoever.
>>>>>
>>>>> When I got this computer, it was set to use 128 MB's for  the video card
>>>>> and this seemed to work pretty good, but at times programs would gray
>>>>> out and be unresponsive for a few seconds up to as much as a minute or
>>>>> two. Now that I have reduced the video card to 64 MB's, I no longer have
>>>>> the gray out problem.
>>>>>
>>>>> An easy way to test and change video resolutions is with xvidtune. It
>>>>> works in conjunction with a terminal, but is actually a small GUI
>>>>> program. You start it from Terminal, and it then uses the terminal
>>>>> screen to write modelines fetched from your system or which you create
>>>>> with xvidtune to so you can inspect or copy them. On the GUI portion of
>>>>> it, there are buttons which allow cycling through your available video
>>>>> resolutions in either the up or down direction. The resolution changes
>>>>> take place when you press one of these buttons immediately.
>>>>>
>>>>> xvidtune also presents you with sliders to change the hsyncstart,
>>>>> hsyncend, vyncstart, and vsyncend values for the current mode, and a
>>>>> Test button to try any changes you make to those settings. xvidtune will
>>>>> then warn you if your selections result in an invalid combination.
>>>>>
>>>>> There are also Apply and Restore buttons which allow you to write your
>>>>> changes to the xorg.conf file.
>>>>>
>>>>> Later, Ray Parrish
>>>>>
>>>>>         
>>>> Dear Ray
>>>>
>>>> Thanks for the responses.  I tried the BIOS to adjust the video memory
>>>> and it only allows selection between 1MB and 8MB.  Nice idea but thwarted.
>>>>
>>>> xvidtune was revealing.  I started it as root as I assumed it had to
>>>> write to Xorg.conf, and it showed that my res is 1440 X 900.  I could
>>>> indeed use the Left/Right, Wider/Narrower, up/down, shorter/taller
>>>> buttons.  No sliders I am sorry to say.
>>>>
>>>> However, when I adjusted using Narrower/Shorter and then pressed Test I
>>>> got an error message that "Sorry you have requested a Mode-Line that is
>>>> not possible, or not supported by your hardware or configuration"
>>>>
>>>> Not sure if this is user error.  Should I have logged out of the GUI (if
>>>> so not sure how to do that)?
>>>>
>>>> Should I have used Wider/Taller?
>>>>
>>>> Dell have replied to my  enquiry and confirmed that  can only use PCI
>>>> (not PCI express) graphics cards.  Any recommendations if I am not able
>>>> to increase onboard video memory
>>>>
>>>> Hope to hear from you
>>>>
>>>> Stephen
>>>>       
> Hello,
> 
> Sorry I've been off for a while, but making changes to the current 
> resolutions start and end parameters usually result in a fail message as 
> you experienced. The main thing I wanted you to try with xvidtune, was 
> the Next, and Prev buttons, which allow you to change between the 
> available video resolutions as they are currently set by your system, 
> since you stated that you had no way to change resolutions to try another.
> 
> Later, Ray Parrish
> 
Dear Ray and others

Thanks for the help and assistance.  I have moved things on a bit by 
purchasing more memory, now at 2 Gig and an Nvidia GE Force 6200 (256 MB 
onboard ram).

I can now control the resolution.  All early days and I will test it to 
its limits

I am glad I know about xvidtune and will use it in the future.

Best wishes

Stephen