On Tue, Aug 31, 2004 at 02:32:49PM -0500, Branden Robinson wrote: > retitle 253607 xserver-xfree86: [debconf] don't set monitor sync ranges in > config file at all; just rely on DDC/EDID to work > severity 253607 wishlist > thanks > > > Like said, since XFree 4.3.0, Xfree, at least on the graphic drivers > > that support it, is capable to run without monitor timings, and able to > > ask the monitor this over the ddc protocol. > > ...except you don't always get an answer back.
Sure, but the choice of setting a empty monitor timing line should be possible, and it is not currently. > > Ideally, the configuration stuff should somehow interogate the graphic > > card/monitor, and see if it is able to use the ddc protocol to get the > > datas, tell the user that this values were detected, and ask if he want > > to use the default values, autodetect each time, or provide some values > > himself, the default being autodetecting stuff. > > Yes, "somehow". You don't provide any code, or anything beyond the barest > sketch of a design really, so this is going to have to wait until after > sarge. Fine with me. It would be nice if at least for sarge it would be possible to set an empty monitor timing entry. > > By letting these entries absent of the config file, at worst X will > > revert to some VGA standard mode, so there is no danger, but you may get > > reports about "why are the icons so big" from people without monitor > > attached, or using broken monitor switches or such. > > VGA standard mode is far too crude for most purposes today. Modern > desktops expect to have a ton of real estate, which is why I have added > 1152x768 and 1024x768 to the fallback default mode list in the current > "debconf overhaul" work being done in XSF SVN. Yeah sure, VGA standard mode is too crude, but it is better than not having any output at all, which is what i get when i accept the default choice on my LCD panel. > > I guess read-edid can be used for just this, but then maybe it is x86 > > only, is that possible ? > > Actually, Colin Watson has done some work to make read-edid operate on > PowerPC as well[1]. I hope to get that patch applied in time for sarge; I > have authorized an NMU for someone else to do so if people don't think I > will get to it in time. Cool. > On a more general note, now that the licensing of the X-Oz autoconfig stuff > has been clarified (it did exist under traditional MIT/X11 terms when it > was first checked into XFree86 CVS), it may be that in sarge + 1 when we > migrate to X.Org we will use "X -autoconfig" instead of (or as an > alternative to) the combination of discover, mdetect, and read-edid. Yeah, nice. I had some hope with the configuration-file-less solution David was working on, but with the licence mess, i guess that is lost to the free world forever, oh well ... > My only concern about that approach is we'd better be damn sure starting X > doesn't lock up people's machines, especially on our more exotic > architectures. discover and mdetect don't, and read-edid only seems to > hurt x86 users with buggy hardware. He. That said, there is one problem with the read-edid thingy, namely when you use a monitor switcher which is not relaying the DDC lines, or you start X while the monitor is off -> you are screwed. Thanks for taking care of my bug report. Friendly, Sven Luther
