bug? custom resolution not available in local system -> screen

[Dave Anderson]

I realize that custom resolutions are a "be glad if it works for you" feature, but this looks to me as though it might be a real bug.

I have a Dell U2412M monitor (native resolution 1920x1200) and builtin Intel 845G video. With custom resolutions enabled, Panorama detects the 1920x1200 resolution and says it is setting it as the custom resolution, but local system -> screen -> screen does not offer that resolution at any of 16M/64K/256 colors. I'd have expected Panorama to either report an error setting the custom resolution or to make it available for selection (even if it didn't actually work properly).

I've attached the output from 'testlog panorama' and also (as mentioned in the responses to ticket #14) the output of 'romimage' (with custom resolutions disabled). If I can provide additional information or run tests for you, please let me know.

Or, if this is one of those cases which "just doesn't work", so be it.

[Dave Anderson]

dump of unmodified video bios

[Dave Anderson]

output from 'testlog panorama'

[David Azarewicz]

Thanks for reporting this. This is the first time I have seen, and anyone has reported having, a type 2 Intel BIOS. I'll have a look at it.

[David Azarewicz]

Please try this test build.

1. Download and unzip ​http://88watts.net/download/panorama-test-1.06-20130807.zip
2. run the included update.cmd to update the necessary files.
3. make sure custom resolutions are enabled.
4. reboot.
5. capture another "testlog panorama" and attach it to this ticket.
6. Report whether or not your 1920x1200 resolution is displayed properly.

Thanks

[Dave Anderson]

output from 'testlog panorama' after updating and rebooting

[Dave Anderson]

Thanks for the quick response.

After rebooting the 1920x1200x256 and 1920x1200x65536 resolutions were available for selection in local system -> screen -> screen. I selected 1920x1200x65536 and rebooted again; the resulting timing was something my monitor couldn't handle (unfortunately, the monitor doesn't report what it was). I had to use CAD to run a command-line session to disable custom resolutions and reboot again to recover.

I noticed, after that first reboot, that no 1600x1200 resolution was available for selection even though that resolution was being displayed.

[David Azarewicz]

The custom resolution code works by replacing 1600x1200 with the desired resolution. That is why 1600x1200 disappears.

I only see one boot with this test build in the log. You must have captured the log after the first reboot, before switching to 1920x1200. It shows the resolution being used is 1280x1024.

Try this experiment:

Please set a manual custom resolution using:

panoutil -c 1920 1200

And see if your monitor likes it that way. This will cause Panorama to calculate the timings instead of using the ones provided by the monitor.

These are the steps necessary:

1. run the "panoutil -c 1920 1200" command
2. make sure custom resolutions are enabled
3. reboot
4. select 1920 1200 in the screen object
5. reboot
6. see if it works
7. capture a "testlog panorama". If the monitor doesn't display correctly, you can CAD, go to a command prompt, cd to the Panorama directory and run testlog that way.

[Dave Anderson]

Understood; I was just a bit surprised that the resolution which had been in use was the one which was replaced.

I'm afraid that I was a bit tired; I should have thought to run testlog before trying to get back to working video.

After running

panoutil -c 1920 1200
panoutil -d 1

and rebooting, the system immediately came up with a video resolution that the monitor wouldn't handle. I used CAD to get to a command line, ran

testlog panorama
panoutil -d 0

and rebooted, which restored 1600x1200 video. I'll attach the testlog output in a moment.

[David Azarewicz]

When you have the custom resolutions enabled, does 1920x1200x256 colors work? I know you wouldn't want to use that, but because of the way the mode table is organized, it will tell me valuable information if 256 colors works and 65536 colors doesn't work.

[Dave Anderson]

panoutil -r
panoutil -d 1
reboot [monitor can't handle resolution]
CAD
panoutil -s [shows 1920x1200x256 selected]
testlog panorama [rename log to ...20130811a...]
panoutil -c 1920 1200
reboot [monitor can't handle resolution]
CAD
testlog panorama [rename log to ...20130811b...]

I'll attach the (a) and (b) logs momentarily.

'panoutil -i' already displays the available modes (by number); it seems to me that it would be useful for cases like this (and probably easy) to add an option to panoutil to set the mode (by number).

[David Azarewicz]

Ok, thanks.
Try this build. ​http://88watts.net/download/panorama-test-1.06-20130811.zip
Do not have a manual custom resolution set. (Use PanoUtil -r) It is best to use the timings provided by the display.

[Dave Anderson]

panoutil -d 1
reboot [monitor unable to handle resolution -- 1920x1200x256]
CAD
testlog panorama [rename log to ...20130812a...]
panoutil -d 0
reboot
local system -> system setup -> screen -> screen -> 1280x1024x16M
panoutil -r
panoutil -d 1
reboot
local system -> system setup -> screen -> screen -> 1920x1200x64K (16M not available)
reboot [monitor unable to handle resolution -- 1920x1200x64K]
CAD
testlog panorama [rename log to ...20130812b...]
panoutil -d 0
reboot

I'll attach the (a) and (b) logs momentarily.

[David Azarewicz]

Ok, thanks for testing. I am out of ideas.

I'll leave this ticket open in case I think of something else, but at this point all the unknowns have been accounted for and tested. Everything that I can see appears to be working correctly. There is nothing more to try.

Remember to put an official released version of Panorama back in place since test builds expire in 30 days.

[Dave Anderson]

Thanks for your efforts (and for the reminder to restore the official version).

I expect to upgrade my system soon; we'll see if the new hardware does any better.

[David Azarewicz]

You are welcome.

I'm sorry I couldn't make your system work. However, your report and your data helped me fix a problem in how the custom resolution code works for that type of BIOS. It didn't work at all before, now at least it detects and patches the BIOS. While it didn't work on your hardware, it may work for others.