VGA not detected on a Lenovo T420

Question

I have problem with a VGA driver that is not detected on my Lenovo T420 with Ubuntu. 10.04

Output of lshw:

       *-display UNCLAIMED
         description: VGA compatible controller
         product: Intel Corporation
         vendor: Intel Corporation
         physical id: 2
         bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0
         version: 09
         width: 64 bits
         clock: 33MHz
         capabilities: bus_master cap_list
         configuration: latency=0
         resources: memory:f0000000-f03fffff memory:e0000000-efffffff(prefetchable) ioport:5000(size=64)

This is output from lspci -nn:

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation Device [8086:0116] (rev 09)

When I install version 11 for testing it can detect the drivers:

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:0116] (rev 09)

*-display
description: VGA compatible controller
product: 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 2
bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0
version: 09
width: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: vga_controller bus_master cap_list rom
configuration: driver=i915 latency=0
resources: irq:42 memory:f0000000-f03fffff memory:e0000000-efffffff ioport:5000(size=64) 

On Ubuntu 10.04, I tried to install the xserver-xorg-video-intel driver but I'm still unable to get the right resolution on my display.

I've already tried the suggestion on Display not detected on a Thinkpad T420, but still no luck.

Solution

With the following steps I succeeded to get the Lenovo T420 intel graphic running properly:

sudo apt-get install linux-image-generic-lts-backport-natty linux-headers-generic-lts-backport-natty

Then just change the following line in your /etc/default/grub (edit as root!)

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quite splash"

to

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quite splash i965.modeset=1"

don't forget

sudo update-grub

and of course a reboot!

---

You often can read something about 'i915...' but this seems to be for older Intel graphics (compatibility issues?). I found (somewhere?) the device code for the Intel HD 3000 which is i965.

Comments

[user32065]

sorry on 10.04 this is the output: *-display UNCLAIMED description: VGA compatible controller product: Intel Corporation vendor: Intel Corporation physical id: 2 bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0 version: 09 width: 64 bits clock: 33MHz capabilities: bus_master cap_list configuration: latency=0 resources: memory:f0000000-f03fffff memory:e0000000-efffffff(prefetchable) ioport:5000(size=64)

[Lekensteyn]

No need to comment it twice, just edit it in and add a single comment so I get notified. Perhaps the older kernel does not support your newer hardware, install the newer version (11.10) unless you really do not want to.

[mckenzm]

A bit late now, but would have been nice to know either way if this was an Optimus equipped T240, and your BIOS settings. You may have been on dedicated NVidia.

[user32065]

hi, thanks for your reply, i got the driver updated name but there is no (configureation:driver=i915 latency=0). it still not detect the driver. any sugguestion please.

[user32065]

*-display UNCLAIMED description: VGA compatible controller product: 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller vendor: Intel Corporation physical id: 2 bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0 version: 09 width: 64 bits clock: 33MHz capabilities: bus_master cap_list configuration: latency=0 resources: memory:f0000000-f03fffff memory:e0000000-efffffff(prefetchable) ioport:5000(size=64)

[user32065]

from my basic understanding, Intel VGA should create this file: /etc/X11/xorg.conf, i try to locate it on my system it's not there.

[Lekensteyn]

@user32065 /etc/X11/xorg.conf does not have to exist, settings are automatically detected.

[user32065]

what i did i upgrade to kernel 2.6-35.30, it's booting and last screen before login i got black screen. i reboot and enter grup mode, i issue the lshw -C to check the driver and it's exist this time, the problem now i'm getting black screen and if i revert back to old kernel 32-34 i will not get the driver installed. any help please.

[Lekensteyn]

Try upgrading from Lucid to Oneiric

[mckenzm]

that should be "quiet", not "quite".