Linux xserver fails on arcade monitors

[ccarlesco]

I'm finally posting about this after months of failure.  Lincade and every other form of xserver cannot display 15khz video without curling the horizontal edge. 

The screen is too wide. 

At first I thought it was my monitor - but now I've tried it on 6 different CGA monitors, all the same TOO WIDE. 

I started to think it was lincade - but then the same issue occurred with ubuntu and xbuntu.  The only thing that works at 15khz is advanceCD - Perfectly!  but I cannot save anything in advanceCD without rewriting the image.  I have no problem with high end monitors that support digital controls but every single analog monitor is too wide!

I'm begging somebody to give me any advice that will prevent me from switching to windows - Soft-15k and cabmame work great on arcade monitors but linux is so universal as quick.


Thanks,

Chris

[ranma]

From what I read in your post, it seems that the modelines that you're using with xorg are made too wide, it's not a monitor problem. What tool did you use to create them? (was it LMRC?)


If I'm not mistaken advanceCD uses framebuffer instead of xorg, right?

I would try the following (I'm just guessing, since I never tried advanceCD)

1. If the modelines used by advanceCD are hardcoded in the configuration files, I would take them and convert them directly to xorg modelines, it should be exactly the same and your problem is solved.

2. If the modelines used by advanceCD are auto generated modelines you'll have to see what are the parameters used to create them and maybe just use auto generated modelines in your cab.

3. Why not try to use advanceCD as your distro to use?, if I'm not mistaken you can install the distro in your hard drive.


mmmm, does this help in some way?

[ccarlesco]

advance CD doesn't use xserver  - It uses fb drivers and configures the modes by hardware ranges:

device_video_format 15750 0.737421 0.0754717 0.0738994 0.113208 0.916168 0.011976 0.011976 0.0598802
device_video_pclock 12-50
device_video_hclock 15.75
device_video_vclock 60
display_magnify 1
display_adjust generate_yclock

no modelines are used

I'm using lrmc to configure the modelines for 640x240x60 and 640x480x30 interlaced -
    # 640x240x60.00 @ 15.750kHz
    Modeline "640x240x60.11"  12.096000  640 656 720 768  240 244 247 262  -HSync -VSync

    # 640x480x30.00 @ 15.750kHz
    Modeline "640x480x30.00"  12.096000  640 656 720 768  480 488 494 525  -HSync -VSync interlace

Both work but cause the edges to curl horizontally about 5% of the screen.

No amount of tweaking on the arcade chassis will fix it.


AdvanceCD would make an excellent solution except you cannot save configuration changes to the disk.  I've installed it to a HD and it will save high scores but any changes you make to individual games (changing buttons or video modes) is discarded unless you manually add them to the RC files on the image using magic iso.  This is a deal breaker because many games require tweaks to the video.

Thanks for your advice.  It's really appreciated!
 

[ranma]

If they are only two modelines you'd like to have, maybe you can adjust them manually with "xvidtune" or a similar app. Did you try that?

[tikbalang]

AdvanceCD would make an excellent solution except you cannot save configuration changes to the disk.  I've installed it to a HD and it will save high scores but any changes you make to individual games (changing buttons or video modes) is discarded unless you manually add them to the RC files on the image using magic iso.  This is a deal breaker because many games require tweaks to the video.

advanceCD manual says you can put rc files with your settings in the arcade\ folder. since the hd install of advanceCD uses fat or fat32, you can easily add the files even after "makepart".

[ccarlesco]

I tried vtune and it allows me to shrink the width but it is still cut off at the edges.  If I adjust the pots I can make one edge perfect but the other is cut off or "curled"  I have adjusted the width coil as well but it doesn't effect the curling.


My biggest issue with AdvanceCD is that it cannot write to the RC files while you're using the emulator.  If you need to change any settings permanently you have to manually do it with magiciso!

It looks like the core partition with the linux kernel is locked down into read only mode.  This is where the RC files are stored.  My guess is that this is a legacy from when it was only designed to be played from a CD.

[mewyn]

What kind of video card and what version of the X server are you using?  Also, can you use pastebin.com to post your X config file.  It sounds like this is definitely a software problem in X or a fault of your video card.  I think it should be able to be fixed, though.