# ATI Radeon DVI/VGA problem

## yewsif

Hello,

      I recently got my ATI Radeon X850XT PE card fully working under xorg (i.e. with 3D acceleration and everything). However, I have a small problem here: when I log out of X (or just try to switch to a different virtual console), my monitor goes blank and the little indicator on it starts blinking (meaning that it's not getting a signal from the graphics card). I'm pretty sure that the card is just switching its output to the VGA port (instead of the DVI port, which I'm using to connect my card to the monitor). I've tried going back to X (CTRL-ALT-F7) hoping that it would switch back to DVI, but no luck with that. The only way for me to "escape" from this is to reset my computer.

After googling for a while, I found out that some people are having (or had) a very similar problem, the only difference is that this DVI/VGA switching happens when they start the X server, not when they log out of it. Does anyone here know how to instruct my ATI card to use the DVI port all the time (regardless of whether I'm in X or not)? I've tried a few configurations for aticonfig's --force-monitor option, but again, I had no luck with that (partly because aticonfig's help message doesn't explain what the different force-monitor options mean, e.g. tmds1 lvds ...etc). And, if it matters at all, I'm using an AMD Athlon 64 machine.

Thanks,

-Yousef

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## matlock

Hi,

I have exactly the same Problem with my Radeon X1900 XT und 2 DVI Screens. Everytime I go to the framebuffer mode I get a black Screen.

I'm also very interested in a solution!

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## micmac

You don't give basic infos like which drivers you are using or errors in log files. But try disabling framebuffer or switch framebuffer drivers (eg. radeonfb with DDC support).

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## yewsif

framebuffer was already disabled, so I just went and compiled it in (along with the driver for the ATI radeon, radeonfb), and appended "vga=0x914 video=radoenfb:ywrap,mtrr" to my kernel line in grub.conf, but I would still get the same problem. I'm using ATI's fglrx driver (for X), and I don't see anything "suspicious" in /var/log/Xorg.0.log.

Thanks once again,

-Yousef

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## IanPo

Option "MonitorLayout" "string"

    This option is used to overwrite the detected monitor types. This is only required when driver makes a false detection. The possible monitor types are:

    NONE -- Not connected

    CRT -- Analog CRT monitor

    TMDS -- Desktop flat panel

    LVDS -- Laptop flat panel

    This option can be used in following format:

    Option "MonitorLayout" "[type on primary], [type on secondary]"

    For example, Option "MonitorLayout" "CRT, TMDS"

    Primary/Secondary head for dual-head cards:

    (when only one port is used, it will be treated as the primary regardless)

    Primary head:

    DVI port on DVI+VGA cards

    LCD output on laptops

    Internal TMDS prot on DVI+DVI cards

    Secondary head:

    VGA port on DVI+VGA cards

    VGA port on laptops

    External TMDS port on DVI+DVI cards

    The default value is undefined.

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## yewsif

Sorry for taking too long to respond.

I tried what you suggested (in my case, I have a flat panel LCD display so I used `Option "MonitorLayout" "TMDS"`) but had no luck getting it to work. I've also tried using the new ATI drivers (8.33.6), but my monitor didn't like them. It didn't even like 8.32.5. The screen would be flickering all the time and a message from my monitor would say "Not using the optimum resolution" (or something like that, I'm not looking at the message right now), let alone the console/X blank-screen problem. My safest option seems to be 8.30.3-r1, which works pretty well (like I said, with 3D acceleration and everything), but, I still get a blank screen once I logout of X or switch VTs.

Has anyone had this problem before, and maybe after upgrading to ati-drivers 8.33.6, it got fixed?

Thanks,

-Yousef

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## IanPo

Check this out:

https://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=161964

Does it look like problem you described?

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## yewsif

That is exactly the problem I have! Thanks for posting this, at least now I know it's not only me having this problem. Also, someone (on that bug report page) reported that everything works fine with Xorg 7.0 (and not 7.1 or 7.2), but Xorg 7.0 has been removed from the portage tree  :Sad: 

I'm pretty desperate right now that I think I will just trade my ATI card with someone (for an nvidia card).

Thanks once again!

-yewsif

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## Paulinuks

I've the same problem. My computer hangs when i start the graphic system using DVI connector. With connector VGA works fine. Somebody has found about this error? I want use DVI connector. There is a big difference.

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## Paulinuks

Problem solved. the problem is de framebuffer. I desactivate framebuffer and now it works fine.

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## IanPo

Paulinuks

Could you post the kernel options you changed (i mean cut&paste from kernel configuration)?

The thing is, i don't use framebuffer (and have never used) but it doesn't work.

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## Paulinuks

Well, the X start without problems, but then i have the same problem that others persons at logout. it hangs the system. 

 The "vga=0x914 video=radoenfb:ywrap,mtrr" added to grub.conf i have it eliminated. 

```

Micro paulinux # emerge --info

Portage 2.1.2-r9 (default-linux/amd64/2006.1/desktop, gcc-4.1.1, glibc-2.5-r0, 2.6.19-gentoo-r5 x86_64)

=================================================================

System uname: 2.6.19-gentoo-r5 x86_64 AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 3000+

Gentoo Base System release 1.12.9

Timestamp of tree: Sun, 18 Feb 2007 10:30:01 +0000

distcc 2.18.3 x86_64-pc-linux-gnu (protocols 1 and 2) (default port 3632) [enabled]

dev-java/java-config: 1.3.7, 2.0.30

dev-lang/python:     2.3.5-r3, 2.4.3-r4

dev-python/pycrypto: 2.0.1-r5

sys-apps/sandbox:    1.2.17

sys-devel/autoconf:  2.13, 2.61

sys-devel/automake:  1.4_p6, 1.5, 1.6.3, 1.7.9-r1, 1.8.5-r3, 1.9.6-r2, 1.10

sys-devel/binutils:  2.16.1-r3

sys-devel/gcc-config: 1.3.14

sys-devel/libtool:   1.5.22

virtual/os-headers:  2.6.20

ACCEPT_KEYWORDS="amd64"

AUTOCLEAN="yes"

CBUILD="x86_64-pc-linux-gnu"

CFLAGS="-march=athlon64 -O2 -pipe"

CHOST="x86_64-pc-linux-gnu"

CONFIG_PROTECT="/etc /usr/kde/3.5/env /usr/kde/3.5/share/config /usr/kde/3.5/shutdown /usr/share/X11/xkb /usr/share/config"

CONFIG_PROTECT_MASK="/etc/env.d /etc/env.d/java/ /etc/gconf /etc/java-config/vms/ /etc/revdep-rebuild /etc/terminfo"

CXXFLAGS="-march=athlon64 -O2 -pipe"

DISTDIR="/usr/portage/distfiles"

FEATURES="autoconfig distcc distlocks metadata-transfer parallel-fetch sandbox sfperms strict"

GENTOO_MIRRORS="http://distfiles.gentoo.org http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/gentoo"

LC_ALL="es_ES.UTF-8"

LINGUAS="es es_ES"

MAKEOPTS="-j3"

PKGDIR="/usr/portage/packages"

PORTAGE_RSYNC_OPTS="--recursive --links --safe-links --perms --times --compress --force --whole-file --delete --delete-after --stats --timeout=180 --exclude=/distfiles --exclude=/local --exclude=/packages"

PORTAGE_TMPDIR="/var/tmp"

PORTDIR="/usr/portage"

PORTDIR_OVERLAY="/usr/local/portage"

SYNC="rsync://rsync.gentoo.org/gentoo-portage"

USE="X acpi aiglx alsa amd64 arts berkdb bitmap-fonts cairo cdr cli cracklib crypt cups dbus dlloader dri dvd dvdr eds emboss encode esd fam firefox fortran gdbm gif gpm gstreamer gtk gtk2 hal iconv ipv6 isdnlog jpeg kde ldap libg++ mad midi mikmod mp3 mpeg ncurses nls nptl nptlonly nptonly ogg opengl oss pam pcre perl png ppds pppd python qt3 qt4 quicktime readline reflection sdl session spell spl ssl tcpd truetype truetype-fonts type1-fonts unicode userlocales vorbis xml xorg xv zlib" ALSA_CARDS="emu10k1" ALSA_PCM_PLUGINS="adpcm alaw asym copy dmix dshare dsnoop empty extplug file hooks iec958 ioplug ladspa lfloat linear meter mulaw multi null plug rate route share shm softvol" ELIBC="glibc" INPUT_DEVICES="keyboard mouse evdev" KERNEL="linux" LCD_DEVICES="bayrad cfontz cfontz633 glk hd44780 lb216 lcdm001 mtxorb ncurses text" LINGUAS="es es_ES" USERLAND="GNU" VIDEO_CARDS="fglrx radeon vesa"

Unset:  CTARGET, EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS, INSTALL_MASK, LANG, LDFLAGS, PORTAGE_RSYNC_EXTRA_OPTS

```

In the kernel configuration simplemente i have desactivated the framebuffer and the rest is the same that the tutorials.

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## yewsif

Has anyone found a solution to this? The bug report on the gentoo bugzilla still doesn't suggest any fix to this (the last person reported that the problem was not fixed by the new 8.34.8 ati-drivers). Also, Paulinuks, I've seen your post  right after you posted it but what you suggested doesn't fix the problem.

Thanks,

yewsif

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## AgentMat

I have exactly the same problem. I have a X800XT with a DVI and a VGA output. I was using a CRT with vga output for quite a time now, but I just switch to a samsung 226BW. I wanted to try DVI output and I had a perfect display using the radeon 8.33.6 (the first ati driver which makes enemy territory work on my gentoo 64) in 1680x1050 on gnome desktop. But every time I switch to a virtual console, log off, or shut down, my computer hangs (screen finds no display and my computer is either very slow or not responsive (I tried ctrl alt f1 login shutdown even though I had no display with no result but once).

I'm gonna try the VGA output (have to look for that damn cable ^^) tomorrow but I'm pretty sure it's gonna work like everyone here, I'm just hoping the display won t be that bad :s

Hope it will be fixed

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## yewsif

After trying everything (without success), my only option was to install the 32-bit version of gentoo (x86), and that fixed the problem. If you don't care about the currently minimal performance differences between 32-bit and 64-bit systems (at least if you're going to use your computer as a non-server "desktop" system), then you should install gentoo x86 until the 64-bit version becomes mainstream.

I hope this helps (I was personally confused about this, I thought that "x86" would only work on Intel processors).

-Yousef

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## AgentMat

 *yewsif wrote:*   

> After trying everything (without success), my only option was to install the 32-bit version of gentoo (x86), and that fixed the problem. If you don't care about the currently minimal performance differences between 32-bit and 64-bit systems (at least if you're going to use your computer as a non-server "desktop" system), then you should install gentoo x86 until the 64-bit version becomes mainstream.
> 
> I hope this helps (I was personally confused about this, I thought that "x86" would only work on Intel processors).
> 
> -Yousef

 

I did the same DVI works with 32 bits system. Quite a shame to leave 64 bits gentoo because of that  :Confused: 

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