Linux and refresh rates

[Maxxarcade]

One thing that has always drove me crazy with any version of Linux I use, is that it is a nightmare to get a good resolution and refresh rate on the monitor. Seems I can select anything I want, except for 1024x768x85Hz, or any other comfortable resolution. I can even select really high ones, that will be too much for the monitor, but never the resolutions that I want. My eyes are killing me from 60-75Hz flicker.

Even on Ubuntu 7.10, with the new control panel for Screens and Graphics, I still can't get things to work right. The monitor is a Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 87txm, which I know for a fact will do 1024x768x85Hz. Why does Linux always have so many problems with refresh rates? I recall having problems even on my new computer and 24" widescreen monitor.

And why is it that I still can't configure a mouse with more than 3 buttons without hacking a file in the terminal somewhere? Windows 95 had a GUI for this for God's sake.

Having said my rant, things have still come a long way with Linux. In fact I'm typing this message on it right now. I just with I could get the flickering to stop!

[Harvey]

Re: Linux and refresh rates

Linux has indeed come a long way.

















Unfortunately, its still go a long way to go too.

[Maxxarcade]

Re: Linux and refresh rates

I got it to work, sort of. I played around until I got it to give me 1152x864x86Hz or something like that. Looks great now. Though I ended up breaking the xorg server and having to run dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg.

Still haven't got the mouse working right (no forward or back buttons).

[Spacedye69]

Re: Linux and refresh rates

Ever tried to configure Solaris or any BSD for graphical desktop use? Linux is a piece of cake! Every raid card, network card, scsi, sata, fibre channel card, etc I have tried has been recognised and auto configured in Linux. Cant say the same for Windows( stupid f6!). Besides, who needs a mouse in console mode?

90% of hardware is designed for use with Windows. If it is a new model mouse, graphics card, whatever, you will still need to load a mfr driver from a cd to get it to work.

Every Windows installation puts the system files in the same places and gives you little/ no room for change. It is very easy to write an auto-install application when all the file systems are the same. Not so for Linux. You can have ultimate control of where everything goes, which means it is up to you to figure out where and how to modify files.

I'm not a HUGE Linux fan, but I am a fan of doing whatever I want with my OS. Linux in general will never be as easy to configure as Windows. If it did, that would mean someone tied it down with default constraints that you would not be able to change, and that would suck.

Remember Linux is a kernel with tools added to be useable. What tools are added is up to the individual. Windows is a closed source OS ENVIRONMENT, that is controlled by one company to one standard, theirs. It will always be more consistant, therefore, easier to write code and install scripts for.

If you want a real, stable OS that is easy to use, buy a Mac.

[acstech]

Re: Linux and refresh rates

I've got Fedora 8 x64 on my computer. Works great, and I had no problem setting resolution to 1024x768 85Hz. Just go System --> Preferences --> Hardware --> Screen Resolution, set it and forget it. I guess I was lucky.

In fact, I dont even have Windows on my computer anymore. Fedora does everything I need it to do. Setting up the multimedia stuff was somewhat tedious, but doable. Fedora 7 is on my internet server (router).

Until Microsoft stops being so paranoid about it's licensing, and stops overcharging for garbage (Vista), I'm staying on Linux of some form or another. Maybe I'll just stay on Linux after that too.

[Maxxarcade]

Re: Linux and refresh rates

I agree that Vista is a train wreck. Even when XP first came out, it was not as slow as Vista on current machines of the time.

If linux ever gets full Quicktime 7 support, and stops being so quirky with monitors, I'll be able to switch over completely.

Another issue I'd like to solve though, is that I can't play most music and videos off my file server without copying to the local drive first. Seems it doesn't like to stream data over the network. MP3's work, but that's about it.

[gdement]

Re: Linux and refresh rates

I've noticed that for no apparent reason, the Gnome GUI (used by default on redhat) has 2 separate configuration apps for the monitor settings. You have to use both of them to get all the adjustments. Resolution and color depth is in the "System Settings->Display" app, and resolution and refresh rate are in the "Preferences -> Screen Resolution" app. Neither app has all 3 settings in it. It took me a while to figure out where the refresh rate was.

I've tried several GUIs, but haven't found any that I really like. Gnome and KDE are full featured but pretty slow compared to Win2k. I use a dual P2-450 for my Linux desktop so speed is an issue. I also tried a few lightweight GUIs that looked popular, but they were so primitive I found them of little use. I also wasn't in the mood to edit text files to construct my start menu, as at least one of these GUIs was expecting me to do. Right now my favorite is the default Gnome GUI on CentOS 4. I've given up on Fedora, it was getting very slow and giving me too many headaches.

If somebody could make a GUI that works out of the box with about the same user friendliness and speed of say Windows NT4 (which was released over 10 years ago), I'd be happy to use it.

Linux is great at the console though, and I've happily used it on servers for several years. I think part of the problem with GUIs is that they require a cohesive overall design and integration of many different small apps. But by it's nature open source development is a compound fracture.

[grss1982]

Re: Linux and refresh rates

I've noticed that for no apparent reason, the Gnome GUI (used by default on redhat) has 2 separate configuration apps for the monitor settings. You have to use both of them to get all the adjustments. Resolution and color depth is in the "System Settings->Display" app, and resolution and refresh rate are in the "Preferences -> Screen Resolution" app. Neither app has all 3 settings in it. It took me a while to figure out where the refresh rate was.

I've tried several GUIs, but haven't found any that I really like. Gnome and KDE are full featured but pretty slow compared to Win2k. I use a dual P2-450 for my Linux desktop so speed is an issue. I also tried a few lightweight GUIs that looked popular, but they were so primitive I found them of little use. I also wasn't in the mood to edit text files to construct my start menu, as at least one of these GUIs was expecting me to do. Right now my favorite is the default Gnome GUI on CentOS 4. I've given up on Fedora, it was getting very slow and giving me too many headaches.

If somebody could make a GUI that works out of the box with about the same user friendliness and speed of say Windows NT4 (which was released over 10 years ago), I'd be happy to use it.

Linux is great at the console though, and I've happily used it on servers for several years. I think part of the problem with GUIs is that they require a cohesive overall design and integration of many different small apps. But by it's nature open source development is a compound fracture.

Ever tried Simply Mepis 6.5 (TC/Top Cat (Badcaps.net Admin) seems to like it) or even PcLinuxOS 2007 (No. 1 Currently is Distrowatch)? There 1-cd distros that come fully loaded with apps. Both are KDE-Centric though. :-|

[grss1982]

Re: Linux and refresh rates

I've had refresh problems though with SM 6.5 especially with the 1024x768@85 mode. My monitor BTW is an old 17" MAG DJ707.