Re: Has anyone managed to get full resolution on new intel cpu? [UPDATE]
I previously reported that I could not get my new chillblast PC running fedora 31 to support any screen resolution higher than 1280x1024 (though running windows 10 on the same machine provided full screen resolution) but after following a suggestion to reinstall linux, I tried the F32 xfce live iso and found that the resolution problem was solved. I wish I had done that a week earlier! After that, it took some time to restore most of my full working environment partly because there seem to have been a lot of changes in fedora (including introduction of something called 'snaps' that I had not previously encountered). On that machine I had previously set .ctwmrc to work without window titles because the title bars took up too much space and I could not find any way to change that. So I have been working without title bars for some time, though (though I still set window titles for use in the iconmanager, e.g. to select minimised windows to maximise). I tried reinstating title bars a few times, but they always took up too much space. However, I tried again today, and to my surprise the title bars were as narrow as they had previously been on other machines, so I have reinstated them, with a couple of useful buttons, e.g. delete window and full zoom. Perhaps this sudden improvement in ctwm behaviour is a result of a font being added as required by some other package -- possibly libreoffice, the most recent addition to this machine. Linux has a few too many surprises, but this one is useful. Aaron http://www.cs.bham.ac.uk/~axs
Re: Has anyone managed to get full resolution on new intel cpu?[failed]
Marcel, Thanks for the comments regarding my inability to get screen resolution above 1280x1024 on my new PC running Fedora 32 (originally 31). > I do not think that your kernel is the issue. Support for that GPU should be > in > the mainline kernel since years. That's what I thought when I ordered the machine a few weeks ago. But when it arrived and I installed Fedora31 a week ago using a 'live' usb drive, which had previously been used to install F31 successfully on a laptop, the installation process did not work unless it was done in low resolution mode -- otherwise the screen just froze and installation could not proceed. After I had F31 working on the new PC it refused to go into a higher resolution and xrandr offered only 1280x1024. Nothing I tried got past that limit. So I then tried upgrading to F32. I still could not get a higher resolution. I bought the machine from Chilblast.com using their configuration menu very recently (dlivered 13 days ago). Because all my attempts to increase the resolution had failed (several days wasted) I assumed the problem must have been that the CPU I had chosen was a very new Intel model for which appropriate drivers were not yet available: Intel Core i5-9400 Coffee Lake CPU, 6 Cores / 6 Threads, 2.9 - 4.1GHz I had not found any clues that I recognized in kernel logs. I was particularly puzzled because I had tried a live install of Intel's Anyhow, following your message I thought I would try with a newly created installation usb drive, with F32, which I could reinstall without overwriting all of the hard drive. After that the resolution went up to what it should have been! However I'm having some problems with text in small fonts 'crumbling' on the screen, which I expect will disappear when I have completed the resurrection. I have no idea why the first installation not only set up a low resolution display but also somehow prevented the resolution being increased by updates, upgrades and other attempts - e.g. looking for files with the wrong specification. Anyhow, thanks for challenging my assumption, which let to successful restart after several days of wasted time! --- I had previously found that when I installed Intel's Clear Linux via usb drive: https://clearlinux.org/ the resolution was as expected. I assumed that intel had used new special drivers to achieve that, but I now see that that guess was unjustified. I disliked the user interface provided by Clear (probably designed to make Windows or Mac users feel at home) which is why I wasn't prepared to solve my problem by using Clear. Getting ctwm working again, including restoring saner font sizes, was one of the first things I did after reinstalling linux. Anyhow the problem is now solved, thanks to your provocation, though I still have some work to do restoring the remaining packages I had previously, and bringing the second hard drive back to life: I left it untouched during the latest installation of F32, but will now add previously saved relevant entries to /etc/fstab. Thanks! Aaron http://www.cs.bham.ac.uk/~axs
Re: Has anyone managed to get full resolution on new intel cpu?[failed]
Hi, Am 27.07.20 um 13:14 schrieb Aaron Sloman: > UPDATE: > I installed the 5.8 kernel and was able to boot it, though many of my > packages including ctwm did not work (presumably because they need to be > rebuilt for that environment). However the main disappointment was that it > did not change the available screen resolutions: still only 1280x1024. > > I wonder whether any other version of linux updates support for new cpus > more quickly? > I do not think that your kernel is the issue. Support for that GPU should be in the mainline kernel since years. I'd look for any software configuration or hardware issues: - Have you carefully checked the kernel log for any warnings or information, especially dmesg | grep -i 'i915\|drm\|vga\|\bfb' (but not limited to that). - Is you display cable suitable for the native resoultion for your monitor? Or maybe just broken? (I've ssen cables fail with one GPU but not the other). BTW.: Which type of display interface are you using? - Is your monitor reporting correct EDID data? Even kernel modesetting can be configured to use custom EDIDs, see https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.ph/Kernel_mode_setting#Forcing_modes_and_EDID for details In general, using Linux with an Intel GPU has become the most smooth experience of all GPU vendros during the last years, so there is something really strange or unusual going on in your case. Unfortunately, I have no specific ideas for what to look into. Maybe you can try a live image of some other recent distribution to cross-check if they can use the monitor just fine. Regards, Marcel
Re: Has anyone managed to get full resolution on new intel cpu?[failed]
I wrote: As an afterthought I've just searched for and found this: https://repos.fedorapeople.org/repos/thl/kernel-vanilla-mainline/fedora-33/SRPMS/ It provides kernel-5.8.0-0.rc6.20200723gitd15be546031c.1.vanilla.1.fc33.src.rpm UPDATE: I installed the 5.8 kernel and was able to boot it, though many of my packages including ctwm did not work (presumably because they need to be rebuilt for that environment). However the main disappointment was that it did not change the available screen resolutions: still only 1280x1024. I wonder whether any other version of linux updates support for new cpus more quickly?
Re: Has anyone managed to get full resolution on new intel cpu?
Many thanks for all the information and suggestions. At present I don't have time, and probably lack the expertise to search for, compile if necssary, install, etc. any non-Redhat/fedora kernel, so I am inclined to wait to see how Redhat/Fedora get on with the new intel cpus. If there's no progress in the near future, probably the first thing I should try is to get the kernel packages from Intel's Clear Linux https://clearlinux.org/ since I already know from a test a few days ago on a 'live' usb drive that Clear linux definitely can run on my new PC with full resolution. Another option could be to install clear linux in its own partition and then try to install my standard tools (e.g. ctwm, poplog, libreoffice, fetchmail, vlc, and many more) on that. But that could be very time consuming. If I get time to investigate, there may even be a way to copy core parts of the clear linux directory tree into my fedora partition, I already have several non-fedora packages (e.g. ctwm) in a separate 'local' subtree, which could perhaps be accessed either when fedora is running or when clear is running. But if I have to duplicate all the construction (e.g. rebuild ctwm for Clear) that will be too much hassle. I am grateful for the suggestions, but did not intend to hijack the ctwm list for this! Aaron PS As an afterthought I've just searched for and found this: https://repos.fedorapeople.org/repos/thl/kernel-vanilla-mainline/fedora-33/SRPMS/ It provides kernel-5.8.0-0.rc6.20200723gitd15be546031c.1.vanilla.1.fc33.src.rpm I think it should be usable with fedora 32 non-kernel and non-fedora packages. There are also suggestions there that I had not found previously. So I'll explore suggestions that keep me within fedora for the present. I won't bother this list with details except to report success or failure later!
Re: Has anyone managed to get full resolution on new intel cpu?
"Stefan Monnier" worte: >> Generally I expect that such a thing should work; of course you >> probably lose some tuning/patches from one distro and gain those of the >> other. In this case, hopefully, better graphics support. Generally you need the kernel and the modules from /lib/modules copied and then generate a new initramfs, so that you get the bootup to work properly. > Indeed, the interface between the kernel and the rest of the system is > one of the most stable in a GNU/Linux system, so you can usually play > a fairly wide variety of kernel versions compiled with a wide variety of > options are still get a perfectly usable system. Nowadays there is two option in the kernel about supporting init-system and sadly rarely you have support for systemd and other types, so if you are using a systemd distribution, see to that the other distribution you borrow the kernel also uses systemd or you will not be able to boot the system with the alternative kernel. The same applies when you use one of the non-systemd distributions, don't use a kernel from a systemd system. Distributions that supports all init systems, will work on which ever other distributions (the only I think does it would be debian even if they seem to want to drop support for other init system than systemd). IMHO there should be a naming difference, but systemd/Linux and GNU/Linux wouldn't work as in the first case we are talking about the init system and in the othe it's the userland tools, but I think you get my point. -- //Aho
Re: Has anyone managed to get full resolution on new intel cpu?
>> So your best bet is to try a more recent Linux kernel, > You could even try to run the kernel from one distribution on the other. > (Don't forget to copy kernel loadable modules or other stuff you need > except for the kernel file; I'm not a Linux expert so I'm vague on that > sort of details). > > Generally I expect that such a thing should work; of course you > probably lose some tuning/patches from one distro and gain those of the > other. In this case, hopefully, better graphics support. Indeed, the interface between the kernel and the rest of the system is one of the most stable in a GNU/Linux system, so you can usually play a fairly wide variety of kernel versions compiled with a wide variety of options are still get a perfectly usable system. Stefan
Re: Has anyone managed to get full resolution on new intel cpu?
On Sun 26 Jul 2020 at 10:29:47 -0400, Stefan Monnier wrote: > So your best bet is to try a more recent Linux kernel, You could even try to run the kernel from one distribution on the other. (Don't forget to copy kernel loadable modules or other stuff you need except for the kernel file; I'm not a Linux expert so I'm vague on that sort of details). Generally I expect that such a thing should work; of course you probably lose some tuning/patches from one distro and gain those of the other. In this case, hopefully, better graphics support. > Stefan -Olaf. -- Olaf 'Rhialto' Seibert -- rhialto at falu dot nl ___ Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on \X/ no account be allowed to do the job. --Douglas Adams, "THGTTG" signature.asc Description: PGP signature
Re: Has anyone managed to get full resolution on new intel cpu?
On Sun, 26 Jul 2020, monn...@iro.umontreal.ca wrote: Thanks very much for this comment: The graphics resolution is not controlled by these parts of the graphics stack: it's in the Linux kernel instead (ever since they moved to "kernel mode setting"). So your best bet is to try a more recent Linux kernel, I'll see if I can find one. I've also posted a report on the fedora bugzilla site and offered to be a test user if a new kernel is under development but not yet released. Meanwhile I am very grateful for the flexibility ctwm provides, helping to make the machine more usable with low resolution graphics! Thanks. Aaron
Re: Has anyone managed to get full resolution on new intel cpu?
[ Note; this is offtopic and you'll likely get better answers in a more appropriate forum/mailing-list such as one about Fedora. ] > So in principle fedora should also be able to get the full resolution on > either screen. I could not achieve that on fedora 31, so I used the useful > 'dnf upgrade' option to upgrade to fedora 32, and so far I have not been > able to get the right driver(s). I presume that eventually one of the > regular updates will fix the problem, but I wonder if anyone on this list > knows how to get required linux driver(s) for the new cpu, or has already > done so. They must exist if Clearlinux works. > > These are the only intel modules currently installed on the new machine: > > intel-mediasdk-20.1.1-1.fc32.x86_64 > libva-intel-driver-2.4.1-2.fc32.x86_64 > xorg-x11-drv-intel-2.99.917-45.20200205.fc32.x86_64 > > Is there a good place to go for pre-release intel graphic drivers? My > searches have so far failed. The graphics resolution is not controlled by these parts of the graphics stack: it's in the Linux kernel instead (ever since they moved to "kernel mode setting"). So your best bet is to try a more recent Linux kernel, Stefan
Has anyone managed to get full resolution on new intel cpu?
This is not really a ctwm problem but perhaps someone on this list has relevant know-how. In order to replace an ancient and slightly unreliable desktop PC I ordered a new one from Chillblast, a company that allows orders to be based on selections from a variety of menus. https://www.chillblast.com/ I have been happy with intel graphics on desktop PCs and laptops, in the past (I don't play video games...) so I chose this new intel cpu from the chillblast menu: Intel Core i5-9400 Coffee Lake CPU, 6 Cores / 6 Threads, 2.9 - 4.1GHz The machine was delivered 12 days ago, and since then I have been struggling to get the graphics to work: linux (Fedora 31, then Fedora 32 after I upgraded) doesn't yet seem to have the right drivers for the new cpu and I can only get 1280x1024 screen resolution, which is painful (though fortunately the flexibility of ctwm, allowing me quickly to switch to small fonts for text windows and menus by editing .ctwmrc) has helped enormously, even if the fonts on display connected to the new machine are all slightly fuzzy. lxrandr shows only the low resolution option. I've tried changing grub settings (in /etc/default/grub) to no avail. I then tried running (but not installing) the linux produced by Intel (Clear linux: https://clearlinux.org/) running from a usb stick. It produced full graphics for the screen (with either of two test screens (1920x1080, and 1680x1050) demonstrating that the new cpu can work with linux. I had also installed Windows 10 home, as I occasionally need it, and although it did not originally have full resolution, after a couple of days it automatically updated itself -- presumably after downloading a new driver. So in principle fedora should also be able to get the full resolution on either screen. I could not achieve that on fedora 31, so I used the useful 'dnf upgrade' option to upgrade to fedora 32, and so far I have not been able to get the right driver(s). I presume that eventually one of the regular updates will fix the problem, but I wonder if anyone on this list knows how to get required linux driver(s) for the new cpu, or has already done so. They must exist if Clearlinux works. These are the only intel modules currently installed on the new machine: intel-mediasdk-20.1.1-1.fc32.x86_64 libva-intel-driver-2.4.1-2.fc32.x86_64 xorg-x11-drv-intel-2.99.917-45.20200205.fc32.x86_64 Is there a good place to go for pre-release intel graphic drivers? My searches have so far failed. Fortunately, for the time being, I can access the chillblast machine logged in from xterm windows on my old PC with much better text on the screen, though I've noticed that because ctwm makes it so easy for me to switch between desktops (ctrl + right or left arrow) I have to be careful to make sure I am typing into the intended computer! This message is being typed into yet another remote machine -- my desktop PC on our locked-down campus. (Perhaps I'll have to do something like using different coloured text in xterm windows logged into different machines to prevent disastrous mistakes!) Thanks. Aaron http://www.cs.bham.ac.uk/~axs
