[ltp] Thinkpad T21 Accelerated video problem

harry wert linux-thinkpad@linux-thinkpad.org
Wed, 08 Mar 2006 12:27:36 -0500


--=-uWPjZwAMzIfisq0giZuX
Content-Type: text/plain
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

On Wed, 2006-03-08 at 10:36 -0500, Alex Deucher wrote:

> Sorry for the top post.  try:
> Option "DmaMode" "None"
> 
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: harry wert <hwert@earthlink.net>
> Date: Mar 8, 2006 7:48 AM
> Subject: Re: [ltp] Thinkpad T21 Accelerated video problem
> To: linux-thinkpad@linux-thinkpad.org
> 
> 
>  On Wed, 2006-03-08 at 00:35 -0500, Alex Deucher wrote:
> 
>  On 3/7/06, harry wert <hwert@earthlink.net> wrote:
> > Hello, I have a Thinkpad T21 running Ubuntu Dapper Drake. Everything is
> > working extremely well except I cannot find a repeatable combination of
> > video driver settings which will survive a reboot or cold start. When
> > working, performance is an acceptable increase from 70fps to 355fps. The
> > internal video card is a Savage /IX-MV, with a chip ID of 8c12 which
> > contains 8192kb of video memory. The accelerated video will not run in the
> > 24 depth mode because it needs more than 8092kb of memory. I am able to
> > coax it tho run in the 16 depth mode with a lot of experimentation but all
> > is lost on reboot or a cold start. When it fails to start I experience a
> > hard freeze which will require a power off shutdown to free up. On the next
> > boot the screen appears to be attempting to find a workable video mode but
> > will ultimately lock into a dark screen and a hard freeze. It is then
> > necessary to boot up in the recovery mode and change the video depth from 16
> > back to 24 to restore normal (no video acceleration) video operation. I
> > have been searching with Google and reading whatever I can locate on this
> > subject but seem to have struck out!
> >
> > The only video tool I can find to use is xvidtune which is not easy to use.
> > Two questions:
> >
> > 1. Are there better tools out there for video tuning and adjustment such as
> > SAX on SuSE?
> >
> > 2. Does anyone have a working xorg with acceleration on a T21 and Ubuntu?
> >
> > This is not a crisis - just a curiosity as I don't usually run many
> > programs which require video acceleration.
> >
> > Thanks in advance for any comments and/or guidance in this matter.
> >
> 
> Try setting:
> Option "BusType" "PCI"
> AGP hasn't worked reliably on thinkpads with savages in a while.
> 
> Alex
> 
> > Harry Wert
> > Physicist
> >
> >
> 
>  Thanks Alex.  I incorporated your suggestion and major progress has
> been achieved.  Now xorg reliably boots into the 16 depth mode and no
> errors are reported in the xorg.0.0 log.  Unfortunately when I attempt
> to use 3D using glxgears the program attempt to start but cannot
> apparently find the correct mode for several seconds, then stops and
> freezes the system into a hard lock.  Reboot restores the screen for
> normal 16 depth again.  Another program I use for testing "TORCS" goes
> to a full-scale dark screen but does not freeze the system.
> Consequently I can go to another console and kill the process to
> restore normal operation.  I'll continue to investigate as I have time
> and report back if I find a solution.
> 
>  Thanks for your help.
> 
>  Harry Wert
>  Physicist
> 
>  ===================


The   "Option "DmaMode" "None""   inclusion solved the problem.  I now
have stable operation and a fps of 355 accelerated as compared to fps of
70. I have not been able to break it so far, and have run all of the
tests which had failed previously.

Thank you for your expertise and help.

Harry Wert
Physicist



--=-uWPjZwAMzIfisq0giZuX
Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 TRANSITIONAL//EN">
<HTML>
<HEAD>
  <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; CHARSET=UTF-8">
  <META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="GtkHTML/3.9.92">
</HEAD>
<BODY>
On Wed, 2006-03-08 at 10:36 -0500, Alex Deucher wrote:
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE>
<PRE>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">Sorry for the top post.  try:</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">Option &quot;DmaMode&quot; &quot;None&quot;</FONT>


<FONT COLOR="#000000">---------- Forwarded message ----------</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">From: harry wert &lt;<A HREF="mailto:hwert@earthlink.net">hwert@earthlink.net</A>&gt;</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">Date: Mar 8, 2006 7:48 AM</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">Subject: Re: [ltp] Thinkpad T21 Accelerated video problem</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">To: <A HREF="mailto:linux-thinkpad@linux-thinkpad.org">linux-thinkpad@linux-thinkpad.org</A></FONT>


<FONT COLOR="#000000"> On Wed, 2006-03-08 at 00:35 -0500, Alex Deucher wrote:</FONT>

<FONT COLOR="#000000"> On 3/7/06, harry wert &lt;<A HREF="mailto:hwert@earthlink.net">hwert@earthlink.net</A>&gt; wrote:</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt; Hello, I have a Thinkpad T21 running Ubuntu Dapper Drake. Everything is</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt; working extremely well except I cannot find a repeatable combination of</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt; video driver settings which will survive a reboot or cold start. When</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt; working, performance is an acceptable increase from 70fps to 355fps. The</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt; internal video card is a Savage /IX-MV, with a chip ID of 8c12 which</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt; contains 8192kb of video memory. The accelerated video will not run in the</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt; 24 depth mode because it needs more than 8092kb of memory. I am able to</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt; coax it tho run in the 16 depth mode with a lot of experimentation but all</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt; is lost on reboot or a cold start. When it fails to start I experience a</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt; hard freeze which will require a power off shutdown to free up. On the next</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt; boot the screen appears to be attempting to find a workable video mode but</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt; will ultimately lock into a dark screen and a hard freeze. It is then</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt; necessary to boot up in the recovery mode and change the video depth from 16</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt; back to 24 to restore normal (no video acceleration) video operation. I</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt; have been searching with Google and reading whatever I can locate on this</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt; subject but seem to have struck out!</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt;</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt; The only video tool I can find to use is xvidtune which is not easy to use.</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt; Two questions:</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt;</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt; 1. Are there better tools out there for video tuning and adjustment such as</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt; SAX on SuSE?</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt;</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt; 2. Does anyone have a working xorg with acceleration on a T21 and Ubuntu?</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt;</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt; This is not a crisis - just a curiosity as I don't usually run many</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt; programs which require video acceleration.</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt;</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt; Thanks in advance for any comments and/or guidance in this matter.</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt;</FONT>

<FONT COLOR="#000000">Try setting:</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">Option &quot;BusType&quot; &quot;PCI&quot;</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">AGP hasn't worked reliably on thinkpads with savages in a while.</FONT>

<FONT COLOR="#000000">Alex</FONT>

<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt; Harry Wert</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt; Physicist</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt;</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">&gt;</FONT>

<FONT COLOR="#000000"> Thanks Alex.  I incorporated your suggestion and major progress has</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">been achieved.  Now xorg reliably boots into the 16 depth mode and no</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">errors are reported in the xorg.0.0 log.  Unfortunately when I attempt</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">to use 3D using glxgears the program attempt to start but cannot</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">apparently find the correct mode for several seconds, then stops and</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">freezes the system into a hard lock.  Reboot restores the screen for</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">normal 16 depth again.  Another program I use for testing &quot;TORCS&quot; goes</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">to a full-scale dark screen but does not freeze the system.</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">Consequently I can go to another console and kill the process to</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">restore normal operation.  I'll continue to investigate as I have time</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">and report back if I find a solution.</FONT>

<FONT COLOR="#000000"> Thanks for your help.</FONT>

<FONT COLOR="#000000"> Harry Wert</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#000000"> Physicist</FONT>

<FONT COLOR="#000000"> ===================</FONT>
</PRE>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<BR>
The&nbsp;&nbsp; &quot;<FONT COLOR="#000000">Option &quot;DmaMode&quot; &quot;None&quot;</FONT>&quot;&nbsp;&nbsp; inclusion solved the problem.&nbsp; I now have stable operation and a fps of 355 accelerated as compared to fps of 70. I have not been able to break it so far, and have run all of the tests which had failed previously.<BR>
<BR>
Thank you for your expertise and help.<BR>
<BR>
Harry Wert<BR>
Physicist<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
</BODY>
</HTML>

--=-uWPjZwAMzIfisq0giZuX--