# Getting Correct EDID Information

## Charlie.

I emerged read-edid as instructed by http://gentoo-wiki.com/TIP_Getting_modelines

Now, I have the "parse-edid" program but not "get-edid"

Apparently, that didn't go into my path with the read-edid package.

Any ideas? There were no errors when I emerged read-edid.

(I need this data to work around the PreInitDAL failed bug with ATI's damn fglrx)

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## mjf55

doing an equery f read-edid shows that the programs are /usr/sbin/get-edid and /usr/sbin/parse-edid.

The TIP is correct, by emerging read-edid, your get: get-edid and parse-edid.

p.s., when i did it, the data I got was different than shown in the TIP.

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## MostAwesomeDude

My path shows /usr/bin/parse-edid and /usr/sbin/get-edid; you need to be root to get the EDID.

Also, this is offtopic, but please do yourself a favor and switch away from fglrx. It is the Dark Side. "Fear leads to hate; hate leads to anger. Anger...leads to suffering." So it is with those drivers.

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## Charlie.

[CODE]

stephen@charlie ~ $ equery f read-edid

[ Searching for packages matching read-edid... ]

* Contents of x11-misc/read-edid-1.4.1-r1:

/usr

/usr/sbin

/usr/sbin/parse-edid

/usr/share

/usr/share/doc

/usr/share/doc/read-edid-1.4.1-r1

/usr/share/doc/read-edid-1.4.1-r1/AUTHORS.bz2

/usr/share/doc/read-edid-1.4.1-r1/ChangeLog.bz2

/usr/share/doc/read-edid-1.4.1-r1/LRMI.bz2

/usr/share/doc/read-edid-1.4.1-r1/NEWS.bz2

/usr/share/doc/read-edid-1.4.1-r1/README.bz2

/usr/share/man

/usr/share/man/man1

/usr/share/man/man1/get-edid.1.bz2

/usr/share/man/man1/parse-edid.1.bz2

[/CODE]

Um. This isn't useful. "get-edid" is not being installed with the read-edid package. Did I mention that I was using amd64?

Anyway, is there any other alternative to get-edid?

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## MostAwesomeDude

 *Charlie. wrote:*   

> 
> 
> ```
> 
> stephen@charlie ~ $ equery f read-edid
> ...

 

You did not mention that you are on amd64. get-edid only works on x86 systems due to the 32-bit BIOS calls. I would recommend you boot off an x86 LiveCD and get the information that way.

Note: There may be files in /proc/acpi/video that have EDID information, but for many BIOSes those are broken, so be wary. For example:

```
$ ls /proc/acpi/video/VGA/*/EDID

/proc/acpi/video/VGA/CRTD/EDID  /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCDD/EDID

/proc/acpi/video/VGA/DVID/EDID  /proc/acpi/video/VGA/TVOD/EDID
```

Edit: Lawl, I got served. Edited for accuracy.

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## Monkeh

 *MostAwesomeDude wrote:*   

> Note: There may be files in /proc/acpi/video that have EDID information, but for most BIOSes those are broken. For example:
> 
> ```
> $ file /proc/acpi/video/VGA/*/EDID
> 
> ...

 

Tip: File will always report empty on files in the proc filesystem.

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## MostAwesomeDude

 *Monkeh wrote:*   

>  *MostAwesomeDude wrote:*   Note: There may be files in /proc/acpi/video that have EDID information, but for most BIOSes those are broken. For example:
> 
> ```
> $ file /proc/acpi/video/VGA/*/EDID
> 
> ...

 

XD, I've been owned; you caught me. However...

```
# cat /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCDD/EDID

<not supported>
```

...so I think my point still stands.

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## hcintra

I am on a AMD64 box as well, alas can't get read-edid to work.

Unfortunately (and mysteriously to myself), I don't have a /proc/acpi/video directory either. I guess this might have something to do with not having a /var/acpi/run/socket as noted in a warning message from /var/log/Xorg.0.log.

Can I get edid to work? How can I read its data? Does the acpi socket matters?

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## MostAwesomeDude

 *hcintra wrote:*   

> I am on a AMD64 box as well, alas can't get read-edid to work.
> 
> Unfortunately (and mysteriously to myself), I don't have a /proc/acpi/video directory either. I guess this might have something to do with not having a /var/acpi/run/socket as noted in a warning message from /var/log/Xorg.0.log.
> 
> Can I get edid to work? How can I read its data? Does the acpi socket matters?

 

You can get an acpid socket by emerging acpid and adding it to the default runlevel. You get /proc/acpi/video by enabling the "video" module in your kernel:

```
Power management options --->

    [*] ACPI support --->

        <M> Video
```

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